MBG & 7th Grade ELA

7th Grade ELA

Sam Fetters & David Bruder

Problem Identified: Students have trouble identifying and organizing evidence in their own writing. Some students have difficulty differentiating between evidence and paraphrasing, summary and analysis, and relevant vs. irrelevant evidence.

Hypothesis: If 7th Grade ELA creates an audio and visual database of mastery examples and online quizzes, then students can more effectively gather and analyze evidence as measured by increased mastery of analysis and written responses.

Data Collection:

Actionable Step: Any mini-lesson for writing, annotating, or reading could lend itself to a screencast video. Teachers can use quicktime to record a short video as they record a voiceover of their moves on the screen. Quicktime immediately formats the video in a compact MP4 file which can be quickly uploaded to google classroom or sent to students via email.

Overall Findings/Impact: So far, the visual database has been successful, especially for students who tend to be slower workers and thinkers. Many students watched the video once, and use the corresponding organizer to complete the elements of their essay. However, some students...

1. Watched the video twice in the same period

2. Watched the video after a day they were absent

3. Watched the video at home during the thanksgiving break and updated their writing

4. Watched the video in small-group intensives