Mod 8 Video Discussion

The first video, titled Scaffolding Literacy instruction for English Language Learners, focused on a 7th grade classroom that was exploring the Sudan by reading and analyzing a novel and also articles about the history and current events of the country. This class was cotaught by a English teacher and a History teacher. In order to ensure that all students understood the material and were able to engage with the lesson, particularly since a large portion of the class were ELL learners, the teachers used a variety of scaffolding techniques designed to encourage collaborative thinking as an aid to comprehension.  Note catchers as graphic organizers were used as an instructional support to help students understand the material. The teachers had students working with partners to discuss the tasks they were working to complete and this strategy also helped ensure comprehension.
The teachers stressed the idea of purposeful groupings to give students the opportunity to talk with peers and to aid in knowledge acquisition. All of the students enjoyed the novel (set in Sudan). But as many of the students were from Africa, they felt they were “finally” exploring a topic they could connect to. All of these strategies/goals are central to how I teach inmy classes, but this last is a vital concept for facilitating student engagement. Students who see themselves in the story, will work harder to master the material. I liked the way in which the students were able to discuss freely what they felt about the text. A good model to imitate.

The second video, titled Implementing Language Dives, focused on how a 4th grade teacher incorporated language dives with whole glasses and small groups to facilitate greater comprehension for all of her students. The scaffolding technique she used was essentially a process that allowed students to deconstruct the text, then reconstruct the text, and then apply their understanding through practice. Implementing this routine gave the students confidence in their ability to understand more complex text. I will certainly use this approach to create a greater bond between my students and the texts they explore.