The teacher has a deep knowledge of the content area and recognizes the best methods of teaching the material in order to help the student develop a thorough grasp of the content.
A comprehensive knowledge of the content area enables the teacher to implement the most appropriate materials and strategies for the classroom of learners while being able to identify changes in the content and adapt the curriculum over time. The teacher must know the content well enough to recognize where difficulties may occur in learning and understanding the material and identify the potential misconceptions. When introducing new information, the teacher will utilize multiple formats to help individual students connect the information with their prior knowledge. I know that helping students master academic vocabulary and recognize multiple perspectives and misconceptions that may be held about the content will enable the students to make deeper connections and open their minds to new ideas. Also, I intend to employ a focused use of technology to provide greater access to the unit content for all students.
Academic Vocabulary
The novel study, MAUS, began with a pretest that focused on the vocabulary used to describe the graphic devices employed in the text. That was followed with a discussion of graphic novels and a PowerPoint presentation that illustrated the terms for the graphic devices that the students would encounter on almost every page. The remaining terms were then taught to the students through additional PowerPoint presentations and multiple videos, while discussions and stopping during chapter readings to point out examples of the elements consistently reinforced the learning. Once the students mastered the meanings of the terms, they could discuss the elements in the text in a language that everyone could understand. In addition, learning the terms for the graphic devices in the novel helped the students connect with the already familiar literary devices found in prose novels.
Essay analysis: Scott Westerfeld
The definition of “literature” and the acceptance of graphic novels as literature are debatable topics, even among high school students. As my students began a study of a graphic novel, we had a discussion of the graphic novels, comics, and manga books so I could determine who was familiar with the medium. Some students had read widely, others read manga (Japanese comics and graphic novels), while still others had not read a graphic novel since childhood comics. As students responded, it was evident that there were distinct attitudes as well as misconceptions about the literature value of comics, manga, and graphic novels and the use of illustrations with prose.
A discussion centered around a persuasive essay by Scott Westerfeld, “Warning: This essay has no pictures,” encouraged students to voice their thoughts on literature and the relationship of illustrations and imagination. The pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading discussion questions helped the students see the multiple perspectives held by other students in the classroom, while additional points brought up in the essay added historical information for them to consider in reflecting on their own knowledge.
Greek gods and goddesses Interactive Bulletin Boards
For my supervising teacher’s unit on Greek mythology, I designed a bulletin board in the classroom so that students could have additional information about the gods and goddesses of the myths they were reading, as well as visualize the family tree. Many students were virtual, though, and had no opportunity to view the display. I created an interactive online bulletin board for those students, using the same visuals as the physical bulletin board and adding audio to each page. By using technology to create a supplementary resource, I was able to enhance the mythology unit for the virtual students, increase accessibility of the material for all students, and provide virtual students with a similar experience to that of the students in the classroom.