EDCI352: Multiliteracies- Assignment #3

Writing to Learn- Admit Slips and Exit Slips

How can we use admit slips and exit slips effectively in a classroom? This blog post outlines some of the issues and concerns surround admit and exit slips and outlines how to use them in an English classroom. This is an English 10 class, doing a novel study on Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games.

Who: The class is an Grade 10 English class. I have 28 students and they sit in pods of 4 throughout the classroom.

Each classroom will be unique, but consider the following students:

-          ESL Student: Naharive, from Saudi Arabia. He has been here for 6 months

-          Student with disability: Jason, born with a degenerative spine disease has been         in a wheelchair all his life.

-          Student from low socioeconomic background: Sandra is from a single                      parent   home that receives welfare checks.

-          Student who frequently misses class: Jackson has been playing hockey for the junior Canucks team in Vancouver. He frequently misses multiple days of school, and rarely is able to attend school on Fridays. 

*Adapted from: http://hyperstruction.ucr.edu/equip.html

It is important to note the variety of students within each classroom. By making the admit slip anonymous, students who are not comfortable speaking out in class can feel more safe, expressing their views in an anonymous way. If there are any culture differences, or concepts that students don’t understand, they can write them down without the threat of being ridiculed if they asked in a discussion setting. Because admit slips and exit slips are very general, they can be tailored very easily depending on the uniqueness of the class.

What: Admit slips and exit slips are key when sued anonymously. They should not be used as a permanent record of learning and should a separate assignment in order to be an effective tool in the classroom. There are a difference between exit and admit slips:

Admit slips: These are brief comments, concerns, or thoughts written by students. They can be written on index cards or scrap pieces of paper. Admit slips should be “assigned” at the beginning of class. An admit slip acts like “admission” slip, getting students engaged in the lesson, and welcoming into the classroom. “The purpose of the admit slip is to have students react to what they are studying or what is happening in class” (Vacca, 226). Students are asked to respond on admit slips, and because they are anonymous students are more likely to give out real answers, and concerns about information they do not know. Admit slips should be collected by the teacher, and read out loud. This is a great way to generate discussion about a topic, see what level all of the students are on within a topic. Admit slips allows for communication between a teacher and student, and other students within the class. It is a good way to gauge understanding of a text or concept.

Exit slips: Like the admit slips, exit slips are handed out to students, like a slash card, or scrap piece of paper. The difference though, is that exit slips are given out at the end of class. This is a way for teachers to bring closure to a lesson. An exit slip can ask students to summarize, evaluate, synthesis, discuss, reflect or project information they just learned (Vacca, 236). Exit slips are a great building block to use from one lesson to the next.

IRP: This lesson meets the following IRP’s for Grade 10 English:

B1 read, both collaboratively and independently, to comprehend a variety of literary texts, including

– literature reflecting a variety of times, places, and perspectives

B6 during reading and viewing, select, adapt, and apply a range of strategies to construct, monitor,

and confirm meaning, including

– comparing and refining predictions, questions, images, and connections

– making inferences and drawing conclusions

– summarizing and paraphrasing

The first IRP (B1) is met solely through the literature chosen. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a science-fiction novel, set in a post apocalyptic world, with a female narrator. The novel crossed many generations, and allows students to think about the world in a post apocalyptic setting. By asking students to respond to the text, both with admit slips and exit slips, students are fulfilling B6. By completing an admit slip, students are making connections to the novel and their understanding, making predictions, and asking questions about future information they would like to learn. Because the exit slip requires them to summarize, they are deconstructing not just the text, but also the discussion and information they discussed within their group, making a conclusion about the whole lesson. The final step of the exit slip asks students to write down a question they have about the book, shaping future lessons, and allowing them to utilize this strategy to make predictions, get information about a text and possibly draw conclusions about future readings.

Where: The logistics of admit slips and exit slips require admit slips to be handed out at the beginning of class and the exit slips to be handed out at the end of class. This strategy should be used as frequently as needed within a unit, to check for understand, get students to write and to gauge what information students can recall from a text. For this lesson I would use admit slips and exit slips almost as a double entry journal. Students are required to read up to the 4^th chapter in The Hunger Games.  When they first enter class I would ask them to complete an admit slip with the following questions:

-          What is confusing you about the plot of the story so far?

-          What do you like/dislike about the book so far?

-          Do you think Katniss Everdeen is a good protagonist? Why or why not?

By asking students open ended, yet general ones that can ask them to think critically about the text they are reading, I can gauge who did their homework, what point students are at with their book, and some of the class perception of the novel.

After a discussion about the admit slip questions, we would complete lit circles, with each students completing a role in their group (passage director, discussion director, summarizer and vocabularian). Lit circles are a great way to get students discussing text, and become more focused when each student has a specific role.

Before class ends, as a final closing activity, I would ask students, this time not anonymously, to write a brief summary of what they learned today, and ask one question they are curious to read about for next class. This question could have to do with plot, characters, themes or the author. These questions will be used as a scaffolding technique and addressed or answered within the next few class periods.

When: These strategies could be used throughout any unit. I would use this as a way to get students to write, to generate ideas for discussion or lesson planning, and to see how much of the text students are understanding. By asking students to anonymously answer questions about the novel, as a teacher I can adapt my lesson to some of the issues that students are having with a text. In this lesson both admit slips and exit slips are used in the same class, as an introduction and conclusion technique. Because this lesson only requires two pieces of scrap paper, it can be completed any where. Even if students are not in their own desks, this lesson would still be available to all students.

Why: So why use admit slips and exit slips? These strategies really begin class discussion, and build a trusting relationship between the student and teacher. Admit slips and exit slips create a sense of community within the classroom, while allowing the teacher to measure understanding about a topic, theme, concept or text (Vacca 236). By asking students to pin point specifically parts of a novel they are having some confusion about teachers are able to see what could be missing in their students learning. By asking students to write down final summaries or answer specific questions in an exit slip, students are synthesizing what they have learned about each day.

How: The following is an example dialogue between students and teachers demonstrating how to introduce both admit slips and exit slips into a classroom.

Admit Slips:

Teacher: “Good morning class! Did everyone get a chance to complete their assignment reading for last night?”

Student #1: “We were only suppose to read to chapter 4, right?”

Teacher: “That’s right! You were suppose to read to chapter 4, but I have a feeling some of you might have read a bit further! Before we begin to get into our lit circles, I want to hear about some of your thoughts on the book.”

Students #1: “It’s soooooooo good Miss M! I didn’t think I was going to like it because its by a girl, but its awesome! Does she die?”

Teacher: “I don’t know Jason! I am glad you are enjoying the book though! Okay. Everyone should have a piece of paper on their desk. I am going to give you the next 5 minutes to answer the questions on the board. What is confusing you about the plot of the story so far? What do you like/dislike about the book so far? Do you think Katniss Everdeen is a good protagonist? Why or why not?”

Student #2: “Can I write down something that isn’t on the board?”

Teacher: “Sure. But remember to answer the questions on the board too.”

Student #3: “Is this for marks?”

Teacher: “No, this is to check to make sure everyone is reading, and to see if you have any questions about the novel that you might not mention in class.”

Student #4: “Do I have to write my name on this?”

Teacher: “Nope. Remember, our admit slips are completely anonymous. Take the next five minutes to answer the questions. And go!”

Exit Slips:

Teacher: “Great job in your lit circles everyone! I heard a lot of really great discussions about Katniss and Petta, and their characters! Who wants to know what happens to them in the end?”

Student #1: “Tell us!!!!”

Teacher: “I don’t know, I am only as far along as you are! Okay, before the bell rings, for the next five minutes I want you guys to write something down on the piece of paper in front of you.”

Students #1: “Didn’t we do this at the beginning of class?”

Teacher: “Yes, we did something like this Matt. But this time you are going to answer a different question, and put your name on it.”

Student #2: “What’s the question?”

Teacher: “In 3-5 sentences summarize what your lit circle discussed today, and write down one question you have about the book, that you want answered. I will read over the questions, and we will discuss them in class, or wait to see if after reading the book our questions were answered.”

Student #3: “So I have to put my name on this? What if I have a question like, did they make a movie about this?”

Teacher: “That would be okay Jane, as long as you are giving me a summary and a questions that in some way relates to the novel.”

Student #4: “So we have to summarize what we talked about today?”

Teacher: “Yes! You have 5 minutes!”

Works Cited:

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/course.php?lang=en&subject=English_Language_Arts&course=English_Language_Arts_8_to_12&year=2007

http://hyperstruction.ucr.edu/equip.html

Vacca, R., Vacca J., & Begoray, D. (2005) Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum.Toronto: Pearson Education.

Are you Successful?

Yesterday we had a discussion in my seminar for student teaching class, where our teacher asked us to define success. We thought about how society views the word success:

            - Money

            - Happiness

            - Career

            - Job

            - Security

But how would I measure success? For me the starting point of success begins with my individual goal and finished once that goal has been accomplished. My definition of success might be different than a neurosurgeons. Because I am not a Doctor does that make me less successful? Because I won’t make as much money as a lawyer does that make me less successful? When I think about the word “success” its an extremely personal definition, molded to the crevices of my life. Yet society demands that teachers are pushing through individuals who will be “successful” in the adult lives.

As a teacher how can we measure success? is it bases solely on marks on paper? I hope, that as an educator I can use success and not just an assessment tool. I want to be able to recognize students individual goals, competencies, and individual needs, and base their successes (however small they might be) on their individual personal goals, not the standard A+ = success.

Is this a futile view? of course I want students to be successful in my class,  but should I look only at grades? I truly believe that all students have something to offer, so if measuring success, is having a student complete an assignment or finish 5 out of 20 math questions, those small advances can be seen as successes in my classroom.

By the end of class my head was reeling. How can I be given this huge task of directing students to be a “successful” citizen as so many people put it? And what if they do not meet societies definition of “success”, have I failed as a teacher? One of my peers described her idea of success as “Personal Potential”. If we can engage students in the act of becoming successful based on their personal potential, education can be the foundation of successful citizens.

Vocational Education: Who needs it?

Recently we have been discussing vocational education in a few of my classes. I learned that B.C. started implementing middle schools into the system in order to allow students as young as grade 6 to start taking classes in vocational studies (learning that is linked directly to work). Personally I didn’t realize that I have taken classes that would be considered vocational: woodwork, metal work, cooking, sewing, etc... These were all classes I took while I transitioned from elementary school to high school, without realizing what exactly their purpose was. I just thought these would be “fun” classes, something different than the mundane “core” classes we were taking. So what is the debate? In my history class we were put into groups and asked to debate over the issue of vocational studies. I was acting as though I was a parent, speaking to the school board against the implementation of vocational classes in middle school. It is very difficult to advocate for something you don’t fully believe in!

While a lot of us really seamed to encourage the idea of vocational classes we discussed the following as possible reasons NOT to implement these types of classes:

1.       It encourages students who might not be motivated in academic classes to “take the easy” way out, and take “fun” hands-on classes instead.

2.       Vocational classes take away from the core fundamentals (reading, writing, communicating) that are needed in all aspects of life.

3.       Vocational studies now do not have the resources, teachers or funding to teach actual, fundamental skills of trades, just basic information and how to be successful in a working environment.

4.       Implementing vocational classes requires FUNDING (isn’t that always the issue?). In order for vocational classes to be successful there needs to be trained (expert) teachers , proper equipment, safety regulations, and new classrooms.

5.       Children are too young during Grade 6 (and too easily influenced) to be given options like this. They should be offered in high school when a student will have a stronger idea of who they are, and what direction they are going to take after high school.

6.       Are children really able to handle the equipment necessary for some of the skills and machinery  that is available to students in these classes or programs?

The more we discussed why we shouldn’t have these classes in school, the easier it was to get caught up in the chaos surrounding this issue. Maybe it isn’t such a good idea to have these hands-on, practical classes. Should children really be exposed to vocational studies, at such a young age, if at all? Then I read this article a fellow classmate shared with us, on macleans.ca and the few ounces of disillusion that I had quickly faded:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/08/25/why-your-teenager-cant-use-a-hammer/

It is so true that we live in a technology run world; most people can’t go a day without using cell phones, checking their Facebook, or typing away on a computer. Adolescents today are known for doing this throughout the school day. So shouldn’t we revert back to traditional means of learning, showing students how to be innovative, hands on and kinesthetic instead of having an “app” for how to change a tire? Sadly, as this article  points out, while we have vocational classes available to students, they are not being taught or implemented properly, so even students who are taking them still don’t know how to apply or use these skills! The few vocational classes that are available are not effective. Have vocational studies become as “mundane” as regular academic classes? Are students not learning how to be a positive contributor in the work force? Are students not being taught above everything else, how to be good and proper citizens within society? Is it really that easy to say that because someone is from a rural community they are more adept at hands-on skills, and is there a way to replicate this ‘farm-like’ situation in schools?

I don’t know how to answer my own questions. As an educator (and student who appreciated alternative classes) I hope that there is a balance within our education system, and students are able to learn how to not only conjugate verbs, but develop an understanding of what its like to live outside the school walls, in the real world.

Next time I get my fenced fixed, I will make sure to see where he or she holds the hammer.

EDCI747: Love that Writing...

As a Secondary school English teacher, how can I support my students writing? Writing has classically been one of the foundations of Language Arts education, and according the BCELA IRP (Language Arts Grade 10) there are three main forms of writing:

                C1- Write meaningful personal texts that elaborate on ideas and information to:

-          Experiment

-          Express self

-          Make connections

-          Reflect and respond

-          Remember and recall

                C2- Write purposeful information texts that express ideas and information to:

-          Explore and respond

-          Record and describe

-          Analyze and explain

-          Speculate and consider

-          Argue and persuade

-          Engage

                C3- Write effective imaginative texts to develop ideas and information to:

-          Strengthen connections and insights

-          Explore and adapt literary forms and techniques

-          Experiment with increasingly sophisticated language and style

-          Engage and entertain

After looking at the three forms of writing that we expect our students to take part in, we also have to consider writing from the students standpoint. There are different stages of the writing process, that educators must be able to indentify when it comes to students writing. According to The English Teacher’s Survival Guide (Second Edition, 90) the five processes include:

1.       Prewriting: This stage is often looked over by professional teachers, in their hurry to make sure that all of the curriculum standards are met. But prewriting (or pre-reading, pre-viewing, pre-listening) is an essential part of the writing process. Pre-writing occurs before the student has even presented a draft. They might not even know what the assignment is. Using prewriting as a teaching strategy allows students preparation time where they can generate ideas, activate their schema, or think about a topic without restriction. Pre-writing helps writers make discoveries; they could generate a new topic, look at a strength in their writing process, focus on who their audience is or be creative without having to worry about grammatical consequences. By allowing students this freedom at the beginning of an assignment, encourages students critical thinking skills, by asking them to generate their own ideas, through writing.

2.       Drafting: Most students understand that numerous drafts are needed until a piece of writing is complete. But as a teacher it can be discouraging when students think that drafts are only edited for grammar, then fixed and that suffices as a draft; consequently many students (and teachers) confuse drafting for revision. Drafting needs to be a strategy used where students explore different ideas, look at the content of what they are writing, and expand on some of their pre-writing ideas. Throughout the writing process, drafting should encourage students to write, again without having to worry about organization, or correctness. By using this as an in-between strategy, drafting becomes a creative and safe ground, encouraging students to simply write.

3.       Revision: Revision and editing are closely correlated, but there are some distinct differences between the two. Revision is the re-seeing of a piece of writing. This usually means that the writer is going back, reviewing and revising a piece of writing. During this stage it is important for the student to understand who their audience is and what is the purpose of the writing. During revision, allow students to focus on the context of the writing (does the organization make sense? What more information is needed? Is there too much writing about one thing?) Drafts can be focused on in the revision stage to look at the piece of writing as a whole, not just ideas as it started in prewriting. 

4.       Editing: Editing becomes one of the final stages of the writing process. It should be used in the final stages, so students are able to focus on the ideas, context, and their process. Editing includes proofreading, editing, and final adjustments to the writing.

5.       Publishing: Publishing can also refer to presenting, depending on the context of the work, the assignment, and how the teacher and student choose to present their work. Unfortunately this stage is often neglected or forgotten by both teachers and students. The difficulty some students have with writing is that it is often only done for one audience: the teacher. By encouraging students to reach out their writing to a large audience, students create different writing styles, imagination, and enthusiasm for writing. Publishing doesn’t have to occur in a book; it can be as simple as reading out loud a finished  piece in class, displaying their writing in the school or submitting it to a local newspaper or magazine for publication. This final stage encourages students to see writing as a tool for communication, not just a grade.  

As a new teacher, how can I look at the process of writing, combine those strategies with the main forms of writing stated by the IRP and develop an effective writing program? It can seem overwhelming, but by looking at effective writing strategies and programs, I feel like I can develop a strong one on my own. There are a few examples that we have discussed and dissected in class that I know have influenced my pedagogy in terms of writing. At the end of each of our classes, we have been reading excerpts from the book Love that Dog by Sharon Creech. One the greatest aspects that I have learned from reading this book is the power of encouragement. As we can see through his journal entries, not only is Miss Stretchberry encouraging student Jack to write poetry, but she is just encouraging him to write. We can see his process from the very first entry where he hates poetry, to the end, where not only is he writing his own poems, allowing them to be read by the class, but also encouraging a poet to come to his school. Her open communication, dedication and support with Jack shows his remarkable progression as a writing student. She shows Jack that writing doesn’t have to be scary, and allows him to write about things that he is interested in and cares about. While the book is focused on Jacks writing process, I could see that in between writing assignments, and journal entries, Miss Stretchberry was showing jack and his class different poems by different authors. As a beginning teacher I can see how we can have different assignments that will meet many of the different IRP and PLO’s that we are prescribed with our curriculum. While Jack was reading and viewing, he was also engaging in different types of texts. Her encouragement with her student became a central component to the effectiveness of student writing.

An effective writing program can be encouraged by teachers viewing the IRP’s and PLO’s and using these to formulate a writing program. By using the PLO’s as a tool to support writing, teacher can encourage students creativity and development. The following PLO could be used as a part of the scaffolding of a writing program:

                C8- Write and represent to explain and support personal responses to texts, by

-          Making comparisons to other ideas and concepts

-          Relating reactions and emotions to understanding of the text

-          Developing opinions using reasons and evidence

-          Suggesting contextual influences    

Instead of asking students to respond to a text with a traditional 5 paragraph essay, teachers can use this PLO in a number of ways. Because the PLO is encouraging student responses, a teacher can use a text and with different strategies encourage student feedback through writing. Such ideas include starting the prewriting of a text with story maps or brainstorming about themes that occur in the text. By offering assignments that access student’s schema, they can support their personal responses to a text. Other activities include comparing a piece of work to another media (movie, song, poem, etc…) and have students write how the two pieces are comparable. Also, by reading a text, students could be prompted to write about the story from a different perspective; how do you think this character feels? What happened within the plot that you can relate to your own life? By using the PLO’s as a building block for writing, teachers can offer students a wide range of tools and strategies to be creative within their writing. By offering students a wide range of writing prompts, and relating it to their own life, teachers can build an effective writing program where students want to write.

By using some of the strategies that we have looked at in class, I hope to develop an encouraging, balanced and effective writing program for my students. For me, being able to see how other students in my class have been supported by their previous teachers has provided me with some really encourage ideas. A few of my classmates have listed the following as examples of how their writing has been supported by teachers who:

-          never told me my writing was wrong.

-           let us choose a text and write about it.

-          Sat with us, one on one, and gave us specific tools for improvement.

-          Were available outside of the classroom time.

-          They were excited to publish our work.

-          Gave detailed feedback for our writing.

-          Allowed me to write about my own experience.

For me, two of the most important factors I will consider within my writing program are communication and creativity.  Communication is such a broad word, but for my writing program it means two things. Students will be encouraged to communicate their thoughts, ideas, creativity, through writing. Also, it means that there will be open communication between me and the students. I want my students to feel encouraged to write, and feel like they can be creative, follow assignments, express ideas, while in an environment where they can discuss work with their teacher. I want to encourage (and implement) the concept of journaling with my students, because this is one of the most basic, yet effective ways for teachers and students to communicate. Creativity among writing is one of the most valuable tools, yet so often looked over by some students. There are students who are convinced that they cannot write a short story or a poem, because they freeze when they see a black piece of paper. But creativity can be ignited with the right tools (like prewriting strategies, brainstorming, different media in the classroom, etc…).