Week Five: Assure Case Study Ruth Vega CMP/555 September 26, 2005

Introduction The following lesson employs both a combination of audio and visual learning materials. The focus of this lesson is to present Why I Live at the P.O., a short story set in the deep south, which is read out loud by Eudora Welty. It is appropriate for older learners with reading levels slightly below that of the average college student. In order to highlight what this lesson can accomplish with the intended audience, the Assure Model has been applied to the lesson for evaluation.

Analyze Learners Students are planning to transfer to a four-year institution. Most students are recent high school graduates, but some are older women returning to complete their education. Reading levels generally range from 8th-11th grade. The students are fairly well motivated, but are unfamiliar with contemporary literature. Most can locate Mississippi on a map, however few have been to the deep south. The accent may be difficult for them to decipher. The instructor is hoping that the older women can bring some significant insights to the class based on life experiences. General CharacteristicsEntry Competencies

Analyze Learners Student learning styles vary greatly. The nature of this class being an elective makes most students verbal learners. Their reading levels tend to be low for college students. Growing up with audio an visual media has made them good listeners, and they prefer to hear instead of read material. They would rather discuss the material than write about it. Learning Styles

State Objectives After listening to the recording, the students will be able to do the following: State the main theme of the story with 90% accuracy. Discuss the motivations of the main characters with 90% accuracy. Identify the relationships among the main characters with 85% accuracy. To compare the behaviors of the characters with those of people they know with 80% accuracy. Increase listening skills with 70% accuracy.

State Objectives The audience of these objectives were identified in detail as part of the Analyze Learners section of this presentation. The behaviors that were selected for these objectives are stating, discussing, identifying, and comparing. The conditions that affect the outcome of these objectives include: The extent to which students will have access to the text version of the story How many times they hear the audio presented out loud What direction is provided by the teacher in class on accomplishing the goals. Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree

State Objectives The degree to which these objectives are accomplished varies. Is the theme clearly stated in a short, concise paragraph. Is there supporting evidence to suggest this is the main theme of the story? Are there a minimum of three motivations discussed by the student? Which relationships were identified by the student? Were the relationships detailed with at least two major characteristics? How many comparisons were provided by the student to people they know in their papers? Did they provide specific examples of how the characters mirror the actions of their peers? Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree

The materials were selected by the instructor for a variety of reasons: Familiarity with the recording by the author. Hearing as well as reading can help slower readers Miss Welty is a photographer, and there are many pictures that can accompany the story. The instructor has received permission from the publisher to have slides made from the photographs. Welty’s southern accent provides an authentic experience. Select Media, Method, Materials

Preview the learning materials 1)Slide presentation is previewed 2)instructor reviews southern colloquialisms 3)southern narrator is introduced 4) any questions are discussed before the tape is shown Preparation of classroom materials 1)playback unit, slide projector and screen are in place and tested to make sure devices are in working order tape is rewound and ready to play Utilize Materials

Preparation of the learning environment 1)room is set with media materials in place Prepare the learners 1)instructor explains the contrary popular belief about southern speaking and introduces the Miss Welty, who speaks very rapidly Provide the learning experience 1)Instructor introduces the tape 2) students ask and discuss any questions 3)tape is viewed by students and later discussed as a group

The room is acoustically suitable for the tape, but a playback unit with better speakers is necessary. The Media Center provides an appropriate playback unit, slide projector, and screen. Previous to the reading, the students receive a list explaining southern colloquialisms from the story. On the day of the reading, the southern narrator is introduced and the slides are presented. The presentation sparks a a number of questions regarding southern living. Before the story is played, the instructor explain that contrary to popular belief about southern speak being slow, Miss Welty speaks extremely rapidly. Utilize Materials

Both during and after the presentation, the students are encouraged to ask questions. They take notes during the story, and discuss the recording after. The older women in the class are encouraged to share their experiences regarding family relationships. To finish the unit, the instructor asks the students to write a short essay comparing the characters to people they know. Require Learner Participation

After evaluating the class discussion, the instructor determines that the recording added to the student’s understanding of the story’s theme as well as character motivations. Due to the positive response, the instructor decides to use the technique in other units of the course. Through their essays, the students demonstrate a lot of thought regarding how environment influences behavior. In order to make sure that the class understands the interactions between the story’s characters, the class takes a multiple-choice test. Evaluate and Revise