Advanced Instructional Strategies Peer Assignment
Advanced Instructional Strategies Peer Assignment QTF Assignment Synchronous class lessons.
Assignment Overview: What notetaking strategy works best for you? Students will begin the lesson with the QFT process to generate research questions around the QF “Taking Notes in Your Classes”. Students will research why taking notes in class is important, as well as different notetaking strategies. Students will then pick 23 notetaking strategies and try them out for 1 week in all their classes, unless the class’s teacher has them take notes in a specific style. (Our social studies teacher makes students take notes in Cornell form, so students will not test our their note strategy in that class.) Students will evaluate the usefulness of the notes strategy in the different subject areas and determine which strategy works best for them. Finally, students will present their findings to their classmates in the form of a presentation with visual elements (prezi, Slides, etc.).
Objectives: ( Aligned with Common Core Standards for ELA & Science) ➢ I will be able to generate multiple questions about a topic W.8.7 ➢ I will be able to research to find the answers to my questions W.8.7 ➢ I will be able to make observations on my successes and struggles over the course of 1 week RST.68.3 ➢ I will be able to make comparisons between 23 styles of notetaking as they relate to my learning style and different subject area needs RST.68.3 ➢ I will be able to present my findings to my classmates SL.8.4 ➢ I will be able to integrate visual elements into a presentation SL.8.5
Background: This lesson is designed for an 8th grade English Language Arts class. It is intended to be taught in the first weeks of school, as students are settling in and getting to know the teachers and classes. This lesson is designed to be an introductory lesson and does not directly tie in to any of the curriculum units, though it will overlap with the first unit of study. The lesson will take approximately 2 weeks from start to finish, but will not have daily instruction. Students will be independent learners and will bring their findings back for the final assessment. Students will be using the computer lab, as well as their own resources, to research as a part of this lesson.
The Lesson: (40 min lessons) Day 1: Introduce the lesson: “Today we are going to practice asking questions. This seems pretty easy, right? You all know how to ask questions. I am going to give you some rules to follow as you ask your questions, as well as some challenges along the way.” Write or have the rules on a slide/presentation you tell the kids: “The first rule is to ask as many questions as you possibly can about the focus. The group with the most appropriate questions will get a prize, each question =1 point. The second rule is DO NOT stop to judge, discuss, edit, or answer ANY question! Any infraction will mean 1 point is deducted. The third rule is to write down every question exactly as it was asked do not edit or answer as you go! Any infraction will mean 1 point is deducted. The fourth rule is to turn any statements into questions. Any infraction will not be counted.” I have two very different sections of classes, one section is highly motivated and will complete this to the letter. My other section will ask 2 questions and call it good, even with prompting and cheering. This is why I added in an element of gamification to this task. Once students have been told the rules, ask the class what might be hard about following these rules and what they will need to be careful of. Write any observations they have on the board as reminders for them. Split them up into groups of 35 (depending on class size). Give each group a large sheet of paper and markers. “Choose one member of your group to be the writer, one to be the timer, and one to be the task manager. The other members should help the task manager keep everyone focused. Writers, please write each group member’s name in the top right corner of your paper. Then, please write your Question Focus on the top of your paper. Your Question Focus (QF) is what your questions will be about. All your questions should tie in to this focus. Remember, if they do not fit the QF they will not be awarded points. Also remember, you cannot answer or discuss your questions, you can only generate new questions. Your Question Focus is, ‘Taking Notes in Your Classes.’ You have 5 minutes to ask as many questions as you can on this QF, work together to be successful. Your time begins now.” Put up a timer that the kids can see, or have the kids use the clock to keep track of the time. Walk around and keep track of any groups who are not following the rules.
Once the time is up have the students put their markers down. Tell them they cannot touch them until you tell them to do so. “Raise your hand if you can tell me the difference between an open question and a closed question.” Take student answers and discuss the difference. Closed has a defined, or yes or no answer. Open has an answer that needs more explanation. “Raise your hand to give me an example of a closed question.” Take student answers. Write some on the board “Now, raise your hand if you can turn any of these into an open question.” Write the changes on the board. “You have 2 minutes to turn any closed questions into open questions. Go.” Again, put up the time for the kids to see. Once time is up, have the students turn in their markers. All markers must be put away, nothing but the papers may be on student desks. Have students raise their hands to share some of their questions with the class. Have the students turn in their papers, score them and hang them up around the room (after all classes have completed the task). Prepare the prize for the winning group in each class. “Before you can leave today, you must do an exit ticket. Submit your question to our Google Classroom. Remember to write in complete sentences and explain your thinking. Here is your question, ‘What did you learn today? How did you learn that?’” Give students until the bell to answer and turn their ticket in.
Day 2: “We are going to have a gallery walk today. In the gallery walk you will look at the questions from other groups, from all the classes. See what your classmates thought of. What is similar to your group? What is different? What new questions can you think of, or how can you refine your questions? You will have 10 minutes, make sure you get to see all the papers.” Put 10 minutes up on a timer for the kids to see. Redirect any students who are off topic or lagging. Once time is up have them return to their seats, with their group mates. Have them discuss the things they observed in the gallery walk, then share out to the class. “The activity that you completed yesterday is part of a larger assignment. I am going to tell you what that assignment is now. You will be researching notetaking techniques. You will then pick 23 notetaking techniques and try them out in all of your classes. Use the questions you generated with your group to choose and evaluate the techniques. From this point forward this is an independent project. Why are you doing this? To find the notetaking technique that is best for you you as an individual, a unique student with unique needs and perspectives. That is why this is an independent project.”
Hand out a rubric with guidelines for their research, implementation observations, and final presentation. Take students to the computer lab and give them the rest of the class time to begin researching. Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: “How did yesterday’s activity, generating questions, prepare you for researching today?”
Day 3: Take the kids to the computer lab and give them half the period to research. This is their last inclass research time, anything else they need must be found on their own time. For the last half of the period have the students create a plan for the next week or so (4+ days depending on teacher preference) to test our their notetaking system. A plan should include what strategy they will be using on what day, as well as the classes they will be using it in. Students should plan on using it in all their classes unless the teacher states they must use a specific style in their room. Students should plan to use a style at least 2 days, though they do not need to be consecutive. Students should plan on reflecting on how the style worked in each subject. Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What styles will you be trying out?
Day 46: Students should use their strategy in each class. Remind students, each day, that they should be trying out their notetaking style and making observations on what works and does not work in each class. Teach the regular ELA curriculum so students can test their strategies on the ELA content. *Recommend a short story.* Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: How is today’s strategy working out?
Day 7: Have students plan out their presentations. Review the rubric so students know what must be in their presentations. Have students draft their presentations, writing out what they will be saying and planning what visuals will be needed to support their speech. It is important to plan the speech before the visuals.
Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What visual aids are you planning to use to support your speech?
Day 89: Take the students to the computer lab and give them the period to write their speeches and create their visual aids. If they do not finish in this time they must complete it on their own. Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What do you need to do to be ready for your presentation?
Day 1011: Presentations Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What have you learned from this project? How will you use that learning to help you in your future?
Question Formulation Technique Planning Tool
Name
Caitilin Joly
Email
______________
Where do you teach? (City and state) What grade level do you teach?
Leominster, Ma Middle School (Grades 68)
What subject do you teach?
ELA
What is the title of the unit?
Taking Notes
Briefly describe the unit.
Kids are always being told to take notes in class. They are often told how to take notes, as well. What kids aren't often told is why they should take notes or how to learn the notetaking process that is best for them. This unit is meant to be completed in the first weeks of school so students can be better prepared to engage and actively learn throughout the school year.
What are your teaching objectives for
Objectives: learn how to ask questions
the lesson? This may include standards Learn about different notetaking styles and content.
Determine which notetaking style works best for you
At what point in the lesson will you use Beginning the QFT? Why are you using the QFT in this lesson?
I want students to learn for themselves the benefits of notes, as well as the many different styles that are out there. Having a teacher stand in front of them, telling them notes are important "because" or telling them what notes to use will not help them as they go through life, but discovery will.
How will students' questions be used?
Students will use their questions to do research on note taking and the kinds of notes. They will then pick 23 notetaking styles to try out in their different classes and report out on their findings.
Brainstorm QFocus ideas that will help Taking Notes in Your Classes meet your teaching objectives.
Notes Remembering What You Learned Success in School
Choose a QFocus from above and type Taking Notes in Your Classes it below. Test the QFocus by writing potential questions your students may ask.
Why do we have to take notes? How do you take notes? Are there different ways to take notes? Why does taking notes help? Why does my math teacher use different notes from my English teacher?
Is the QFocus a question?
No
Is there too much information?
No
Will the QFocus limit students to only
No
one line of thinking? Is there a word that might distract
No
students? Will the students perceive the QFocus
Unsure
as just another way of presenting the teacher's message or ideas? Revise your QFocus based on your troubleshooting.
I am unsure if students will think this is a way of presenting my message. I believe it is fine in the larger context of the assignment and with assurance that there are no right or wrong questions as long as they address the QF.
How will you instruct students to
Choose 3 questions that you think are important and that you can
choose their priority questions?
use to research the topic.
What format will you use for reflection? Whole class discussion What questions will you use to guide student reflection?
What did you learn from this activity? How do you feel about along questions? How did this activity help you think about taking notes?
Discussing the rules
Whole Class
Producing questions
Small Groups
Categorizing questions
Small Groups
Prioritizing questions
Small Groups
Discussing next steps
Whole Class
Reflection
Whole Class
The QFocus will help to meet objectives. Yes The prioritization instructions will help
Yes
to meet objectives. The use of students' questions will help Yes to meet objectives. The reflection questions will help to meet objectives.
Yes
Assignment Overview: What notetaking strategy works best for you? Students will begin the lesson with the QFT process to generate research questions around the QF “Taking Notes in Your Classes”. Students will research why taking notes in class is important, as well as different notetaking strategies. Students will then pick 23 notetaking strategies and try them out for 1 week in all their classes, unless the class’s teacher has them take notes in a specific style. (Our social studies teacher makes students take notes in Cornell form, so students will not test our their note strategy in that class.) Students will evaluate the usefulness of the notes strategy in the different subject areas and determine which strategy works best for them. Finally, students will present their findings to their classmates in the form of a presentation with visual elements (prezi, Slides, etc.).
Objectives: ( Aligned with Common Core Standards for ELA & Science) ➢ I will be able to generate multiple questions about a topic W.8.7 ➢ I will be able to research to find the answers to my questions W.8.7 ➢ I will be able to make observations on my successes and struggles over the course of 1 week RST.68.3 ➢ I will be able to make comparisons between 23 styles of notetaking as they relate to my learning style and different subject area needs RST.68.3 ➢ I will be able to present my findings to my classmates SL.8.4 ➢ I will be able to integrate visual elements into a presentation SL.8.5
Background: This lesson is designed for an 8th grade English Language Arts class. It is intended to be taught in the first weeks of school, as students are settling in and getting to know the teachers and classes. This lesson is designed to be an introductory lesson and does not directly tie in to any of the curriculum units, though it will overlap with the first unit of study. The lesson will take approximately 2 weeks from start to finish, but will not have daily instruction. Students will be independent learners and will bring their findings back for the final assessment. Students will be using the computer lab, as well as their own resources, to research as a part of this lesson.
The Lesson: (40 min lessons) Day 1: Introduce the lesson: “Today we are going to practice asking questions. This seems pretty easy, right? You all know how to ask questions. I am going to give you some rules to follow as you ask your questions, as well as some challenges along the way.” Write or have the rules on a slide/presentation you tell the kids: “The first rule is to ask as many questions as you possibly can about the focus. The group with the most appropriate questions will get a prize, each question =1 point. The second rule is DO NOT stop to judge, discuss, edit, or answer ANY question! Any infraction will mean 1 point is deducted. The third rule is to write down every question exactly as it was asked do not edit or answer as you go! Any infraction will mean 1 point is deducted. The fourth rule is to turn any statements into questions. Any infraction will not be counted.” I have two very different sections of classes, one section is highly motivated and will complete this to the letter. My other section will ask 2 questions and call it good, even with prompting and cheering. This is why I added in an element of gamification to this task. Once students have been told the rules, ask the class what might be hard about following these rules and what they will need to be careful of. Write any observations they have on the board as reminders for them. Split them up into groups of 35 (depending on class size). Give each group a large sheet of paper and markers. “Choose one member of your group to be the writer, one to be the timer, and one to be the task manager. The other members should help the task manager keep everyone focused. Writers, please write each group member’s name in the top right corner of your paper. Then, please write your Question Focus on the top of your paper. Your Question Focus (QF) is what your questions will be about. All your questions should tie in to this focus. Remember, if they do not fit the QF they will not be awarded points. Also remember, you cannot answer or discuss your questions, you can only generate new questions. Your Question Focus is, ‘Taking Notes in Your Classes.’ You have 5 minutes to ask as many questions as you can on this QF, work together to be successful. Your time begins now.” Put up a timer that the kids can see, or have the kids use the clock to keep track of the time. Walk around and keep track of any groups who are not following the rules.
Once the time is up have the students put their markers down. Tell them they cannot touch them until you tell them to do so. “Raise your hand if you can tell me the difference between an open question and a closed question.” Take student answers and discuss the difference. Closed has a defined, or yes or no answer. Open has an answer that needs more explanation. “Raise your hand to give me an example of a closed question.” Take student answers. Write some on the board “Now, raise your hand if you can turn any of these into an open question.” Write the changes on the board. “You have 2 minutes to turn any closed questions into open questions. Go.” Again, put up the time for the kids to see. Once time is up, have the students turn in their markers. All markers must be put away, nothing but the papers may be on student desks. Have students raise their hands to share some of their questions with the class. Have the students turn in their papers, score them and hang them up around the room (after all classes have completed the task). Prepare the prize for the winning group in each class. “Before you can leave today, you must do an exit ticket. Submit your question to our Google Classroom. Remember to write in complete sentences and explain your thinking. Here is your question, ‘What did you learn today? How did you learn that?’” Give students until the bell to answer and turn their ticket in.
Day 2: “We are going to have a gallery walk today. In the gallery walk you will look at the questions from other groups, from all the classes. See what your classmates thought of. What is similar to your group? What is different? What new questions can you think of, or how can you refine your questions? You will have 10 minutes, make sure you get to see all the papers.” Put 10 minutes up on a timer for the kids to see. Redirect any students who are off topic or lagging. Once time is up have them return to their seats, with their group mates. Have them discuss the things they observed in the gallery walk, then share out to the class. “The activity that you completed yesterday is part of a larger assignment. I am going to tell you what that assignment is now. You will be researching notetaking techniques. You will then pick 23 notetaking techniques and try them out in all of your classes. Use the questions you generated with your group to choose and evaluate the techniques. From this point forward this is an independent project. Why are you doing this? To find the notetaking technique that is best for you you as an individual, a unique student with unique needs and perspectives. That is why this is an independent project.”
Hand out a rubric with guidelines for their research, implementation observations, and final presentation. Take students to the computer lab and give them the rest of the class time to begin researching. Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: “How did yesterday’s activity, generating questions, prepare you for researching today?”
Day 3: Take the kids to the computer lab and give them half the period to research. This is their last inclass research time, anything else they need must be found on their own time. For the last half of the period have the students create a plan for the next week or so (4+ days depending on teacher preference) to test our their notetaking system. A plan should include what strategy they will be using on what day, as well as the classes they will be using it in. Students should plan on using it in all their classes unless the teacher states they must use a specific style in their room. Students should plan to use a style at least 2 days, though they do not need to be consecutive. Students should plan on reflecting on how the style worked in each subject. Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What styles will you be trying out?
Day 46: Students should use their strategy in each class. Remind students, each day, that they should be trying out their notetaking style and making observations on what works and does not work in each class. Teach the regular ELA curriculum so students can test their strategies on the ELA content. *Recommend a short story.* Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: How is today’s strategy working out?
Day 7: Have students plan out their presentations. Review the rubric so students know what must be in their presentations. Have students draft their presentations, writing out what they will be saying and planning what visuals will be needed to support their speech. It is important to plan the speech before the visuals.
Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What visual aids are you planning to use to support your speech?
Day 89: Take the students to the computer lab and give them the period to write their speeches and create their visual aids. If they do not finish in this time they must complete it on their own. Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What do you need to do to be ready for your presentation?
Day 1011: Presentations Ticket to leave, submitted to Google Classroom: What have you learned from this project? How will you use that learning to help you in your future?
Question Formulation Technique Planning Tool
Name
Caitilin Joly
______________
Where do you teach? (City and state) What grade level do you teach?
Leominster, Ma Middle School (Grades 68)
What subject do you teach?
ELA
What is the title of the unit?
Taking Notes
Briefly describe the unit.
Kids are always being told to take notes in class. They are often told how to take notes, as well. What kids aren't often told is why they should take notes or how to learn the notetaking process that is best for them. This unit is meant to be completed in the first weeks of school so students can be better prepared to engage and actively learn throughout the school year.
What are your teaching objectives for
Objectives: learn how to ask questions
the lesson? This may include standards Learn about different notetaking styles and content.
Determine which notetaking style works best for you
At what point in the lesson will you use Beginning the QFT? Why are you using the QFT in this lesson?
I want students to learn for themselves the benefits of notes, as well as the many different styles that are out there. Having a teacher stand in front of them, telling them notes are important "because" or telling them what notes to use will not help them as they go through life, but discovery will.
How will students' questions be used?
Students will use their questions to do research on note taking and the kinds of notes. They will then pick 23 notetaking styles to try out in their different classes and report out on their findings.
Brainstorm QFocus ideas that will help Taking Notes in Your Classes meet your teaching objectives.
Notes Remembering What You Learned Success in School
Choose a QFocus from above and type Taking Notes in Your Classes it below. Test the QFocus by writing potential questions your students may ask.
Why do we have to take notes? How do you take notes? Are there different ways to take notes? Why does taking notes help? Why does my math teacher use different notes from my English teacher?
Is the QFocus a question?
No
Is there too much information?
No
Will the QFocus limit students to only
No
one line of thinking? Is there a word that might distract
No
students? Will the students perceive the QFocus
Unsure
as just another way of presenting the teacher's message or ideas? Revise your QFocus based on your troubleshooting.
I am unsure if students will think this is a way of presenting my message. I believe it is fine in the larger context of the assignment and with assurance that there are no right or wrong questions as long as they address the QF.
How will you instruct students to
Choose 3 questions that you think are important and that you can
choose their priority questions?
use to research the topic.
What format will you use for reflection? Whole class discussion What questions will you use to guide student reflection?
What did you learn from this activity? How do you feel about along questions? How did this activity help you think about taking notes?
Discussing the rules
Whole Class
Producing questions
Small Groups
Categorizing questions
Small Groups
Prioritizing questions
Small Groups
Discussing next steps
Whole Class
Reflection
Whole Class
The QFocus will help to meet objectives. Yes The prioritization instructions will help
Yes
to meet objectives. The use of students' questions will help Yes to meet objectives. The reflection questions will help to meet objectives.
Yes
