In case the class where I volunteer chooses to use padlet, I’ve worked up an example using the criteria used by the students. Here’s my example:
Category Archives: Professional Development
Edmodo | Home
Here is my Edmodo page. Basically I’m trying out an edublog feature called Press This which allows me to create instant links from my bookmark bar to transport the reader to another location. Press Edmodo to see if it works.
TaDa!
Glogster Style
I’ve made a couple of glogs, but decided to edit my “About Mrs. Achee” because I will soon volunteer in a classroom to assist with a glogster project.
Here’s my example:
Empirical, Scientific, Supportive and Authentic
There’s simply too much I learned at the NSTA conference to state within 1 post, but I can give the highlights. From Betsy Rupp Fulwiler, I gained insight into training students to keep true scientific records, recording only what has been observed using concise terminology, then backing conclusions with supportive evidence. A very positive tone is used without lowering expectations. Standards are raised, increasing writing skills even as conventions are not emphasized. Students learn organization, scientific skills, science concepts, analytic skills, and communication skills. It was fascinating. Her book is Writing in Science in Action. There are ideas which can easily be implemented even if the entire program is not utilized. I have a friend in Connecticutt who immediately began using strategies from this program. She plans to keep me updated on the results – I’m looking forward to this. The conference itself was amazing. It’s interesting how quickly connections are made with shared enthusiasm. If I asked sincere questions about a teacher’s classroom, I could usually sit while words spilled from the other, so eager to share.
Okay, what else was learned? Using current events to spark interest in topics. Most of the ideas presented can be used in any subject: digital storytelling, news events, applying higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, using various technological applications/websites. I soaked it in. Because Texas State “teaches current best practices” (It’s kind of funny when certain phrases are heard repeatedly between classes), I was able to contribute to conversations. Go Bobcats!
It was worth the extra hours at home preparing, then catching up with daily responsibilities. Having a room to myself at night in a hotel – Bonus!
NSTA National Conference, San Antonio
San Antonio or Bust
Since this conference will not occur until April, I shouldn’t write anything yet. However, I can’t help myself. My family hears more than they desire about education, FB friends really aren’t interested in future conferences, and my husband is traveling. Therefore, I will enter here with the most enthusiasm sans all cap letters or exclamation points that I have registered, not just for the NSTA National Conference being held in San Antonio, BUT (okay a few caps) for a Professional Development Institute. This means I leave a day early, as projects are looming for the semester, for an extra day to participate in a professional series “The Literacy and Inquiry Connection: Instruction that Scaffolds and and Enhances Scientific Thinking and Understanding.” The title alone makes me feel like a child at eye level with the pumpkin pie for Christmas dinner, a trace of cinnamon – traipsing, teasing; yet it’s only 8 in the morning. I am even more excited about this conference than I was the fall math conference (NCTM regional Dallas). I’ve had April’s conference bookmarked for an entire year. Now one can understand why I had to write about an experience I’ve not yet fulfilled. Math conference, Kagan workshop, Science and Literacy – now I require a full literacy workshop to round out my early training. I’ve attended a couple of TAIR conferences, with another arriving in February, but I’m wishing for the Stephanie Harvey of workshops. She holds a summer session every year in Colorado. It’s in my future. I did attend Harvey Daniel’s workshop at the TAIR conference at Baylor University. He’s pretty amazing as well – I have his collaborative book with Stephanie Harvey. It’s not been used so that really doesn’t say anything. Since we went to Disney for Christmas, we won’t travel for Spring Break. I’ll use this time to work ahead of schedule (hopefully) in order to not lose sanity from work hours lost due to this conference. Science, Literacy, Teacher Lingo, and a hotel room to myself (this factor is equivalent to all others as a mom of four) = Visions of sugarplums dance in my head.
Kagan Workshop
Short Term Goals
As I prepare for interning this semester, I have a few ideas I’d like to try from my recent Kagan workshop. Rally Coach is a guided practice structure to use where students monitor one another, providing support and reinforcement. If student A makes a mistake, then student B gives a couple of specific tips before teaching the concept. I would like to try this for math and reading for fluency. Each student takes turns with active participation, while the other student coaches as needed. In preparation for a lesson, I need to remember to consider what approach is needed to explain how to provide specific tips without giving the answer. This appears to be the trickiest aspect of this structure.
The other structure I would like to try is “All Write Round Robin.” Everyone writes all ideas/lists presented as students take turns around the table sharing thoughts. The appeal here is that there is movement aligned with active listening. Rather than passively sitting while waiting for a turn, students still have a job to perform requiring increased engagement. I like the individual accountability here as well; there’s concrete evidence that each student has received all information.
Lastly, I wish to implement gambits. This is the social protocol built into the structures: greetings, words of thanks/praise/acknowledgement, and polite comments of parting. This was a huge “Aha” moment for me – the concept of intentionally incorporating social skills within a lesson beyond community building. It is such a simple idea which makes it easily overlooked. Given today’s social media, the importance of teaching verbal communication skills is increasingly important. I have daughters who have sat next to a friend in the same room as they text one another, or worse, ignore one another while playing on individual gadgets.
The Workshop
This was an amazing experience. Instructors, Sarah and Carol, were simply excellent. Sarah sat down to show me resources within the book and online which may prove useful for college research/papers. I definitely plan to attend further sessions. The overall methodology can be used regardless of grade level or content. The idea of Kagan structures is to use a cooperative format with the intention to maximize principles of “PIES”: positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal participation, and simultaneous interaction (as defined by Kagan). Several of my professors have used these structures which led to my initial interest. The Kagan leadership was faultless. Check out kaganonline.com. To date, I have attended Days 1 and 2. My hope is to find a nearby workshop for Days 3 and 4 before I student teach in August.
Engaging ESLs – Teaching Listening and Speaking
Foundations of the ESL Classroom
This semester I am taking two ESL courses. What I am discovering is the need to scaffold the ESL learner specifically, but on a grander level – how to better serve all students. This week, one challenge is to discover activities to promote listening/speaking skills for the non-native student. One of my favorite ideas is using flockdraw.com. This website allows real time collaboration via an interactive drawing tool. Though the concept is driven to collaborate with people in other locations, imagine two children working alongside one another. One writes the vocabulary word, then draws the image. Next the other student verbally provides a definition of the word based on the drawing. The two students discuss the word, along with various methods of describing the word through pictures. Then the other student takes the next vocabulary word, continuing the process. Alternative uses are drawing/discussing: events, character descriptions, poetry interpretations, and experiment plans. (Update, I have since learned of scribblar.com which can save images in a more easily accessible manner, plus has enhanced features, but this site may still prove useful.)
Here’s a version of “decimate”:
Google Doc Form for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Recently, I attended a conference at Baylor University spotlighting Harvey Daniels. Concerning literacy, I learned about scaffolding hard text, using
book clubs, and bringing fun back into a system pressured by tests. Additionally, I attended a writer’s workshop, as well as a classroom technology
workshop. For the most part, the technology didn’t offer a lot of new information, but I did gain a better look at Google Docs. I’ve used this tool in the
past, but had never attempted a Google Form or Google Spreadsheet. I decided to briefly play with creating a form to determine practicality, as well
as ease of use. I found it highly usable. I used Grace Lin’s book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon because it’s a favorite. Check out her website also.
Here’s my short stab at a Google Form; it’s a sample of what would be a series of forms for this story. The paragraph answers would go into a journal, but by answering
the multiple choice, I know they have seen the essay questions, plus remained on task on the reading assignment.
Google Drive
Survey
I recently began using Google Docs, then Google Drive once it changed, to store documents. I like the idea of comments being used to suggest editing, rather than editing over someone’s work utilized in a wiki. Don’t get me wrong, wikis still hold a valid place for collaborative work, but it seems both tools, wiki and Google Drive, may have advantages over the other dependent upon the assignment. I need direct experience to gain better understanding, but now I can learn from others already experimenting with these tools in the classroom. So what do you think? Best uses for each? Pros and cons specific to learning objectives/use?
Disregard: to prove I’m the author of this site for another organization: GVW3JN2SXW3S
Poetry reading of “Trees”
First Video Podcast
Improvements have been made to the first audio podcast, but I still don’t seem quite like myself. I’d like to put a little more oomf into it – hmm not sure oomf is a word. 🙂 Zest works. Voice is not as monotone. Surprising obervation? Video podcasts are easier than audio podcasts – at least for me. In this video, I read “Trees” by Harry Behn in my backyard. At one point, a chicken can be heard clucking, but I thought it added some fun to the video so I kept it. The chosen assignment for this is to walk outdoors to find inspiration to write a poem. It seems fitting since Earth Day just passed. I also describe a future Venn diagram assignment comparing “Trees” with the student poet’s own poem. Hope you enjoy!