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Showing posts with label Methodology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Methodology. Show all posts

Thursday, December 20, 2012

15+ different Vocabulary Methods (How to teach words)

A key to learning any new language is new vocabulary! There are so many ways to

GAMES:
ACTIVITIES

ALTERNATE QUIZZES

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Differentiate Smarter...not harder

So, yesterday I caught the last two steps of Robyn Jackson's webinar via the ASCD, "Beyond Differentiation." I was a bad un-punctual teacher, so I missed the first 15 minutes.


Basically her webinar talked about the three ways to easily differentiate any unit you teach to help every student! Alright this sounds good; I am in!


STEP ONE
The first step is unpacking your standards. As stated earlier, I was caught up with helping who was bored and reading a book of short stories in my office so I COMPLETELY forgot about this and ended up missing step 1. I am going to assume that this is when the teacher breaks down the standards so they are at their bare essentials and you can more clearly plan your lessons understanding exactly what you expect each student to be able to do at the end of the unit.


STEP TWO
Divide your students. This is NOT dividing them among high, medium or low. There are four categories with only two qualifiers.


How does your student deal with content? Do they struggle with vocabulary words, and the basic content or they have a million words and understand the content. For example: If they rock content they can convert all verbs into participles and understand what a participle phrase is. 
Your students either have high content(HC) or low content.(LC)

How does your student process? Does your student apply process easily? Do they struggle with the process? For example: If they rock process they can put a participle phrase into a sentence no problem.

Your students either have high process(HP) or low process (LP)

Now by the end of the lesson a student should have the process and the content. So each student gets grouped by their starting content and process LCLP, LCHP, HCLP, HCHP


How do you figure out which student goes where?
  • Well you can give a pre-test (where each question signifies either content or process) and grade it deciding from there who is a best fit for where.
  • Have students self identify, "How much do you know about participles? Do you know all the irregular ones? Can you use them to describe a noun?"
  •  Have the teacher identify: If you know some students struggle with content put them in a different group
It should be made VERY CLEAR to the students that these groups are NOT rigid. They are fluid and as such students can easily move from one to the other. 

SO FAR
Here's what I like about this method.
It encouraged students to learn how they learn and help themselves. If they know they struggle with conjugating then they can learn that they need to focus on that.


I was discussing on a forum the other day that I listen really well. I learn VERY well by listening. When I read it takes me longer to learn. I know this about myself, it is why I prefer lectures and webinars to websites and books. I did not always know this about myself and once I learned I became a better student.


Here's what I don't like about this methodI know she said that students don't feel constrained by the labels because they are always changing, but I just don't believe my students would feel that way. Nor do I believe I would feel that way were this done to me as a student.


I prefer my differentiation done on the sly, "OK I have put you in random groups: Susie, Johnny, Jorge and Lee I want you to do the project this way." The groups are random the partners are selected by me, etc. This is a way to differentiate without making students feel inadequate
Finally STEP THREE

Make your lesson plans  and JUST think about the standard. What would work well for this unit? Focus on that. AT this point the teachers are NOT thinking of the students. Below is a screengrab from the webinar. At this point we are ONLY doing the grey.


NOW we step in and add steps for each of the students (the white background). 
Since we were short on time Robyn couldn't go into THAT much detail on each of them but we got a gist.
  • Low content students should
o  Get more practice on the vocab (cheat sheets, homework)
o    May need help connecting (Graphic Organizers)
  • High Content
    • Add ambiguity (selection of readings, raising other questions)
    • Add complexity (more irregular verbs)
  • Low Process
    • Keep samples around
    • Have formulas (Noun+ past particle + verb = sentence!)

  • High Process
    • Increase complexity of the process (Ass a participle phrase to a past perfect sentence)
    • Help students use multiple processes at once (Great, can you add an appositive to that sentence too?)
    • Improve speed and accuracy (Try to do five in 10 minutes)
    • Add restraints (Don't use the cheat sheet)

Robyn was very charismatic and seemed intelligent. I am just not sure this is the best match for my personal teaching style, but I will be keeping it in the back of my head while planning my fall classes this Summer. Amazon has quite a few books by Robyn the following seemed relevant to the webinar. In particular she mentioned how to support struggling students and the differentiation workbook.




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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Don't flip out! It is just a flipped class! (part2)

So after I listened to Jon and Aaron talk about flipping I checked out the flipped class tweets and saw that Crystal (Who Jon actually gave a shout out for her WSQ forms) was holding a webinar. So I thought...why not! (a recording is now available here: if you want to check it out yourself)

There were some technical difficulties so the webinar started 15 minutes late (5pm). I had an appointment at 6pm, so I hope I don't miss much at the end.

To start she used PREZI so I was happy :)

So Crystal is a high school math teacher (seems like she does some of the higher levels: (pre-calculus) and some of the basics (algebra).  She started flipped classes because:
  • She was having problems with the traditional class:
    • Her students worked at different paces (OK...mine too)
    • They miss different parts (zoning out or missing days) (Not so much here on physical, but mental ooooh yeah)
    • They do homework incorrectly or not at all since it is too long between class and homework and they don't have guidance. (Yep)
    • Too much teacher talk time with only 20-30 minutes for students to work in class. (Yep)
    • Lots of tutoring for students who didn't get it the first time. (Eh, my students don't show up to tutoring, but...I suppose)
She reviewed what a flipped class is. Basically we go from being a "Sage on the stage" to a "guide on the side" (who coined those terms? I am in love!)
  • So, why is flipping better that the traditional classes?
    • I can work one on one with each student each day I see them! (This seems ideal)
    • There is the dynamic, engaging, interactive classroom that she always wanted but never had (again, this sounds good)
    • Students without parents who can't help students with their homework can have the teacher's guidance and support in class (awesome, I remember calling my cousin Karen when I was younger for math help once I passed my parents)
      • My awesome 2nd Graders in Getafe!
    • It is easier to differentiate classes. (ahhh differentiation...always the goal)
  • What flipping let's students do:
    • Students can pause, rewind, and re-watch lessons at their own pace
    • Students don't have to worry about getting behind when they are absent due to illness or extracurricular activities
    • Students can access the content for their class anytime, anywhere on any device.
    • Students become active learners and self-reflective, knowing when they need to rewind, or pause the material to ensure their understanding. Basically students are in full control of their learning
    • Students aren't stuck on homework problems anymore because now the teacher is here when they need them.
    • They don't get as frustrated by homework assignments because they work on the problems in class where there is support.
    • Students can discuss and make meaning of the content (higher up on bloom's taxonomy)
    • Students who are proficient can work ahead on lessons and challenge themselves
    • They can review material from any time in the year without waiting to see the teacher (or a response from her e-mail)
    • Students learn to manage time and are held accountable for their time in class
    • They receive instant feedback
From my perspective here is why I like flipping. I encourage my students to realize that their actions have results. I don't give bathroom passes. If they want to leave they can, but I won't repeat myself. I hardly take away phone, if they want to text and lose out on the lesson then they need to realize they won't understand things.

Flipping a class allows students to be in charge of their own education! They can control if they need to watch it again. They can control if they need to pause to understand a concept. They can stop it and do jumping jacks if they need their blood flowing!

However, like Crystal, I do think that the videos should be engaging AND the students should be engaged. 

Whether this is through asking questions in the video, making students to KWL sheets or...as in Crystal's case: having her students WSQ.

Have them huh? Her WSQ (pronounced whisk)
W They watch the 8-15 minute video and take notes in their Student Success Sheet packets.
S Students write a summary of the main points of the concept. They are either given sentence starters to use as support or key questions to answer to guide their summary. (The questions make sure that they know what you want them to know)
Q Finally like any good AVID student they question! They either need to ask something that they don't know the answer to, or a question that they want to challenge the class with. The questions should be HOT (Higher Order Thinking) as this leads to good quality discussions

Sometimes they use Google forms to submit the students answers (instant feedback wohoo!) and paperless (save the trees!) A teacher can read all the answers because they do it outside the class. I have used Google forms before but am always hesitant due to Google’s less than stellar privacy policy, but I may just need to suck it up and admit defeat. Especially because one of the attendees just introduced me to Flubaroo which looks very appealing for Concept Check assignments.

OK we're coming up to my favorite part. She, a math teacher, said that she wanted her students TWIRLING every day Thinking, Writing, Interacting, Reading and Listening! (she had speaking as well, but I am going to say that's covered in interacting). How great is that? She acknowledges the benefits of a well-rounded classroom! Why can't we all do that? I expect my students to calculate the totals on exams and figure out their percentages. I think whole brain learning is always best!

So, personally to me (after my 2 hour flipping crash course), I don't think I would want to flip classes every day but I do think that it will be helpful when working on essays, paragraph structure, grammar points etc. 

The other classes are usually interactive already (focusing on speaking and small groups) and flipping wouldn't be the best fit.

If you want to know more about how Crystal flipped check out her blog, you can also see her worksheets and samples of student’s work: http://flippingwithkirch.blogspot.mx/

Do you flip? Did you have questions?  Do you know of a good alternative to Google forms?
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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Don't flip out! It is just a flipped class! (part1)

Notes regarding the last webinars I attended are still coming, but I managed to get some stuff in on Flipped classes today!

First I listened to Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams talk about Flipped Classes in an ASCDWebinar, and here's what turned up :)

OK first let me say LOTS of people have said LOTS of things about flipped classes. They gave us a few links at the beginning, if you end up being interested or just have more questions you should really check them out!
http://flippped-learning.com   http://flippedclass.com   http://flippedlearning.org   http://flipped‐learning.com   http://flippedlearning.eduvision.tv

Most people look at flipped classes as: "Classwork is done at home and homework is done at class" This is part of it, but they broke it down to some easy to see steps.

First off as a teacher you have to think. "What is the most valuable use of class time?"

For me, as an ESL teacher, it is speaking practice (pronunciation), them hearing native speakers, them getting to play with the language, writing, critical thinking and peer grading (which I standby as one of the best ways to learn).

To me, Aaron Sams said it best when he said, "We want students engaged in science, not listening in science." He admits that it started when he would record his lessons for his students. That way when someone missed class they could watch the class and catch up on the main ideas and then see the teacher with specific questions (YAY time savers)

In the end they decided to use the videos for the bottom two tiers of Bloom's Taxonomy (recollection and understanding) and trying to do the more complicated parts of Blooms together in class (analyzing, applying and evaluating) and possibly creating!

As a TBL lover this is great point. By moving the first two steps to home we have time in class to work on something more involved.

An important part to note is that the videos aren't always the first time the students see the information. Sometimes teachers give the videos at the start of a lesson. Other times they'll throw in in the middle. And yes, even sometimes at the end. The great thing is there's no WRONG way to do this!

Myths and Misconceptions:
  • Flipped classrooms are all about the videos. 
    • They are important to give you time to do COOL stuff, but they aren't the be all and end all of flipped classes. In some ways most upper division classes I've taken have been flipped. We were expected to do all the reading and research out of class so we could discuss and debate in class.
  • Flipped classroom relies on homework 
    • They suggested that you have stations, like in Elementary school, to avoid the homework concept. What about the Have vs. the Have Nots? Assign that homework to be done in school not at home just outside of the period (which is hard for athletes). Personally I think this part was a little weak and that with most of my students' schedules it would have to be done at home.
  • Flipped classrooms create a digital divide.
    • If a student doesn't have the internet you can put the videos on flash drives. If they have no computers you can burn the videos onto DVDs. The problems get bigger if you don't have a DVD burner, but you can write grants, ask the community for computer donations, ask a local tec company if anyone can refurbish some computers to help a school. Where there's a will there's a way!
  • Flipped classrooms propagate bad teaching (lectures). 
    • Lectures can be bad. They can be students falling asleep and teachers droning on and on, or they can be dynamic interactive classes. The same goes with videos. If we make interactive media rich videos then it is not encouraging bad teaching, it is giving us more time to teach in class while engaging students in a manner they are used to. They can be interactive. They are interesting. They are media rich for the YouTube generation.
  • Flipped teaching is only for math and science.
    • There's a PE teacher known as the flipped coach: Jason Hahnstadt. Basically, he feels that as a PE coach we spend too much time telling students how to move instead of them spending time moving. Check him out at FlippedCoach.com If you can do it with PE then you can do it with any subject! 
  • Flipped classrooms will solve all your problems and make your classes perfect.. 
    • It is NOT magic! As Jon Bergermann said, "It won't solve all of your problems in class. You still have to be a good teacher."
So what is it?
  • A tool in the tool box. It is a tool in the tool box that you can use when it works.
  • Use the idea as a stepping stone/bridge to make best combination of homework/classwork you can use with your students 
  • Try to think of a flipped classroom as flipping the attention away from the teacher and flipping the attention toward the student.
The webinar discussed how helpful it is for special ed students (since they can repeat the information as often as needed) however I don't have special ed students so I didn't focus so much on that part.

Problems?
  • What about students who can't learn from videos? (We recognize there are different learners)
    • Basically this allows students to use the videos as one way to learn, but allowing them to have others if needed. Basically it is applying self-differentiation. You assign tons of options of how they can get the knowledge and then they choose what works best for them.
  • You can also apply this to students' assessments. Students need different ways to represent that they have learned something. (It's why I give 5-7 different assignments for short stories and allow students to pick 3)
  • What about the kid who doesn't watch the video?
    • No magic bullet, this is just like every student who doesn't do homework.
    • Some teachers have students watch in the back and they just miss out on in class time.
So how can you easily flip your class?
My great IH San Diego students flipped!
  • Flip assessments
  • Flip the tools (iMovie, Prize, etc.)
  • I see myself flipping
    • Essay structure
    • Grammar points
    • Some of my TOEFL lessons
How long will it take to flip a school?
I thought this was interesting to note:

The first year: You will be working on something new, but keep at it!
The second year: You will have some bugs, yet things will be getting better.
The third year: Almost there you'll just be getting rid of some wrinkles.
By the end of the third year: Everyone will know that this is just the way things are done.

Overall
Well it was nice to hear from teachers and see the questions other teachers had. Parts of the flipped classroom seem appealing, and while I don't think I would flip my whole class I may flip a lesson or two along the way. 

The mentioned their book is out so if flipping classes is something you want to learn more about you may like to check it out.

 (I found another webinar the same day! If you want to hear what I learned from a teacher using this now check it out here)  

Have you had a chance to try flipping classes? What do you think? Or why haven't you done it yet?
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Communicative Activities in Reading

I am working on a project for a SNS (Spanish for Native Speakers) class right now and we need to create an hour of lesson plans regarding an article and communicative skills.

The problem is that I am so used to using a reading to teach grammar... eeks for having to break out of my mold, but YAY for being able to try new things!
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