Teaching Strategy
Dictionary Guides: Because I am teaching a diverse groups of students at various levels of reading comprehension, on a few occasions we will need to stop and review a few words that they might not understand. Therefore, I will select one or two assistants who are willing to look up words on behalf of the class. It is a responsibility for the collective, a post as significant as the transcriber in collaborative writing. This will help the students realize that the dictionary is an enormous ring of keys to new awareness and knowledge, and we should not feel reluctant to look up a word we are unsure of. Examples will be shared and once we have confirmed that we are comfortable with the definition, we can proceed with the lesson.
The Process of Analysis (Poetry): In order to dive deep into a poem about a work of art, I will utilize the five levels of analysis in our class discussions:
Examine- Reading the poem silently, reading it out loud to yourself as well as others, or listening to someone reading it in order to notice specific details and become immersed in it multiple times.
Experience-Think about the poem. Try to relate to what it says, whether it be with something you know, have experienced, or heard of. Continue to notice the details in the poem such as the diction, word choice, structure, literary devices, theme, and content.
Interpret- Make connections between prior knowledge, life experience, and what the poem is saying. Try to uncover what the poem conveys in your own words.
Reflect- Take into consideration the elements of the poem and the connections you have recognized. Ask what it is about the poem that you can imagine or relate to from your point of view.
Respond- React to what you have discovered in the poem and create an opinion about it. Share your opinion with someone else.
Visual Thinking (Artwork & Mural): The visual thinking strategy is a teacher-facilitated method where I introduce visual images and encourage discussions within the classroom about what we are seeing. Art can have so many meanings based on life experiences and when a teacher welcomes discussions about personal thoughts on art, it establishes grounds for engagement by contributing observations and ideas based on the student’s personal experiences. Furthermore, to enhance the thinking process, I will utilize the 4W’S as they are attempting to read the artwork:
What do you see? (What do you observe?)
What does it remind you of? (Another image? A personal experience?)
What’s the artist’s purpose? (To analyze? Persuade? Express? Document? Entertain?)
So what? (Why does this matter? What is the significance?)
Learning Logs: Learning logs are used to help students keep track of learning during the class discussion and any in collaboration work. Therefore, after utilizing the two strategies shared above to interpret art and poetry, I will have students jot down the similarities (example below) they have discovered from every discussion in their sketchbooks. This will help students reflect on and refer to when they are seeking clarification and inspiration during assignments. Additional notes will also be encouraged.
Similarities between Visual & Verbal art
Title
|
Artist’s Name |
Poet’s Name |
|
Artist’s brushstrokes & medium |
Poet’s word choice, genre, & style |
|
Artist’s lines |
Poet’s style & form |
|
Artist’s colors |
Poet’s tone |
|
Artist’s value |
Poet’s inferences & opinions |
|
Artist’s perspective |
Poet’s point of view, bias |
|
Artist’s focal point |
Poet’s point of view |
|
Artist’s back/middle/foreground |
Poet’s setting |
|
Artist’s subject of painting |
Poet’s main idea |
Collaborative Learning: Collaborative learning is a significant strategy that I will utilize for most of this unit because it helps students to establish a strong team and work together to solve a given problem or reach a common goal. There are several benefits students get when working in a group setting such as: develop social skills, learn from peers, build trust, engage in learning, and gain confidence. This will truly be essential since their final assignment asks that they work together in a communal effort to complete a mural for their school.
Think-Pair-Share: Oftentimes, some students may be too shy or insecure to share their thoughts and ideas with the entire class. Therefore, I utilize this collaborative learning technique. A student will first examine & think about a poem alone. Afterward, they will have the opportunity to share their insight with another classmate.
Jigsaw Method: The jigsaw strategy is said to improve social interactions in learning and support diversity. It involves separating an assignment into subtasks, where students in groups will investigate and explore their assigned piece of work which in this case is an ekphrastic poem. Subsequently, the group will essentially educate other groups about their assigned poem. Confidently, the students would then discuss ideas between groups before coming back together as a whole classroom and sharing their experience.
Comments: