Post by andrewhollinger on Jul 22, 2015 18:27:47 GMT
As the designers of the College Transitions course, one of the questions we get often is: what does class look like? How and when do I fit all this in?
The way the curriculum and textbook is built, teachers should have lots of flexibility to make the course fit into the daily schedule. We haven't included in the book what a weekly or daily schedule might look like because some of us are teaching 45 minute classes, 55 minute classes, 70 minute classes, and 90 minute classes. Here are some ideas of what your week could look like. (And if you have figured out how to make the week work, add your method in the comments.)
OPTION ONE
[ MONDAY & TUESDAY ] -- TEACHING
The beginning of the week is a good time to discuss and respond to the assigned reading, introduce or review the current project.
This is also a good time to introduce and practice writing skills (maybe things you noticed the students needed to learn after conferencing with them during the previous Wednesday and Thursday).
The order of the day: discussions and reading responses, introductions, lessons, practice.
[ WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY ] -- STUDIO / CONFERENCING
Studio days are for actually writing (or prewriting, revising, peer reviewing) in class. Very often students feel like they know what we're talking about during class, but when they get home to do their homework, they can't remember exactly what we taught. A studio day allows students to begin the hard work of writing while you are still available to them to fill in any gaps.
ALSO, while students are busy writing, this gives you time to meet with students one-on-one to discuss their progress, obstacles, needs.
[ FRIDAY ] -- FLEX DAY
Flex day does not mean free day. If you need another writing, conference, or revision day, use this day. If you need to spend some time teaching or reteaching a concept, use this day. If the students just need some time in class to work and get stuff done, use this day. Also, it's a built in day for all the pep rallies, fire drills, UIL absences that take away from instructional time.
OPTION TWO
[ WEEK ONE ] -- THE READING
During the first week, assign and respond to all the readings. This can include Socratic seminars, response papers, class or group discussions, idea mapping, journaling.
[ WEEK TWO ] -- PLANNING & PREWRITING & TEACHING
This week involves direct teaching of writing skills. For example, you might teach introductions and conclusions, or transitions between paragraphs, or logic progression, sentence structure. You might also teach some of the more theoretical concepts of the class: what is "good writing" and does it exist? Students would also begin the writing process for the unit project. They might do freewriting, sketching, mapping, outlining.
[ WEEK THREE ] -- DRAFTING
Writing and writing and more writing. A whole week devoted to getting to down to the hard business of writing. Whatever students don't finish during class is homework. The first draft should be due by the end of the week or at the beginning of the next week.
[ WEEK FOUR ] -- DRAFTING & PEER REVIEW & CONFERENCING
Students should conduct peer reviews and teacher conferences and develop a revision plan for their work (whether it is alphabetic text on a page or a revision of a podcast script or storyboard). Once the peer review is complete, drafting of the second draft should begin. Although this week isn't exactly about direct teaching, you may have to do mini lessons or impromptu lectures about writing or revision skills.
[ WEEK FIVE ] -- DRAFTING & REVISION & CONFERENCING
This week will be very similar to week four: peer review, revision plans, and drafting toward a third draft. The number of teacher conferences probably increases. That is, allow students to discuss whether they have accomplished what they have set out to do and whether they are meeting the goals of this unit.
[ WEEK SIX ] -- POLISHING & REFLECTION
Students may now, finally, look at editing their papers for mechanics and grammar--polishing their work so that it is ready for grading and the portfolio. While they are polishing, this is also a good time to collect some reflections about the unit: what have the learned? how did they learn it? how has their knowledge of reading, writing, literacy, and learning changed? Thinking about these things at the end of each project will make the final summative reflection in unit six much easier to accomplish.
The way the curriculum and textbook is built, teachers should have lots of flexibility to make the course fit into the daily schedule. We haven't included in the book what a weekly or daily schedule might look like because some of us are teaching 45 minute classes, 55 minute classes, 70 minute classes, and 90 minute classes. Here are some ideas of what your week could look like. (And if you have figured out how to make the week work, add your method in the comments.)
OPTION ONE
[ MONDAY & TUESDAY ] -- TEACHING
The beginning of the week is a good time to discuss and respond to the assigned reading, introduce or review the current project.
This is also a good time to introduce and practice writing skills (maybe things you noticed the students needed to learn after conferencing with them during the previous Wednesday and Thursday).
The order of the day: discussions and reading responses, introductions, lessons, practice.
[ WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY ] -- STUDIO / CONFERENCING
Studio days are for actually writing (or prewriting, revising, peer reviewing) in class. Very often students feel like they know what we're talking about during class, but when they get home to do their homework, they can't remember exactly what we taught. A studio day allows students to begin the hard work of writing while you are still available to them to fill in any gaps.
ALSO, while students are busy writing, this gives you time to meet with students one-on-one to discuss their progress, obstacles, needs.
[ FRIDAY ] -- FLEX DAY
Flex day does not mean free day. If you need another writing, conference, or revision day, use this day. If you need to spend some time teaching or reteaching a concept, use this day. If the students just need some time in class to work and get stuff done, use this day. Also, it's a built in day for all the pep rallies, fire drills, UIL absences that take away from instructional time.
Structure every week of the six-week unit like this. As the students' projects progress, the studio / conferencing days will have less and less prewriting, journaling, sketching, drafting and have more revising, peer review, conferencing, and editing. A good idea is to also ask for drafts to be completed at specific times: perhaps draft one is due on Thursday of week 3, draft two on Thursday of week 4, and so on. As the unit progresses, the teaching days are less about teaching writing skills, and more about teaching revision and peer review.
OPTION TWO
[ WEEK ONE ] -- THE READING
During the first week, assign and respond to all the readings. This can include Socratic seminars, response papers, class or group discussions, idea mapping, journaling.
[ WEEK TWO ] -- PLANNING & PREWRITING & TEACHING
This week involves direct teaching of writing skills. For example, you might teach introductions and conclusions, or transitions between paragraphs, or logic progression, sentence structure. You might also teach some of the more theoretical concepts of the class: what is "good writing" and does it exist? Students would also begin the writing process for the unit project. They might do freewriting, sketching, mapping, outlining.
[ WEEK THREE ] -- DRAFTING
Writing and writing and more writing. A whole week devoted to getting to down to the hard business of writing. Whatever students don't finish during class is homework. The first draft should be due by the end of the week or at the beginning of the next week.
[ WEEK FOUR ] -- DRAFTING & PEER REVIEW & CONFERENCING
Students should conduct peer reviews and teacher conferences and develop a revision plan for their work (whether it is alphabetic text on a page or a revision of a podcast script or storyboard). Once the peer review is complete, drafting of the second draft should begin. Although this week isn't exactly about direct teaching, you may have to do mini lessons or impromptu lectures about writing or revision skills.
[ WEEK FIVE ] -- DRAFTING & REVISION & CONFERENCING
This week will be very similar to week four: peer review, revision plans, and drafting toward a third draft. The number of teacher conferences probably increases. That is, allow students to discuss whether they have accomplished what they have set out to do and whether they are meeting the goals of this unit.
[ WEEK SIX ] -- POLISHING & REFLECTION
Students may now, finally, look at editing their papers for mechanics and grammar--polishing their work so that it is ready for grading and the portfolio. While they are polishing, this is also a good time to collect some reflections about the unit: what have the learned? how did they learn it? how has their knowledge of reading, writing, literacy, and learning changed? Thinking about these things at the end of each project will make the final summative reflection in unit six much easier to accomplish.