Should I slow down the roll-out of the original eLessons?

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Should I slow down the roll-out of the original eLessons?

december 1, 2020

In the spring of 2020, the team at Smekens Education began recording whole-class comprehension mini-lessons that teachers could share directly with students. Known as Literacy eLessons, these free lessons addressed core comprehension skills, each scaffolded in a series of 3-6 separate lessons.

Many teachers are continuing to use the Literacy eLessons. However, they are recognizing that the pace may need to be slowed or modified.

When the eLessons were created in March of 2020, the skills were not new to students. The Smekens Education “teacher” knew that educators had already spent two thirds of the year teaching comprehension skills and building background knowledge among students.

With this in mind, it might have been realistic during March for students to view a progression of five lessons throughout each day of the week. However, when planning the pace of instruction for the first semester of this new school year, this cadence is way too fast.

It’s during the first semester when these concepts are still being introduced, and thus, the pace should be substantially slowed. In fact, an eLesson series that originally included five lessons in five days will need to be stretched across several weeks of whole-class lessons.

To slow down a video series, review each mini-lesson and listen for references to presumed background knowledge. For example, the Smekens Education “teacher” may say, “So, you already know about…” After hearing these cues, assess whether students actually possess that knowledge. And if not, plan to insert your own comprehension lessons to develop their understanding.

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