A whole Other Language

Sometimes I think my students speak a foreign language. I am currently in a school with students from a different area than where I grow up and the slang that they use is sometimes as hard for me to follow, as it would be for them if I started spouting learning theory. Slowly but surely, though, I am starting to learn the language, like the fact that “cook” doesn’t have anything to do with dinner. What has become the most obvious is that I need to accept help and admit when I don’t get it. They may laugh and think it’s funny that I don’t understand, but the next day they appreciate it when I can follow what they are trying to say. Everyday with these students is a learning experience in so many ways, and this is giving me a little taste of what it must be like to come from another country and not understand the language. It’s an interesting perspective that I never expected to get, but would never trade.

I Love Smartboards

Smartboards are so much fun to play with! In the first class I student taught in we used one all the time. It was a little intimidating at first, but once I got the hang of it I wanted to use it all the time. Even more importantly, the students loved to use it. They would jump at the chance to volunteer to write an answer or do an activity on the smartboard, It definitely helped classroom participation. 
                                               We just got one in my current student teaching class and I couldn't be happier. Even better is my guiding teacher hasn't played with one before. I can't wait to see him learn all the great things it can be used for. To that end I have done some research into some good websites for lesson ideas that use smartboards and found a bunch. Some sites that look really good are http;//www.smartboardlounge.com This one has lots of lesson ideas broken up into subjects for whatever you may need. Another good site is http://exchange.smarttech.com This one has lots of templates for interactive games like classroom Jeopardy and Whack-a-mole. It also has the state standards for each grade for most states and lessons that would fit those standards. Very well thought out and organized. 

I suggest anyone who has the chance to try a Smartboard should. And if you try these sites I would love to hear what you thought of them.
 

Always a Student

I learn just as much from my students as they learn from me. Going through lessons with them reminds me of little rules (especially grammar) that I have forgotten. For instance, spell check on the computer thinks that a person who doesn’t smoke is a nonsmoker. However, grammar rules dictate that they are actually a non-smoker. I have forgotten proper comma use, which some of my students seem to excel in. They really enjoy correcting me and I really like being reminded of the rules. We both become better writers, which to me is a win win.

http://problogservice.com/2010/11/03/five-uncommon-grammar-errors-to-avoid/

http://www.11points.com/books/11_little-known_grammatical_errors_that_will_shock_and_horrify_you

Anticipatory Sets

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about anticipatory sets this week, probably because one of my professors really likes them, but it’s got me thinking. I’ve used them before and really liked them. Even more, the students like them and they work. I really need to start using them more often.

For those who may wonder what the heck I’m talking about, an anticipatory set is something that you can do at the beginning of a class to grab the classes attention, and more importantly, get them interested in what you want them to learn that day. I feel that how well these work depend on the class, but if you do them right they can be fun for the students, as well as you. This is the part of lesson plans that I really have my fun.

Here’s an anticipatory set I thought of after (of course I have my best ideas after the fact) I taught a lesson on adjectives and adverbs recently. The purpose is to get them excited and to show them hands on how they would use these parts of speech in their lives.

                           

Start off the day by putting a cupcake (or really good cookie) in front of the class, start talking about the cupcake (or cookie) using adjectives and adverbs. Get your student’s mouths watering. Then explain to the class that you couldn’t adequately describe this without using adjectives and adverbs (make sure you point out which words you used). Now ask them to get out a piece of paper and describe (in full sentences) this cupcake/cookie using as many adjectives and adverbs as they can. Give them 5-10 minutes depending on the class. The person who uses the most (correctly) gets the desert.

Here’s another idea, I would love to hear if anyone has tried something like this and how it worked.

Have the students create their own anticipatory sets. Assign each student a different aspect of literature, characterization, irony, imagery, etc., and a date. To start the class on their date they give a 3-5 minute presentation on their aspect of literature as an introduction to that day’s lesson. This not only gets the students involved in the teaching, but I think students pay more attention to their peers teaching. It’s something different. This could be incorporated with a class novel to add multiple levels to the lesson.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/classroom-solutions/2010/02/anticipatory-sets-meeting-students-where-theyre

This is a great article, from a teacher’s perspective, on the use of anticipatory sets. My favorite line from the article is  “There's a famous maxim that goes, ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.’ The problem with this statement is that it's just not true. The fact of the matter is that you can feed a horse salt so that it becomes thirsty.” This is the best way I’ve ever hear to explain the point of anticipatory sets. Sometimes you need to make your students thirsty for the knowledge you have for them.

The Learning Hidden in Small Group Chaos

While watching the students in my class break up into small groups to peer edit their essays I had to take a deep breath. At first it was chaos. Half the class moved into a clump, started personal conversations, got loud, a little crazy, and definitely was not on task. While waiting to see what my guiding teacher, who was running the class, would do I noticed something that made me smile and just love my job. Two boys in the front corner having a loud and animated discussion…about their essays. They were passionate and engaged and focused on talking about the strengths and weaknesses of each other’s papers and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Moments like that are why I continue to want to teach through the chaos.

This is a very humorous blog post on the concept of homework that I came across. In fact, the blog as a whole is a pretty great read. I wish I were this funny.

http://regurgitatedalphabits.blogspot.com/

http://www.imagination.is/

If you haven't heard of Cain's Arcade, you need to. This kid is fantastic, imaginative, and an inspiration for what he created out of some cardboard, old toys, and his imagination. This site is all about what kids around the country are creating due to his inspiration. It's pretty fantastic. On this page is also the story of a school that got all there students, K-8, together to create a carnival out of nothing but materials they could find, and their imaginations. What they came up with is pretty fantastic.