Phase+2

=Determine Relative Advantage=

The problem that our team would like to address is our students' ability to think while reading and make predictions about what is going to happen. Often times, our kids just read the words on a page, but need a great deal of prompting to draw their own conclusions about what is occurring and what might come next. We tell our students that when they are at home, they need to practice stopping every so often to ask themselves a question to aid in complete comprehension. (What do I think is going to happen in the next chapter? Why did the character behave in that way?)

Making predictions is a valuable skill that goes beyond just reading; it is crucial in social situations, professional decision-making, and day-to-day interactions. We make predictions about the weather, how someone might react if we behave a certain way, and even something as simple as who is going to win a sports game. We would like our students to fully understand the idea of making predictions, and then be able to apply the skill to their reading.

Technology-based methods are advantageous in this situation, mainly because they are free, available, easy to find, and easy to use. The PowerPoint presentation was found online, so it did not take any extra work in terms of planning or development. However, it's visual and will engage students more than just a lecture or worksheet would. The WebQuest was a great find because it is a way for students to engage more with the computers and explore different sites with peers. The use of the flip video camera also allows students to come up with a real-life situation, so they will be able to see that making predictions doesn't just need to happen while reading text. The parent link is a way for students to use the technology and content knowledge they are learning at home. The impact of using various different tools will be great, because students will be able to engage with the curriculum in a variety of different ways, thus allowing us to meet the needs of diverse learners.