Final+Project+Learning+Lab+Unit


 * Name of Unit : ** Improving Study Skills “How To Study”
 * Unit Description: ** This unit is designed to help students take an active role in their learning in their General Education classes. This Learning Lab course is designed to give students academic support in their core classes. It is like a study hour with help from me and two paraprofessionals. I have found that most of my students do not know how to study or see the importance/benefit of studying.

Students can learn and improve their grades by using and learning study strategies that work for them. Students will set goals for themselves to complete their assignments and complete any missing assignments within a few days. Student will complete a mini math lesson called Math Madness adding fractions. Student will write in a sentence something they have learned this past week that they think is important to share. Students will learn /review their learning styles and how that can help them learn. Students will learn/review the different types of Learning Styles through PowerPoint presentation and handouts. Students that have not had my class last trimester will read and complete a survey entitled “Focus on Learning Styles.” Students will explore and take online learning style quizzes to compare amongst themselves and see if they have the same results. Students will set up a study schedule and learn study tips. Students will learn how to take better notes and tips for test taking.
 * Planning for the Beginning of an Instructional Unit **
 * • What learning goals will I present to students? **

2nd Hour Only: Every Tuesday Rock Star Reading and Every Friday Math Madness. Lessons are provided for all teachers to teach during second hour.

Log sheets will be kept by the students. They will list weekly % grades for each class and will write the # of missing assignments on the log sheet. They will obtain teacher signatures as needed to address missing work. They will get their parents to sign weekly grade sheets and there is a space on the sheet for me to check that they got the grade sheet signed. I will give students a learning target sheet and a learning target poster to post on the board in the classroom.
 * • How will I display these goals so that they are clearly evident throughout the unit? **

I will meet with each student weekly one-on-one to review their grade sheets that record the student’s progress in each class.
 * • How will I provide guidance for students as they generate their own learning goals? **

2nd hour students will correct their Rock Star and Math madness sheets as we review them together to assess how well they do on them.


 * • How will students display these goals so they are evident throughout the unit? ** They will keep the log sheet until the end of the trimester to reflect on daily. Students will complete mini lessons to reinforce learning of study strategies.

7. (2nd hour) Rock Star Reading (hold up fingers) and Math Madness
 * During a Unit - Planning for Introducing Knowledge **
 * • Which activities will I use to help students identify what they already know about new knowledge? **
 * 1) Learning Style Survey
 * 2) Motivation Survey
 * 3) Thinking Mind vs. Fixed Mindset. What do they like to do and are they good at it?
 * 4) Support with class assignments asking them what they know.
 * 5) Completion of mini lessons to evaluate what they know.
 * 6) Formative assessment questions charts posting what they know using stickers.

ü How To Study Lessons with PowerPoint’s and mini activities. ( 5 lessons) ü Websites like quizlet.com and flashcard maker. ü Teacher website and class Netvibe Start page that provides resources as needed. [|RCHS Website:] [|http://www.riverviewschools.com/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=73&] [|Learning Lab PowerPoints:][|http://www.netvibes.com/studystack#How_To_Study_PPT]
 * • What activities will I use to help provide students with advanced organizers for new knowledge? **

ü Charting their weekly % in each class and comparing it to last week. Analyze why it went up or down during individual conference with them. ü Using Student Connect to check grades and missing assignments. [] ü Using Microsoft Skydrive to save and share documents that students can email and access from any computer with Internet access.

Rock Star Reading mini lessons (Hold fingers Up). Make a plan to complete work. Formative assessment charts asking them questions about their learning.
 * • What activities will I use to help students make inferences about new knowledge? **

Present mini lesson by PowerPoint with a written packet to teach them strategies for taking notes. Some students will be provided teacher notes to copy from per IEP accommodations. Graphic organizers to help them with assignments as needed. Students will learn to use their Microsoft Outlook accounts to E-Mail teachers and upload/share documents to access at home if needed. Show students how to access RCHS teacher webpages where some teachers post documents/notes for students to download and print.
 * • What will I do to help students take notes about the new knowledge? **

Give students a choice by allowing them to create the same assignment using Web 2.0 tools or create a poster project instead of a written project (see resource list). Students are allowed to work together sometimes if they have the same class. This is tricky because each student may have a different class schedule and may be in different grades.
 * • What will I do to help students represent the new knowledge in nonlinguistic ways? **
 * • How will I use cooperative learning? **


 * • What will I do to help students identify similarities and differences relative to the new **** knowledge? **

This is addressed in their class assignments given by their core teachers. I offer them some graphic organizers if they are not proved (see list of resources).

Students are assigned work from their general education teachers and if they do not finish work during learning lab it is for homework. I offer them resources to use to help them practice skills if they have no work to do in class such as reviewing notes, studying or making flashcards if appropriate. Homework practice sites are available that can be accessed from home (see list of resources).
 * During a Unit - Planning for Students to Review, Apply, and Practice Knowledge **
 * • How will I use homework to help students practice the knowledge that has been presented to them? **


 * • How will I use homework to help students apply the knowledge they are learning? ** Teaching them to review notes and read chapter material to study for tests. Have them review study skills presented in PowerPoint and booklet. Review practice worksheets and use study guides from teacher to assist them in learning the material. Create flashcards using flashcard sites or foldables from paper.


 * • What activities will I use to help students generate and test hypotheses about the knowledge they are learning? ** I will use formative assessments to evaluate if they are reaching their “No missing assignments” goal, Formative Assessments to determine their learning styles and have them figure out the best ways to study, and use Zangle Student Connect to chart their grades on their log sheets.

2nd hour Completion of Rock Star Reading and Math Madness sheets.

Give them choices and examples of nonlinguistic lesson ideas. Give them rubrics to follow on the expectation of the assignments. Some ideas are using Web 2.0 tools to create a drawing to represent a topic or lesson or comic strip site to present an understanding of a topic.
 * • What will I do to help students review and revise the nonlinguistic representations they have made for the knowledge they are learning? **

I will conference with them individually once a week using a grade sheet from Zangle that shows all their assignments and grades. I fill out yellow notes with missing assignments to assist students in asking for missing work.
 * During a Unit - Planning for Monitoring Student Progress Toward Learning Goals **
 * • How will I provide students with systematic feedback on their progress toward learning goals? **

They will need to get teachers to sign if they have or have not turned in their assignments and request a copy of worksheet if needed.
 * • How will I involve students in the feedback process relative to learning goals? ** Each student will look on Student Connect and chart their log sheet their percent grade for each class weekly. They will highlight missing assignments on grade sheets and put number of missing assignments for each class period on log sheet.

I give them verbal praise for the great effort they are making. They receive points for having grade sheets signed by parents and teachers. Sometimes they get candy if they have no missing assignments or if raised their grade. They get to put a sticker on the weekly goal sheet under yes or no they reached their goal.
 * • How will I celebrate and recognize student progress throughout the unit? **


 * Planning for the End of a Unit **
 * • How will I provide a summary evaluation to students for each of the learning goals? ** Students are asked to evaluate themselves each week to see how they are doing in each class. At the end of the semester they will take a final exam that will assess what they found to be helpful in being successful in their class. They will assess themselves and their teachers. They will create a final project by either writing a persuasive essay (see list of topics) or create a helpful study manual for someone with their learning style.

I conference with each students and they evaluate themselves weekly. They measure their attendance in each class and tell me why they are missing assignments and when they will complete them. I survey weekly to measure how they performed that week.
 * • How will I solicit students' self-evaluations for each learning goal? **


 * • How will I reconcile differences between my evaluation of a student's progress and the self-evaluation? ** Conferencing with each student weekly helps keep us on the same page. I offer advice to assist them in completing work and communicate with their general education teachers as needed. I encourage them to give more effort and to ask for help from their teachers if they are not doing the work because they do not understand it. I encourage them to go to student assistance time and ask their teachers for help. I offer to stay after school or work with them in the mornings from 7:00 am – 7:35 am.