Hi Kim, I am an NBCT (EC Gen) and I help facilitate candidate support meetings here in my district. I have a couple of thoughts for you. First...what standards are assessed in your entry? If one of your standards being assessed is your knowledge of students then you need to make choices that show you know your students and their needs and interests. To me, I think you might have an advantage using the non fiction piece if you include in your writing the reasoning why you chose this piece (they need help comprehending nonfiction and they have an interest in the topic.) Why is it you think that the nonfiction metacognition lesson might not translate to tape well? Do you think the kids won't talk? Will they not understand enough to discuss it? Read the article as a reader...not as a teacher. What are YOU thinking about as you read it? What are the main ideas? What questions are left in your mind? Now put yourself in your student's shoes. Where will they be interested? What parts do you anticipate will be confusing? What strategies will they try? Finally, put your teacher shoes back on... what does this article scream for you to teach. Will it make kids WANT to think? Will they understand enough to make them want to engage but are there still tantalizing details that will leave questions in their minds? I think it is very possible to do a great lesson with nonfiction for metacognition...I think it may actually be easier than fiction for kids struggling with that process. What you need to do is make sure that the article is going to pull them in...make them want to learn more...it needs to be full of intriguing details but it should also leave them with some questions or some surprises... Jennifer EC Gen 98 (renewed 06) In a message dated 11/27/2008 8:59:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Hi All, Forgive me for just jumping in, but I am so stressed at the moment and need your collective wisdom. I am a candidate for National Boards (ELA Early Adolescent). (I teach 6th grade ELA.) I am now working on Entry #2 Whole Class Discussion. I have to send in 15 minutes of a video taped lesson which I will analyze and reflect upon. I spent considerable time creating a lesson on teaching the reading strategy of metacognition using a nonfciton text. The lesson follows STW. I will model using a think aloud, have students doing think, pair, share, and then eventually having them practice with guidance. My instructional goal is for the students to interact with the text as opposed to just decoding the words---to think about their thinking. (They are having a hard time with this. Half of the class is ESL. I also have two students with ADD.) My question/concern is this: Should I use nonfiction? It might be easier to have a whole class discussion about a piece of fiction, however, my students are fairly familiar with fiction. They *really* need help with nonfiction. The text is a short article about child labor in Equador. (They've become very interested in child labor issues.) I'm getting nervous that the nonfiction metcognition lesson might not lend itself to the taping process. Does anyone have any advice? Any and all thoughts would be appreciated. Kim in NC **************Finally, one site has it all: your friends, your email, your favorite sites. Try the NEW AOL.com. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000006) _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
