Module 7 PowerPoint Responses

Perspectives of the Learning Process PowerPoint




Determining a student's perspective about reading and writing is very important. It allows the teacher to assess what skills the learner would like to know and already knows. Knowing what a student would like to learn will ultimately help him/her to become a better, strong reader. This can be done informally, without an interview, which put less pressure on the student. The PowerPoint mentioned allowing the student to set goals for themselves. I think this is a great idea. When the reader determines their own goals they have an end target in mind and will worker harder to achieve that goal.




Comprehension Evidence and Strategies PowerPoint




While reading through the PowerPoint I noticed the slide about Best Practices for Comprehension Instruction (Slide #10). I noticed that I used many of those strategies with my tutee during our one-on-one tutoring and saw great results with them. "Jay", my tutee, struggled with comprehension, so we focused a large majority of our time to improve his comprehension skills. Throughout the tutoring process I used questioning a lot in hopes that Jay would learn that good readers ask questions. We used predicting questions similar like the ones on the PowerPoint like, "What do you think might happen next? What are the clues?" and "Is this making sense to me?" We also worked on summarizing, inferring, and visualizing improving his comprehension. The PowerPoint provides excellent examples of what to look for when assessing a student and tips to include while working with students. I found that I used many of these strategies in my tutoring process and saw great growth in Jay's reading abilities.


9 Best Practices PowerPoint




Without realizing it, I have used many of the 9 Best Practices strategies with my students before. One of the most common strategies I used was Identifying Similarities and Differences. Often time I would have my students find similarities and differences and have a discussion with a partner or in a group. Typically I would model finding similarities and differences with a Venn diagram during our whole group time. I used Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition with my tutee Jay quite often. My goal for using it was to have him know he was succeeding and build his confidence since he struggled with self-confidence. Another Best Practices strategy I have used before is Cooperative Learning. My students frequently worked in groups or with partners. They were able to collaborate with one another, work on social skills, and receive feedback from other students. I always stressed that one person should not just give out the answers; it was everyone's job to learn and participate. There was usually a participation grade (given by their peers) from these assignments. My students loved graphic organizers. I always had them available whenever students would work on writing and other subjects. My students worked best when they were able to organize their thoughts easily and quickly and be able to refer back to them when necessary. Jay and I were constantly setting goals for him while we worked on his reading. Initially he was hesitant to be included in the process, but eventually he warmed up to it. He also responded very well to the feedback and gave me feedback as well. Having students provide feedback is a great way for teacher's to assess what is working and what students like and make the appropriate accommodations.