Summary: For an in class field experience, we were tasked with viewing this video and writing a

reflection on it, paying attention to how the teacher models different literacy techniques for
developing learners. The teacher goes through 3 learning strategies: summarizing, inferences, and
symbolism. I share some of my thoughts on possible improvements for the lesson at the end of my
reflection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWgz3g1oMP8&feature=youtu.be

Below is my reflection on the video.

Strategies

This objective of this lesson is for students to be able to understand the story
“The Minister’s Black Veil,” and why Mr. Hooper is wearing the black veil in
the story.

The first reading strategy the teacher uses was done in a class prior to this
one: a plot chart. This involves picking out key details from the story and
placing them in chronological order.

The next reading strategy the teacher had the students use was summarizing.
The way the teacher differentiated between a summary and a plot chart is that
the plot chart pulls key details directly from the text, while a summary
requires us to process those details and then put them into our own words.
Being able to summarize shows us that we not only understand the text, but
we are also able to explain it to others.

The teacher then has the students work on making inferences. She asks for
someone to explain what an inference is and the way one student put it was
“To make an assumption based on the information provided in the text.” The
teacher reads a passage from the story and asks the students to make an
inference. An important thing that the teacher does is have the students make
sure that they have a textual evidence to support their inference.

From these inferences, the teacher asks the students to identify what the
black veil in the story represents. After a couple of responses, the teacher
then shares what she believes the black symbolizes. She says “The minister is
trying to teach people a lesson, that no one is free of guilt and sin. The black
veil symbolizes ‘the secret of sin.’”
Finally, the teacher asks the students to find 3 helpful quotes in the story that
support this symbol. After each student shares, she will ask them “How does
that quote specifically point out that the black veil is the secret of sin” in
order to have them think about and explain their own answers.

Application in Physics

Of these strategies, I’m not sure I would ever find a place for identifying
symbols in a physics classroom because (hopefully) the texts we read are
explicit and doesn’t leave much up to interpretation.

The students being able to summarize is important. Just as the teacher from
the video said summarizing shows we can explain things to others, I believe
that if we are able to teach someone something, that’s when we truly
understand the concept. If a student is able to explain the concept of
relativity and time dilation to another student, that’s a good indication they
understand the properties involving the speed of light.

Making inferences is crucial to any science class. They will be frequently

making inferences (or the more official term “hypothesis”) for experiments,
and this applies to any readings they have. If they read that “Gravity is directly
correlates to the mass of an object,” then hopefully they can infer that the
gravity of the sun will be greater than the gravity of earth.

Management

Much of this class was going through different reading strategies, but the
flow of class was very smooth. While each of these strategies could be
practices independently, I really like the way the teacher has a logic flow to
when to introduce the strategies. She starts with plot charts, which I would
compare to the lowest order of Bloom’s taxonomy for knowledge. She then
goes to summarize, which I would compare to comprehension. Then
Inferences, which I would compare to application. Then identifying symbols,
which I would compare to either analysis or synthesis. Finally generating
helpful quotes to support the symbols, which I would compare to evaluation.
These transitions made the class easy to follow. If transitions are confusing,
students will tend to zone out because they become lost.

Engagement

The teacher is frequently asking for student participation. This includes

asking them to recall previous material, looking for textual evidence and
writing their thoughts, as well as sharing their thoughts and what they wrote
out loud.

The teacher will frequently ask students questions. Questions are very good
for engagement because they require the students to think and respond.

Improvements

For improvements, I would have given more examples of my own. For

summarizing as well as inferences, the teacher in this case did not give any
examples of her own so the students didn’t have really anything to model
after or know relatively what the standards and expectations are. Students are
then left to assume that they are right (which might not be the case) or that
they are wrong (which might also not be the case). I understand that the
teacher did not give any because she wanted to challenge them to really think
on their own, but I also believe this gives room for developing bad habits as
well, or in fact having the students settle. If a student gave a summary, but
then the teacher gave a summary that was totally different, that should be a
good indication to the student that perhaps they didn’t understand the text
as well as they should.

References
Sweeny, S.M., & Mason, A.M. (August, 2011). Research-based practices in vocabulary instruction: An
analysis of what works in grades preK-12. Massachusetts Reading Association. Retrieved from
https://www.massreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/vocabulary-paper-newletterhead.pdf