Category: Acquisition

Dedicated Teacher at Work!

10/20/2014

Recently, I had the chance to visit a co-taught biology class at a Colorado high school. Many of the students at the school are English Language Learners, and the district is committed to supporting them by having ELL specialists co-teach the major subject area classes.

When I walked in the room, the ELL specialist turned toward me and this is what I saw. She had a piece of paper clipped to her shirt as she moved around the room. On the paper she had quickly illustrated a language concept (few, some, many and most) that was critical to the biology lesson. I was excited by how simple the idea was, but even more excited by her dedication to doing whatever it takes to help students succeed. What an easy and effective idea.

Bravo!

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Looking for a new vocab strategy?

3/24/2014

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Memory researchers tell us that it is easier to retain semantic information when it is linked to unusual locations. This strategy, Vocabulary Shapes, capitalizes on that by linking spelling or vocabulary words to a simple shape. I have used it with elementary, middle and high school students as a simple, no-prep strategy.

Play this short Educreations video to see how easy this is - and then try it tomorrow with any vocabulary terms you are teaching!

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Are your students REALLY watching that video?

2/24/2014

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Are you looking for a better way to engage students with videos? The newest entry to the field of interactive video viewing might be just the answer. eduCanon, currently in beta stage, is the first interactive video tool that I have found to be flexible enough for teaching. It allows you to load any youtube, teacher tube or any public video and then insert questions at any point in the video. Other tools have limits on when and how many questions can be entered, but educanon gives teachers control over these decisions. The free version allows for multiple choice questions, but the paid version incorporates open ended questions. In addition to the Q & A, teachers can include detailed explanations of why an answer is correct or incorrect. Set up multiple classes, assign video viewing and collect student response data.

While much of the promotional material touts eduCanon for flipped lessons, I think it also has value within classrooms and for professional development activities. I tested it this week with a group of educators in my "Co-Teaching that Works" workshop and it received positive comments from everyone.

For a non-tech way to be more interactive during video viewing, check out this post from last year.

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Math Discussion Chips

10/23/2013

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The Common Core State Standards in math expect students to be able to explain their thinking and discuss mathematical concepts. This is quite a challenge for most students, but especially for those who struggle with language as English Learners or students with disabilities.

Discussion Poker Chips are something I have used successfully for literature circle discussions. Last week we tried them out in an inclusive, co-taught Algebra 1 class for the first time.

Students were placed in groups of 4 and provided with a Math Discussion Board. This is available for download here. (Modify to fit the level of your students.)

Each student was given 3 poker chips of a single color (1 student had green, 1 student had red, 1 student had blue and 1 student had white.)

My co-teacher and I modeled how to use the chips to have a conversation while working together through a set of problems.

We explained that the goal was to use the vocabulary represented on the board. If a student used the word, he could place his chip on that space. Students were encouraged to cover as many of the spaces as they could – just a hint of competition!

While it took a little while for the conversation to get started, we began to see students who never talk participating in the discussion! I credit three aspects of the activity – the symbols on the board serve as cues for students who can’t think of what to say, the poker chips add a tactile component that heightens alertness and the friendly competition between groups provided some motivation.

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Stop for Popcorn

10/15/2013

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Video is a wonderful media for engaging students and providing them close to real-life experiences. However, its effectiveness is maximized if students are given a viewing purpose and a concrete way to capture their ideas.

Today I took yellow sticky notes and cut them to look (a bit) like popcorn. We gave each student one and explained that when you go to the movies, you take time out to munch on popcorn – just like we would stop during the video to make a note on our popcorn stickies.

A specific prompt was provided on the board. In this biology class, we wanted to students to complete an analogy based on ideas in the video, so the prompt was:

Cell: city

______:_______

After viewing the video students came up to the board and placed their popcorn, on which they had written an analogy, in a large popcorn tub that I had drawn. Discussion followed.

How do you keep students engaged and responsible for learning while watching videos?

Photo by Enokson, Flickr

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Scaffolded Vocabulary Instruction

9/16/2013

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Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a vocabulary webinar by Maria Elena Arguelles. She proposed a simple scaffolding for introducing new vocabulary to students and I decided to use it this week, while adding a few of my own engagement strategies.

(The photo above, taken by Paul Baron, is of flexible bamboo scaffolding - reminding me that flexibility is key in a mixed-ability classroom!)

The word for the day, taken from Sprenger's list of critical common core verbs, was "organize." (See post from 8/29 for more info.) Here are the steps we took:

Activator:

I searched through my prop bag looking for something and finally just dumped the contents out so students could see how unorganized it was. This grabbed their attention and helped them make connections.

I introduced the word, the definition, and some synonyms.
I used the word correctly in a few sentences, having students respond with thumbs up/down.
I interspersed sentences that used the word incorrectly, having students respond with thumbs up/down.
I provided a sentence stem for students to complete with a partner - "I will organize ______________ so that ____________________________. We shared these as a whole group.
I had students individually complete the sentence stem.
On the following day, students worked individually with Educreations on the iPad to write a sentence, illustrate and record themselves. My co-teacher and I used their recordings as a formative assessment.

I liked this structure - it was simple, straightforward and provided the support needed by many of our students. Of course, because vocabulary acquisition is an ongoing process, we will be implementing a variety of other vocabulary activities during the semester to reinforce this instruction.

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Learning Bands

6/4/2013

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Athletic teams and charitable groups have used wrist bands for several years as a way to promote their organizations and goals. Frequently, students can be seen with several different colored bands dangling around their wrists. Here's an idea for tapping into this interest to promote your learning goals, especially with rote information such as spelling words and math facts. (Great for primary grade students!)

Obtain two different colors of Velcro ( the non-adhesive type.) From one color, cut strips approximately 7 inches in length. On the other color, use a permanent marker to write numbers and operational signs (or letters for spelling.) The written material will attach to the wrist band strips, so be sure to use the opposite Velcro structures so that they will stick together. Fnally, cut a one inch piece to serve as a clasp or connecting device to hold the band together.

At the start of the day direct your students to create a band that shows one of the math facts that they have not yet mastered (or to spell their name, or phone number, or missed spelling word.) As they wear the learning bands throughout the day they will see a frequent reminder of the key fact they need to learn!

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Sent to the Principal's Office

4/23/2013

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Memory researchers tell us that in order for learners to move information from short term to long term memory, they must recode the information into their own words.

Today, after teaching new math terms, we asked students to develop definitions in their own words. Students then worked together in small groups to share definitions and choose one that they felt was the best.

I then introduced students to an iPad app called MailVU or video mail (FREE). This app is a very simple, intuitive way to take a brief video and email it to someone. We used the app to video students reading the chosen definitions, and then emailed them to the school principal. Students loved chanting,"You just got sent to the principal's office!"

This app has some great features - the sender can choose to be notified when the email has been read, and can choose to have the video self-destruct after a chosen number of viewings. Students especially liked the self-destruct feature.

Here are some other great ideas for using this app in your classroom:

When a student forgets something again (a signed permission slip, homework, etc.) he could use MailVU to send an video email reminder to his parent.
If a student accomplishes something special in class, send a video mail to celebrate the accomplishment.
Capture the student demonstrating an intermittent, inappropriate behavior and email it to the behavior specialist.

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Learning Targets

3/16/2013

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At the beginning of each lesson I teach, I like to place a learning target on the board. I start by drawing a bull’s eye, or target, with an arrow and then write the objective for the lesson in an “I can…” statement.

Recently I had the opportunity to provide some job-embedded PD in a 5th grade classroom. The teacher had invited me to co-teach with her so that I could demonstrate some differentiation strategies. I began by drawing the target on the board. Then I asked the students if they had ever seen something that looked like this. Several hands went up. I called on one of the young men and asked him what it looked like.

Expecting to hear something like “it looks like a dartboard,” I was surprised when he said, “It looks like the earth.”

Not quite the response I was looking for! Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to follow up with, “Tell me more about your thinking.”

He responded, “It looks like the layers of the earth we have been studying and the arrow is pointing to the core.”

Perfect! Isn’t that exactly what a learning target should be? Aiming for the core of the lesson – that essential element that is most important for students to achieve. I love it when students say such profound things and don’t even realize it!

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Word Toss

3/21/2012

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Many teachers use the Frayer Model (1969) as a vocabulary application activity. The Frayer Model typically involves asking students to fold or divide their paper into four sections. In one quadrant the students write the word and definition, in another they write facts/characteristics, in another quadrant examples, and finally non-examples.

To mix things up a bit, last week I asked a co-teacher to replace her use of the Frayer Model in algebra with a Word Toss activity. We placed students into pairs and provided each pair with a die and a Word Toss worksheet. (See below. I'd be happy to email the worksheet to you!) Students were directed to role the dice and perform the task associated with the number on the face of their die.

The change in routine increased alertness by adding some novelty and tactile interaction to the lesson. Afterward, my co-teacher and I brainstormed alternative tasks that could go on the Word Toss worksheet:

Act it out
Develop a metaphor
Develop an analogy
Create a multiple choice question
Perform word surgery (dissect into root, prefix, suffix)
Transform it (add prefix or suffix)
Career Track it (think of a job for which you would need this word)
Create a crossword clue

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Dedicated Teacher at Work!

Looking for a new vocab strategy?

Are your students REALLY watching that video?

Math Discussion Chips

Stop for Popcorn

Scaffolded Vocabulary Instruction

Learning Bands

Sent to the Principal's Office

Learning Targets

Word Toss

Anne M. Beninghof

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