Now weren't those some fun activities in class? Fun, even though we really messed up the telephone chain, because we knew what we were supposed to be learning.
Now just imagine that you were a student in a normal middle-school classroom. Perhaps you may be a student that has just entered our country, and you don't speak English very well. And you were the last student in the chain. And the message contained very important details about a project due on Monday after Thanksgiving break. And today is Friday.
Not so much fun anymore is it?
Well, usually we don't come across situations like this in the classroom. At least we hope we never do.
But sometimes this is what the student may feel. In fact, I dealt with this myself in middle school. I had a Dr appt on Fri morning and found out about a project due after Thanksgiving break. The teacher was gone so I had to get my info from other students. I got three different versions of what was due, and none were complete enough to actually do it. So I had to wait until that Monday to find out the requirements and do it that night, to be accepted as late on Tuesday.
As educators, we must ensure that what we say is understood correctly. Any miscommunication in the classroom can have (seemingly) catastrophic consequences. We need tyo make sure that we are sending the right message. This includes body language as well as our actual words. We should look like we mean what we say; our body language should support the message. When BSing with the kids, you don't need to be as professional as if you were giving instruction, just as when giving instruction, you should not sit down at your desk, cross your arms, or look generally uninterested in what you are doing. Mixing up body language and signals can confuse students as to what the actual topic of the class really was. We should also ensure that what we say is really what we mean to say. Give instructions in different forms: verbal, textual, visual. If possible just rephrase what you said.
We also need to make sure that the message sent is, in fact, received by the student. The perfect message is nothing if it just goes off into dead space or is incomplete. Eliminate most, if not all, distratctions in the classroom when giving important intructions, such as the radio, tv, student conversations, and such.
Finally, we need to ensure that the message is understood clearly. Have the students repeat or rephrase what you said. Go over what you said if necessary, even if it takes a few more minutes. The extra time will be time well spent.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Post #9
I really enjoyed the travelling story activity that we did. Such an activity can foster the students' creativity; it allows them to use their imagination toward positive results. I liked that the story may have started off in one direction and ended up in a totally different realm. It is a good analogy to give students, especially when things in their life has not gone as planned. Sometimes the unecxpected result is so much greater than what was originally planned.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Post #8
Theme: poetry There once was a man from Nantucket…
Grade: 10th
My 4 content areas: ELA, Chemistry, Band/Music, Foreign Language
TEKS: I haven’t gotten the TEKS yet, but I know that the 10th grade English classes here cover poetry.
In ELA: The students will cover 10 different types of poems (acrostic, diamante, epic, free verse, haiku, limerick, lyrical, narrative, sonnet, and quatrain).
They will read a couple poems of each type (one for the longer ones).
Poets examined will include Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare.
Week 1: looking at the different types of poems, quiz
Week 2: Canterbury Tales, begin writing their own poem
Week 3: Beowulf
Week 4: Oral presentations, review, exam
Assessments: The students will create an original poem. It may be of a type of their own choosing. Rubric will be used for syntax, grammar, conventions, spelling, etc.
The students will present a poem of their choice orally. It may be their own poem or one by another author
The students will take a test at the end of the unit to ensure that they have learned the material (i.e. meter, stanza, types, onomatopoeia, analogy, metaphor, hyperbole, alliteration). Will involve recall of information about famous authors & poets.
Other content areas:
Chemistry: the students will create a poem about science, such as the scientific method, elemental properties, periodic properties, electronegativity, ionization sizes, and so forth.
Band/Music: I hope that the students would be able to learn songs and lyrics. Perhaps we could even set up a poetry slam, or an exhibition involving the band/music class.
Foreign Language: the students will examine poems in their language of study and create an original work of their own (or perhaps translate one into English or Foreign language).
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Post #7
So what is assessment? Well, it does NOT have to be a test. Well, it can, doesn't need be. There are formal and informal assessments. Formal is the kind that most people hate. Multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank, true-false, and the ever dreaded essay. The other kind is informal, or authentic. This is usually much more relaxed; the student may not even know he/she is being tested (e.g. observations, portfolio), or the student may perform the action or skill demonstrating they have learned.
In my Science class I should be able to use authentic assessments for my students.
Obviously the easiest to do would be the ever-popular science project. With this, the students can demonstrate their understanding of the scientific method and how to apply it properly. Using a rubric, I can amke sure that the students understand it. Accuracy, while still important, would be second to application.
Another way would be through science labs. The students would be able to show that they not only have learned the content (what the products of a certain reaction would be) but also the ability to perform it properly (using the lab equipment properly and safely).
One way to assess student learning is by simple observation. Whether a student participates in class discussions. Whether he/she uses content-specific language in said discussions. Whether they can apply known information towards unknown (hypothesizing). I believe that having the knowledge is most useful when you can walk the walk and talk the talk, otherwise it is a bit wasted. What good is it if you cannot, or do not, do anything with it outside of spewing it onto a test?
In my Science class I should be able to use authentic assessments for my students.
Obviously the easiest to do would be the ever-popular science project. With this, the students can demonstrate their understanding of the scientific method and how to apply it properly. Using a rubric, I can amke sure that the students understand it. Accuracy, while still important, would be second to application.
Another way would be through science labs. The students would be able to show that they not only have learned the content (what the products of a certain reaction would be) but also the ability to perform it properly (using the lab equipment properly and safely).
One way to assess student learning is by simple observation. Whether a student participates in class discussions. Whether he/she uses content-specific language in said discussions. Whether they can apply known information towards unknown (hypothesizing). I believe that having the knowledge is most useful when you can walk the walk and talk the talk, otherwise it is a bit wasted. What good is it if you cannot, or do not, do anything with it outside of spewing it onto a test?
Friday, October 8, 2010
Post #6
Informative writing is writing to well, inform. It can be in the newspaper, a technical manual, the manual for your newest game. Instructions are also informative- the assembly sheets for your new entertainment center, and recipes found in a cookbook. Road maps and the paper you get with medications count as well. Hey, this is too!
Persuasive writing is done to convince an audience. Whether it be to sell your product or to try to get people to not buy a certain product. It is also used to try to change their view or opinion of you, the candidate, or whatever special interest you may be vying for.
Since I will be a Science teacher in a High School, it would be somewhat difficult to incorporate writing into my curriculum.
I could have the students research signifigant people in the field of science and write a short report on their findings as a acitivity for informative writing.
As for the persuasive writing, I could adapt an activity I saw in the middle school. I would have the students work in groups of three or four to create a brochure about their favorite element from the Periodic Table, convincing the others why it is the best.
Persuasive writing is done to convince an audience. Whether it be to sell your product or to try to get people to not buy a certain product. It is also used to try to change their view or opinion of you, the candidate, or whatever special interest you may be vying for.
Since I will be a Science teacher in a High School, it would be somewhat difficult to incorporate writing into my curriculum.
I could have the students research signifigant people in the field of science and write a short report on their findings as a acitivity for informative writing.
As for the persuasive writing, I could adapt an activity I saw in the middle school. I would have the students work in groups of three or four to create a brochure about their favorite element from the Periodic Table, convincing the others why it is the best.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Post #5
Oh Great! I gotta write a paper! It is always such a pain in the butt. it takes me sooooo long just to get started and it seems like I can never get around to finishing it because I can never say exactly what I want to say. I wish there were an easier way to get this paper done.
Oh, wait, there is...
I merely need to realize that writing is a process. It is NOT a one-stop shop. Writing is much easier, well, just about anything is easier, if it is done in steps. A monumental 30-page research paper seems like much less of a task if it is done bit by bit in an organized manner.
There are five steps to writing:
1. Prewriting
2. Drafting
3. Revising
4. Editing
5. Publishing
Prewriting is where you brainstorm. You think of a topic, if it has not been given to you. And you throw anything donw on paper. It needs not be organized yet, but you may want to use a graphical organizer if you want- say a web. Or you can just jot down ideas on a piece of paper or note cards. You can start on an outline.
Drafting is where you start actually putting your words on your paper so that they start to make sense. This is your first draft. Grammar and spelling are not the priority right now, just get the words into sentences.
Revising is where you may start elaborate on your ideas, and even changing them if it is necessary. You can add or delete ideas where they need to be. Here you can use colored pencils to make any changes, or if you have any questions, just jot them down on the paper. You can start looking at the length of your sentences and paragraphs; you may want to make them larger or smaller here.
Editing is where you really start getting down to business, but most of the hard work is already done. Here, you look at your grammar and spelling. Remember: spellcheck is your friend, but it does not know what word you really wanted. And please make sure you use the right word- their/they're/there, your/you're, and so on. Make sure that it is in the format that you want it to be in, and be consistent with it.
Publishing is where you breathe easy. Almost done, but not quite yet. You must DO something with it. Pring it out if you doing it on the computer. If not, take your time and write it neatly; do not rush it, and work on it a bit at a time; take frequent breaks to give your hands and eyes a break. All done? Nope. Gotta turn it in!
Now pop in a movie or your favorite frosty beverage, time to celebrate.
Oh, wait, there is...
I merely need to realize that writing is a process. It is NOT a one-stop shop. Writing is much easier, well, just about anything is easier, if it is done in steps. A monumental 30-page research paper seems like much less of a task if it is done bit by bit in an organized manner.
There are five steps to writing:
1. Prewriting
2. Drafting
3. Revising
4. Editing
5. Publishing
Prewriting is where you brainstorm. You think of a topic, if it has not been given to you. And you throw anything donw on paper. It needs not be organized yet, but you may want to use a graphical organizer if you want- say a web. Or you can just jot down ideas on a piece of paper or note cards. You can start on an outline.
Drafting is where you start actually putting your words on your paper so that they start to make sense. This is your first draft. Grammar and spelling are not the priority right now, just get the words into sentences.
Revising is where you may start elaborate on your ideas, and even changing them if it is necessary. You can add or delete ideas where they need to be. Here you can use colored pencils to make any changes, or if you have any questions, just jot them down on the paper. You can start looking at the length of your sentences and paragraphs; you may want to make them larger or smaller here.
Editing is where you really start getting down to business, but most of the hard work is already done. Here, you look at your grammar and spelling. Remember: spellcheck is your friend, but it does not know what word you really wanted. And please make sure you use the right word- their/they're/there, your/you're, and so on. Make sure that it is in the format that you want it to be in, and be consistent with it.
Publishing is where you breathe easy. Almost done, but not quite yet. You must DO something with it. Pring it out if you doing it on the computer. If not, take your time and write it neatly; do not rush it, and work on it a bit at a time; take frequent breaks to give your hands and eyes a break. All done? Nope. Gotta turn it in!
Now pop in a movie or your favorite frosty beverage, time to celebrate.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Post #4
So, what is a good reader? Well I believe that it is someone who can read and comprehand what they are reading. You do not have to read at a fast pace, because reading quickly is no good if you have no idea what the words said and meant. A good reader is also someone who uses a variety of techniques when reading. For a chapter in a textbook, you may read from heading to heading and then summarize what that section was talking about. And it also can help to look ahead at all of the pictures, tables, and figures in the chapter. For a short novel, you may find it easiest to sit down and read it in one whole sitting, that way you can let the story really stew in your brain while it is still fresh. For a longer novel, you may find it best to read chapter to chapter, or speaker to speaker (however the book is constructed, depending on the author) to really let the scene develop. For a procedural text, you may find it easiest to read it quickly at first to have a general idea of the procedure, and then go back and slowly read it, going step by step. With any text, you should try to make connections within it itself and between the text and yourself. "Oh, I know exactly what she means", "Yep, been there, done that", "Oh hey, I've done that before", "Almost like the time I.....", "Why did this character just do that? <thinking> Oh yeah!"
Now, am I a good reader? Yes, yes I am. All of the methods I just described are mine. I use these different techniques when reading. I have been reading for quite a while now. I would read National Geographics when I was younger, 10yo-about 14yo and after that mostly short science fiction novels, and as I got older, the novels got longer and longer. At least until I had kids.....
I believe that the best way to teach kids to be good readers is to model it. Keep a couple novels (age approprite, of course) on your desk, some on a bookshelf, maybe one in your purse for you ladies, unless you men are very sure of your manhood, in which case, good luck with that. Ask about what they are reading, not directly as part of the class time, but as an aside, like when waiting for the bell, or in between classes. Show an interest in what they are reading, even if you have to fake it. You parents know exactly what I an talking about.
Now, am I a good reader? Yes, yes I am. All of the methods I just described are mine. I use these different techniques when reading. I have been reading for quite a while now. I would read National Geographics when I was younger, 10yo-about 14yo and after that mostly short science fiction novels, and as I got older, the novels got longer and longer. At least until I had kids.....
I believe that the best way to teach kids to be good readers is to model it. Keep a couple novels (age approprite, of course) on your desk, some on a bookshelf, maybe one in your purse for you ladies, unless you men are very sure of your manhood, in which case, good luck with that. Ask about what they are reading, not directly as part of the class time, but as an aside, like when waiting for the bell, or in between classes. Show an interest in what they are reading, even if you have to fake it. You parents know exactly what I an talking about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)