Brandi J. Clark

The Alberta Education Program of Studies includes grade level outcomes and the illustrative outcomes. The illustrative outcomes are examples of how the grade level outcomes manifest in the classroom setting.

The illustrative outcomes are found at this links.

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

For today, let’s look at an example from Kindergarten. (Note this process is the same for all grades – find the outcome – unpack the illustrative outcome.)

Here is an outcome from: 

2.3 Understand Forms, Elements and Techniques

The outcome:

experience a variety of oral, print and other media texts (2.3)

The illustrative outcome:

• After viewing the videocassette (video) The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin, the children want to learn about real penguins. They look at some books and watch a videocassette (video) about real penguins. At circle time, the children discuss penguins—what they eat, what they do, where they live, how they care for their babies.

So, let us unpack this illustrative outcome.

1. Students view The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin on video.
2. Students read nonfiction books and videos about real penguins.
3. Students talk about what they learned about penguins – what they eat, what they do, where they live, how they care for babies.

How can you live this outcome out through online learning? Note this would not be a lesson for one day, instead it should be divided up over 4-5 days.

 1.  Have students view The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin on video.

2. Find other two other videos on the topic of Penguins for students to view.

3. Suggest that the parents use these questions-to have a discussion with their child. What do they eat? What do they do?, Where do they live? How they care for their babies?

Response options:

There are many response options. Here are some ideas. (For more, search: reader response ideas for kindergarten-insert any grade)

No tech:

Parents record information in a chart for their child.

Children draw a penguin picture and their parents label the drawing.

Tech:

Students use the Paint program to make a picture.

Students use a google doc and make a penguin collage using pictures that match to the information they gathered.

Students use an app like Flipgrid to record their response.

I hope this post has been helpful to you!

Please let me know what you think!

Continue reading if you would like some extra information about “text sets.” 

EXTRA INFORMATION to develop similar lessons

NOTE: This illustrative example unpacked in this post, is alluding to “text sets”.  That is, the same topic – penguins – explored with a variety of texts. In this example, a video is mentioned, nonfiction books and a nonfiction video.

I have used text sets in the classroom before by pairing a nonfiction book with a fiction book on the same topic. This is the same set up for BookFlix, where a fiction book is paired up with a nonfiction book.

Teachers have free access to BookFlix through Learn Alberta.

A text set can also be a nonfiction book and a nonfiction movie.  This is how Truelflix is set up

Teachers have free access to Trueflix through Learn Alberta.

Text sets can also be multiple formats and multiple reading levels. Here is more information about text sets.

That’s all for now!

Please let me know what you think!

Love

Coach Clark 🙂

The other day I was listening to Lester Laminack talk about the importance of the Read Aloud.

I was instantly transported back to my early years of teaching.

The days when the “overhead” ruled!Seriously,  I want those “overheads” back – if not as a cheaper doc camera – a powerful addition to a literacy center – capacity to make murals and a practical cart used to deliver hot lunches

– but I digress.

THE EARLY YEARS OF MY CAREER

Those early years were yet to be influenced heavily by tech – no SMART boards –no handheld or lap devices. Back then read alouds were in the form of paper – in your hands or posted on paper. There was a greater intimacy and community feel to interacting with something that only came alive through teacher and student participation- in a sense – active literacy.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT INCLUDED A TRIP TO GREENWOOD’S BOOKSTORE and to the NEXT ACT for BURGERS

As the webinar wore on, I became sad at the simplicity of the old ways but also the space that there used to be for literacy. Professional Development for literacy was in abundance and offered freely. Times have changed in many ways, yes, we can do more things online but being together with a group of educators getting giddy over a new set of picture books was infectious.

HOW DID WE GO FROM GIDDY TO SERIOUS NELLIES?

There is a seriousness to education that I have not seen before in my career, one that unfortunately is exacerbated by the political climate. When did that panicky feeling invade schools?  When did educators become more worried about student’s self regulating than connecting with a character in a picture book?

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS OVER EDUCATION – YET I CAN STILL WATCH 90 DAY FIANCE 

I admit those feelings kept me up that evening. Yet, there is always hope for a turn around and I think it starts with more “real people” read alouds. The concept and power of a read aloud needs to understood by new teachers and refreshed for the rest of the staff.

SOME PEOPLE LISTEN TO BILLIE EILISH – I LISTEN TO EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS (Actually I Listen to both!) 

I would love if you listened to the webinar first hand. Lester mentions the old greats like Mem Fox and he reminds us of those nuances that are so powerful in selecting and delivering a Read Aloud.  (LINKS ARE AT THE END)

Here are some notes:

• We all remember falling inside a story or living inside a story. Who made that magic happen for you? What was the title of the book? – Every kid should have this experience and the teacher should be you.
• We are raising humans in this climate of test scores.
• The experience of being read to builds a bond between us,  as teacher and our students as people. It is the book that makes it happen.
• When students hand you a book to read to them, they have the power of your time for the whole time the book is read. This is powerful for them!
• There are different but important benefits to reading fiction and nonfiction texts.
• The intentional read aloud: to inspire (to explore books) to invest (where we are going next – topic of study), to instruct (offer specific teaching points in the moment)
• A Best Friend Book – Books that we revisit multiple times. (What if we had only 5 fiction and 5 nonfiction titles and revisit them several times for different reasons?)
• Five ways to start a book – Picture walk, Book Talk or Commercial, Author Profile, Theme – topic/link, Just Start Reading

So, this is the end of my polite rant and plea. Please read more with your students. Be that teacher, that voice in your student heads.  (But not creepy like the professor with Firestorm, that’s just messed. Note a DC reference, my teen daughter would be proud)

Any way,

Until Next Time,

Love Coach Clark

 

THE LINKS I PROMISED

Make Every Read-Aloud Experience Intentional by Lester Laminack

https://home.edweb.net/webinar/literacyhero20200128/

https://www.edweb.net/ewWebinarsBrowse