1. How did you implement your cyberlesson? (small group, whole group, posted on the Internet to be done at home? Individually, as a learning center etc.) (Where was the less held? numbers of computers per student?)
2. Strengths of implementation?
3. Weaknesses of implementation?
4. How would you modify the way in which you implemented the project to make it more successful?
5. What did you learn from the implemenation of this cyberlesson?
5. What did you learn from the implemenation of this cyberlesson?
6. Do you plan to use this lesson again?
7. Are you planning to develop another cyberlesson on a different book?
Why or Why not?
1 comment:
I originally planned whole group work because in this class, the whole group is equivalent to a typical small group (six students). My plan, again, was to have this small group work together for most of the cyberlesson activity. Along the way, I revised the plan to include more pairs work and individual work. For instance, the whole group worked well for constructing meaning of the images together; students with weaker inferential skills greatly benefited from others’ interpretations. But students were more productive in pairs when brainstorming “words” that would describe the story. They also needed some time to process information on their own, when exploring texts and taking notes on Ellis Island.
I was able to secure the computer cart for the duration of the activity; therefore, the cyberlesson took place in the classroom, and each student had their own computer. This was ideal, because students could go back to the enlarged images using the Elmo whenever they needed, allowing them to benefit from repeated reading of the images. Students also had easy access to a printer, so they were able to print forms (graphic organizers) off of the cyberlesson at any time.
There are several clear strengths of this cyberlesson. First, the biggest strength of implementing the cyberlesson is that the unit is student-directed. Because, after initial instruction, students understood how to proceed, I was allowed to circulate and work with individuals who needed more assistance while others remained engaged in the activity. For example, one student was having trouble making useful connections, or using the new Ellis Island information to better understand The Arrival. I was able to instruct this student one-on-one while the rest of the group remained engaged in the activity. Another strength of the cyberlesson is that is taps into students’ interest in technology. They were very excited to have the opportunity to work with computers, and they remained motivated and engaged. They enjoyed the freedom of pacing themselves, and having the opportunity to go back into the lesson if needed. It gave them a sense of control and ownership. Finally, the story The Arrival is another strength of this particular cyberlesson, validating the importance in the careful selection of text. Students were intrigued immediately upon looking at the image of the cover.
Additionally, this cyberlesson is flexible and can be revised to meet the needs of various levels of readers.
The main weakness is actually one of the strengths: it requires the use of technology, including the Internet. This was not a weakness in my case because our school is supplied with a high level of technological capabilities. I had laptops for each student, an Elmo, a printer and access to the Internet. We didn’t have to leave the classroom. Another weakness was the way I originally structured the lesson, putting me too much on stage and directing the pace. I did not initially trust the structure of the cyberlesson to run the show. Yet students were clearly eager to take off on their own and examine the images together, controlling their own pace.
I observed the weaknesses regarding my control of the lesson during the process, and have already revised the cyberlesson to reflect the needed changes. In order to give students more structured control, I incorporated the use of student roles and added them to the lesson. By assigning specific roles, students can be more self-sufficient, getting me off the stage and allowing me to work with individuals, or specific groups, as needed. I have added a slide that describes four roles that are unique to this project: page projector (turns the page), image director (invites students to come to the screen and discuss their interpretations, pointing to details), discussion leader (asks questions, makes sure everyone is involved) and conversationalist (join in the dialogue, sharing predictions, connections and inferences).
Also, these students came with limited background on Ellis Island and immigration. Therefore, I revised the lesson to include a short film clip on Ellis Island, and downloaded this from unitedstreaming.com to each computer. Students watched the film using headphones and took notes on their own, watching several times if necessary.
Another weakness is that this lesson can take a long time. This could be a problem given curriculum demands.
Throughout the implementation of the lesson, I learned that a cyberlesson, if structured very meticulously and is focused on a highly engaging text, will offer students in a seventh grade intervention reading class a wonderful opportunity to work in a self-directed and productive way, with the teacher truly the guide on the side. I also learned that a wordless novel can offer struggling middle school readers opportunities to exercise their inferential.
I anticipate using this adapted cyberlesson with a future intervention group. I feel I have refined the lesson and look forward to trying again and test the effectiveness of the changes. I can also easily adapt the cyberlesson to accommodate both seventh and eighth grade students who read on grade level. Older readers and stronger readers would likely spend less time devoted to “during reading” and more time on “after” and “beyond reading” activities.
I have developed and used other cyberlessons with different books with great success. I have learned that once a group of students uses a cyberlesson once, they better conceptualize the process and work more independently and productively with each successive cyberlesson. I will continue to use this and other, and will continue to develop new lessons.
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