Kayla began and ended the session with spelling practice, including final y and words that pose pronunciation difficulties. In the middle of the session Kayla completed her essay on Overcoming Fatigue, and she read it aloud to identify any errors and to improve the flow of the writing. I advocate for students' use of this technique because the auditory system often picks up on confusing or wordy writing that simply reading a text does not.
Due to a minor spacing error in the spelling diagnostic, Kayla had to retake portions of the test. We scored it and interpreted the results together, and determined her areas of proficiency and her areas of need. We discussed the two parts of spelling: the actual act in writing and the necessity of proofreading. Kayla engaged in activities to review two sections from the spelling diagnostic: i.e./ei and final y (adding endings).
Today Kayla continued researching and reading about health and wellness for her project on fatigue. She worked diligently to identify and scan reliable sources for information pertinent to her project. She used many strategies, including independently organizing and labeling the sections of her found resources. Additionally, we reviewed the results of her spelling diagnostic, and due to a minor error in spacing, she had to retake a portion of the 140 item assessment.
Kayla and I reviewed a short essay from last week and we discussed several elements of excellent writing: (non) use of idioms, substituting higher level words and phrases for clarity of expression, revisions on printed documents, expanding ideas, and rewriting processes.
For the current health research project, we discussed and she completed short activities on identifying pertinent information in a text, and the value of creating a personal system of abbreviations when taking notes during research. We also discussed the benefits of printing sources which include the important strategy of writing notes in the margins and summarizing a section with limited words to indicate a main idea. During this session Kayla also learned how to create an outline for her research project, which is another way to organize one's thoughts and ideas in preparation for writing.
Kayla and I used part of our session to declutter and organize her office. Through this process we actively engaged in simple organizational tasks, and she practiced strategies for keeping her numerous materials sorted and neat for each class. We also discussed how to manage her time between the online and in person class obligations. I then helped scaffold her learning in her online class with a pressing deadline. Additionally, we found a quiz game online for SAT words, and she started a writing prompt.
Kayla began class with ACT grammar prep. She then began a lesson and practice on note-taking. We covered a structured format and the uses. Then practiced taking notes while listening for information, and while reading for information. She read and listened to non-fiction text dealing with Nutrition. Then we moved into learning about text structures. We viewed a powerpoint on Text Structures and took corresponding notes. We then spent time on Collegeboard.com regarding colleges, entrance requirement, etc. Kayla wrapped up writing Open Sky daily writing assignment.
Today the non-fiction selections were based on nutrition. Kayla read an article regarding a program for fit kids, and changed the level of writing from middle- to high-school level by replacing weak word choices with vivid vocabulary. She then read "Food Experiment" and summarized the text. Next she created Blooms Leveled questions for "Food Experiment" then we discussed levels of questioning and how they are present within all texts and standardized tests. Next, Kayla moved into Word Study and completed an SAT pretest on vocabtest.com, scored 50% (not bad for a pre-test) then created Quizlet flash cards online and began studying. Last, I introduced independent and dependent clauses and a fun and easy way to learn to fluently write complex sentences. Kayla practiced with five phrase combinations.
Session Minutes
120
Minutes Student Attended
120
Lesson Comments
Talked with Johanna about moving from Eng11 to Writing/Research and decided I will still do an overview of American Lit with Kayla for background/vocab knowledge at some point prior to the fall, to help prepare her. Also, when we are aware of what section of English she will be entering when she returns to JC, we can work through the summer reading assignment.
Kayla began English today with a mini lesson on writing arguments. We created an outline of the components and Kayla thought of an idea for a persuasive piece and began outlining. Next we went over the ccss Writing standards we will be covering during this course, and read through the standards then made a list in Excel of a few items that will be included during this course. Then, we talked about American Literature as a subject and the time periods it encompasses. We created a chart of terms (themes, archetypes, major periods) to keep us organized and as a place for Kayla to keep notes and thoughts. We worked through half of the time periods, using the Prentice Hall book as a guide, as well as online powerpoints on the Periods . Kayla also began a new round of SAT study words, using quizlet and flashcards. SAT Vocab Unit 2 will begin soon as well.
