A new idea I received from Mrs. Smithson, an English teacher I know about how to infuse writing in my classroom in what she calls "Last=First." How this works is she will give the students a daily topic ranging from quotes to questions. I decided that I want to try this out when the students return from Thanksgiving break with the topic "What am I thankful for?" Students will write for 10 minutes on this topic and must use the last letter of the sentence as the first letter of the next sentence. Here is an example Mrs. Smithson used in her classroom before Thanksgiving with the same topic:
This Thanksgiving there are many things that I feel I should give thanks about. To start, I am thankful for my wonderful family. You really see who is there for you in times of need. Don't ever take this for granted because life is too short.
(I highlighted each letter in red for better understanding.)
I really think this is a great activity because it makes the students think about what they could add to a sentence being limited by the ending letter having to start the next sentence. Try it out, it's harder than it looks!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Comic Creator
I created this assignment for my Web Design class when viewing the differences between designing websites using Notepad vs. Dreamweaver and it turned out to be a huge success. After students created a website by writing their own html codes in Notepad and then again creating the website in Dreamweaver, I had students create a comic strip using Comic Creator explaining which program they prefer and why. It gave the students an opportunity to write their answers in dialogue form, rather than a usual paragraph response. They were able to choose a background, characters, props, and actual dialogue. Comic Creator can be used for a variety of topics and definitely keeps students entertained! Here are two examples I received from my classes:
Friday, November 11, 2011
KWL Chart
I really like utilizing the KWL Chart, but since I teach high school, I have revamped it a bit and here is how it looks in my classroom:
KWL Chart--Original Instructions
Teachers activate students' prior knowledge by asking them what they already Know; then students (collaborating as a classroom unit or within small groups) set goals specifying what they Want to learn; and after reading students discuss what they have Learned. Students apply higher-order thinking strategies which help them construct meaning from what they read and help them monitor their progress toward their goals.
KWL Chart--Revised Instructions
Teachers activate students' prior knowledge by asking them what they already Know about the topic by looking at the title, pictures, and subtitles in the article; then students will read and discuss What they have learned from the reading that they didn't know before; and then students discuss what they still want to Learn about the topic or something they found interesting in the reading. Usually this is posed as questions.
The difference between the original and revised instructions mainly deal with extending the article by having them ask more questions after reading. I do this because I feel that students' not only will construct meaning from the reading, but will pose questions that will allow them to look more into a topic from the reading.
Here is an example that I used last week with my Computer Applications students:
1. Using the article below, fill out the attached KWL Chart:
Green Roof Article
KWL Chart (Revised Version)
In the first column, students would fill out information they knew about Green Roofs. They would look at the article's titles to find keywords, look at the pictures from the article, and pull from their previous knowledge.
In the second column, students would read the article and fill out information they learned from the article that they didn't know before. This means, whatever facts, figures, etc. they read in the article that were important should be put here.
In the last column, students would pose questions about what more would they still want to learn after reading this article. For instance, after reading this article about Green Roofs, students might ask if they would be able to grow a Green Roof in Colorado since our weather varies throughout the year, or they may ask how much it might cost to install a Green Roof. I think that having students pose questions about other topics that could be questioned from one article helps lead to higher level thinking.
What do you think about this writing activity? I do want to add more by having students look up the information they pose in the questions. (I will post real student examples soon!)
KWL Chart--Original Instructions
Teachers activate students' prior knowledge by asking them what they already Know; then students (collaborating as a classroom unit or within small groups) set goals specifying what they Want to learn; and after reading students discuss what they have Learned. Students apply higher-order thinking strategies which help them construct meaning from what they read and help them monitor their progress toward their goals.
KWL Chart--Revised Instructions
Teachers activate students' prior knowledge by asking them what they already Know about the topic by looking at the title, pictures, and subtitles in the article; then students will read and discuss What they have learned from the reading that they didn't know before; and then students discuss what they still want to Learn about the topic or something they found interesting in the reading. Usually this is posed as questions.
The difference between the original and revised instructions mainly deal with extending the article by having them ask more questions after reading. I do this because I feel that students' not only will construct meaning from the reading, but will pose questions that will allow them to look more into a topic from the reading.
Here is an example that I used last week with my Computer Applications students:
1. Using the article below, fill out the attached KWL Chart:
Green Roof Article
KWL Chart (Revised Version)
| KWL Chart | ||
| K—What do you already Know about the topic? | W—What did you learn about the topic? (Support from the article) | L—What more do you want to Learn? (Pose questions.) |
| | | |
In the first column, students would fill out information they knew about Green Roofs. They would look at the article's titles to find keywords, look at the pictures from the article, and pull from their previous knowledge.
In the second column, students would read the article and fill out information they learned from the article that they didn't know before. This means, whatever facts, figures, etc. they read in the article that were important should be put here.
In the last column, students would pose questions about what more would they still want to learn after reading this article. For instance, after reading this article about Green Roofs, students might ask if they would be able to grow a Green Roof in Colorado since our weather varies throughout the year, or they may ask how much it might cost to install a Green Roof. I think that having students pose questions about other topics that could be questioned from one article helps lead to higher level thinking.
What do you think about this writing activity? I do want to add more by having students look up the information they pose in the questions. (I will post real student examples soon!)
Saturday, November 5, 2011
PicLits
As this being my first Blog, I would first like to introduce my hopes for this Educational Blog. I have learned that blogging is not to simply communicate, but writing meant to connect. I personally believe that when I am interested and care about a particular topic, I am more likely to be engaged. This increases the interactions and conversations through feedback, which in turn, deepens understanding. I do believe that my students' feel the same way.
This year, all teachers are required by our district to incorporate writing into each and every classroom. This is a new concept for a lot of teachers because many teachers believe that writing should be done only in the English classroom. We have had many Professional Development days trying to get everyone on board with this concept, and it is slowly working. I have wanted to create a Blog site for my student's simply because I do not feel that their individual writing is enough. I want them to be able to comment on other student's writings and receive feedback on their own. As stated above, this will help to deepen understanding and form a learning space.
I found an incredible website (www.PicLits.com) which is a creative writing site that matches beautiful images with carefully selected keywords in order to inspire. I tried this out last week with my students and it worked wonderfully. Here are the requirements:
1. Log on to the website www.PicLits.com
2. Each day, there is one main picture on the home page that you will use
3. With that picture, you can drag and drop or freestyle (use your own words) to create meaning to the picture (This can be in the form of scattered words, quotes, sayings, sentences, etc.)
4. Save the picture (must have a PicLit account)
5. Share the link with the class
6. Write about what the words, quote, or saying meant to you (This can be a explanation, a story, any type of writing you want it to be)
7. Look at 2 other classmates PicLit's and read their writing
8. Post a comment on their page
Here is an example I created :
http://www.piclits.com/viewpoem.aspx?PoemId=123983
Writing example:
In my life, I have learned that not everyday will be full of sun and happiness. There are some days that may be just plain out dark and cloudy. What I can see though is by reflecting on all that there is in life, I can still remember the beauty of it all.
This year, all teachers are required by our district to incorporate writing into each and every classroom. This is a new concept for a lot of teachers because many teachers believe that writing should be done only in the English classroom. We have had many Professional Development days trying to get everyone on board with this concept, and it is slowly working. I have wanted to create a Blog site for my student's simply because I do not feel that their individual writing is enough. I want them to be able to comment on other student's writings and receive feedback on their own. As stated above, this will help to deepen understanding and form a learning space.
I found an incredible website (www.PicLits.com) which is a creative writing site that matches beautiful images with carefully selected keywords in order to inspire. I tried this out last week with my students and it worked wonderfully. Here are the requirements:
1. Log on to the website www.PicLits.com
2. Each day, there is one main picture on the home page that you will use
3. With that picture, you can drag and drop or freestyle (use your own words) to create meaning to the picture (This can be in the form of scattered words, quotes, sayings, sentences, etc.)
4. Save the picture (must have a PicLit account)
5. Share the link with the class
6. Write about what the words, quote, or saying meant to you (This can be a explanation, a story, any type of writing you want it to be)
7. Look at 2 other classmates PicLit's and read their writing
8. Post a comment on their page
Here is an example I created :
http://www.piclits.com/viewpoem.aspx?PoemId=123983
Writing example:
In my life, I have learned that not everyday will be full of sun and happiness. There are some days that may be just plain out dark and cloudy. What I can see though is by reflecting on all that there is in life, I can still remember the beauty of it all.
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