Lawrence Donohue

EDUC 403

Sr. Mary Ann Jacobs

Fieldwork Notes

5/4/2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Heterogenous Literature

Circles: Uncut” - 12th Grade

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/heterogeneous-literature-circles-uncut

- 1:54 - The teacher begins by reading aloud and switches into having students read to

their tables.

- 3:10 - The book the students are reading is in English with some Spanish dialogue. →

Interdisciplinary; also may be helpful for English language learners.

- 5:43 - In their groups, students then answer open-ended questions.

- 6:59 - The questions include “Who is somebody that you are grateful for?” and

“Why is it important for us to give back to the community we come from?”

- 9:10 - Each student has a specific role in their group. The teacher reviews each “reading

role” in the literature circle. → Students know what is expected of them

- Summarizer

- Word-searcher → finds keywords from the chapter -- Key words connect to the

main events and main feelings of the chapter as well as new/interesting words

(10:13)

- Illustrator → draws an illustration or diagram based on the chapter

- Discussion director → writes discussion questions and facilitates a conversation

about the text

- 10:32 - “Excellent discussion questions” are open-ended, controversial,

accessible, and relevant

 - 10:55 - the teacher gave written feedback to students based on their role last time they

did a literature circle. He asks the students to read their feedback aloud to their table so

that the person who is currently in that role can learn from it.

- 13:24 - All students with the same role meet up at the same table to discuss the main

thing they will be focusing on.

- 18:20 - The students return to their original tables and discuss in the order of their roles.

They then move into a more general discussion. Students have specific prompts and

questions to respond to each other with.

- 19:24 - Discussion directors use a phone or recording device to record their discussion

- 27:23 - After literature circle discussions, the teacher announces aloud good things that

he has seen the different tables doing during the discussion, such as asking many

clarifying questions, paraphrasing each others’ responses, and making text-to-self

connections

May 4, 2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Making Sense of

Complex Poetry” - Grades 9-12

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/teaching-complex-poetry

1. See Mr. Beadle engage student interest as they act out poems and then move into deep

analysis of key elements. How do students compare and contrast the two poems?

a. The teacher keeps the students engaged with a kinesthetic, music-related,

“experiential” approach to reading poetry.

b. 10:28 -- The students compare and contrast different ways of reading the same

poem. Specifically, they contrast different paces/meters at which the poem is

read. They discuss which pace works best for the poem, based on its content.
 c. 23:23 -- The teacher explains that while the first poem began with a fast meter

and switched to a much slower meter, the second poem does the opposite.

Students can hear this through the recitation of the poems paired with the

drum-beat.

2. Why does the class recite the poems several times?

a. The students point out whether their classmate’s reading of the poem this the

“right” way to read it, and if so what makes it right (e.g. pace; 5:57). The second

time they recite the poem, students work with partners to recite the poem to a

slow beat, made by clapping (8:22). They then do the same while clapping

quickly. The teacher recites the poem for a third time to a drum-beat and pace

that reflects the poem’s content and tone (12:00).

b. 13:00 -- The class recites the poem several times to see how the meter of the

poem creates meaning.

May 4, 2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Pinwheel Discussions: Large

Group Conversations” - 12th Grade

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/pinwheel-discussion-complete-lesson

1. Why are the first 6 minutes important to the success of this activity?

a. The first 6 minutes are important to this lesson because they introduce the

students to specific ways in which they can form discussion questions. By using

these methods of forming questions, the students will be better able to discuss

the texts they have read. In the first 6 minutes, the teacher also reminds students

of the importance of viewing different texts as being in conversation with each

 other. This helps orient the students to the activity they are doing and shows

them why they are doing this activity.

2. What facilitation strategies did Ms. Wessling use to make the pinwheel discussion an

effective large group conversation?

a. 4:47 -- The teacher asks students to come up with their own discussion questions

and models examples of questions that explicitly and specifically reference or

quote textual evidence. She provides students with three examples that work as

templates for discussion questions and notes questions should include active

verbs.

b. 13:51 -- One of the groups of students are the provocateurs. Their role is to ask

the other groups “the kind of questions that get people to think deeper and more

without shutting them down.”

c. 15:48 -- The teacher tells students that this discussion is not a debate; it is a

conversation. Students can disagree with each other, but they are not debating.

d. The teacher writes on the board whenever a student asks a follow-up question,

makes a connection, adds new ideas, or uses textual evidence. This encourages

students to do these within their discussion.

3. How might a pinwheel discussion apply to topics in your classroom?

a. My student-teaching class is currently reading Death of a Salesman, and we

have been discussing the characters’ different ideas of success and how one can

achieve the American Dream. A pinwheel discussion in which students answer

questions as the different characters can help students explore the characters’

beliefs and more fully understand the arguments Arthur Miller is making through

these characters.
 May 5, 2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “A Closer Look at Toni

Morrison’s ‘Beloved’” - 12th Grade

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/a-closer-look-at-toni-morrisons-beloved

- 0:33 -- QPA (Quick Passage Analysis) → Students write based on a specific passage --

helps them focus on character, context, and the author’s art/writing strategy

- 4:23 -- For now, the teacher chooses the passages students use in their QPAs, but

eventually, the students will be able to choose their own passages to analyze

- 8:47 -- The teacher asks students to signal with their hands if they understand the

concept. He then cold calls on a student who doesn’t fully understand and asks him, “If

you had any question to ask about this, what might it be?”

- 13:10 -- The teacher hands out the questions and passage the students will be close

reading. The passage has spaces between the lines where the students will be able to

annotate the text.

- 14:00 -- The teacher reminds students that when they close read, theyre not just

underlining; they should be looking for point of view, metaphor, figurative language,

syntax, order, and word choice.

- 15:00 -- By the end of the activity, students will each have an individual QPA paragraph,

but students are expected to collaborate during the analyzing process to hear others’

point of view.

- 16:01 -- The teacher asks students ways in which they will show that they are

collaborating (e.g. asking clarifying questions, note taking, etc.) → Helps students know

exactly what they should be doing during the collaboration

- 20:40 -- The students work in groups to read a passage and decide what

characterization strategy they will be focusing on

- Students work together to answer the analysis questions.

 - 27:41 -- The teacher sits with one table and guides them by directing them to parts of the

text and asking questions.

- 39:39 -- The teacher walks around to facilitate the discussions of different groups

and move them forward.

- 55:01 -- Students write their individual QPA paragraphs on Google Docs and share it

with not only the teacher, but also their group members. The teacher tells the students to

read the paragraphs that their group members wrote and comment on them. →

Technology as a way to collaborate

May 5, 2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Ways into

Shakespeare’s Othello” - 10th Grade

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/teaching-shakespeares-othello

1. Why do students perform lines from Othello prior to reading the play?

a. 00:40 -- The teacher has the students perform lines from the play before reading

to introduce them to the play in an active, memorable way and to spark curiosity.

b. 14:00 -- Reading selected lines helps introduce students to the plot

c. 19:14 -- Students are able to focus more directly on word choice

2. How do the pre-reading activities help students remain engaged with the text?

a. Having the students recite selected lines from the play with various emotions

helps engage the students by calling attention to how the lines might be delivered

when acting and allowing them to try this for themselves.

b. The activity in which students examine the iambic pentameter (or lack thereof) of

their lines helps them to examine authorial choices and learn how iambic

pentameter is used before they actually begin reading the play in full. They’ll now
 have this understanding going into it, and they’ll be able to get more out of the

play.

3. How is “memorable learning” encouraged?

a. Memorable learning is encouraged through fun activities involving moving around

and acting.

b. 10:55 -- Memorable learning is encouraged through creative writing, as students

collaboratively write their own lines of blank verse based on ideas related to the

play that the teacher gives them.

c. In both the acting/line-reciting and blank-verse-writing activities, there is an

emphasis on emotion.

d. 22:46 -- The handkerchief activity, in which the teacher gives the students a little

bit of context and the students have to examine the handkerchief and try to come

up with the story behind it/how it “destroyed a great general” helps make this

learning experience memorable because it creates a sense of curiosity and

keeps the students thinking in a creative but also analytical way. The

characterization of the handkerchief as a “monster” also makes a simple

object/image from the play interesting.

 May 5, 2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Breaking Down Complex

Literature” - Grades 9-12

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/teaching-difficult-poetry

1. How does Ms. Mortlock's script help students understand the poem?

a. 1:07 -- Ms. Mortlock’s script present the poem for the students in a more clear,

understandable way, so that when they get the original poem, they’ll be better

able to understand it and dive deeper into it.

2. How can you use these strategies when teaching other pieces of literature?

a. This strategy can be used with a number of more difficult texts that students are

expected to read. When I taught Hawthorne to my students, I found that they had

a lot of difficulty understanding the language of the text. Presenting the story first

with a modernized script and using small-group discussions to get students

thinking about the story and characters before jumping into the original text could

have been a really good way to introduce the more difficult language in an

understandable and engaging manner.

3. What role does small group discussion play in this lesson?

a. Small group discussion allows the students to discuss their understanding of the

story and allows the teacher to check for this understanding. Through their

discussion, the students think more specifically about one character who is not

present in the text and write dialogue for her, allowing them to fill in the gaps of

the script.
 5/9/2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “More Ways into Shakespeare’s

Othello” - 10th Grade

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/teaching-shakespeares-othello-2

1) Why does Ms. Broadbent expose students to small parts of the play before reading the

entire text?

a) Exposing the students to small parts of the play before they read the whole text is

a good way to introduce them to Shakespeare’s language, the characters, and

plot points, which could be confusing if they were to just jump into the play

without the proper background knowledge.

2) The props are for more than entertainment and engagement. What is their impact?

a) The props help students visualize characters and plot points. For example, the

teacher uses the three caps (3:56) to explain the conflict between Othello, Iago,

and Cassio. They also help the students role play as the characters (4:55; 19:17).

3) How do the pre-reading activities affect student understanding?

a) The pre-reading activities prepare the students for the reading itself, and it gets

them used to Shakespeare’s language on a smaller, more understandable scale,

as they are able to dive into and play around with the language and diction (for

example, 12:11) more than they would be if they were presented with the full text.

It also helps them learn concepts like the way Shakespeare uses stage directions

(24:58).
 5/10/2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Passage Analysis from Toni

Morrison’s Beloved” - 12th Grade

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/passage-analysis-from-toni-morrisons-beloved

- 2:11 → The teacher presents a list of close-reading elements/strategies and ask

students to volunteer to share which element has been effective for them or has helped

them think about a text.

- He asks the students how specific strategies help students understand parts of

the text

- The close-reading elements/strategies mentioned in the video (2:11)

- 1) Defining characterization devices, 2) Key words (connected to the device)

analysis/close-reading, 3) Analysis of author’s choice of device, 4)

Placement/order; 5) Theme

- 7:35 → Students are in groups, and each group has a different passage to annotate and

close-read.

- 9:33 → The teacher asks a student what collaboration means to her and he repeats her

answer that collaboration is furthering your thinking based on others’ ideas. He then asks

students what strategies they will use to be good collaborators. → Helps students know

what they should be doing when collaborating.

- 15:46 → The students have 15-20 minutes to discuss and then 15-20 minutes to draft

their QPA (Quick Paragraph Analysis)

- 17:56 → Students preview their passage before reading and discussing it.

- 20:17 → The students work together to discuss and annotate their passages, building on

each others’ ideas.

- 26:26 → The teacher sits with different group of students and asks them to elaborate on

points they have written down.

 - He asks students to focus on specific words and phrases in the text and how they

can get meaning from them.

- 32:35 → The teacher notes to the students how focusing on one phrase has led

them to a whole discussion of meaning even though they have only read two

lines of the text → Shows students the importance of word choice and

effectiveness of close reading

- 37:26 → The teacher encourages students to disagree in their interpretations.

- 41:10 → Before the teacher leaves a group, he gives them a question/topic to think

about. A student asks him, “What are you thinking about it, or what are you trying to lead

us towards?” The teacher responds that while he has his own perspective on the

passage, he’s not trying to lead the students to any specific interpretation. He only gives

his interpretation when a student asks for it and says they will build off his opinion when

coming up with their own. → Avoids packing the text

- 1:01:02 → The teacher hands out notecards and has students reflect on the day’s class,

write down the first sentence of their QPA, and write down an appreciation for someone

in their group and a specific thing their group member did that helped them. →

Encourages students to reflect on their own learning and collaboration

- 1:04:15 → The teacher has students comment on each others QPAs using Google Docs

→ The collaboration continues even after the final product

 5/11/2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Challenge the Book: What’s

Your Perspective? (Uncut)” - 12th Grade

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/challenge-book-whats-your-perspective-uncut

1) How does Ms. Wessling encourage participation and elaboration in discussions?

a) She asks questions constantly throughout the lesson.

b) 12:01 → The teacher gives students time to answer a question by writing silently.

Then the students share with their groups, and the teacher tells them not to read

their answer word-for-word but to talk about what they wrote.

c) 12:36 → The teacher asks for students to volunteer to discuss their answer, but

she specifically asks for students who have not spoken in class yet that day.

d) 26:18 → During small group discussions, one student struggles with taking any

meaning out of a children’s book, as she just sees it as a simple story about

dinosaurs. The teacher encourages her and her group to discuss by reminding

them that it is the reader that brings meaning to a book. She tells them to think

beyond the surface story of the book and react to it.

2) Why is it important to have students challenge books?

a) It is important to have students challenge books so that they can see the different

perspectives that different readers can have about the same work.

3) How will the children's book prepare students as they read their selected book?

a) 21:14 → The teacher uses the children’s book to model how to challenge a book

and how to think about a book from multiple perspectives. This helps the

students prepare for when they begin to challenge the books they are reading.

b) 22:51 → Students try challenging books in groups by reading and challenging

children’s books. This gives the students guided, collaborative practice in a way
 that they wouldn’t be able to do with their self-selected books. It is also

lower-stakes and works as a scaffold for challenging their higher-level books.

5/11/2021 - Teaching Channel Video: “Realistic Fiction: Bringing

Words to Life” - Grades 6-8

Link: https://learn.teachingchannel.com/video/realistic-fiction

1) Why does the author believe in exposing pre-teens to sensitive topics?

a) 2:33 → The author says that she writes about these topics because they are

things that children may experience, and reading about these experiences will let

the children know that it is okay to feel sad, grieve, and feel empathy.

2) How could realistic fiction be integrated with social studies?

a) Realistic fiction can be integrated into social studies by having students read

realistic fictional stories that were written in or take place in the time periods they

are learning about. This will help students to see the people and events they are

learning about as more human and less distant, which in turn, will help them

connect more with their learning.

3) How might you use the rich language of realistic fiction to build vocabulary?

a) Students will be able to read rich vocabulary through realistic fiction, and

teachers can encourage them to look into and use this vocabulary in their own

speech and writing.