Strategies
The type of strategies teachers utilize are important. Some of the strategies described in this unit can be modified based on the level of the students. Strategies provide the most effective way to help students understand what it is that you want them to learn. Students getting involved in their learning encourages and motivates them to become more independent learners. Students at Tsaile Public school have different learning styles just as any other students. Students at Tsaile range from students that are tactile learners, a few auditory learners, and of course visual learners. It is always best to teach a visual learner. This allows the students to see the outcome and understand the expectation of a lesson. Teachers using different and effective strategies in lessons is the key, such as use of technology, grouping, thinking and planning with graphic organizers, modeling and guided practice. It all depends on the level of the students.
The majority of the students are Native American, as mentioned in the demographics, and for the most part their Native language is their first language. Some of the students struggle with academic vocabulary as they learn about topics and skills. They are especially limited in vocabulary when it comes reading literature and text features. For many, parents are not home to work with their child, so they do not get the vocabulary development in normal daily conversation. Therefore, students will be deeply exposed to lessons encouraging vocabulary development. This is done through providing activities that will increase their ability to describe and create poems. Graphic organizers are another way students will be able to obtain new vocabulary that will sustain them for future reference. Such graphic organizers use the four corners method that I like to use. This strategy is based on Robert Marzano and Debra J Pickering’s reference book, Building Academic Vocabulary Teacher’s Manual. The outline of poetry, the parts and the types of genre will be of assistance to help third-grade students obtain key vocabulary words. This is considered visual aids in addition to the types of poetry selected. To further motivate students, use of technology in the classroom will be incorporated as students type out poems or draw an image. Today’s students are tech savvy and creative. In addition, we have students that are always asking to use a computer to complete work. Furthermore, there are some poets, such as Joy Harjo and Orlando White, who have their poems published on the website Poetry Foundation that is selected for this unit; students can listen to the poems that are written.
One of the most fundamental ways to involve students to interact and create or read poems together is a strategy that allows them to work together. This strategy is known as grouping or collaborative team work. In addition, it allows students who are struggling to find support. The students are able to enjoy reading and working together. Students are able to play a part or be the character or the author. For this unit, there will be discussion among students, so the arrangement of desk will be in groups of four, or set up in pairs. Some of the poems or activities will allow students to read poems that are written as sonnets, but read from a different perspective. Such as the poem written in Olio, “Mark Twain vs. Blind Tom.” This is just an example to show that students should be able to read poetry from one perspective and the point of view of another. This increases the participation from students as they love to share how they perceive the voice or message of an author. In addition, students begin to hear the voice, the tone and the mood of a poem.
For the most part, the lesson will begin with the teacher modeling strategies followed by the gradual release method. The method involves teacher modeling, guided practice we do together, another guided practice together as you do together, and finally, you do independently. This ensures that the expectation to the outcome is learned through steps and understanding of skills is obtained. The teacher models many skills and steps to show students what they are expected to learn, such as highlighting, asking and answering questions, showing work through collaboration and or on paper will teach students to walk the talk. I believe that through the use of these strategies the students will be able to gain the skills that are being taught.
The last strategy that will be incorporated is the use of writing. This writing will also be used as assessment of the unit. An anthology of poems will be collected and bound as a resource. This is added to small projects such as making paper and binding books. Furthermore, in learning through Hózhó, students should have the motivation of learning to express themselves in writing, enjoy reading and be able to understand the author’s point of view. All these strategies will be aimed at igniting writers. The students will be involved in creating their own poems as a means of learning how poems are created and written. The purpose of why writers choose to write in this format. As an extended activity, I hope to have students write poems and or bind a collection of poems in a big book as a class or individuals. To add to the motivation, for this unit, I will be inviting our local poet, Orlando White, into our classroom and have him actually read to the students. This will surely allow students to see that anybody can write poetry.
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