Hi Mickayla, Molly, Breanne, and Sarah,
Thanks for creating this interactive learning resource, I had a great time reading through it and imagining how I would utilize it in a classroom. The following notes include comments and suggestions for your draft.
Learning Design:Â
The learning outcomes you stated are achievable and relevant to the content of your unit/lessons. I really liked the incorporation of cooperative learning, although there is no in-text citation for the “five characteristics” that you list. I could be wrong but I think a citation would be needed for that information. Explaining how each type of learning environment is utilized in the unit was a helpful way for readers to connect the theories to practice.Â
Description:
The resource mentions learners will be introduced to adjectives and complete a worksheet on creating monsters. Later in the description section, a mentor text is mentioned with the quote “cute but incredibly smelly” (Gravel, 2016), because of this my expectation was that the unit would be focused on descriptive words with a monster theme (including the section about senses). However, in lesson two there is no mention of monsters and while this is a well laid out lesson it seems a little out of place. Your group might consider having the outdoor sense activity involve monsters in some way, as that could help align this lesson with the rest of the unit.Â
Lesson & Activities:
In lesson one, the resource says “For example, in I Want my Monster” which is not the name of any books suggested so far. Perhaps there was a conflation of the titles of the two books I Want a Monster! By Elise Gravel and I Need my Monster by Amanda Noll. Clarification on the title should be addressed to avoid confusion.
Designs for Inclusion/Technology Choice Rational:
You say “Tools such as translated scripts (both first language and ASL scripts) and electronic translation tools will be made available for students who want/need them” but do not name the tool you would use. I think it would be helpful to add an app/website/learning management tool(s) that you would recommend for this task as teachers may not have experience with tools that can solve this problem. Your group’s rationale for translated scripts is articulated well.
Closing Thoughts:
I’m not sure if this is important but only one of the mentor texts suggested to use with the resource are in the reference section at the end of the document. Your group might consider adding all the books/resources suggested into the reference section to have a comprehensive list.
Once again, I really enjoyed reading through this resource and I can see myself adapting it for a language arts class. I think working in groups and seeing what other groups create is a valuable way to expand my own ideas around teaching so I appreciate the chance to see what you have produced. Thanks for sharing your work!
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Anthony J. D’Angelo