Blog Archives

Dig Deeper into the Content

6/24/2016

Here's an favorite post from two summers ago!

Local stores seem to be stocking the shelves with the fun toys of summer, so I thought I would share with you a strategy for getting students to dig a little deeper.

Obtain a plastic beach bucket and a handful of plastic shovels. On the scoot of each shovel, adhere a piece of paper with one of the following higher level thinking prompts.

Do you see any patterns?
Can you take a different perspective?
Have you noticed any trends?
Are there any ethical issues to consider?
What relationships are obvious? subtle?
Can you make connections across content areas?

Place the shovels in the bucket and carry it with you as you wander the room. If you find a student who is finished early, or just needs some higher level stimulation, ask them to take a shovel from the bucket and dig deeper into the content.

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Have You Tried This Easy Idea for Paragraph Planning?

6/17/2016

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Struggling students often hesitate to plan their writing on a graphic organizer. Writing ideas down on paper feels so permanent to a student who is unsure or lacks confidence. Technology provides some wonderful alternatives (e.g. SimpleMind), but if you don’t have easy access to devices, try this.

Replace your traditional graphic organizer with flexible sticky notes!

This photo shows one student’s plan for a 5 paragraph opinion essay with text-based evidence. Because the 3 paragraphs in the body would need the most detail, we created a tri-fold note catcher. Each paragraph was color-coded, with the main idea at the top and the supporting details below. Once notes were captured, students were able to move ideas around, changing the order of their ideas as they thought more deeply about how to sell their opinion.

All students were more engaged as they moved the sticky notes around and struggling students were more comfortable with the planning process.

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Can Puzzle Obsession Increase Your Learning?

6/4/2016

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I have just finished playing another hand of Solitaire, my fifth in a row. Before that it was several games of Red Herring and Cut the Rope. While I enjoy the win, it is more about the process for me - the puzzling, persevering, trying to figure it out. So, rather than quitting while I'm ahead, I continue on for another round.

Neuroscientists (Panksepp, et. al) explain this experience as the SEEKING System. As our brains engage in productive struggle, dopamine is released. Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters that make us feel pleasure and a desire to persevere. Scientists used to believe that the largest release of dopamine occurred upon successful task completion. They now know that opioids are released upon completion instead. Opioids differ from dopamine in that they result in a boost, or high, that drops off quickly. Dopamine, a more long-lasting high, is released during the SEEKING, or puzzling, process.

How can we enhance this process during prescribed lessons? Many teachers struggle with trying to make scripted lessons more engaging for all students. In a recent unit, I tried three different ways to add some puzzling to the learning process. Each of these ideas could be developed for any content or grade level, with very little teacher prep. Students were attentive and highly motivated to complete the puzzles.

1. Crossword Puzzles – I used a free online puzzle maker to create a simple crossword puzzle with the key vocabulary words.

2. Fill in the Blank – I turned the learning target into a fill in the blank puzzle.

3. Wheel of Fortune – A variation on the t.v. show Wheel of Fortune. I provided some of the letters and then had teams compete to fill in the rest.

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Dr. Seuss Summary

6/2/2016

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For closure, I try to find a variety of creative ways to ask students to summarize their learning. I recently shared my "Celebrity Summaries" strategy with a group of teachers at the end of a workshop. Here's what one group created, using Dr. Seuss as their celebrity:

We learned inclusion, yes we did
Taking data, graphs and grids.
Get kids moving on their feet
So they don't miss a single beat.
The kids are "ours," not "yours" or "mine"
15% smarter off their behinds.
With games, techniques and apps galore
This class was surely not a bore!

Closure is so critical for struggling students, as it provides one last time to review the key concept for the day. So, instead of letting initial instruction or practice run to the bell, save a few minutes to review with a Celebrity Summary!

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Dig Deeper into the Content

Have You Tried This Easy Idea for Paragraph Planning?

Can Puzzle Obsession Increase Your Learning?

Dr. Seuss Summary

Anne M. Beninghof

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