Ashley Gonzalez

EDU-225
April 25, 2016

Raft Task Card

This RAFT Card is designed for 2nd grade level.

Row 1
Row 2
Row 3

ROLE (student)
Second Grader

AUDIENCE
First Grader

FORMAT
Friendly Letter

Photo Journalist

Classmates

Photo Essay

Writer for a childrens

science magazine

Young readers

Animal fact car

TOPIC
Why I recommend
second grade.
People in your the
Community
Monarch butterfly

RAFT Row 1
Objective: The students will use the five parts of a friendly letter.
S3C3PO2 (a), S2C6PO1 (B capital letters), S2C5PO2 (Sentences that flow together)
II-Standard 1 The student will express his or her thinking and ideas by using a variety of writing genres.
II-W-1:E-6 writing a short friendly letter or thank-you note by completing a template (e.g., heading, greeting,
body, closing, etc.) with instructional support.
II-W-1:B-6 writing a short friendly letter or thank-you note that is organized and uses a proper format (e.g.,
heading, greeting, body, and closing, etc.) with instructional support.

Student Role:

Second Grader

Audience:

First Grader

Format:Friendly Letter
Topic:

Why I recommend second grade.

Directions:

1. Review the five parts of a friendly letter using a graphic organizer.

2. Brainstorm about why you recommend second grade to the first graders.
3. Create a list of what you like about second grade.
4. Write your first draft using a friendly letter graphic organizer.
5. Read the friendly letter out loud to yourself and see if it makes sense.
6. Check the spelling and the capital letters.
7. Write your final copy
Resources:
Language handbook Harcourt page 54
Assessment:
Label the five parts of a friendly letter. (1 point each)

RAFT Row 2
Objective: Student will reproduce Modeled writing; by writing a Photo Essay
ELA/ ELP Standard(s)/Performance Indicator(s):
II-W-1: E.-1: Generating ideas through class discussion and guided writing to record ideas (e.g., graphic organizers
etc.) with instructional support
II-W-1: E-2: Participating in a discussion of the purpose for a writing piece and who the intended audience will be.
II-W-1:LI-3: completing a written summary of the key events or ideas of informational text using simple sentences
with instructional support.

Student Role:

Photo Journalist

Audience:

Classmates

Format:

Photo Essay

Topic:

People in your communities

Directions:
1. Bring pictures from home or find pictures in magazines, take photographs or drawings.

2. Write captions to the pictures, photographs, or drawings.

3. Use High frequency words.
4. Read aloud the photo essay to check it one more time.
5. Share the photo essay to your classmates.
Resources:
National Geography Reach for Reading. www.myngconnect.com
Academic key words in the technology station
Story Quinitos Neighborhood
Assessment:
Write a list of 5 community workers. Then write them in the plural form. Example: nurse-nurses (1 point each)
Explain in a short paragraph what does a caption give information about? 6 points.
Check list
Ideas
Does my sentence make sense?
Conventions:

Did I use capital letters where needed?

Did I use end marks where needed?
Did I leave spaces between the words?
Did I spell the words correctly?
Did I use my best handwriting?

RAFT Row 3
Objective: To make inferences by writing a Journal entry.
Standards:
2.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop
points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
2.W.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by
revising and editing
2.W.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a
report; record science observations).

RI. 3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific events, or concepts, or steps, in
technical procedures in a text.
RI. 5 know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text.

Student Role:

Writer for a childrens science magazine

Audience:

Young readers

Format:

Journal Entry

Topic:

Monarch butterfly

Directions:
1. You will write facts
a. The Monarch butterfly does not need camouflage
b. What else can you add? I can tell why.
c. A monarch butterfly is poisonous to animals that would eat it.
2. Read the facts and check if one more time.
3. Have you met the plan you made during your raft?
4. Share it
Resources:
National Geography Reach for Reading. www.myngconnect.com
Daily Writing Fact card

Assessment:
Write facts that explain the connections between animals and their habitats. 1 point each

Introduction
Over the years there have been many advancements in technology allowing it to be more useful
for teachers to enhance the lesson given. This can be a key tool for every teacher since they can
produce an environment in which students are motivated to learn while they have fun. School
does not have to be boring and adding technology to every lesson can allow the lesson to be
more interactive. It is crucial that every teacher to be able to use technology to their advantage.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Name of Technology Tool: Smart Board
There are many useful ways to use technology and one of the most used tools in classrooms are
smartboards. This may look like a normal white boards but it serves as a big iPad that allows the
teacher to make the lesson first of all more engaging and also interactive. The grade level chosen
is second grade since it can be used in many ways first of all it can be used by the teacher as a
projector since it displays the lesson on the board. Second it can also work as a hand on activity
since you can use spelling or math games on it allowing the student to go to the board and work
the problem out. The last thing that smart boards can be used for is as hearing since you can hear
the lesson all you have to do is record through it. There is a very big impact since it allows the
teacher to differentiate the lessons through three different method of teaching allowing the
students different ways to learn. This tool is very student center since it helps the students stay
engaged by captivating their attention. Although it makes the teachers job a lot easier it is mainly
focused for the students.

ISTE Standards
Communication and collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to
communicate and work collaboratively, including
at a distance, to support individual learning and
contribute to the learning of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers,
experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively
to multiple audiences using a variety of media
and formats
c. Develop cultural understanding and global
awareness by engaging with learners of
other cultures
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original
works or solve problems

Name of Technology Tool: IPad

Students in this time have the opportunity to have so much technology at their hands compared
to a few years back. Making todays teacher a lot harder to keep students engaged through normal
lessons. That is why this next tool will help teachers help students with their learning process.
That tool is an IPad or tablet and it can be used in many different ways an example is that it can
download learning games allowing the teacher to make either small group work or complete
class lesson. The teacher can use this tool to make the lesson different since not all students learn
the same way teaching different methods may help students retain more information. The grade
chosen has been second grade and at these age students have a lot of curiosity over what is in
front of them and giving them something they can learn with and also help them explore their
curiosity for is can be a great benefit. This tool can have a great impact in how students learn for
many reasons one of them being that it allows the students to have fun while they learn. Most of
the time students may find themselves having a lot of fun but also learning without them really
thinking about it. This is caused by the attraction that technology creates in todays students. This
type of technology can be made student centered but it has been created for many different
purposes. There are many other ways that this tool can help the teacher differentiate the lesson
and the benefits of using it can prove themselves.
ISTE Standards
Technology operations and concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding
of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

a. Understand and use technology systems

b. Select and use applications effectively
and productively
c. Troubleshoot systems and applications
d. Transfer current knowledge to learning
of new technologies
Name of Technology Tool: computers
There is some much to learn and do on a device that has helped develop the present and that tool
is a computer. For years it has also helped teacher do grades, appointments and so many other
things. One of the most important ones is helping students learn. This device can help students
with their learning of many different subject since there are a large number of games and
teaching information. The teacher can use computers to enhance the way they teach but also have
the students that are struggling with a subject go to the computer and play some learning games
over the subject allowing them to feel more comfortable while they learn. The computer can also
help the teacher find where the students weakness and strength are allowing them to know how
to help them. Although this device has been created for a large use of things they can also be
used and centered to help students learn. Computers can help students stay engaged in the lesson
but also learn at the same time since it produces a challenging environment for the student in
which they are learning and having fun at the same time.
ISTE Standards

Digital citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal
issues related to technology and practice legal and
ethical behavior.
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and
responsible use of information and technology
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using
technology that supports collaboration,
learning, and productivity
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for
lifelong learning
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
Pros and Cons
Technology can be a very helpful tool to help enhance the lesson so students can stay
engaged. Technology is used almost everywhere now and it is vital to teach students how to use
it correctly and safely. All of these are the pros to using technology to enhance instructions but it
can also have some cons and they are that technology can make students dependent to it. This
can make it difficult for the teacher since there are somethings that cannot be done through
technology. Another con to technology is that it can be very expensive and not all the schools

have the appropriate funding for them. For example, being able to give a computer or IPad to
each student is close to impossible since most of them are funded through the government. Like
anything else it is not perfect so there is a need to weight the differences and for the most part the
pros do make more points and advantages for students.
Concluding Paragraph
Thanks to the advancement that technology has brought there have been many useful new tools
to help student stay engaged in lesson. This makes the job a lot easier for the teacher it is just
important to understand the balance that needs to be made so students do not become too
dependent of it. Tool allow the teachers to produce an environment in which all the students feel
comfortable to learn but most important helps the teacher differentiate instructions making the
lesson more interesting since different methods can be used.

References
Ex. Author Last, First (year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal should be in italics, volume
number should be in italics (issue number), page numbers only.

ISTE Standards for Students. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2016, from
http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students