pztools.org
You will use this unit/project organizer across several sessions to draft various elements of the TfU Framework. You may be designing a curriculum unit (e.g., a unit of instruction for a classroom, curriculum for a website, etc.) or you may be designing some other type of work project (e.g., a session with your staff, a training program for docents or other specialists or groups, an "in-museum guide," etc.).
We will be working on specific elements of the TfU Framework during Sessions 3, 4, and 5. You will type in your work related to the specific parts of the organizer that are the focus of each Unit/Project assignments for each of the Sessions—leaving the other parts blank. (E.g., For Session 3, we will just focus on the Title of your unit/project and any other information that you want to complete in the heading except the summary description. We will also work on your Generative Topic (plus criteria for a strong Generative Topic), and your Understanding Goals (in both statement and question form)—See Session 3, Assignments 3.2 and 3.3. As our sessions unfold, you may go back at any time and revise any section of this organizer that you completed previously. In fact, you will be asked to do that in some assignments.
Title of Your Unit, Project, or Learning Experience: Using the appropriate tone in Writing
Your team name:
Subject, discipline, or context in which the unit, project, or learning experience will be implemented: Languages, Writing Skills
Brief description of learners: 2 Exp students
Brief Summary of your Unit, Project, or Learning Experience: Students will be introduced to appropriate use of tone in writing. They will be learning about how the tone in writing is conveyed by the choices of words through awareness of the purpose, audience and context.
How long will your unit last? How many sessions per week?
Standards: GCE O and N Level Mother Tongue and English Language
Throughlines are large, overarching Understanding Goals that span a whole year or semester or quarter etc. Usually, these general, overarching goals stay the same for every unit/project throughout the entire school year or semester. Typically, the Understanding Goals for a particular unit or project or learning experience are simply more specific versions of these Throughlines.
Generative topics are more than “themes” or “subjects.” These are topics that are important (central to the discipline, subject, or area the learners are studying); engaging (to both the learners and the teacher); accessible (for the learners); and connectable (to learner’s lives outside of school as well as to other subjects they might be studying in school). A good generative topic sometimes sounds like a good book title and may sometimes have a subtitle, just as books often do. For example, a generative topic for a unit on educational technology for a teacher preparation program might be called, “Digital Dilemmas: How Classroom Technology Supports and Thwarts Learning.” Good generative topics often spark the curiosity of both learners and the teacher, inviting multiple perspectives, questions, and debate.
Generative Topic: Vary your tone - be apathetic no more!
Analysis of Generative Topic: 1) Using the appropriate tone, in both written and oral forms, can help us to communicate with others more effectively. Good communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, be it personal or professional. 2) Application of understanding is not only for the Languages, but day-to-day exchanges. 3) With this awareness, students can learn to be more discerning and appreciative of the use of tone in different contexts.
What is it about the Generative Topic that you most want learners to understand? What are the likely misconceptions that students hold about the Generative Topic and that you would like to help them revise?
Understanding Goals specify the knowledge, concepts, and skills that learners will develop their understanding of during the unit, project, or learning experience that you are designing.
Each understanding goal is usually worded in two ways:
A typical unit/project/learning experience has two to four Understanding Goals. (If you have more, it’s possible that your unit or project should be broken up into a couple of smaller ones.)
Please note that Understanding Goals are not the same as Behavioral Objectives. Behavioral Objectives specify what learners will do. (Doing is definitely important in this approach to teaching for understanding—see “Performances of Understanding” below). In contrast, Understanding Goals specify what learners should come to understand as a result of that doing. If you find yourself writing Behavioral Objectives, try asking, “Why do I think it’s important for learners to do this? What will this activity help them understand?” Your responses to these questions are often the kernels of good Understanding Goals.
Dimension:
Question: What are the types of tone?
Statement: Students will learn the different tones used to express different emotions.
Dimension:
Question: What tone should we use?
Statement: Students will understand that tone is dependent on Purpose, Audience and Context.
Dimension:
Question: How should we express ourselves using the appropriate tone?
Statement: Students will understand that choice of words used will convey different meanings.
Analysis of Understanding Goals: Students need to learn to think critically on how they should express themselves to achieve the desired outcomes.
Performances of Understanding are what learners do in order to develop the understandings stated in the Understanding Goals. In keeping with the “performance perspective” on which this approach is based, Performances of Understanding push learners to use what they know in new ways.
Performances of Understanding can be small and brief (for example, asking students to explain stoichiometry in their own words). Or they can be more substantial and extended (for example, writing a persuasive essay to show understanding of how to use evidence to support an argument; designing and carrying out a performance for younger students that demonstrates the performers’ understanding of environmental concerns; etc.).
Performances of Understanding are always connected to at least one unit’s or project’s understanding goals.
Description: Understanding goal: To help students understand when and how to use the appropriate tone in different contexts in writing. Performance of understanding: Introductory: Teacher to show video clips of people speaking in different PAC (Purpose, Audience and Contexts). For eg, Obama's election speech, LHL's National Day rally, Channel 5 news. This is with the intent of creating awareness of how PAC affects the tone (in speaking and then linking it to writing in the Guided Inquiry stage). Teacher could also show different written samples of letters of complaint of compliment. Guided Inquiry:Teacher gives a weak sample of a letter to the Principal (casual tone). Students, in their groups, edit the inappropriate words/phrases to improve the letter to make it more formal. Teacher will select a few students to explain/justify their choice of words, before teaching explicitly the appropriate tone to be used in formal letter writing. Culminating: Students then write a formal letter, applying what they have learnt! :)
Type:
Understanding Goals:
Who: Individual work
When: Bite-sized written assessment
How: Through the effectiveness of a written piece to achieve a specific purpose (eg, a complaint or proposal)
Looking for what: The use of appropriate vocabulary and expression to achieve the intended impact
One assessment with criteria for each Performance of Understanding)
How will you know learners understand? What evidence/criteria should an assessor be looking for in "high quality work/thought in EACH performance?" Let the questions below help in the design of your assessments: