Group items tagged

Personal relevance examples are given in order to make lessons and information meaningful for students. Personal connections to material will help retention of material as well as motivate student willingness to learn.

One thing that came to mind when I read this article was a technique of vocabulary instruction that my school has been using for the past few years. It is called the "Marzano" method of instruction (named after Robert Marzano) which asks students to give their own impression/explanation of a new term before it is used in class. I often like using this technique for vocabulary in Physics that has a contemporary meaning aside from how we will be using it in our course. One great example is "Resistance" in circuitry. I will ask the students (as per the Marzano method) to write down a description or explanation of this word, then I will go around and record the results from random students around the room. The 'group' consensus definitions are then combined to come up with the 'official' or 'technical' definition of the word. It's amazing to see how many students have odd connections to words that help explain the science meaning of the word. Once I had a student bring up the idea of resistance meaning a "rebellion" or "uprising" of sorts. In electrical terms that is not the 'true' definition, but having the students visualizing the electric conductor 'fighting back' against the electron flow can easily guide students to the more appropriate usage of the word. This way, students can see that these 'new' terms are ones that they already have an inkling of understanding for. Their understandings are not useless, but rather need to be expanded upon as we learn more about our content.

This seems a really excellent support for the PBL model of instruction - providing real-world context to the material of a class motivates learning, and allows students to activate prior knowledge. See also the another edutopia article: http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-student-motivation

I like the ease of use of this software tool for a classroom setting. Since time is limited for a particular subject, this tool allows interaction, quizzing, gives helpful hints, provides short questions and answers that will hold students' attention, and at the same time provides geography statistics of the United States. Students can challenge themselves over and over for the quickness of the answers, and knowledge of the content. Technology can be overwhelming, so with limited time, I think software integration in a classroom should have ease of use.

Hi Sharon, This website provides multiple aspects in 1 site, which is very good for students to use. I could see myself using this tool when discussing more about where students live and finding more information about Maryland. The only con was that personally it was hard for me t navigate and find certain features. For students, they would definitely need more user-friendly tools. This is definitely a website that will save a lot of time and energy, and provide reinforcement of topics learned in social studies!

Hi Sharon, I took a look at the website and I agree that it is perfect for a classroom setting. Students can work together to complete the activities or the teacher can use the software to assist class lectures. The program is effective because it comes with a map and key visuals that would help students learn their geography. I took a quiz on the rivers/lakes/oceans and I didn't do very well, however I believe it was great practice, after a few attempts, I will be able to learn their names and locations. Great tool selection! Best, Denee Devenish

Today's state-of-the-art health education curricula reflect the growing body of research that emphasizes Teaching functional health information (essential knowledge) Shaping personal values and beliefs that support healthy behaviors Shaping group norms that value a healthy lifestyle Developing the essential health skills necessary to adopt, practice, and maintain health-enhancing behaviors. Health teachers are able to use this to develop strategies and use best practice strategies in their own classrooms to assist with teaching in the classroom.

Importance of determining and integrating prior knowledge as an instructional strategy for ELL's.

Tests show that pre-service teachers have unscientific ideas about "source of stationary current", "The concept of current, energy and potential differences are used one another by mistaken", "current usage" and "sequential reasoning".

This is a great resource for technology integration. The sites listed are easily adaptable across subject areas. This would be a good tool for differentiation and for teaching to different learning styles. I particularly like the ReadWriteThink site and the Screencast-o-matic. The ReadWriteThink site allows students to demonstrate knowledge, and the Screencast-o-matic seems like a great tool to create sub plans!

This blog was very interesting and reminded me of tools I haven't looked at or thought to use in my classroom. I could see using Google Earth for students to have an interactive adventure through history. Also, I envisioned myself using the Screencast-o-matic, Quzziz, and Formative with my students.

Dimension: Depth of Knowledge Rating: 3 This article is a good example of how to collaborate and learn from peer to peer. I like this exercise because it would allow students to apply words to topics for understanding what is necessary to build an essay. This could be used for group#4 action plan and a good tool to support my team's SMART Goal achievement for improving their writing proficiency for the 5th grade students because it focus on decreasing their English language barriers so they are able to reach their WIDA exiting level of 4.4. With practice students will be able to remember what they are learning so that they are able to break the text and understand what they mean in order to write. Scaffolding would be a good way to get to the bottom of improving in the English language.

Great video! It directly addresses many issues ESL/ELL teachers have in reaching their students, and in helping them make sense of complex texts (like the one mentioned here from 'The Washington Post') and other readings. (Again, as I often mention, if you have taken 'reading literacy' courses for your state teaching certification, you know that newspapers like 'The Post' are designed for students with grade 12+ reading ability.) For ESL/ELL learners, this is especially difficult. In the school featured here, 27% are ESL learners in a "blended" classroom in a Portland, Maine middle school. It appears that the social studies teacher and the ESL support teacher work effectively in tandem, helping students to be "close readers," and focusing on students themselves as those responsible for their own learning. The teachers use excellent ESL/FL strategies such as "pacing and pausing," "reading aloud," "sharing with partners," and so forth. ESL/ELL learners work together with their mainstream counterparts, and the process seems to work quite well. I like their approach ('Reading, Thinking, Talking, Writing') here. With proper teacher guidance, this puts the burden on the students to come up with their own interpretations of the text/s they are reading. From the 'Planning and Protocol Rubric': hitting '4s' on most dimensions, except for perhaps 'Technology Integration' (not entirely evident). Otherwise, students are expected to perform at a very high level. My SMART Learning Goal: After three weeks of targeted instruction--and in concert with the content-area teacher--75% or more of our students will score at least one point higher on their ESOL RELA and ESOL math assessments. Targeted instruction, based on the requirements of the 'Action Plan Tracking Sheet,' closely hews to what is going on in this video.

This is a great article stating that students' reading is strengthened by teaching all the subjects and progressing them in logical order.

this is a "protocol students can use to share and gain knowledge in preparation for an assessment."

I would rate the Go Go Mo protocol a 4 in the Rigor and Relevance dimension. While using this protocol, students are not only thinking (when they are giving) but also working. Students are actively moving around the classroom seeking out others from whom they can get new information. The teacher also suggested that they take their readings with them, which may hint at the fact that may still need to actively search for information. My group's SMART goal is that students will be able to analyze word problems to identify mathematical components needed to solve complex word problems and apply them to real-life problems and scenarios. This method could be effective (may be used on a smaller scale with 2-3 people for word problems) in that all students will have to identify information that they deem important and share with their classmates. From here, they can begin to decide what information is actually most important to solving the problem that is proposed and work together to solve the problem.

This activity will help close the learning gap by enabling collaboration and information sharing between students prior to exams.

A useful module that explains how tiering can provide help learners learn better and has videos of examples. This can help improve Smart Goals for improvement in assessments, and homework and classroom performance.

I enjoyed the video on Tiering. Our teams' SMART goal is, "Students will be able to solve an on grade level math task, that will require them to respond and defend their work to explain their reasoning 3 out of 5 times by the end of the 1st marking period." I think an important concept to note, is that this activity has a high Impact on Learning because it differentiates for the particular needs of each student. This process also encourages Student Engagement, which allows for the students to work comfortably in a peer environment. By having more time to plan differentiated work to meet simultaneous goals between students, the teacher is also scaffolding. The teacher is giving support to students who need it and to also challenge those students to maintain interest or to continue the work of those who have mastered a specific skill but may need more advanced strategies to continue the upward curve of learning. EDTC 615 Fall2018

With the video, the topic of towering the lesson is shown. With my SMART goal focusing on the 11th graders in my health education classes, it I'm important for me to address all the educational needs of my students. Currently, I use DI in my classes and I found a piece of information from the video that can I can begin to implement. The teacher had her students raise their hand with chosen number of fingers in the air. The number represents the level that each student feels they are on in regards to understanding the topic. While the exact way this strategy is used is not something I think will be effective with my high school students, the number system is. I can have my students write and post their perceived number and explain why they chose that number. Then, I can see the comfortability each student has with the topic. THey would have to apply extended reasoning which is a respresentation of depth of knowledge from the planning protocol rubric. EDTC Fall2018 EL

Two prominent methods for closing achievement gaps are discussed in this article: 1. increase district control over teaching and curriculum, and "minimum standard of instruction", 2. using teacher teams to develop curriculum and teaching methods. Because district control leads to set curriculum, methods, and assessments across schools, progress is easily measured. However, talented and creative teachers tend to feel less valued as educators, and more like tools of implementation. This could cause less effectiveness for having to fit lessons within such a strict construct. Teacher teams, or Professional Learning Networks, empower teachers for contributing to development of effective lessons. Educators tend to enjoy this approach, since it is more natural to teaching and learning, though it is difficult to measure what is being learned. Under district control, the focus can be on research based interventions, where measurement relies on teachers not straying from the mandated processes. Alternatively, it can focus on teacher learning, which would output teachers with similar goals, but who can draw from their own experience and knowledge. Mountain High School in Pleasantville, California, was divided into "learning communities" of around 80 students. Teachers were to serve as advisors, regularly contact families, collaborate with colleagues, and ELL and Special education students were divided amongst the communities. The teacher lack of experience with PDs showed, as they were more focused on student problems rather than ways to improve instruction. Teachers were also not used to contacting parents outside of problematic situations. It was also necessary to provide accommodations that help struggling students to strengthen the lacking skills that are preventing further growth. The proposed methods seemed sound, though implementation in the case study, was still problematic. The lack of success was potentially due to lack of understanding of what compris

(Week 9: Amber, Angela, And Kenneth) This article is accessible through the link given by accessing Diigo. This article discusses two methods for closing the achievement gap due to teacher collaboration. The article discusses how teachers can collectively have discussion that may identify and address the structural issues that are built into the school system. Teachers can use this article to begin to understand how their instructional practices can be hampered by systematic inequalities. The idea of all of this is for these "Collaborations to require and build trust, routines and skills for further collaboration efforts. This also means that the collaborators will need training in order to help them talk about issues of teaching and learning and critique each other's practice (Levine and Marcus, 2007). This would be useful for our practicing teacher because (1) They teach in different districts so there will be some disparities, (2) critiquing each other can be more helpful and a great learning experience. References Levine, T. H., & Marcus, A. S. (2007). Closing the achievement gap through teacher collaboration: facilitating multiple trajectories of teacher learning. Journal Of Advanced Academics, 19(1), 116-138. From http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ786607.pdf

EDTC615 Fall2018 Group1 This is my smart goal: By the end of 1st quarter 75% of the LSN Government students will be able to analyze political cartoons with 75% accuracy for historical content and meaning for the LSN FAST 2 test. My students will not be able to perform well if I can not use effective questioning skills in order to assist them in inquiry-based learning to "seek" the answers they must know in Historical context. The article uncovers the use of questioning, the types of questions asked, and how to effective use questioning to assist in the learning process. Questions are asked in the classroom environment on a daily basis but often times not effectively or correctly. Most times questions are asked in such a random manner that often times leave the student in a state of confusion. Teachers can use this article to assist in their instructional practices by learning how to effectively ask questions with the use of Bloom's taxonomy of learning, the types of nonhierarchical questions as teaching tools (convergent or divergent questions), classification of questions based on knowledge dimensions, and several other different methods/components that used together effectively will produce relevant and effective questioning techniques for teachers and students

(Week 9): Jenn, Jim and Sabrina Source: This journal article is accessible through the link given above by accessing the UMUC library. Focus: This journal article focuses on the need for preparing an increasingly diverse student population for life in the 21st century. In addition to addressing differentiation, our classrooms "will be heterogeneous in nature, (as well as) learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, instruction-centered, and community-centered." Teachers in these classrooms "will need to be proficient in 'teaching up,' or planning learning experiences at a high level of challenge." (Tomlinson, article abstract) Why the article is useful: Teachers in our group work with students from very diverse socioeconomic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Many of these students come to us from homes where English is not spoken, where their families may be disadvantaged with issues relating to poverty and social isolation, and who often have a variety of special needs (SPED, ESL/ELL, etc.). Reference: Tomlinson, C. (2015, April 14). Teaching for Excellence in Academically Diverse Classrooms. Society, 52(3), 203-209. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=d8e836f2-a403-4b8f-a484-e5e63f248a74%40pdc-v-sessmgr05

WEEK 8 - (Chris Baugher, Patricia Bankis and A. Burns) Assessment is the key to good instruction. It shows us what students know and allows us to adjust our instruction. Assessment is tied to learning goals and standards, but students must own the assessment process as well, as they must be able to articulate what and how they are being assessed -- and its value.

This article provides five useful strategies to help students improve and to improve assessments. There are two key factors in this article which ring true for me. The first is "formative assessment and feedback along the way" (Miller 2015) where students are given specific feedback on their assessment on how to improve and continue forward (Miller 2015). "Formative assessment allowed students to experiment and, yes, sometimes fail. However, they were given the tools, both through feedback and instruction, to improve and move forward to success." (Miller 2015). What this entails if differentiated instruction; something my district and school are pushing for. The second is "student ownership of assessment process" (Miller 2015). Giving students choice, options, and freedom allows students to take ownership and responsibility for doing something all while doing their best on it. In addition, students will know more about what is being asked of them or what they're supposed to do in order to earn a higher grade or preform the task more effectively. "These methods mean that assessment is no longer done to students, but with them, putting the focus on the student and learning" (Miller 2015). Hopefully with these implementations and integration, students can feel the focus from assessment scores to learning content and gaining understanding.

This article is useful when considering big picture assessment objectives. In my own experiences, I have touched upon each of these strategies when conducting an assessment, but I've never built each of them into one assessment. The (5) strategies mentioned in this article include: Aligning Essential questions at the beginning of a unit to standars, building in written assessment components for students to describe/explain in writing, creating performance and project-based assessments to demonstrate understanding and application of concepts taught, regular and on-going formative assessments and feeback to help teachers to better tailor instruction to meet each learner's needs, and involving students in the decision-making process when choosing activities and when determining diagnostic measurement tools. As a World Language teacher, I think that these tasks which are challenging in themselves to build into curriculum, become extremely difficult in the L2 setting. I'm wondering how L2 instructors find themselves doing each of these things on a regular basis. Do they conduct all of it in L2, as it is suggested that L2 teachers do, or does some of this end up being done in English?

This article describes the report of a 4 week study of the English reading comprehension of struggling readers. The research used technology to decrease achievement gaps in reading. Thirty 4th-grade students read narrative and informational hypertexts that contained vocabulary, comprehension strategy supports, and text to speech read aloud features. In the process, vocabulary and comprehension achievement was observed in the students. The results in this article suggest that struggling readers and Spanish-speaking ELLs used technology and beneficiated by learning vocabulary and effectively applying reading comprehension strategies.

In reading this article it was quite interesting to me the successes that occurred when the school incorporated the use of a technology based universal digital literacy (UDL) tool. The digital text coupled with vocabulary support was instrumental in the success of these students. It is also important to note that the stories given to the students to study were a blend of folktales that represented many different cultures rather than strictly from the US. It is important to note that when ELL students and struggling readers are given text or material that is relevant to their own culture they are able to access prior knowledge to make connections to the new material. The supports utilized in the study were the initial discussion of "power words" that are prominent in the text. The mid reading strategy is a support to develop comprehension by prompting students at the end of each page to stop, reflect and summarize/predict then being prompted to give a written or recorded response. These activities are able to be tracked using the technology thus furthering a teachers ability to interpret student needs and supplement with various strategies in the classroom. An important element to this programs success was the training of the teachers on the UDL technology.

This is a game that I introduced to my A & P class. Memorizing the bones can be a difficult task to students. This game helps them learn with colorful interaction. There are 4 different types of games so this can help engage learners who struggle with reading a text book to acquire their knowledge

This article speaks of how implementing the framework known as Environment as a Integrating Context (EIC) can help close the achievement gap for students and lead to deeper connections through all subjects. The framework focuses on using the surroundings, and community around the school as a basis for the education. Understanding that if students can connect knowledge to visual cues and surroundings that they see everyday, it will help in the long term memory of those lessons and a higher mastery rate. This framework in my opinion should be used for secondary education. I believe this because that particular age group will be able to connect what they are learning in other subjects through this framework and it would be extremely beneficial when it comes to the standardized testing.

This article shares a intervention that was used to help close the vocabulary gap between Latino and Anglo students. A group of 5th graders were taught academically useful words along with some strategies . Those strategies include, "using information from contex, from morphology, from knowledge about multiple meanings, and from cognates to infer word meaning." The students in the the study showed greater growth in vocabuary comprehension than students who were not a part of the study group.

This blog post gives great great resources for teachers to use to fill instructional gaps related to identifying the main idea: ~ sample survey questions to gain knowledge of students main idea misconceptions ~ a list of student misconceptions ~ a great real world analogy to address students' misconceptions ~ At the very bottom of the blog, their are several additional resources related to the topic (podcast, sample lesson videos, etc.)