Thursday, February 18, 2010

Content Literacy Journal Entry No. 4

This fourth section of the module introduced various forms of writing techniques. When incorporated into the class these techniques serve as a point of reflection and recall on the day's or perhaps a unit's lesson. As a teacher, I appreciate the fact that these techniques can also serve as an indicator of student understanding of a lesson. This can be a very useful tool in rewriting lesson plans in order to increase student understanding of key points.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Content Literacy Journal Entry No. 3

The strategies that were introduced this week all centered on vocabulary. Vocabulary is a very important part of our world and day to day lives. My parents were always adamant about my bother and I reading to broaden our minds. In reading, we constantly came across words that were unfamiliar to us. We learned very quickly to keep a dictionary close by, so that we could look up these words. I suppose this is why I found these strategies so fascinating. I just really enjoyed learning about the different formats that vocabulary can be introduced: before, during, and after a lesson.

Content Literacy Journal Entry No. 2

I found this week’s topic on student comprehension to be quite interesting. I keep noticing that the recurring theme of all these strategies is the importance of increasing student anticipation and engagement in lessons. As an art educator I found the pattern guide strategy to be the most appealing. I think that it is a great way to enlist the students’ critical thinking skills. The students must call upon these skills in order to place the events or facts in the correct chronological order. While doing this the students are also recalling the lesson, so it also provides a format for review.