Oh, the power of language.
So, what do you think about the power of talk in the classroom?
Does anyone want to try a Socratic Circle?
What about active learning?
What are you thinking?
Please post your comments on our September 25th--Language, Learning and Literacy Study Group Session here...
10 comments:
Just practicing...
After reading the introduction
(on multiple intelligences, I now understand why my Senior portfolio project was so popular. It consisted of students' choices of favorite music,art,and writings,and the students had to present these to the class. Research,creativity, and personal choices were involved. I now know that this assignment "hit on" multiple intelligences. Some students indicated that they had never enjoyed doing a term project, but that this one had been fun.
Another blog...
I tried the activity on page 20,
"Lead-Ins" with both CWP and Honors classes and had phenomenal results. I will share some of these at the meeting. If you are looking for a reflective activity, something that will generate lots of thinking and very personalized responses, this is the one to try.
This past week I tried the Jigsaw instructional activity with my Block I, English I CP class. We have been studying speeches, and I wanted to use Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech as another model of speech-making. Ms. Hartley helped me located quick-reference books about King and the speech. I photocopied one section that was broken into sub-sections covering King’s early life through his work as a leader for civil rights and discussed his overall contributions to humanity. I also photocopied a detailed timeline and information about the March on Washington and the “I Have a Dream” speech. I created a graphic organizer with King’s name in the middle and two categories deriving from this central point: “what did he face” and “what did he learn, teach, and/or believe.” These two categories were subdivided into three parts for students to organize their thoughts. I divided my class of 24 into groups of 3, assigning each sub-section of the reading to at least two groups. I assigned two groups the timeline and March on Washington information. Each group was to read their individual section and fill in the graphic organizer for “what did he face” and “what did he learn, teach, and/or believe.” For the group with the timeline and March on Washington information, I asked them to create a streamlined timeline of most important dates/events and to write a summary of the information for the March on Washington. Each group was to present its information on a transparency and would “teach” the class that individual section of the reading. During each group’s “teaching” presentation, I had students take and organize “highlights” of the information presented in this way: “what did he face,” “what did he learn, teach, and/or believe,” “March on Washington info.,” and “other information.”
What went well:
- Coverage of material: although all groups doubled-up on information, not all groups presented the exact same information from their individual sections.
- Graphic organizers: these helped students to organize and streamline their thoughts.
- Breaking up information: the “jigsaw” process led students to focus on their individual sections and to later see connections and patterns among the information presented.
What to improve for next time:
- Graphic organizers: I had students draw their own from my model. For some students, though, their organizers were sloppily drawn and/or too small to input information.
- Content for students: The sections I photocopied were good for in-a-pinch information, but I would like to find better coverage of King’s life. For example, this section didn’t cover his assassination, and the March on Washington information was little more than a summation of the speech itself.
Mapmaking Activity
I used this activity with my French II class. It served as the culminating assessment for the unit. Students made a map of the French speaking country Martinique. They illustrated vocabulary that they had learned. Their presentations included activity suggestions for potential tourists to their islands. This activity was very useful because it allowed students to use the spatial intelligence, and it also built on previous skills and knowledge.
We did a teamwork/leadership building activity in marketing class. Essentially, the students formed groups, built “towers” using only 1 pack of index cards and 1 roll of masking tape. They had to complete in total silence.
One group could not work quietly; in the end they were disqualified. The rest worked well together. After the exercise, we discussed behaviors (not people) that were helped or hindered the process.
It went well and I would definitely do again. The students enjoyed so much. They started with just 15 minutes, and requested more time. I allowed the time to get extended, but would not extend for as long next time.
We did a teamwork/leadership building activity in marketing class. Essentially, the students formed groups, built “towers” using only 1 pack of index cards and 1 roll of masking tape. They had to complete in total silence.
One group could not work quietly; in the end they were disqualified. The rest worked well together. After the exercise, we discussed behaviors (not people) that were helped or hindered the process.
It went well and I would definitely do again. The students enjoyed so much. They started with just 15 minutes, and requested more time. I allowed the time to get extended, but would not extend for as long next time.
We did a teamwork/leadership building activity in marketing class. Essentially, the students formed groups, built “towers” using only 1 pack of index cards and 1 roll of masking tape. They had to complete in total silence.
One group could not work quietly; in the end they were disqualified. The rest worked well together. After the exercise, we discussed behaviors (not people) that were helped or hindered the process.
It went well and I would definitely do again. The students enjoyed so much. They started with just 15 minutes, and requested more time. I allowed the time to get extended, but would not extend for as long next time.
Non-fiction texts and media are just as important as "literary" texts. The NIE Newspaper subscription has been helpful in my classroom. Students have been able to investigate themes and elements of the fiction texts we read through newspaper mini-projects.
Another way I've attacked the use of non-fiction text is through multi-genre papers. The culminating assessment for my Monster unit is a multi-genre paper. My students were very creative...I received non-fiction entries that ranged from newspaper articles, court transcripts, job applications, Interviews, websites, Instant messaging, My Space pages (One of my students created a My Space page for Steve!).
I agree with Kate, that non-fiction resources are just as important as fiction. I always enjoyed using the newspapers with my students. I do find that sometimes it is difficult to make the non-fiction reading appealing, so the more exciting and engaging we can make it the better for the student it will be. I enjoyed visiting Ms. Willdermood's class and observing how engaged her students were in a problem-based unit that incorporated both fiction and non-fiction resources.
In looking through strategies, I have always liked the jig-saw activity and I think exit slips are good, but I have come to appreciate the assessment value of an entrance slip.
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