Inquiry Project Paper
Samantha Meyer
ELED 357
Inquiry project paper
Miller
Towson University
Inquiry project proposal: Checking for comprehension during a lesson
Exploring how teachers check for comprehension. Examine how different teachers at the placement check for comprehension during a lesson.
I. Research Questions
1) What kind of tools does each teacher use to informally or formally check for comprehension (example. Thumbs up, act it out, etc.). Provide a context for your answer.
2) How many times does each teacher check for comprehension in a lesson? Provide a context for your answer.
3) Does a teacher check for comprehension with different students in different ways? (Example. “David, put your hand on your heart if you think that the magnet will pick up …show more content…
the penny and put your hand on your head if you think that the magnet will not pick up the penny.”) Provide a context for your answer.
II. Literature Review
“Total physical response is an approach to language learning which pairs actions with words to convey meaning” (Asher, 2000, pg.
212). Total physical response is a technique teachers can use to see if their students understand the lesson and what they are learning. A teacher can check for comprehension by having student’s copy her hand symbols that she uses so her students better understand the lesson. For example, in a math lesson she uses her hands and arms to show and explain the different directions of slope. The teacher can also tell students to repeat what she is saying in order to fully understand the concept. The teacher can require students to talk to a partner to re-describe what they just learned. Teachers use a lot of repetition and mimicking to check for comprehension. I believe total physical response definitely helps students learn. All of these techniques allow the students to understand the lesson more easily. “Total physical response is an active learning approach for supporting comprehension in a low-anxiety atmosphere” (Krashen & Terrell, 1988, pg. 67). Total physical response can be used in a variety of subjects and lessons. “Through active participation, students learn new actions words by watching, imitating and responding to the teacher’s commands” (Shunk cited in Facella, Rampino, and Shea, 2005, pg. …show more content…
213).
According to Li, a critical concept for ELL students is to increase comprehensible input in their learning process. "According to this theory, learners must be able to understand the essence of what is being said or presented to them, i.e., the message must be comprehensible" (Li, 218). To ensure that ELLs understand the materials presented to them, various teaching techniques and strategies must be used. It is important that oversimplified words are not used to teach ELLs. English language learners learn best when they receive a little more difficult material than they easily understand. "As noted earlier, comprehensible input refers to language used in ways that make it understandable to the learner even though second language proficiency is limited" (Krashen, 1982). The ELL population is rapidly growing so it is important for teachers to understand how to successfully teach these students.
A teacher demonstrates total physical response by using her hands and fingers to represent different words being taught in a lesson. For example, the word "equals" a teacher can use both her arms to create an equal sign when discussing that word. Another way comprehensible input can be used is through visual aids or artifacts. A poster can be created with definitions clearly written and hung in the classroom so the students can read them clearly. Putting students in groups or pairs to discuss different terms that were taught during the lesson is also an example of comprehensible input. To benefit the students, they can be paired by above level with below-level students or ELL students with native speaking students. These groupings can help students better understand the lesson and encourage social collaboration. "Language learning opportunities are richly present during social interactions because participants are likely to be focused on communicating with each other, and they will naturally make use of all their resources to do so--facial expression, dramatization, repetition, and so forth" (Wong Fillmore, 1982, 1985). Another way to use comprehensible input is to connect the lesson to the student's personal lives. You can talk about how and where they have heard these words used in their daily lives. You can also talk about how and where multiplication is used in daily experiences--for example, shopping.
Other ways Li talks about increasing comprehension for ELLs are by providing relevant context by providing background knowledge and contextual information, integrating technology, creating a positive learning environment, and making learning authentic. Kesler focuses on how shared reading can build vocabulary and comprehension.
Part 1: It is important for students to be encouraged to investigate and enjoy texts.
It is important for teachers to enter their students culture, a culture and tradition they are passionate to share. “The more people read, the more their reading comprehension will improve and the more capable they will be of finding difficult, academic-style texts more comprehensible. For bilingual children, they best approach is to develop their first language literacy and be sure they have many opportunities to read in both their first and second language” (Cummins, 2000; Krashen, 1996; Thomas & Collier, 2001). The key is to find books that students connect to in some way. In order to teach in a culturally responsive approach it is important to use culturally relevant books. Readers make links and connections when they are reading when they read books that connect to their own experiences. Students are more engaged when the books they read connect to their lives and background and they have more success in reading. When students are involved in assessing the books they read it could help teachers decide whether the books are culturally relevant. “Students are asked to rate each book on several criteria including sociocultural factors, the setting, the time period, the age and sex of the characters, and the language characters use. By discussing the answers with their students, teachers can better judge whether or not a book is culturally relevant for a particular group of students” (Freeman
and Freeman, 9).
Cultural Relevance Rubric:
Question 1: “Are the characters in the story like you and your family?” 2
Question 2: “Have you ever had an experience like the one described in this story?” 3
Question 3: “Have you ever lived in or visited places like those in the story?” 3
Question 4: “Could this story take place this year?” 2
Questions 5: “How close do you think the main characters are to you in age?” 2
Questions 6: “Are there main characters in the story who are: boys (for boys) or girls (for girls)?” 1
Questions 7: “Do the characters talk like you and your family do?” 3
Question 8: “How often do you read stories like these?” 2
The book I choose to do this rubric is Peanut Butter and Cupcake by Terry Border. I answered question 1 “Are the characters in the story like you and your family?” with a 2 because the characters in the book are food. Some of the characters are Peanut Butter, Cupcake, Hamburger, Hot dogs, Soup, French Fries, Egg, and Jelly. The reason I choose 2 as my answer because the character do not really relate to my family and me because the characters are food. The reason I did not choose 1 “not at all” is because the characters have human characteristics. Peanut Butter’s mom urges Peanut Butter to go make friends after they move into a new town. Peanut Butter then proceeds to try to make friends with several different types of food and at the end of book Peanut Butter makes a lot of new friends. The story of the book was relatable.
I answered question 6 “Are the main characters in the story who are: boys (for boys) or girls (for girls)?” with a 1 because the characters in the book are not identified as boys or girls. All of the different types of food in the book are relatable to both boys and girls. The book is not directed towards a specific gender.
Part 2:
The supports help the students during the assessment because they are guidelines that the students can use to work off of. The repeated phrase helps students because it is a statement they can keep using to continue a flow to their presentation. It can also help students remember the information they plan to talk about easier with the repeated phrase being a familiar structure. The pictures helped them remember what they were talking about throughout the presentation. The pictures are a visual reminder for the students and an example for the teacher to see. Technology also helps support the student during the assessment because it gives students an opportunity for a different type of assessment that they do not always use. This is an example of differentiated instruction. It also allows students to become more familiar with technology.
III. Data Collection:
(See attached data)
IV. Data Analysis
ELED 357
Inquiry project paper
Miller
Towson University
Inquiry project proposal: Checking for comprehension during a lesson
Exploring how teachers check for comprehension. Examine how different teachers at the placement check for comprehension during a lesson.
I. Research Questions
1) What kind of tools does each teacher use to informally or formally check for comprehension (example. Thumbs up, act it out, etc.). Provide a context for your answer.
2) How many times does each teacher check for comprehension in a lesson? Provide a context for your answer.
3) Does a teacher check for comprehension with different students in different ways? (Example. “David, put your hand on your heart if you think that the magnet will pick up …show more content…
the penny and put your hand on your head if you think that the magnet will not pick up the penny.”) Provide a context for your answer.
II. Literature Review
“Total physical response is an approach to language learning which pairs actions with words to convey meaning” (Asher, 2000, pg.
212). Total physical response is a technique teachers can use to see if their students understand the lesson and what they are learning. A teacher can check for comprehension by having student’s copy her hand symbols that she uses so her students better understand the lesson. For example, in a math lesson she uses her hands and arms to show and explain the different directions of slope. The teacher can also tell students to repeat what she is saying in order to fully understand the concept. The teacher can require students to talk to a partner to re-describe what they just learned. Teachers use a lot of repetition and mimicking to check for comprehension. I believe total physical response definitely helps students learn. All of these techniques allow the students to understand the lesson more easily. “Total physical response is an active learning approach for supporting comprehension in a low-anxiety atmosphere” (Krashen & Terrell, 1988, pg. 67). Total physical response can be used in a variety of subjects and lessons. “Through active participation, students learn new actions words by watching, imitating and responding to the teacher’s commands” (Shunk cited in Facella, Rampino, and Shea, 2005, pg. …show more content…
213).
According to Li, a critical concept for ELL students is to increase comprehensible input in their learning process. "According to this theory, learners must be able to understand the essence of what is being said or presented to them, i.e., the message must be comprehensible" (Li, 218). To ensure that ELLs understand the materials presented to them, various teaching techniques and strategies must be used. It is important that oversimplified words are not used to teach ELLs. English language learners learn best when they receive a little more difficult material than they easily understand. "As noted earlier, comprehensible input refers to language used in ways that make it understandable to the learner even though second language proficiency is limited" (Krashen, 1982). The ELL population is rapidly growing so it is important for teachers to understand how to successfully teach these students.
A teacher demonstrates total physical response by using her hands and fingers to represent different words being taught in a lesson. For example, the word "equals" a teacher can use both her arms to create an equal sign when discussing that word. Another way comprehensible input can be used is through visual aids or artifacts. A poster can be created with definitions clearly written and hung in the classroom so the students can read them clearly. Putting students in groups or pairs to discuss different terms that were taught during the lesson is also an example of comprehensible input. To benefit the students, they can be paired by above level with below-level students or ELL students with native speaking students. These groupings can help students better understand the lesson and encourage social collaboration. "Language learning opportunities are richly present during social interactions because participants are likely to be focused on communicating with each other, and they will naturally make use of all their resources to do so--facial expression, dramatization, repetition, and so forth" (Wong Fillmore, 1982, 1985). Another way to use comprehensible input is to connect the lesson to the student's personal lives. You can talk about how and where they have heard these words used in their daily lives. You can also talk about how and where multiplication is used in daily experiences--for example, shopping.
Other ways Li talks about increasing comprehension for ELLs are by providing relevant context by providing background knowledge and contextual information, integrating technology, creating a positive learning environment, and making learning authentic. Kesler focuses on how shared reading can build vocabulary and comprehension.
Part 1: It is important for students to be encouraged to investigate and enjoy texts.
It is important for teachers to enter their students culture, a culture and tradition they are passionate to share. “The more people read, the more their reading comprehension will improve and the more capable they will be of finding difficult, academic-style texts more comprehensible. For bilingual children, they best approach is to develop their first language literacy and be sure they have many opportunities to read in both their first and second language” (Cummins, 2000; Krashen, 1996; Thomas & Collier, 2001). The key is to find books that students connect to in some way. In order to teach in a culturally responsive approach it is important to use culturally relevant books. Readers make links and connections when they are reading when they read books that connect to their own experiences. Students are more engaged when the books they read connect to their lives and background and they have more success in reading. When students are involved in assessing the books they read it could help teachers decide whether the books are culturally relevant. “Students are asked to rate each book on several criteria including sociocultural factors, the setting, the time period, the age and sex of the characters, and the language characters use. By discussing the answers with their students, teachers can better judge whether or not a book is culturally relevant for a particular group of students” (Freeman
and Freeman, 9).
Cultural Relevance Rubric:
Question 1: “Are the characters in the story like you and your family?” 2
Question 2: “Have you ever had an experience like the one described in this story?” 3
Question 3: “Have you ever lived in or visited places like those in the story?” 3
Question 4: “Could this story take place this year?” 2
Questions 5: “How close do you think the main characters are to you in age?” 2
Questions 6: “Are there main characters in the story who are: boys (for boys) or girls (for girls)?” 1
Questions 7: “Do the characters talk like you and your family do?” 3
Question 8: “How often do you read stories like these?” 2
The book I choose to do this rubric is Peanut Butter and Cupcake by Terry Border. I answered question 1 “Are the characters in the story like you and your family?” with a 2 because the characters in the book are food. Some of the characters are Peanut Butter, Cupcake, Hamburger, Hot dogs, Soup, French Fries, Egg, and Jelly. The reason I choose 2 as my answer because the character do not really relate to my family and me because the characters are food. The reason I did not choose 1 “not at all” is because the characters have human characteristics. Peanut Butter’s mom urges Peanut Butter to go make friends after they move into a new town. Peanut Butter then proceeds to try to make friends with several different types of food and at the end of book Peanut Butter makes a lot of new friends. The story of the book was relatable.
I answered question 6 “Are the main characters in the story who are: boys (for boys) or girls (for girls)?” with a 1 because the characters in the book are not identified as boys or girls. All of the different types of food in the book are relatable to both boys and girls. The book is not directed towards a specific gender.
Part 2:
The supports help the students during the assessment because they are guidelines that the students can use to work off of. The repeated phrase helps students because it is a statement they can keep using to continue a flow to their presentation. It can also help students remember the information they plan to talk about easier with the repeated phrase being a familiar structure. The pictures helped them remember what they were talking about throughout the presentation. The pictures are a visual reminder for the students and an example for the teacher to see. Technology also helps support the student during the assessment because it gives students an opportunity for a different type of assessment that they do not always use. This is an example of differentiated instruction. It also allows students to become more familiar with technology.
III. Data Collection:
(See attached data)
IV. Data Analysis