Contextual Teaching of Language Arts
Inspired by the student who asks the question, “Why
do I need to learn this?”
Robert W. Porter
Cartersville Middle School Language Arts Dept.
Research:
Language Arts, as a course of study, encompasses such a wide
range of content and thus a corresponding myriad of possible activities.
Due to the endless possibilities existing in this discipline,
research suggests the “answer” is to provide fewer,
more meaningful activities and experiences. These activities,
if properly guided, can become the framework for cooperative and
more meaningful learning experiences. Within the parameters of
contextual teaching lies a wellspring of opportunities for teachers.
Contextual teaching, like project-based learning, gives students
a memorable, cooperative, and usually a hands-on experience (Harwell
and Blank, 2001). Considering the emphasis on testing and raising
the scores of our students, we need to re-emphasize the need to
engage them (our students) in a broader sense. If a children
simply are not interested in (any particular) content area, they
will simply not have a meaningful learning experience. If, however,
a contextual activity or project-based lesson is used, students
will take from that activity much more than they would have if
only a textbook was used, for example. Personal testimony abounds
with examples of “fun” activities that engaged active
learning when (many times) no textbook was even opened. This
is not to suggest that we do not need textbooks, quite the contrary.
I am suggesting that I agree with the statement, “The brain
discards meaningless information” (Parnell, 1995). The perceived
uselessness of data or information many times falls onto the shoulder
of the road to oblivion, never to be recalled again. I am of
the opinion that… as it is with children, so is it with adults.
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The School Community:
The mission of my school system (Cartersville City Schools) is
this: We lead in preparing students for the challenges of progress
and change through development of the skills necessary to become
lifelong learners in order that they may live successful and productive
lives (http://www.cartersville.k12.ga.us). This is a pretty
tall order for someone who is new to this profession (as I am).
The challenge we must rise to therefore involves actively engaging
students while raising the bar on expectations. As students achieve,
standards and performances are evaluated on a continuum. Bridging
the gap between the school community and the business community
becomes increasingly important as our students develop.
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The Business Community:
Considering today’s job market, it would be an understatement
to say that competition is keen. It is no longer an “employee
market.” It now belongs to the employer. As employers aggressively
and meticulously search through the litany of job applications
and resumes, they may (realistically) spend a few seconds on each
one. A key word search may reveal a smaller stack of candidates
long before the interview process begins. Our mission statement
suggests that our main goal is to prepare our students to become
productive citizens. While we do this, educators at every level
must embrace the challenge if we are to be successful. Regardless
what our students’ personal goals happen to be, whether vocational
or academic, the importance of meaningful learning experiences
cannot be minimized.
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Content (limited personal) Background:
Most of my English and Reading assignments in the past (2 years)
have been designed in and around textbooks, novels, stories, exercises,
or spelling words lists. I have had a traditional approach to
instruction and, I might interject, have enjoyed some successes.
However, I am certainly open to change, not resistant to it.
As a visual learner myself, if I can see it and understand it,
I can teach it. From a contextual perspective, change is imminent.
My project (The Combination for Success) will involve my sixth
grade students in scenarios depicting the actual job hunting process
from advertisement searching, to resume writing, to interviewing.
There will be several mini-lessons and writing opportunities as
well as speaking opportunities. Students will be required to
dress for success, make positive first impressions during personal
introductions, and make follow-up contacts. The unit (The Combination
for Success) will begin the first week of school. The initial
lesson will be a confidence-building lesson on opening combination
locks for students’ school lockers. It has been my experience
(limited, as I mentioned) that the biggest stressor for sixth
grade students is getting their combination lockers to work smoothly.
It seems to be their biggest worry and takes up most of their
locker break time at the beginning of the school year. Not only
are they in a new school with unfamiliar surroundings, but they
also fearful of “not being able to make it to my next class
in time.” Consequently, I feel the need to teach them this
skill while simultaneously building a stronger sense of self-confidence
in them that will be necessary for the rest of their lives. Having
mastered this basic skill, students will “unlock” further
useful experiences that will translate directly into the workplace.
Perhaps just one student will be more competitive and/or productive
as a result. It will then have all been worth it. State and
national standards used as a guide will fundamentally frame lessons
within my unit.
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National Standards:
Incorporated in my unit will be problem-solving strategies and
communication techniques as well as writing and reading standards
and strategies.
Standard (Problem Solving): Improve a System: 1b. The student
troubleshoots problems in the operation of a system (combination
locker) in need of repair (learning the combination) or devises
and tests ways of improving the effectiveness of a system in operation.
ˇ
The student evaluates the way the system (lock)
operates.
ˇ
The student devises strategies for putting the system
(back) in operation or improving its performance.
ˇ
The student evaluates the effectiveness of the strategies
for improving the system and supports the evaluation with evidence
(successful operation).
Standard (Writing): 2a. The student produces a report (resume)
that creates an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience,
and context including appropriate facts and details.
ˇ
The student produces a narrative account (letter)
that engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a
point of view, and otherwise developing reader interest.
ˇ
The student produces a narrative procedure (directions)
that includes appropriate information.
Standard (Speaking, Listening, and Viewing): 3a. The student
participates in one-to-one conferences with a teacher (or simulated
employer) in which the student asks relevant questions.
ˇ
The student responds to questions with appropriate
elaboration (interview)
ˇ
The student confirms understanding by paraphrasing
the adult’s (peer) questions (interview) or suggestions.
Standard (Reading: Public Documents): 1e. The student demonstrates
familiarity with a variety of functional documents (job application)
and produces oral (interview) or written (application; directions)
that identifies the sequence of activities needed to carry out
a procedure (directions).
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Materials:
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Class Set of Combination Locks
n
Student provided paper, pencils, pens
n
Newspaper, classified ads
n
Resume format
n
Cover letter format
n
Teacher provided written guidelines (for the successful
implementation of resume building and interviewing)
Unit Objective: Students will build or boost their self-confidence
as a result of participating in this unit. Simultaneously, students
will become acquainted with and practice skills that will translate
directly into the workplace. It has been my life experience that
most young people never practice job hunting, resume writing,
or interviewing ahead of time. The world of the workplace opens
the first day they show up for their interviews. A confident
and qualified job applicant has the right positive mental attitude
to walk away with the job.
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Procedures/Activities:
Day One - Problem-based Learning
Objective: Students introduced to the concept of operating
a combination lock (experience has shown students typically lack
this skill upon entering the sixth grade).
Teacher demonstrates on the board, overhead, and then with an
actual combination lock. Similarities between the locker and
the lock are shown and students are paired and cooperatively practice
to build confidence. Students are encouraged to successfully
open the lock on three consecutive tries, further building confidence.
Students are then assigned lockers and given their individual
combinations. They are given time to successfully open their
actual lockers. Classroom experience will minimize the locker-opening
time required in the hall from the first day of school. In addition,
the students’ self-confidence will increase. Anticipated
student connection is this: students will understand the key to
opening a combination lock like they will discover the key to
their success in the world of business and work.
Day Two - Self-Assessment
Objective: Students will take on the role of the teacher.
They will think about the first time they tried to open a combination
lock. Next, students will create a locker direction sheet describing
“how to” open a combination locker as if they were going
to provide these directions to a fifth grader. They will publish
their instruction sheets. Published instruction sheets provided
to underclassmen should enable them unlock their success.
Day Three - Individual Self-directed Learning
Objective: Students will look at classified ads in a local
newspaper and find a job. They will narrow their search and
target one employer and one alternate (second choice) employer.
Once they have identified their first and second choices, they
will submit them to the teacher for approval. (to be eligible
for the next phase in the unit)
Day Four/Five - Problem-based, Cooperative Learning
Objective: Students will complete simulated job application
forms for the company of their choice. They will work with
a partner and proof-read factual information and completeness.
They will submit their job applications to the teacher for evaluation
and approval.
Day Five/Six - Self-directed Learning
Objective: Students will identify their own skills and will
create a factual resume, targeted to their company they are applying
to. Teacher will provide examples, formats, and templates
that will assist students completing this task. Once the initial
draft is created, students may work in peer groups to critique
and edit each others’ resumes.
Day Six/Seven/Eight - Cooperative Learning
Objective: Students will learn basic personal introduction
techniques and will implement them with classmates. Students
will form an inner circle of five and an outer circle of five.
They will shake hands with a corresponding partner, introduce
themselves by first and last name, and tell the (simulated employer)
classmate the job position they applied for. The outer circle
will rotate clockwise and the process will continue until all
five prospective employers have met all five candidates. Groups
of four to five student pairs are desirable. Students will then
participate in mock interviews in which interviewer roles and
candidate roles will be played by classmates. Teacher will provide
interview questions.
Day Eight/Nine - Self-directive Learning
Objective: Students will craft a thank-you letter to the employer
thanking them for giving them an interview. Letters will
be exchanges with a peer reader and critiqued.
Day 10 - Revisit the locker activity
Objective: Students will connect success opening lockers with
success in gaining employment. Students will write a framed
paper/letter describing each phase of the project/unit and how
each one (directions, letter, resume, etc.) is tied to their success.
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Assessment:
Assessment of this unit will be an ongoing activity. I will
monitor, for example, the successful performance of lock and locker
openings. Students will provide an instructional direction sheet
which should fundamentally discuss their level of understanding.
I will evaluate their job applications, resumes, and thank-you
letters for completeness on information. I suspect I will place
more emphasis on self-assessment as most of the activities are
student-centered and self-directed. I am more interested in how
they see themselves than how I see them in this process. Although
much of the assessment process is subjective, in my opinion, students
have a good idea if they are successful in most activities in
which they are engaged.
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Bibliography:
Harwell, S. H. and Blank, W. E. (2001). Promising Practices
for Contextual Learning.
Texas: CCI Publishing.
Parnell, Dale (1995). Why Do I have to Learn This. CORD
Communications
“The Grade Levels Compared: English Language Arts”
(National Educational Standards)
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Biography:
R. W. Porter is a third year 6th grade Language Arts
teacher at the Cartersville Middle School in Cartersville, Georgia.
He served in the United States Air Force from 1981-2001 where
he, among other things, taught Crime Prevention, Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (D.A.R.E.), and Human Relations Education.
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