CEP 800 Apostrophe TPACK Lesson

Content: 
In this lesson I am teaching the correct use of the apostrophe when it is used in contractions and possessions. Students will understand where the apostrophes are placed and why they are placed in those spots in contractions and possessions.
Big Idea: Apostrophes are used to replace the missing letter(s) when two words are joined in contractions.
Big Idea: Apostrophes are used to show that something or someone belongs to a noun.
Essential Questions: What are apostrophes used for? Why are apostrophes important? Why does it matter where apostrophes are placed in a sentence?
Standard: Students will...In the context of writing, correctly use nouns and possessives; apostrophes in contractions.
 Students struggle with the concept of putting the apostrophe between the correct letters in a contraction. Also, students overuse the apostrophe with words ending in “s,” even when the word is not showing possession.

Pedagogy:
 Students will be completing the Smart Board activity in small groups during literacy centers. This lesson will serve as their word work center. I decided to do this lesson in a small group setting so each student would have a chance to move the apostrophes into the correct places in the sentences. If I were to do this as a whole class lesson, it would be difficult to give each student the kinesthetic opportunities available with the Smart Board. By working in a small group, students will be practicing the Social Constructivist learning theory. While completing the lessons, students will discuss the sentences and ideas and learn from one another through their discussions. In planning the pedagogy for this lesson, I considered my students’ learning styles. Many of my students benefit from visual lessons and my boys especially benefit from kinesthetic learning. My students work well together, especially during literacy centers. They are influenced by each other and highly consider what one another say so collaboration is a great learning tool for my students.

Content & Pedagogy:
By allowing students to work in small groups during centers on this activity, it gives them the opportunity to learn from one another. One of the main reasons for this lesson is to correct the misconception that an apostrophe belongs at the end of every word that ends in a “s”. Therefore, with students working together, one student may be able to correct and explain reasoning to another student if they misuse the apostrophe.
 Also, by teaching using visuals in an interactive way, students are more likely to learn about apostrophes and improve their grammar in writing than if they completed paper and pencil activities. Students learn best with concrete, visual materials first before moving towards abstract ideas. I am a firm believer in collaboration, especially at the onset of new concepts and ideas. If I were to teach the content using a cognitive approach where students worked independently, all of the misconceptions about apostrophe placement may not be addressed.
 In terms of my choice of pedagogy, classroom space and the small groups that I already have during centers played a large part in my choice. By working in a small group, students can see and manipulate the screen up close. Also, there will only be 2 or 3 students collaborating at a time. Therefore a few students will not overpower the lesson while the rest of the class sits back and takes the credit. If I were to have the technology equipment, I may have done things differently. I may do this as a whole class lesson then have students work in small groups on several iPads to complete the activity portion of manipulating the sentences using correct apostrophe placement. In regards to the content that I chose, I have recently been assessing a lot of my students’ writing and this misconception of the apostrophe was one thing that I saw as unmastered by many. This lesson presents a better way of reaching my students and improving their writing.

Technology:
I will be using a Smart Board to teach this lesson because it works well for small groups to manipulate during centers and provides a means of offering an interactive lesson. Students can complete the lesson without teacher guidance because they are familiar with the technology. The screen is large enough for a group to all view the content at once and gives them space to interactively manipulate the screen without anyone being pushed to the side. This technology is not absolutely necessary to teach the content, however it does provide for a deeper understanding and gives students a sense of ownership over their work. The technology allows students to manipulate the apostrophes, reread the sentence, and easily rearrange the sentence and apostrophe placement depending on how the sentence sounds. It gives students a sense of pride because they have the opportunity for trial and error. I will not see erased marks on a paper, but merely the final placement of the apostrophes in the sentences.

Technology & Pedagogy:
The Smart Board works well with a small group to manipulate during centers. The screen is large enough for a group of students to all view the content at once and gives them space to interactively manipulate the screen without being pushed to the side. While using the Smart Board, students will be able to collaborate and discuss the placements of the apostrophes in the sentences. In terms of the Social Constructivist learning theory, students will be able to work together and share ideas easily using a Smart Board. The ideas that students share about the sentences will influence one another and scaffold one another’s learning. Also, each student will take turns manipulating the apostrophes instead of other group work where one child writes and the others feed information to that child. By using a Smart Board in the small group, each student will feel like they have just as much importance as everyone else because everyone will be involved equally.

Technology & Content:
The Smart Board helps teach the big ideas of using correct apostrophe placements by allowing students to physically manipulate sentences to make them grammatically correct. Students will be able to move the apostrophes into the correct places and reread the sentences to see if they make sense. The use of this technology livens up the content, making it more engaging and hands-on.

Assessment:
I want my students to know where apostrophes go in sentences and why they go where they do. In order for my students to understand this, they must understand what contractions and possessions are. I will know whether or not my students know this based on the sentences that they create using the Smart Board after manipulating the apostrophes into the correct places. I will assess whether my students have learned the concept based on their Smart Board final sentences and also in their future writing. If students have truly learned this concept, I should be able to see correct contractions and possessives within their writing in the future. This will show that they carried over the grammar concepts learned in this lesson into everyday writing. I will also assess whether or not students still misuse the apostrophe in their writing. Ultimately, putting apostrophes into the correct places should become a natural practice. The technology allows me to go back and view how each group manipulated their sentences. If I were to do this using paper and pencil, students may lose their paper, copy off of other groups, or simply not complete the task. The Smart Board plays a key role in this lesson being effective and meaningful for my students.