Pre-Conference with Coach Barbara Farmer

Here's my side of mine and Barbara's conference. She was a super coach and really helped me focus on the lesson. Thanks, Barbara! :)) My mentee is a 10th grade English teacher. I will be mentoring her lesson over family crests with her AP class. The students will be researching the origin/meaning/history of their surname to create an original family crest. They will be using the laptops with a wireless network connection to do their research in her classroom.

Here are Barbara's questions and my responses:

1. What will be the focus of their family research?
The focus will be to discover the origin of the student's surname and what it means.

2. Are there any specific areas which she wants students to research or will they self-select?
This is the specific area that they will be researching.

3. What areas of the LA TEKS does the lesson address?
13 a, b, d, e

16 a, b, d, e, f

I don't have the list of LA TEKS handy to check what these are, but I think they have to do with the use of context to determine meaning, figurative language/idiom, compare/contrast. How will she utilize technology in this lesson?

TEKS also include evaluating the credibility of information sources, reading/research. She will be using the laptops.

What teaching strategies will be used during the lesson?

Using technology (internet) students will gather information, determine important facts and draw conclusions. The teacher will discuss with the class how to refine their searches on the internet to pinpoint specific information. Students will work independently. After the crest has been designed students will share the meaning of their crest with the class. They will be using laptops with wireless conneciton in the classroom.

What software will students use?

They will use the Internet to research. Ways to search for information in an efficient way will be discussed. The crest will be drawn by hand--map pencils/paper.

If not all students are familiar with the use of this software, how will these skills be addressed?

All of these students are proficient with searching the Internet.

How will student progress during the lesson impact instructional decisions the teacher makes during the cycle of the lesson?

If a student has difficulty finding the needed information, it could slow the process. They will be researching origins/history/meanings of their surname during the class, then based on their research, they will create the crest. Students may not be able to complete the lesson in one clas period, but that is her plan. This is an English II AP class.

How will you be collecting data to determine success?

I will be taping the class and observing the students as they do their research. Success can be measured by the resulting crest. Students will be able to explain the meaning of the crest. Students will be able to explain the meaning of the crest based on their research.