We will soon embark on the dreaded "Double Entry Journal". In the past, this has been the most challenging task my students have encountered. This is not because the task itself is that difficult, it is because the assignment takes stamina and independent thought! [GASP!] I have devoted 2 weeks of my class time to this project. I will make sure that students understand what is being asked of them. What I will not do, and what frustrates the students the most, is that I will not tell them what to write. I will not spoon feed the information to them. I will clarify the questions. That is ALL. What the kiddos fail to understand about this project is that it is an assessment. I am looking to see if THEY can find the information and articulate THEIR thinking to me. As I tell them, "I already know the answers." This activity is so much better than a "test" as a measure of their understanding. I can truly see the depth of their comprehension by reading their responses to the questions. When it is time to work on this project, I will post the questions, format, scoring guide, and an example to this blog. This will allow you to see what my expectations are for the "Journal". This project will be worth 200 points. The score on this will make or break their grade in literacy. I want you as parents to understand that these questions and skills have been reviewed and discussed in class. This has been done in both whole group and small group sessions. Although I will be here to help them understand and guide them through the journal, it is an INDEPENDENT project. It will show me who truly understand the lessons that we have gone over for the entire nine weeks. Like I said, it won't be easy...but it is do-able. I have high expectations and I know that the kiddos ARE capable of doing a good job!
Happy reading-
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