VOCABULARY!
Did turning our focus toward vocabulary instruction make you think differently about the way teachers often "give" vocabulary?
Will you try anything different with your content vocabulary?
Take another look at the chapter from Words, Words, Words. See if you could adapt any of Janet Allen's strategies to fit your needs.
What did our vocabulary class make you think about?
Chapter 10 in Subjects Matter revolves around Inquiry Units. Let us know what you think about inquiry units. I know some of you are already using them in your classes. Tell us about it.
14 comments:
Vocabulary has taken such a turn since I've been in school--even from when I first started teaching.
The vocab books were the thing.
I think vocabulary is something I have a hard time making a daily/weekly practice. There seem to be so many different ways to get a word study in, I don't know what is the best way--or how often I should be doing something with word study?
What do you guys do? A weekly list? A word of the day? Just something w/ words every two weeks? A new list by novel?
I think I want a prescription, but I'm not sure how to find a balance with word study being "authentic" for the reading/writing that's being done versus being structured and regular.
I know I do like having options and different ideas to use--but just how often should vocab/word study make an appearance?
Chapter 10 talks about inquiring and exploring new ideas in the classroom. We are often cynical about new innovations because it takes time that we don't often have. Yet, we need students to be motivated to inquire beyond just the facts. We must be willing to take the time without taking away from mandated curriculum.
This being said, I decided to do a project with my first period concerning the atomic bomb. I designed a web lesson on this, and did it after our unit on WWII. The lesson basically had them answer the question "Should the US have used the atomic bomb on Japan in WWII"? I used the It Says/I Say/And So activity to show them an example on how to form an educated opinion on a subject. There are a set of questions that go along with the lesson which states facts to help them form their opinion. We took one of the questions, analyzed it, and had them do the activity on the one question alone. We used quite a bit of discussion to show students how people think differently about certain subjects. This worked well, and I showed them how they could extend that into their assignment. I'm not 100% sure I did it exactly right, but it worked.
Definitions/ Vocabulary have been apart of my class since day one. I seem to make them do the work and then I assume they know how to use them. When they see it in a textbook they still might not know what it means or there is no ownership.
When we play a bingo type game where I call out the definition and they post the word. But only if they win do they pronounce the word.
I have used the strategies of the overhead as a point to the picture and the first to be able to pronounce the vocabulary correctly gets the points. Ex. Penis/Vagina Game.
It has work well to improve the overall use of vocabulary and improved the ability of students to use correct terminology.
This approach has made the use of this type of vocabulary easier and less embarassing to the student.
I use much of the Chapter 10 Inquiry in my Seniors' Portfolio project. They come up with their favorite writings, novels,poetry, art, movies, etc. and have to both research it and tell about their personal connection in both writing and presentation.The project also includes personal writings. This is a semester-long project, which is presented in May. Usually my biggest issue is getting them OFF the stage!
Insofar as vocabulary is concerned, we study SAT lists and really discuss the words each week prior to testing. The kids look for them in magazines and other sources. I've used a "word wall" also, which helps make the words more "real" and "user-friendly." Vocabulary study doesn't have to be a chore and can be both beneficial and amusing as we attempt to clear up misunderstandings about language.
The inquiry project is a strategy that I’ve always wanted to tackle in the no-letter (mostly English I) classes I’ve taught. I felt that this was the best way to engage these students; often, they aren’t lacking intelligence but rather motivation. These students are quick to “turn off” when instruction has no hard-and-fast immediate purpose, as Daniels and Zemelman confirm for males (and males are always the majority in these classes) (219). But, for me, as Daniels and Zemelman also confirm, planning is the key that has kept me from following through with inquiry projects. There’s also the concern that the students need more scaffolding and, in general, supervision, than I might anticipate; if I don’t plan for that, then yes, the project would fall flat. As Daniels and Zemelman suggest, first teaching the reading and researching skills and starting with a small project would go far in helping prepare students for more lengthy or more independent projects. Students in no-letter classes are typically not those that “play school”; but, if the lessons involve them more personally, if they are able to help their classmates, and if they can explore subjects that are more realistic and meaningful, they will be willing participants.
Talking vocabulary…this week I actually moved away from the graphic organizer that I have been using in vocabulary. This was an organizer similar to the example on page 139 in Daniels and Zemelman. I have been using the Interactive Reader (a workbook-type version of our textbook). Instead of having students fill in the graphic organizer as they analyze a word in context, I had them annotate in their books. We circled words/phrases that help us define the word. We drew a picture to understand the reciprocal feelings between characters, and so, understand the use of a word to express emotion. We wrote short phrases to show other familiar uses of a word used in an unfamiliar way in the text. I felt that this was more realistic than continually using the graphic organizer; and, since students worked with a partner, they also used talk to come to an understanding of these words. For this week, I would like to use the examples from Words, Words, Words (Figures 5.3, 5.4). It only makes sense that if students study words in context, the assessment should ask them to respond in context.
I did a word sort with my students who are taking Global Studies. I chose 20 words from a chapter they had not yet read, and put them in pairs. They were about to begin a unit on Africa; and I wanted them to be able to tell me something about the geography, important people, religion, and economy. At first I kept getting questions like, "What does this mean?" and "Is this right?" I reminded them to use the dictionary or glossary to look up unfamiliar words, and that there was no wrong way to group their words.
I liked the way they made connections and explained the way they grouped their words. One student didn't know the meaning of merchant, but put it in a group with the words blacksmith, trading, and farming explaining he thought it was a job. I told him the meaning, and I now he "owns" that word w/out having to memorize a definition.
I like this activity because you can cover a lot of words in a short amount of time.
Vocabulary...a tricky subject. In my classes, it is important for students to become familiar with the terms so they may implement in class. I have decided to try a word sort when we start the next unit after spring break. I am very interested in trying new concepts and methods for teaching vocabulary. Until this point, I pretty much had the students define the terms, complete a puzzle, and then take a matching quiz. While I still may incorporate those methods, I look forward to also introducing new methods. After reading the chapter from words, words, words, I am excited about utilizing the news hunt with the newspaper. I will likely change it a little, as opposites are not the focus in class.
Just testing
Vocabulary is definitely something I struggle with teaching. I obviously want it to be relevant for the students, but in the same token I do not always know of a better way than simjply here are the words, look over them a lot, repeat the definition umpteen times and poof the word is yours. That is how I learned vocab. But then I have to step back and remember that is because I wanted to learn vocab, and even then there are many words that did not stick. I have spoken with Ms. Weston before about her vocab instruction and simply loved her method because instead of giving them a huge list of words, she gives them two or so words on days that they will need them for their class reading. Then, she employs a method that I had known about but never really known how to use with my word list. Ding, ding, ding. It works so much better when you really break the words up. Only give them what they need at the time. That is the way to go.
Lendy and I were able to meet and listen to two authors during the state school librarians’ conference. What a treat! Listening to Woodson and Draper talk about their books and their writing, how they got started and their writing schedules was inspiring. You catch their excitement.
Jacqueline Woodson said that she was excited about one of her books being a Newbery Honor book and having a silver sticker on the front of the book jacket. She showed it to her daughter thinking she would be as excited and her response was, “I like gold stickers better.” She said a friend of hers and a fellow writer had won the gold sticker. When they win medals, authors are given stickers. Her friend gave her a gold sticker to stick on the cover too so her daughter would like the book cover and think it was special. She said the book didn’t win the Newbery Medal, but she felt it should have, so she put the gold medal sticker on her book for her daughter.
Jacqueline Woodson also talked about her grandmother and her connection to South Carolina. She and her mother moved to the Anderson area after her parent’s divorced. When her grandmother was dying, she was also there to write down remembrances and family history. She has put many of these in her stories. She said she limits her going on school visits because it takes time away from her writing.
Chapter 10: The reading centers on project work and that it may be essential to the learning of struggling students. Leave the textbook and read and write about real world topics. Choose the topics and then see how they fit into the curriculum standards.
I had to come back to the vocabulary section to see if anyone else had ideas I could steal--even at this late date. It seems we all have words study of some sort, but are still figuring out ways that it will work.
I think I just need to have about three or four stock activities or strategies and just stick to it. I pick up and drop vocab practices randomly and then beat myself up for not pounding away at them. OK. new resolution: will develop a pattern of some sort if for no other reason than to get myself to use it more often--and hopefully more effectively.
bah.
I like Nancy's focus on making vocabulary 'user friendly' and not a chore. I remember going through school with vocabulary workbooks. Students would buy used workbooks from older students in the high school 'underground market' to fill out their new workbooks. They received perfect credit and didn't learn much. I know that this is more of an issue of cheating, but I think if we workbook and worksheet vocabulary too much the students will not recieve much ownership and true use of the words. I think any creative way to address vocabulary is the way to go.
With word study, I have been keeping to the “connections” idea. Any grammar/vocabulary practice I’ve done, has always originated from the text. Pulling words they’ll see and use, helps more than pulling arbitrary words they have no context for. My students have pointed this out numerous times. During DOL lessons, students would say “Hey, I remember reading that sentence!” Also, for each act of Julius Caesar, we do vocabulary words, or variant uses of terms that they’ll see in each unit.
Chapter 10 Inquiry Units
Teachers have to work even harder when they assign students projects. In order for students to learn from projects, the teachers have to constantly monitor, review the progress of the students, make suggestions for improvement, and then review again to make sure that the students are staying on task and meeting the requirements of the project. Projects are worth their weight in gold if they keep students from cheating, sleeping, and memorizing - you know, falling through the cracks. The question is, how do we take a teacher’s research paper and make it an inquiry unit? After looking at the elements on page 224 in Subjects Matter , I think that the way to do this is to formulate a question to be answered from the research. In other words, instead of assigning each student a genetic disease to research, have the students answer a question related to the disease. For example, if a man with the sickle cell trait marries a woman with the sickle cell trait, what are the chances that their children will have the disease? AND if a man with the trait marries a woman without the trait, what are the chances that their children will have the disease? The student can still put all of the general information about the disease in the research paper, but an inquiry makes the paper much more relevant to the student who could have or know someone who has the sickle cell trait.
I thought that the Weighty Word book was a great example for teaching vocabulary. Just imagine how the play on words would help students to remember definitions. We have tried words lists, using words in sentences and matching. This method I think, beats them all. I haven’t tried any of the strategies with a class yet, but I plan to.
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