Comma and Semi-Colon Usage
Reflection
This learning experience was created for EDU 327: Teaching to the Standards at Daemen College for Dr. Arnold. It was implemented at Starpoint High School in Mr. Al Franco’s three eleventh grade English Regents classes. It was taught as a mini lesson because after reading numerous writing samples, it was clear that the students had little knowledge of how to use semi-colons or commas correctly.
The lesson met the learning standards fairly well. There was a large shift of students from the developing stage to the proficient level. Unfortunately, there was not as large of a shift from the proficient level to the distinguished level.
Most of the students in the classes met the performance indicator of being able to correctly use a semi-colon to link two closely related independent clauses. This is evident in the number of students who incorrectly answered 1-3 questions on their Summative Test. It is also evident in their writing; most students received a 4 or 3 in the correct comma and semi-colon usage category on the Comma and Semi-Colon Usage Rubric.
Although from my data, I believe my students have succeeded, there is one threat to validity in the rubric. Some of the students scored in the proficient to distinguished range due to high points in the controlling idea section and support for the controlling idea but had lower scores in the semi-colon and comma usage section. This may be alleviated by weighting the sections differently. Next time I teach this lesson, I would like to include more follow-up activities. When assigning other writing assignments, I will be sure to include a proper punctuation section on the rubric. This will not only help keep the students responsible for what they have learned, but it will also help me better gauge how well the students remember and understand what I have taught them.
I feel that this learning experience is not only important for the students’ high school careers, but also essential for the “real-world.” One student asked before we began the lesson, “What is a semi-colon?” This lack of proper punctuation knowledge will set students apart when they try to apply for a job. Students need to know what these punctuation marks are and how they are used in an effort to make their writing more professional. Cover letters and job reports which have proper punctuation and no run-on sentences have a higher chance for recognition and success. Writing well is essential to living well.
This Learning Experience was peer reviewed on November 2, 2011 at Daemen College. The focus questions that I posed for the review group were, “How can I make this lesson more age appropriate?” and “How can I better integrate technology in this lesson?” During the peer review, Ben L. suggested a great way for me to utilize technology. He posed the question, “Would you consider using a 'School House Rock' video for this lesson?” I like this idea very much and added it to the list of enrichment activities. Many of the others at the peer review suggested that I integrate a game on the SmartBoard. They suggested that this is a way to better integrate technology, as well as keep the students at that age interested. I have also added this to the list of enrichment activities. The other changes that I made to this Learning Experience deal with the modification table. Some of reviewers suggested that the writing element of this lesson may be too difficult for students with some learning disabilities. I changed my modification table to reflect that this task may be adjusted by either shortening the writing assignment or by shortening the reading passages.
Overall, creating this Learning Experience has been an extremely educational process. I have gained valuable insight from my peers and have been able to modify my lesson to make it even more beneficial to my students. Creating this website has also been incredibly rewarding. Through the Teacher Leadership Quality Partnership (TLQP), I have seen how incredibly important it is to engage with other teachers. This website will allow teachers to view my lesson, learn new techniques from me, and will also allow them to give me suggestions to continue to improve my lesson. This process is not linear but rather cyclical. I am so glad that I chose to take part in the TLQP program. Not only have I added a lesson plan that can help future teachers, but I also pioneered the idea of an 'About Me' section. This section enables the creator to share their educational philosophies and other information about themselves. It can essentially become a very important networking tool. School districts will be impressed not only with the detail and attention towards the learning experience, but will also be able to learn more about the teacher him/herself.
Educational methods are constantly changing and one needs to be able to keep up with these modifications. More and more schools are turning towards technology to help students further understand the content areas. Knowing how to create websites is an essential tool to help not only students but to connect with parents and other educators. The TLQP program is the first step towards keeping up with the changing educational times.
