The link http://www.mrsoshouse.com/pbl/pblin.html has a wealth of information about PBLs from why they are important to how to incorporate rubrics in the learning. It is important for teachers to use rubrics appropriately so students understand what they did correctly and what they need to remember in the future. Without feedback, students will have no idea how to improve and expand what they know and what they are doing. There is also a link to create a PBL checklist/rubric for different content areas and grade levels. The link that the resource page included is http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/index.shtml.
There are also a lot of different project ideas on the Mrs O's house link that can be adapted to meet the needs to students throughout the classroom at different grade levels. Many of the ideas have links to additional information that students can use to complete their research.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Resource Link
While researching Problem Based Learning, I came across an interesting website for information that students could use to research particular questions. The website is http://www.webexhibits.org/. This site had a lot of information about a few topics, but included lesson plans and ideas for student work and student projects. For example, there is an exhibit on color and pigments that goes into detail about how each color is made/seen, the history of the color, the history for how color was used, and how to use color in a variety of art techniques. Creating an exhibit would be an interesting PBL activity that would give students the opportunity to use technology to research and create a meaningful website and project.
What Could go Wrong with PBL?
After watching the video about PBL in the discussion, I was interested in learning more about PBL and thinking of ways to incorporate into my small groups or even as a whole class activity when I am co-teaching or providing push-in special education support. While thinking about how great the activity could be, I never really considered what could go wrong throughout the process. This link to another teacher's article gave me ideas on what to consider and look out for when planning a project. For example, it mentions reviewing the district calendar for holidays and when school would be closed and the project would be on hold. I would have to consider as well special events like field trips, any assessments, and special activities at my school site before starting to plan. I never even thought about reviewing the calendar until reviewing this site.
The article about another teacher's "failures" can be located at:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-failure-planning-successful-pbl-katie-spear
The article about another teacher's "failures" can be located at:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-failure-planning-successful-pbl-katie-spear
Starting out with Project Based Learning
I wanted to research more about Project Based Learning and how to start a lesson. I found a website that had a good overview on what PBL is, how to search for information, and additional resources. This site also reminded me of WebQuests, which is something I learned about and designed at the beginning of my Master's program that I completely forgot about until the reminder.
This site gave a general overview on how to start planning PBL, as well as some basic examples. The website is http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx?tabid=100&entryid=267. After the reminder of WebQuests, I started searching for some Science ones at the 5th grade level, and Scholastic had a bunch of examples. I found those at http://teacher.scholastic.com/webquest/science.htm. Some of the links, like the one for Amber, are no longer available. I can see how students could use WebQuests to get excited and familiar with research before moving into a long-term project.
This site gave a general overview on how to start planning PBL, as well as some basic examples. The website is http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx?tabid=100&entryid=267. After the reminder of WebQuests, I started searching for some Science ones at the 5th grade level, and Scholastic had a bunch of examples. I found those at http://teacher.scholastic.com/webquest/science.htm. Some of the links, like the one for Amber, are no longer available. I can see how students could use WebQuests to get excited and familiar with research before moving into a long-term project.
Example of Project Based Learning
For Problem Based Learning strategies, I did a google search for strategies to use with 5th grade students, as I spend a lot of time in our general education 5th grade class due to my caseload. I came across this Schoolyard Habitat activity that I thought was interesting and a good example of PBL. This website includes the question/prompt, as well as student examples of work around the prompt for the lesson. Every document needed is also shared on this page, including standards being addressed and why PBL is a good strategy to use in the classroom. There's even information on modifying it for a higher grade level.
After reviewing the lesson and information, I can see how the students could get excited about completing a project and setting goals for completion. It seems much more interesting then reading and answering questions from a text book.
Link for PBL example:
http://pblu.org/projects/schoolyard-habitat-project
After reviewing the lesson and information, I can see how the students could get excited about completing a project and setting goals for completion. It seems much more interesting then reading and answering questions from a text book.
Link for PBL example:
http://pblu.org/projects/schoolyard-habitat-project
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Visualizing - Making a Brain Movie
Visualizing has always been a fun activity to work on reading comprehension in the classroom. I always try to pick read alouds and books that have detailed and interesting language that will help students visualize and make a movie about what we are reading.
The article at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/brain-movies-visualize-reading-comprehension-donna-wilson describes this strategy as a way that "can help students make sense of complex nonfiction subject matter and "see" the characters, setting, and action in stories." I have found that students enjoy visualizing when they get to draw what I am reading. During whole group activities, when we're first discussing visualizing I provide the students with a worksheet where they can draw what they picture in their mind every few pages. They are doing their own after we have done examples in class. Students pair their images with a list of words that made them see the "movie" that they have created in their mind. This is a strategy that I use often in small groups reading and in different content areas.
Image retrieved from http://www.smekenseducation.com/visualizing-while-reading-with-mind-movies.html
The article at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/brain-movies-visualize-reading-comprehension-donna-wilson describes this strategy as a way that "can help students make sense of complex nonfiction subject matter and "see" the characters, setting, and action in stories." I have found that students enjoy visualizing when they get to draw what I am reading. During whole group activities, when we're first discussing visualizing I provide the students with a worksheet where they can draw what they picture in their mind every few pages. They are doing their own after we have done examples in class. Students pair their images with a list of words that made them see the "movie" that they have created in their mind. This is a strategy that I use often in small groups reading and in different content areas.
Making Connections
I have found that when students make connections while reading they tend to comprehend and remember the information. With this strategy, students make personal connections to the text via text-to-text connections (relating the new text to previously read information), text-to-self connections (connection to text based on a personal experience) and text-to-world (relating the text to something happening in the world).
The website http://www.readingresource.net/strategiesforreadingcomprehension.html has different examples of how to focus on making connections while reading. One example provided focuses on using story vocabulary to lead to connections based on those vocabulary words. The students can either write their connections or draw pictures to show their understanding of the topic. The use of pictures has been effective for my students who are English Learners as they are more willing to participate when the English demands are lower.
Image Retrieved from http://teacherificfun.blogspot.com/2012/11/anchor-charts.html
I have used a chart similar to the one above in my classroom for students to reference during a discussion. I use similar sentence starters/frames throughout discussions for students to reference during the discussion. I have also used independent sheets similar to this one during independent reading and small group reading. These sheets provide students with the opportunity to draw their connection as well as write their connections.
Image retrieved from: http://teacherificfun.blogspot.com/2012/11/anchor-charts.html
The website http://www.readingresource.net/strategiesforreadingcomprehension.html has different examples of how to focus on making connections while reading. One example provided focuses on using story vocabulary to lead to connections based on those vocabulary words. The students can either write their connections or draw pictures to show their understanding of the topic. The use of pictures has been effective for my students who are English Learners as they are more willing to participate when the English demands are lower.
I have used a chart similar to the one above in my classroom for students to reference during a discussion. I use similar sentence starters/frames throughout discussions for students to reference during the discussion. I have also used independent sheets similar to this one during independent reading and small group reading. These sheets provide students with the opportunity to draw their connection as well as write their connections.
Jigsaw Groups - Creating an Expert
An effective strategy that I am just starting to use more often is a jigsaw cooperative learning group. With this strategy, students are assigned to an expert group about a subject, and then break into small groups where the students have different topics related to the main topic. According to research on this strategy, "Jigsaw is an efficient way for students to become engaged in their learning, learn a lot of material quickly, share information with other groups, minimize listening time, and be individually accountable for their learning." (www.teachervision.com).
The teacher can differentiate texts based on the students reading and language levels as needed. It gives the students an opportunity to research a topic, and then present that information within the group where everyone is an expert on a different, but related, topic. The student has to be sure that they understand the topic well, otherwise they won't have information to present to the small group and then the whole group.
An example can be located at https://www.teachervision.com/group-work/cooperative-learning/48532.html?page=1.
The teacher can differentiate texts based on the students reading and language levels as needed. It gives the students an opportunity to research a topic, and then present that information within the group where everyone is an expert on a different, but related, topic. The student has to be sure that they understand the topic well, otherwise they won't have information to present to the small group and then the whole group.
An example can be located at https://www.teachervision.com/group-work/cooperative-learning/48532.html?page=1.
Sequencing a Story - First, Next, Last
This graphic organizer is a common one I use when working on sequencing a story. I use a sequence organizer often while reading fictional texts in small group. I like to use the transition words of first, next and last as those are use often in different grade levels when writing. Using an organizer similar to this one helps students realize the different parts of a story and how there is a particular order to a story. This also helps students realize how to retell a story from the beginning instead of just telling different parts at different times, which happens often with students on my caseload as they will forget what happened at the beginning of a story and just focus on the end. It can also be used in different content areas, such as science and social studies, as both areas tend to have a specific sequence of events and order.
KWL Charting before Reading
Image Retrieved from: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/KWL-Chart-595724
I often use KWL charts when introducing a new non-fiction text to start building background knowledge for all the students in the classroom, especially since so many of my students are English Language Learners or do not have the exposure to different topics and information in their daily lives from family, books or television. This gives us not only a starting point for the topic, but it also gives the students an opportunity to ask questions about the topic and what they should pay attention to while we are reading the text. After we have completed the text, we discuss what was learned and chart that information as well as a whole group. This strategy activates prior knowledge, gets students ready for the new reading task, and provides them with a chance to answer the questions from the "what I wonder" section as well as discuss anything new that they learned from the text.
Additional information about KWL charts can be located at http://www.nea.org/tools/k-w-l-know-want-to-know-learned.html
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Why Vocabulary Development is Important
For my students, and many other students, being taught difficult vocabulary terms is critical for their understanding of a topic or a text. As academic demands increase with the Common Core Standards, it is important for students to be explicitly taught academic vocabulary and how to apply new vocabulary learning to future texts.
This page demonstrates how I would teach character traits of a leader to a fifth grade guided reading groups. Examples of charts I would create are included, as well as descriptions of what I would do in different situations. These activities explicitly teach words as well as application to different texts that students will read in the future.
This page demonstrates how I would teach character traits of a leader to a fifth grade guided reading groups. Examples of charts I would create are included, as well as descriptions of what I would do in different situations. These activities explicitly teach words as well as application to different texts that students will read in the future.
Using New Knowedge for a New Task
After reviewing character traits in nonfiction texts, as well as reviewing character traits and how they apply to him or herself, the students will use their new knowledge of character traits that good leaders have in fictional texts. Here is an example of a character trait graphic organizer that can be used for fictional texts:
Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/teaching-character-traits-readers-workshop
The students would select a character, and using what they know about character traits and evidence from the text, select the trait a specific character has and how they know that character demonstrates that trait. This task may involve reviewing different traits before reading the text, but students should be able to use what they learned to complete this organizer.
The students would select a character, and using what they know about character traits and evidence from the text, select the trait a specific character has and how they know that character demonstrates that trait. This task may involve reviewing different traits before reading the text, but students should be able to use what they learned to complete this organizer.
Application of New Vocabulary
After students have learned new vocabulary terms for character traits, and have had opprotunities to review and learn more traits, the students will create a character silhouette of the different traits they have learned and how they would describe themselves. This will give students a way to apply the different traits, and new vocabulary, in a meaningful way. The students will then write an explanation as to why they believe they are the different traits listed in their silhouette.
Retrieved from : http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/teaching-character-traits-readers-workshop
Bringing the Information to the Group
After the students have reviewed different character traits behind good leaders, the group will come up with a list together to review those traits. Here is an example of character traits that a whole class came up with during a discussion:
Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/teaching-character-traits-readers-workshop
As students read different texts, they can add information to this "anchor chart" using post-it notes. This will allow students to add vocabulary and share new knowledge with the group.
As students read different texts, they can add information to this "anchor chart" using post-it notes. This will allow students to add vocabulary and share new knowledge with the group.
Introducing New Academic Voabulary
Part of my day includes running a fifth grade guided reading group with seven students reading at a mid-third grade level. We are currently reading texts involving traits that good leaders have during our small groups. Since the texts are above the group's reading level, I identify words that would be difficult for the students before we read, and we review those words for a day or two before we even look at the text. We do simple vocabulary activities to cover 5-9 vocabulary words for the passage. Here is an example graphic organizer that we may use on the first day as it involves just the word and students have the option of drawing a picture to describe the word or write the definition.
retrieved from www.readinga-z.com
Difficult Concepts and Vocabulary
For students who have difficulty with higher level concepts, like personality traits, students can create Mind Map to show their understanding of new vocabulary. These mind maps can include pictures and simple sentences/phrases to demonstrate a student's personal understanding of a word. I would also ask the students to include synonyms and antonyms to increase their personal understanding of a vocabulary word.
Here is an example Mind Map:
Students would put "personality traits of a leader" in the middle, and branch out with their ideas of what they know or what they learn as they are reading the provided texts. Different colors can be used for different words and ideas as their mind maps build.
Here is an example Mind Map:
Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map#/media/File:Guru_Mindmap.jpg
Students would put "personality traits of a leader" in the middle, and branch out with their ideas of what they know or what they learn as they are reading the provided texts. Different colors can be used for different words and ideas as their mind maps build.
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