Common Core Standards and Affinity Spaces
The new standards require that students read more challenging texts and engage in close reading lessons, which rereading is a feature to literacy. In other words content may not be as important in coverage thinking as the need to help students obtain the deep learning skill sets needed for independent literacy and application. The shift toward complex text requires practice, support through purposeful close reading. The complexity of a text is determined by a number of factors, including syntax and vocabulary. To understand complex materials, students need support in developing literacy skills in key academic vocabulary and purposeful reading. | |
About the Lesson
The purpose of this lesson is to engage the learner in the use of close reading strategies while creating a participatory classroom learning environment. Close reading is careful and purposeful reading. This lesson will explore the use of social media as a way to engage students in a participatory culture. These participatory cultures are relatively known as Affinity spaces.
Teacher Provides Background Knowledge
To create the learning environment a common core standard must first be identified. Since the learner will be reading "Campfires in Cyberspace: Primordial Metaphors for Learning in the 21st Century," it will be important that the instructor define the meaning of metaphor.
The definition of a metaphor is "a figure of speech containing an implied comparison in which a word or phrase ordinarily and primarily used of one thing is applied to another (Ex.: the curtain of night, “all the world's a stage”)."
A metaphor is distinct from, but related to a simile, which is also a comparison. The primary difference is that a simile uses the word like or as to compare two things, while a metaphor simply suggests that the dissimilar things are the same. If this is confusing, take a look at some of these metaphor examples to get a better understanding a metaphor.
Broken heart- Your heart is not literally broken into pieces; you just feel hurt and sad. The light of my life - The person described by this metaphor isn't really providing physical light. He or she is just someone who brings happiness or joy. Please note that in these examples the phrase is not tied to the words "like or as"
Identifying the Literacy Skill
The second portion of the lesson design is to identify a literacy skill that will be facilitated while students read artifacts from Campfires in Cyberspace: Primordial Metaphors for Learning in the 21st Century. The literacy skill identified for this authentic task will be close reading. This means that the instructor will need to emphasize the importance rereading. Students will need to know that they are to carefully and purposefully reread the text they are assigned. They will need to really focus on what the author has to say, what the author’s purpose was, what the words mean, and what the structure of the text tells them.
The Virtual Jigsaw
The virtual jigsaw strategy can be a powerful method to use when presenting or analyzing narrative materials. A teacher using this approach can cover large amounts of material in less time with greater participant comprehension and involvement. The method requires each person in the group to read a different section of the content prior to a class session or during and then share out to other members of the group on what they have learned on a backchannel.To use the virtual jigsaw the teacher or presenter would setup a backchannel using Today'sMeet or Google Moderator. The link to the backchannel would be established on a reservoir learning site like a wiki or blog. The reading materials for the activity would also be posted and numbered accordingly. | |
- The group members are numbered off and each one is assigned the section that corresponds to his/her number.
- The teacher establishes a time frame during which each participant is to read his/her assigned section. (Five minutes is probably plenty.)
- After reading, each member then post their comments on the backchannel according to the underlying pre-defined questions associated with the article or just by sharing their posted thoughts.
- It is important to let the participants know that posting to a backchannel has limited number of words that can be used in a response. For example: Today'sMeet is limited to 140 characters in a response. The limitation to the number of characters used in a response also helps teach the importance of the use of paraphrasing and summarizing as a teaching strategy. (Learn how to setup a Today'sMeet Backchannel)
Teacher Provides Background Knowledge
Prior to the Virtual Jigsaw the teacher should provide a short overview of the authors purpose. The teacher should state, "David Thornburg introduces us to another type of space, one in which storytelling becomes the instructional medium, of redesigning spaces to match student learning needs. The article titled "Campfires in Cyberspace" Thornburg describes four diverse learning spaces that are reflected upon in ancient societies. These learning spaces are in metaphorical terms the campfires, watering holes, and caves, which are the most relevant and appropriate places to share information, conversation, concept, and context.
- Students will need to know that they are to carefully and purposefully reread the text they are assigned. They will need to really focus on what the author has to say, what the author’s purpose was, what the words mean, and what the structure of the text tells them.
Virtual Jigsaw Facilitation
Directions: In this authentic task participants will be provided a TodaysMeet backchannel to read and share ideas on ways to develop classroom spaces in a connected learning environment. Participants will be asked to share their assigned metaphor from Thornburg's' "Campfires in Cyberspace" as it relates learning spaces that are linked to the process of engaged activities as students are asked to perform authentic task.
Read Topic One: "The Campfire"
Answer Question One: In a facilitated classroom the campfire can be compared to learning in what ways?
(Submit Answer Here) Use a metaphor in your statement.
(Submit Answer Here) Use a metaphor in your statement.
Read Topic Two:"The Watering Hole "
Answer Question Two: In a facilitated classroom how is the watering hole being compared to a part of a lesson? (Submit Answer Here) Use a metaphor in your statement.
Read Topic Three:"The Cave"
Answer Question Three: In a facilitated classroom what part of a students learning is compared to a cave?
(Submit Answer Here) Use a metaphor in your statement.
(Submit Answer Here) Use a metaphor in your statement.
Read Topic Four:"Life and Application"
Answer Question Four: What role is directly associated with Life as it is applied to classroom learning?
(Submit Answer Here) Use a metaphor in your statement.
(Submit Answer Here) Use a metaphor in your statement.
Group Facilitation Checking for Understanding
After all group members have finished, the teacher should provide some time for large group discussion as information is viewed on a projection system to the whole class or session. It is important that each participating member’s response is read to the whole group in case the group needs clarification.
The teacher will facilitate the group discussion by using specific questions that are designed to enhance imagery.
- What is being compared?
- Why is the comparison effective?
- What symbols are present?
- Why did the author choose these symbols?
Follow up Activity: Writing A Narrative
In the follow-up activity of "The Facilitation of Learning Spaces" you will need to write a one paragraph narrative based on the responses provided on the backchannel and your readings. Narrative writing will enable you as a student to develop a command for sequence and detail that is essential to the argumentative and informative writing that is evidence based that speaks to inform or persuade. In your narrative provide metaphorical reasoning behind Thornburg's position on classroom spaces. (Review Other Class Responses)
The goal is for you to take what you have learned from the text and apply it to your writing. You will need to reflect on a specific portion of the text by asking these questions.
The goal is for you to take what you have learned from the text and apply it to your writing. You will need to reflect on a specific portion of the text by asking these questions.
- What is the author telling me here?
- Are there any hard or important words?
- What does the author want me to understand?
- How does the author play with language to add to meaning?