Fun with the ToonDoo

ToonDoo was a lot of fun. My concept was exit slips. Exit slips are a WTL strategy that spurs the students to think and then write. It also provides feedback to the teacher with regard to her students. Students are to write on a piece of paper (or index card) either an answer to a question or a free writing about what they learned in class. It can be used as a teaching tool for the next day because the students share insights into what they learned and what they need to know. They may also let the teacher know what they thought of the lesson (i.e., boring, exciting, etc.). This would be useful in my math class. Often times we assume that our students have a deep understanding of concepts previously taught, but sometimes they forget and some claim they were never taught. In any event, this tool allows the teacher to review or revise those problem areas.

What I believe...

I believe I could easily incorporate some of these WTL strategies in my math class. I especially like the idea of the exit slips and admit slips not only to help students with their writing but to use as a gauge of what they know and don't know (see http://www.wku.edu/3kinds/dmaesguide.html for pros and cons). I also believe that providing a daily writing break might be useful for the same reason. Halfway through class, students could write what they learned on index cards and provide examples. Some of these strategies are similar to one another, such as the exit and admit slips, mapping and clustering, written conversation and write around, with only small variations (see http://www.wku.edu/3kinds/ writdemolearn.html for some specific ideas).

Strategies for the Future

Justin and I finished the book trailer for our book "The Number Devil." I've learned yet another wonderful tool to use in my classroom. Justin and I began this project by playing around with separate movies before agreeing on the final script. The book trailer captures the audience's attention right off the bat. I can't wait to see the movie :)

My topic for the Reader/Writer's Project is "What are some effective and viable building block strategies for teaching math vocabulary that I can use to help my students attain content literacy?" In the past, I taught vocabulary rather passively in math (not in reading), but now I realize the necessity in students taking a more active role in their vocabulary learning process, utilizing background knowledge and connections that work for them so that they can have an arsenal of vocabulary that makes sense to them. I want students to be better equipped before they read the text and before taking part in explicit lessons.

If anyone would like to write to me about their ideas for teaching vocabulary, your comments are welcome.

Writing from the Inside, Your Way, and Commonsense Matters

I love Tom Romano’s description of the writing process and “Now you don’t see it, now you do.” Murray similarly punctuates this by stating, “Writing is not thinking written down after the thinking is completed. Writing is thinking.” Rief also designates a paragraph subtitled “Writing is Thinking.” Thanks guys for explaining this. I know too many people who click those keys fast and the written words appear like magic. It makes me sick. When I write, frustration is overwhelming at first because my thoughts are racing and jumbled. Organizing ideas on paper appears impossible, but once I achieve complete quiet with no interruptions the words finally begin to flow. Often, eyes must close and focus is a concentrated effort, but eventually ideas form and the printed words come alive as they appear on the screen.

Just Talkin'

I just came back from the river, nice night, cool, dark getaway, and believe it or not my sister-in-law and I talked about this class, the readings, the assignments, etc. She is a teacher too, by the way, of 15 years. I was talking to her about the statistics stating that 7000 teens drop out of school every day. My brother was sitting there too, and they both were pretty blown away. Anyway, I told her that I got frustrated responding to the readings because I feel that so much attention is given to what teachers and the educational system can do to improve the gaps and reduce the number of dropouts. My frustrations lie in the area of research. I am a dropout. I didn't drop out of school because of failing grades. I didn't drop out because school was necessarily boring. I dropped out because of what was going on in my life at the time. I dropped out because of stuff I couldn't control. I dropped out of 11th grade and I was supposed to graduate from 11th grade. I wasn't dumb, I wasn't behind, I didn't lack confidence, I didn't blame my teachers. I was a kid with what seemed to be unsurmountable problems. I dropped out because I couldn't deal with the pressures from both sides. I had teachers who showed special interest toward me and in keeping me in school. I had a counselor who actually encouraged me to stay away from home because my schoolwork and attendance improved when I ran away.

I am not so arrogant as to believe that this is why most students drop out of school, but at the same time are we putting too much emphasis on defective pedagogy as the root of this dilemma? One reason I didn't write about this after first reading the chapter was because I couldn't find any educational research (on the internet) on students dropping out of school due to circumstances at home. I realize that those put in a position to do research that is designed to improve the educational system feel motivated to focus on topics of which they have some control. Afterall, there is little teachers can do to improve a student's home situation, but there are a whole lot of changes they can make in the classroom. I just worry that the system is placing too much emphasis in the wrong place. I feel that in the long run, at times we are doing more harm than good by constantly revising the curriculum and over-analyzing methods and strategies. I just think we need to be careful about creating whole classrooms based on this narrow research. I had students last year that ended up at Caritas. One student watched his mother die at the hands of her boyfriend's bullet. Another student transferred to our school after being bullied and beaten badly at his previous school, and then ended up at Caritas. Everyone has a story. This chapter is correct in stating that we must get to know our students as individuals, but don't think for one moment that creating exclusive lessons for groups of students will close the gaps or keep them safe and in school.

By the way, I am not a cynic. I do believe that there is hope for each and every student that walks in that school door. We just have to give them our ears, our encouragement and our best, and, above all, hope that every big or little thing we do is enough.

What Don't I Read?

I read everywhere and everything. I read down at the river, at the pool and in the tub (water seems to be a theme), lying in a bed or sitting in a chair, waiting at the doctor's office or in the carpool line at my daughter's school. I read mysteries, psycho thrillers, science fiction, travel books, historical novels, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, textbooks, fiction and non-fiction. If I had to choose which I like best I couldn't say, but I do know that I seem to read more psycho thrillers than anything else, probably because of availability. I have a neighbor who works at a bookstore and gives me publishers' books to read all the time. I also get books from my daughter and sister-in-law. I'm never without a book to read. While I'm teaching and busy it may take me 3 months to read one book, whereas I read "The Number Devil" last weekend in a day. I am currently reading "Letters to a Young Mathematician."

My husband built extra bookshelves in my office and since then I have five boxes now filled with books. I don't have a favorite book, but I have a list of most memorable books and certain authors that I remember. Sometimes a book is memorable because of events occurring at the time I read it. Sometimes it is interesting because of my interests at the time. Other times it's just entertaining like taking a vacation. Speckled throughout my lifetime are memorable books such as the Nancy Drew series, "The Outsiders," "The Omen," "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud," "Watership Down," Stephen King, "Clan of the Cave Bear, " Jane Goodall, Anne Rice, "Raising a Spirited Child," because it helped me through some extremely tough times, "The Gate," "The Kite Runner," Patterson, Reichs, Kellerman, etc.

It's strange, I don't remember what grade I was in but I do remember the first poem I read in school. It is called "Shooting Stars," by Aileen Fisher (I had to google the title to find the author). I've known this poem all these years (at least 37).

When stars get loosened
in their sockets,
they shoot off through
the night like rockets.
But though I stay
and watch their trip
and search where they
have seemed to slip,
I never yet have found a CHIP
to carry in my pockets.

I loved this poem at the time because of the images it conjured. I don't know why I still remember it though. I remember that my primer was a green book called Glad something. It was basically Jane sees Spot. Spot runs fast... I also remember that teachers would always call on me to read if we had to hurry and finish up before the bell. I was a fast reader, and proud of it, but I didn't understand a thing I read during those hurried reads. I'm sure most of the other students didn't either.

Podcasting Vocabulary

Listening to the first podcast I first thought this was a really good idea, but after listening to a few I realized that every podcast was virtually the same. I believe the students were given a template of sorts to follow instead of allowing some creativity and ownership of this project. So, how does this benefit students? What is beyond the making of the podcast? If each student is responsible for making an audio of one word, how do they learn the other vocabulary? I did not get a sense of purpose for this assignment other than how to make an audio podcast.

I can, however, see potential for podcasting vocabulary in perhaps other formats as being more beneficial. A video podcast that illustrates the word might be helpful. A less stringent template that allows the students to have fun with the assignment might allow this tool to be used more successfully throughout the year so that it doesn't get boring for the students. If students were given ten minutes (or a homework assignment) to come up with the script then put in groups of four, each having a role of defining and using the word in a less linear fashion and illustrating its use, then at the end of class the teacher could show the final products to the entire class and each could be responsible for all of the vocabulary.

Ch. 16- 17: Reflection on Building Success …. And Thinking Through Assessment

7000 teens per day drop out of school. Wow! That’s 365 x 7000 = 2,555,000 teens per year. Two million five hundred fifty-five thousand teens per year. That’s approximately 4 times the population of Louisville. I just can’t get over these numbers, even though after researching I discovered that these percentages have been decreasing over the years since the 1970s.

Basically, this chapter states that in order to close the achievement gap it is important that we motivate and engage students, but in order to do this we need to connect to students as individuals, find meaningful ways to make content real, use tools such as the Thinking Maps to identify patterns and relationships in student thinking, and provide ways for students to express their abilities and feel confident in what they know and what they learn.

Ch. 17 is well placed because the ideas from chapter 16 lead us to the realities of the classroom, and, unfortunately, present day assessment is the reality of what teachers face in the classroom. I completely relate with the teacher who left the note. Teachers are constantly bombarded with data from the school, district, professional journals, university classrooms, newspapers, etc., that are all conflicting. Somehow we are expected to trudge through the mire and make sense of it all, then devise the best teaching strategies that will ultimately fulfill everyone’s expectations. Just think, all of these professionals can’t agree on and then implement best strategies in the schools, but teachers are expected to synthesize, develop, and then carry out best practices for students.

I can say this, I have tried both ways. I have tried teaching for literacy and it feels right. I have made connections with students, taught from the text, devised my own lessons when necessary, expanded and given projects when it feels right to do so because I feel that students would benefit from the investgation and/or extension, and so much more. I have learned from this class (EDTP 620) and this book that there is so much more I can do as a teacher (such as math literature sessions, picture books, vocabulary building through concept circles and other types of Thinking Maps, and meaningful technology).

I have also been guilty of preparing students for the test. The district provides the school with math modules. We are told that we must find a way to integrate these test questions in our lessons. This practice usually begins about six weeks before CATS. It takes away from lively discussion and meaningful lessons. It is DULL!!! I get to the point that I am bored and then I say, “ENOUGH!” not to the school but to myself. I give up the modules long before the big test. Then I start feeling bad, thinking, “Am I doing right by my students? What if they don’t do well?” I hate this time of year. Everyone is at an all time low, frantic and stressed. It really is a roller coaster ride.

Podcasting - Chew on This

What a great experience! Laura, John, Justin, Natalie (my daughter), and I did a fantastic job, in my opinion. We based our podcast on the McLaughlin Group (a PBS question and answer show on political issues) with John Reker as John McLaughlin, Laura as the conservative right-wing representative, me as the liberal left-winger, and Justin as the middle of the road, even keel sort of dude. Each of us was up to date on the book and ready to go. We reviewed our questions the day before and came prepared so that we had very few takes, yet there was still plenty of improvisation. What fun!

I am looking forward to using this in my classroom. I can see that students would be excited to participate, so much so that they would be motivated to actually read the assigned material. I think I would start off slow, with just an article or excerpt, before implementing this tool upon reading an entire book. I look forward to sharing this with my colleagues at Moore.

Ch. 6 - Of Times, Teens, and Books

As I was reading this chapter, I was pretty much going along with the message of societal change forcing us to introduce new and relevant literature, that is until I started thinking of my 11-year-old daughter, who is going into 7th grade in the coming year, reading some of these books. I've always fashioned myself as pretty liberal, but the thought of exposing my child to books that illustrate shootings and violence, drugs and alcohol, I just don't think she's ready, although there may be others in her class who are mature enough to adequately synthesize the intended messages without getting hung up on the social realities or truly becoming afraid. We have been told as parents that exposure to news because of the violence it portrays can be terrifying to our children. Well, my child lives in a bit of a sheltered world where she is still allowed to be a kid, and I'm fine with that for now.

So, my question is how do we know that the literature we are asking students to read is not harmful to some? Every person has their own perception of the world and their surroundings and their own coping styles. After all, isn't it all about their perceptions? As teachers we can try to ease their fear if we realize this is happening. But what if we never know? I think this is territory that needs to be traveled very carefully.

Chapter 5 - Tom Sawyer, Teaching, and Talking

There are people who do and there are those who delegate, and delegate well. Yes, I agree that it would be a Utopian classroom if our students did all the work, yippee! More importantly, I agree that multidimensional discussion is essential to the classroom environment. An interesting true story or a story based on fact or even a discussion of current events allows students to formulate thoughts, opinions, logical reasoning, sequencing, etc. Questioning each other, listening to others' responses, and revising thoughts and ideas help students to become better thinkers and speakers. And isn't this want we want to achieve as teachers?

Better thinkers + better speakers = effective communicators.

Ch. 7 - Mastering the Art of Effective Vocabulary Instruction

I have always thought graphic organizers a somewhat cumbersome idea for teaching math vocabulary (don’t ask me why), but after reading this chapter I am particularly interested in the idea of using Concept Circles. I think I could begin this at the start of a lesson and students could build as we move through the unit. They could even provide examples. I think this would work better for more complex words that need extra examples.

Generally, when I teach vocabulary to students, we begin by talking about other words that remind us of the new word and we break down the word by its prefix/suffix and root when possible. Then, I use the word in a sentence; they look up the word using the dictionary on their laptop and we discuss the meaning for clarity; they write the word in a sentence such that the meaning is easily inferred; and, finally, we make up silly sentences (and sometimes actions) using the vocabulary word (e.g., acute angle – a cute little angle, “little” meaning less than 90 degrees). Students also build a word wall in the room. The words are written on separate sheets of large print paper that also includes the definition and an example or two. The students are able to refer to this throughout the year.

Ch. 15 - Making It Matter Through the Power of Inquiry

Organizing units around inquiry that sparks debate and inquisitiveness is the main point of this chapter. Students are more engaged when they are given a purpose for reading and learning. Initiating lessons using this approach gives students focus and allows them to act as scientists or researchers in their search for answers. A broader understanding is more likely achieved if the questions are framed in such a way that students can pull from various resources and visit other related areas surrounding the subject matter in order to make appropriate connections. Finally, competence is achieved when students develop ideas that closely resemble those of an expert.

In the classroom I use various methods of introducing lessons. In my experience, I have found that inquiry-based lessons are often effective for engaging students and making content matter to them. I love when they enter debates on issues and challenge each other. I try to guide the discussion only so far as to keep them on track and interject with questions that ask them to delve further. Students love to make things personal. Assessment for understanding is wide open, too. Students can research organizations and write letters, pamphlets or brochures, make proposals, give a persuasive argument, design and give a presentation, etc. Keeping assessment positive is also essential in order to use this method successfully. Students hate to fail, and shut down when they do, so keeping positive is a must.

In my Practical Living class with 7^th graders, I opened a lesson on decision making by asking the students, “How would you persuade a city council that money would be best spent by building a particular facility?” They were given several facilities to choose from and a list of criteria. They began a classroom debate regarding the different buildings (recreation center, park, playground, library, et al) and challenged each other on their choices. I had to redirect several times, asking for instance, “How do you think these decisions are made in government?” They got in groups and assigned roles to each other. They kept a log of the work done for each day. They used their laptops to do research and some groups actually did extra work at home (this was big for this group). Often times during group work they had to be redirected to focus on the issues because many of them became more concerned with the pictures and making the final product “look pretty.” However, in the end, they had learned much more than just the concept of decision making (many of them using the PACED chart), including working as a team, communicating effectively, opportunity cost, and some of the intricacies of government budgeting and planning. Their competency was determined based on their contributions within the group as stated in their own personal log (believe me, students will tell on each other), daily participation, accurate information, research, planning, and the final presentation. The bottom line is, the students were engaged, learned beyond the scope of what was asked of them, owned this project, and matured as citizens, while I enjoyed watching them learn.

Chapter 4 - The Essence of Understanding

The method that Keene used in Adolescent Literacy to engage students was remarkable - much different from how most of us were taught. This kind of ties in to a prior reading - using stories to teach any core content hooks students and makes the content easier to digest -yet brings even more meat to the senses. I was particularly struck by the students who were forthright in expressing why they were able to engage in discussion now when normally it was like pulling teeth. They seemed to agree that the way the lesson was presented heightened their sensory awareness (i.e., visual – as from the photos – and emotional), thus keeping them focused and wanting to know more. Also, allowing more time for concepts to be built on, without a sense of urgency, seemed to be a component the students felt was missing from the everyday classroom. It makes me very sad when I hear stories like this (i.e., students feeling like they're just doing what it takes to make the grade), especially since this is why I hated school so much. Honestly, if it gets to the point where my students feel that all they are getting from my class is "the grade," then it’s time for me to quit.

Ch. 10 - Teaching English LA in a "Flat" World

Wow! I love the idea of establishing a threaded discussion for my classroom. After reading some of the Pre-Cal 30S and Ch. 10 of Ad. Lit., I would be crazy not to at least try this. I also like the idea of taking turns as scribe - what a great way to stay up to date.

Other ideas in the Ad. Lit. book, such as the eight roles that Friedman offers, are apparent though not always manageable. Recently, in math class, my students and I worked on a scholastic magazine about waste, recycling, and global warming. Students researched ways to save water and use less garbage. Much information was given in the Scholastic magazine, but each student also had a laptop (unfortunately, they won't have them next year) and was able to do additional research. Anyway, my point is, we could've done a whole lot more with this unit than we did, while keeping it mostly math focused. The students were really engaged and learned so much from the little we did in class, but a threaded discussion or blogging would have really made a more powerful impact.

Also, we do a lot of collaborative work and investigative work in math class. The Connected Math books encourage students to find algorithms through guided investigations, without specifying one particular method for accomplishing this goal. Often times students work in groups. They assign each person a role and keep a log of each member's role and their work accomplished. They are encouraged to communicate to one another such that each person is participating effectively.

Ch. 1 Thoughts About Adolescent Literacy

I have taught mathematics for over seven years (over five years in high school and two in middle). What is truly amazing is that I am not the stereotypical teacher. In fact, I almost failed Algebra in high school, finding it abstract and complex, and quite frankly I spent the entire year completely lost. Other subjects were also uninteresting, except maybe Creative Writing and English with Mr. Fox, who was a fox. I think the real turn-off for me was the fact that we were spoon fed uninteresting, irrelevant material that later we were expected to regurgitate accurately for a "passing grade" (recitation literacy). I was so turned off by my high school experience that I almost didn't go to college, but after years of urging from friends I decided to give it a shot. Mr. Olsen was the name of the teacher who helped me overcome my hatred for the educational system. He taught Algebra I at JCC. The man danced around the room with enthusiasm and sang out connections with the real world that involved every learning aspect of algebra. He brought in slides to show his own experiences of using math as a boy scout leader (yeah, I know, pretty corny, but it worked). It was this teacher and this class that were ultimately my inspiration for choosing math as my major and, as importantly, teaching as my career. My point is not that all teachers need to be entertainers - even though it helps - but we do need to find more innovative ways to teach students relevant information that is sustainable for the long term. Yes, the work force is becoming increasingly difficult and what makes one person stand out from another is not just their specialty, but, more importantly, their ability to communicate effectively and personably, basically public relations in all its creativity.

Chapter 1 of "Adolescent Literacy" points out the importance of implementing 21st century tools, strategies, and goals in order to reach true adolescent literacy (i.e., meaning, students ultimately achieving a high school diploma that is relevant to their future). I truly believe if this had been the educational approach when I was in school then perhaps I wouldn't have become such an early education cynic. Those teachable moments of building a student's knowledge base and helping them to achieve as critical and creative thinkers are becoming obsolete in the classroom because of mounting pressure stemming from district and state-wide tests designed to measure accountability. As teachers we must know that our most effective teaching occurs when our students are engaged and motivated through real-life connections that are relevant and meaningful for them in today's world. Yet, who wants to be the one to buck the system? What about my pacing chart for teaching the required curricula within a certain time frame? I have eight district-wide tests to give at certain times throughout the year. How do I accomplish this?

I wonder what would happen if students participated in our professional development seminars. Hmm.