Week 2, Assignment 1

ELA instruction encompasses five major features: reading writing, speaking and listening, and proper use of language. The common core standards are there to help us get the students to be critical thinkers, and start asking those questions that will challenge their own learning.  By meeting the standards in these five areas, students become proficient across the different content areas. Skills such as citing evidence from the text, making connections with the text and even “arguing” with the text are used in my subject, science.   I find that many of the skills that the students learn in their ELA/ESL/Literacy classes are used/reinforced in my classroom.

It is imperative that the teacher arms him/herself with a variety of texts that will challenge the students and help prepare them for higher-level education.  The goal is to prepare the students both academically and for the real world. Therefore, it is important that the students are assessed in these five modalities throughout the lessons.  I assess my students through writing self-reflections, accountable discussions with classmates, making claims and citing evidence from results, their proper use of the vocabulary, the questions they ask during class discussions, and more.