The Downside Of Targeting Niche Markets
Niche market targeting is an interesting business strategy. In theory, it sounds great. You create a product or service that appeals to a small subset of the population, and then you spend all your time figuring out just what they want. So why not target a niche market?
The goal of this post will be to explore some of the potential drawbacks of this strategy and help you decide whether or not it's right for your particular situation.
##Writing Process
In order to write their introductions, students first needed to find the topic they were interested in writing about on Wikipedia (example: "Annie Oakley") so that they could make sure that their introduction was both informative and factual. Students also needed to consider their audience and how much background information they would need to know in order to understand the topic.
Students then wrote a descriptive paragraph about their topic and posted it on Edmodo for self edits (see attached).
##Edmodo Editing Process
Students worked on editing the first introduction paragraph so that it sounded more professional, clearer, and less formal. They focused specifically on: 1) using complete sentences 2) identifying main topics using introductory phrases and/or bolding certain words (as necessary) 3) checking for spelling errors 4) making sure that the paragraphs flowed well when read aloud 5) adding in personal connections AND 6) reviewing each others' work with a partner.
On a lab sheet, students were given the outlines of three other paragraphs: 1) A pre-schooler's day 2) A college student's day 3) A trainee's day. Students were asked to complete the beginnings of these paragraphs devoted to an animal (pre-schooler), a person (college student), and a job/profession (trainee). The students then chose one animal, one person and one job/profession from each category to write about.
Once the introductions were completed, students used Google docs in order to engage with their classmates and share their progress throughout the writing process. They also posted their introductions on Edmodo for peer review (see attached).
Students then worked on editing the first three paragraphs so that they were clearer and less formal. They focused specifically on 1) using complete sentences 2) identifying main topics using introductory phrases &/or bolding certain words (as necessary) 3) checking for spelling errors 4) making sure that each paragraph flowed well when read aloud **note: students used a checklist when editing the paragraphs, which is attached in the Appendix.
Students then used Google Docs to collaboratively edit their introductions and share their progress throughout the editing process. Students also received feedback on their introductions from peers during this time (see Appendix).
The students' final drafts can be found in the Appendix section of this blog post. They are labeled "draft1s."
##Final Drafts
Once students wrote their final drafts, they were able to choose a graphic organizer to use in order to organize and recount their introduction in greater detail. In order for the students to practice writing with a graphic organizer, I had them fill in the blanks in a graphic organizer that was provided for them.
Upon completion of this blog post, I will return to my normal reading instruction routine. However, I will continue this targeted review time every time we begin a new unit.
The targeted review time is an extension of our Read Aloud/ Shared Reading instructional block. It is a targeted reading block in which each student has the opportunity to simultaneously read aloud to their partner and share the time.
After sharing the time, students then have the option to write about a book that they have just read. They select a genre or author, type in all of the characters' names and write detailed summaries of how each character's story ties into (or doesn't tie into) playing out the rest of the plot. They also are invited to add/edit information if they see fit. The final product is printed off, decorated and placed in my classroom library (see attached).
So far this year, students have read the following books and written the following summaries: 1) A short biography of Steven Spielberg 2) A historical fiction novel about Abigail Adams 3) A fictional book about an alien invasion 4) A murder mystery 5) An action adventure story (Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 6) Several classic fiction novels 7) A classic nonfiction book
Students' summaries will be posted in the Appendix.
Sources:
http://www.k12reader.com/blog/2011/07/13-tips-on-writing-introductions/#sthash.VpJHsTMB.dpbs http://www.k12reader.com/blog/2011/07/13-tips-on-writing-introductions/#sthash.eIWRcMobL.dpbs http://www.k12reader.com/blog/2011/07/13-tips-on-writing-introductions/#sthash.6UejKLGd.dpbs http://www.k12reader.com/blog/2011/07/13-tips-on-writing-introductions/#sthash.lPYm65Zc.dpbs http://www.k12reader.