Observations Notes
The following notes helped in my assessment of student engagement over the duration of the unit.
| Typical behaviors prior to the unit | Late for class No books/homework Rude remarks Incomplete (or no) classwork Failing grades |
| At unit opening | Lots of discussion Private remarks regarding experiences in court (off task) Lots of comments about too much work (notes, summaries, vocabulary checks, computer work) Comments about not knowing how to use a computer No real interest in play |
| Weeks 1 and 2 | Given typed version of play; comments about how short it was Allowed to highlight assigned part got them involved Some wanted me to listen privately to their reading their own parts Lots of questions, very interested Easily brought back to task when off Want to work more on computers No rude remarks; seem to accept that I can help them Comment about liking my doing notes with them; not fighting having to do them Summaries looking good (homework, then typed) Given grade report; some shocked by how grades for classwork, tests, and homework add up; some want to know if they would do the homework over the weekend, would that bring grades up |
| Week 3 | Students like grade report Working for grades; redoing notes/summaries Overheard comments about getting As, Bs for first time Heard comments about how easy to get good grade (just do the work one student told another) Like working on jury articles; like knowing about juries No behavior problem in computer lab Checking with me to see if notes are OK; want typed papers to look good Want perfect scores on notes, summaries Working as teams to read Internet articles Lots of discussion about jury information; like Court TV Don’t like it when one of them is absent (upsets reading of the play) No problems with bringing materials to class On time for class |
| Week 5 | Group looking out for each other Remind each other to just do the work Summaries look good; typing getting better, faster |
| Week 7 | Enthusiastic about beginning Trial of the Century Like the newspaper (reproduced copies); like seeing real pictures No problem continuing notetaking system Asked if they were going to do the reading same way: notes, summaries, typing, researching, Internet Excited about starting PowerPoint |
From “Using High-Interest Materials to Engage Secondary Students in Reading” by Rita Mulholland.
Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted October 2002