| Most educators today realize that teaching | | | | much greater success. I would simply start the |
| students how to read is not the sole responsibility | | | | lesson with a short video clip. The best tool I've |
| of the language arts teacher, yet many teachers | | | | found for using video clips in the classroom is |
| still struggle to come up with effective ways to | | | | unitedstreaming. |
| actually improve reading comprehension in the | | | | The beauty of unitedstreaming is in its simplicity. |
| classroom. | | | | It took only a few minutes for me to find the |
| After all, the primary purpose of reading is | | | | perfect video clip on the middle passage from |
| comprehension. Unless you comprehend what you | | | | unitedstreaming's massive database and download |
| read you might as well be reading a different | | | | it to my own computer. |
| language. Unfortunately, for many students, | | | | Knowing the students had difficulty with the |
| reading in the content areas may actually seem | | | | reading by Gustavus Vassa the year before, my |
| like a different language. | | | | intent was to tap into and build on their prior |
| This is particularly true in social studies classes | | | | knowledge before tackling the difficult primary |
| when using primary sources that may date back | | | | source reading. |
| several hundred years. I can recall a lesson I did in | | | | This time around I started by playing the video |
| my own 8th grade social studies class in which I | | | | clip I had downloaded earlier. The video clip was |
| used a primary source written by Gustavus | | | | only about 5 minutes long, but the effect it had |
| Vassa, an ex-slave who wrote about his | | | | was undeniable. Not only, did the video tap into |
| experiences on board a slave ship during the | | | | and build upon prior knowledge, but it also sparked |
| middle passage. Unfortunately, for the students, | | | | student interest and motivated students to want |
| the primary source reading might as well have | | | | to learn more about the middle passage. |
| been written in a different language, for while my | | | | Following the video clip, I had students complete a |
| students read the passage, they certainly did not | | | | short map exercise in which they identify |
| comprehend its meaning. | | | | products exchanged in the triangle trade (including |
| However, the Gustavus Vassa reading was, and | | | | slaves on the middle passage). The map activity is |
| still is, an excellent primary source to use in the | | | | much more relevant to the students now that |
| classroom. It was my job as a teacher to figure | | | | they can make the connection between the |
| out how. | | | | arrows that represent the slave trade on the |
| What I needed to do to improve reading | | | | map and the visual images of the harsh conditions |
| comprehension was tap into students' prior | | | | onboard the slave ships that was shown in the |
| knowledge about the "middle passage" and the | | | | unitedstreaming video. |
| horrors of the slave trade before reading the | | | | It is not until the video and the map work were |
| first-hand account written by Gustavus Vassa. | | | | completed that I first introduced the reading by |
| That's right, understanding reading is based on | | | | Gustavus Vassa. |
| what you already bring to the table when you | | | | While the video most likely answered many of |
| open a text, what you already know about a | | | | the questions students might have had about the |
| particular topic, your prior knowledge. | | | | slave trade and the middle passage, it also raised |
| There are many ways teachers can tap into | | | | many more. By the time we got to the reading |
| students' prior knowledge such as Venn diagrams, | | | | assignment, we not only anticipated and |
| KWL charts, and various prediction strategies. | | | | addressed possible comprehension concerns, but |
| However, one of the most effective strategies, if | | | | also motivated the students to want to read. |
| not the most effective, is to use video clips at | | | | The materials I used in this lesson from one year |
| the beginning of the lesson prior to the reading | | | | to the next were nearly identical. The only |
| assignment. By using video at the beginning of the | | | | difference was adding the unitedstreaming video |
| lesson (rather than at the end), the teacher will | | | | clip to the beginning of the lesson. This one |
| tap into and build upon the students' prior | | | | significant change, transformed the lesson from |
| knowledge thereby improving reading | | | | being an ineffective lesson to a lesson that |
| comprehension. Furthermore, using video at the | | | | inspired student learning and improved reading |
| beginning of the lesson will increase student | | | | comprehension. |
| motivation to learn. Believe it or not, students will | | | | Today, I use unitedstreaming at least twice a |
| actually read because they want to read. | | | | week in my own classroom to do just |
| When the time came to teach about the "middle | | | | that...increase student motivation and improve |
| passage" the following year I knew exactly how I | | | | reading comprehension. |
| would use the same reading passage, but with | | | | |