Chapter 15 Statements

Jenna's Statements

1. "Thematic units are nest designed by the following six steps: limit the scope, identify what is important, create the enduring understanding, plan the conclusion, plan the introduction, develop the body."
1. I think this is a great way to plan a unit rather than always going straight through the textbook or through the order in which the events occurred. I think as a student it would make remember the information through connections much easier.
2. "The best strategy with output is to establish the goals and objectives for the unit and communicate those goals to students so they know what they are expected to learn. Once students know what they need to be able to do, you can provide a range of options for ho they demonstrate that learning."
1. With common core, it is emphasized all the time that the standard and objectives be stated for the students at the beginning and all through out the lesson. However this is a good reminder why we are supposed to do that. 
3. "Critical thinking is a key element of teaching social studies."
1. Without enabling my students to think critically about the content within social studies they will not remember it. I know for me, all through school I tried to just memorize it, and I always forget it right after the test. I think if I had been challenged to think more critically about it and think about why it is important then I would have taken it to long term memory and remembered it longer.

Courtney's Statements

• "The way you engage your students includes helping them see the effects of events on different people."
• To teach different perspectives of things I will need to teach in many different ways so that students are able to realize there are different ways to learn and see the world. 
• "Move back and forth from the local to the global, helping students make connections between their daily lives and the lives of people affected by events around the world."
• It is difficult but important that as a teacher I help my students see the connections between local and global events. This just helps the events become more real to the students. If the subject becomes relevant to the student then they are more apt to remember it. 
• ". . . do not allow a textbook to constrain the lessons, activities, information sources, and assessments planned."
• It is great to use the textbook as a resource but it shouldn't be the only source for information in the classroom. When students are given access to multiple sources of information they are more likely to learn the information needed. It also helps the student learn how to interpret different modes of information. 

Tori's Statements

• "It may be that the social studies you were taught included many perspectives. If it is not, do not despair; you can teach differently and provide insight into a range of experiences."
• I think this is an important thing to remember, even in any subject area. It is actually more than likely that we, as teachers, will be expected to teach things differently as we were taught. It is important that we adapt to the new, and mix that with what we find works best. We have to have minds that are okay with change.
• "Some people may think that it is not possible to teach with a focus on critical thinking; local, national, and global communities; sweeping themes; and a sense of responsibility to the community because the standards rely too heavily on testing factual information."
• Like the authors, I completely disagree with this way of looking at teaching, as well. While it of the utmost importance that our students are learning the standards and are comprehending factual knowledge, I feel it is also important that we are molding good citizens that are educated to continue to make communities thrive. 
• "Meaningful social studies teaching refers to teaching for learning and critical thinking that incorporates diverse perspectives and students."
• I like this definition because it really put the core of social studies into perspective. Social studies should be incorporating critical thinking and new information, not just a bunch of geography facts and historic dates. Social studies is teaching students the past and how we can learn from that. 

Tyler's Statements

“To encourage students in social studies, you should design lessons that are interactive. For example, plan lessons that incorporate multiple intelligences”

It is extremely important to have another aspect to planning a lesson then just a lecture and a worksheet. Students need to be able to interact and manipulate the content as much as possible. This will harbor interest in them.

“Educating students about the way history can be interrupted differently by different people is important, and if you are not providing students with access to primary sources and teaching them how to evaluate secondary sources, you are not preparing them to think critically”

The statement really brings to mind the phrase, history is written by the victors. It is important to see history for what it is and that is a big story told from many perspectives. I believe that Germany probably teaches World War 1 a little differently then we do.

“Teaching students how to think deeply about what they are learning is one of the single most important tasks of social studies.”
This statement really stuck out because it applies to all of the subjects. Even farther it extends to life as well. Teachers need to encourage students to be deep thinkers. After all if they can be deep thinkers then they can learn just about anything that they want to learn.

Alex's Statements:

“Engaging students in social studies is complex.”

This stood out to me because I remember always having a hard time connecting with social studies. To me it just seemed like a lot of things to remember. Not very often did we do interactive activities to learn about social studies. If students got to do more hands on assignments with social studies, it would be much more interesting.

“Plan lessons that incorporate multiple intelligences.”

The book mentioned this statement in regards to making the lessons more interactive.  By incorporating multiple intelligences you are engaging a range of students and including diverse activities. The students will be required to think on different levels and they will be challenged. This will tremendously help them be involved.

“Output and assessment strategies to support all students include providing choice.”

It was interesting to learn how to assess students in regards to social studies. This book encouraged multiple-choice, essays, oral presentations, etc.  The student needed to be able to choose what they wanted to do or how they wanted to answer a question. Presentations and essays leave more room for creativity as well and more room for interaction. 

Chapter 14 Statements

Tori's Statements:

• "Students completed writing tasks in three areas: narrative writing, informative writing, and persuasive writing."
• These are the three categories of writing that students grade 4 through 12 need to work on. Narrative writing is focusing on telling a story. Informative writing is to engage and give information. Lastly, persuasive writing is just that, persuasive.
• "In the last 30 years, there have been several significant changes in writing instruction in schools."
• This "change" includes the testing of student's writing, what types of writing are being taught and given much attention, and also how writing is being taught. Four areas received a lot of attention: process of writing, the effects of writing on learning, the reading-writing connection, and the use of software and word processors to write.
• "Digital media and writing are a match made in heaven..."
• I think that this quote stuck out to me because of the opportunities technology has offered the classroom when it comes to writing. Word processor, blogs, websites, etc. All of these things can be used as creative outlets in the classroom. I want to make sure to use these technologies at hand to the fullest when I become a teacher.

Tyler's Statements:
"Instead of trying to shy away from digital media, we need to learn about it, use it, and help our students use it well."
Technology is here to stay, so let's embrace it! We need to teach the students to make the most out of what they are given. The world of digital media opens a whole new world of ways students can make and share content.

"In the editing stage, strategies must scaffold skills toward independent editing. Teachers sometimes fall into the mistake of doing all the editing for students, who then simply recopy or retype the work without thinking about the changes that are required."
One way that I would combat this in my classroom is to read over the students rough draft and only correct one of each kind of mistakes that I see. Once I do this I will instruct the students that they need to re-read their work and look for those types of errors.

"The advent of such assistive technologies as the Neo2 and the iPad 2 has made technological adaptations affordable and accessible to many students who may have lacked access to writing in the past."
Coming from someone who has an iPad, it is a great tool for learning. It makes writing and editing papers a breeze. With special apps there is an even better opportunity for students to advance their writing abilities.

Jenna's Statements:

• "Your role is to advocate for equitable use of technology in all schools and remain fluent in using emerging digital technologies. This means continuing your training once you are a teacher, and remembering that the best teachers are always learning."
• Desiring to work in a low income school I realize that majority of these schools will not have the same assess to the amount of technology as other schools. However, advocating for better and making the best use of what is provided is something I need to aim to do.
• "Writer's workshop-a component of balanced literacy-is a model that emphasizes using class time for a brief minilesson on a topic of use to the majority of the class, independent writing time, and independent writing time, and individual writing conferences with the teacher every few days to check progress on a writing project.
• I really like this idea for a writer's workshop. As the chapter points out that it aligns very well with differentiated instruction which is huge! I also like that the students meet with the teacher one-on-one through out the workshop.
• "Instead, we should teach students that there is a time and a place for all language usage, what those times and places are, and how to switch back and forth."
• I think this is an important one to remember! Language will be huge when working with higher grades because students will have all developed their own different lingos to fit in. Therefore, remembering to teach what language to use in what settings before punishing students for the use of incorrect language is critical in my opinion.

Courtney's Statements

• "The mistake schools have often made is to tell students that the only right way to talk and write is conventional English.."
• I need to keep in mind that it is my responsibility to teach my students the circumstances in which it is appropriate to use different forms of language. Standard English is not the only language to communicate in. I need to remember that one's background influences the language one speaks.
• "... just as with reading, it is important that all students are seen as literate and capable of expressing themselves through writing."
• Students need to be fluent in writing because  there will always be circumstances in which they need to write. They will all need to be literate in writing in order to communicate with others.
• "Remember that not all students will have access to a computer outside of school, and not all students will be fluent users of technology without direct instruction."
• It is easy to take for granted that all students know how to use technology in our technology rich age. There will always be some children who are not as influenced by technology and as a teacher I need to keep up to date with all the new technologies so that I can pass that information on to my students.

Alex's Statements:

“Many students struggle with revision and redrafting.”

This statement stood out to me because it is a fact that teachers have to deal with. Students do not enjoy revising their paper; they barely enjoy writing it in the first place. They also have a hard time correcting it if proper feedback was not given. It is hard to re-do something when you do not understand what is wrong with it in the first place.

“Being able to produce writing through typing instead of hand writing can defuse barriers to writing that emerge for students who do not have good fine-motor control for writing in pen or pencil.”

Technology has become such a significant part of teaching. A lot of students have a hard time expressing their thoughts and writing them down. Sometimes typing can be easier for them and helps them produce better work. However, I think it can make it more difficult as well. Some students cannot type as quickly as they can write so if they are timed then they are put at a great disadvantage.

“The model of writing instruction you use in your classroom may be determined by the school district.”

I never realized how much of an impact the school district had when it came to instruction of writing. I learned about different writing curricula which was interesting to me. Depending on where you teach, determines how you teach students to write. This produces diverse writing styles in students across the states. 

DI Strategy Kit

U-P-S Strategy

• How it is used?
• It is used as a formative assessment because it allows the thinking process to be tracked.
• U = Understanding the problem
  P = Planning out your steps to solve (Must be done in writing, but students can use pictures first to help get to the writing process.)
  S = Solve (Give your reasoning for the process.)
• Check
• Check reason to see if the process is logical
• This is a formative assessment that would be used mostly for math. An example in which it can be used is for group work. In the video from Teaching Channel, the teacher has the group use the UPS strategy on a big piece of butcher paper. It could also be used for homework assignments to track students' thinking processes. 
• It can be differentiated with allowing pictures to be draw first for the hands-on/visual learners.

Stoplight Method

End-of-Lesson or Class Assessment

• This formative assessment is set up on the wall. It is an easy way to find out from students what they learned, what questions they have, and what stopped their learning today. Have three laminated, large circles (Green, Yellow, Red). If you have them posted near the door it is easily accessible for students on their way out of the classroom. Give students a sticky note, and they post it on the appropriate circle on the way out.
• Green = today I learned...
  Yellow = today I considered a question or idea or new perspective...
  Red = today, my learning stopped because...
• This is a great way to quickly organized what students grasped the lesson verses the ones who need additional help. Additionally, it allows you to see where to go next in the lesson tomorrow. 
• The three categories can easily be adapted to whatever is need to be age-appropriate. 
• In my classroom, I might also use this mid way through a lesson allowing the students to get up and move around and take a break while I see what needs further instruction or if I can move on.

Fist to Five

• Have students hold up a fist to five fingers depending on how they feel. A fist mean it was the worst experience, three means it was alright, and five it was excellent.
• This can be differentiated based on the question asked. The students can rate the lesson based on the content or it can be rated on the social experience. 
• I would use this during group work to find out about the social experience. It would be a good way to assess how well the group is collaborating. It could be used in math to see how students feel about fractions.

3-2-1 Summarizer

• Students state 3 things they learned, 2 ways the information relates to them personally, and 1 question they have about the material.
• This is great with the Common Core because it encourages students to relate what they have learned to real life situations. 
• It can be differentiated based on what you as a teacher wants to know. Some days it may be more important to know what questions the students have so have them write 3 questions and 1 thing they learned.
• It is a good exit ticket. Also can be used after reading an informational text before starting the assignment for the day.

                                                                             One Minute Essay:

After the teach relays new information to the students, give them one minute to write a short essay about what they have learned. They are much more likely to remember the material if you do this from time to time and have them write it down.

• This will be a good break in the middle of the class so that the students get a small break but also have time to really focus on what they have learned thus far in the class. 

                                                                      Jigsaw:                

Divide the students up into four groups and provide each group with some material to study. Allow the students to become experts on that particular topic. Then, by choosing one student from each group, develop four different groups and allow the “experts” to share what they studied with the rest of the group. This is fast, effective way to cover new information; it decreases student workload, and encourages collaboration. 

• This will be a great strategy to use in the classroom because  it allows the students to develop their ideas and learn how to present them to others. 

                                                  

                                                                        Ball Toss

The teacher asks a question and then throws a ball to a student who has the answer to the question. The student then tosses it to another student who has to answer a question asked by the teacher. The ball is tossed to each student so they can all answer questions. 

• This is a good way to get the students active in the class room. They will be exercising their minds as well as their bodies. 

Individual Response Boards

Each student has a small white board or chalk board. The teacher

asks the class a question and the students record their response on the board.

• This is a great way for the teacher to check quickly whether the students have the answer to questions right.

                                                       

                                                                  KWL Chart

The students write down one thing they KNEW. They then write down one thing they WANT to know. Then they write down one thing they LEARNED.

• This can be used for an exit ticket. It is just a quick way to find out what interests the students. 

                                                        

                                                          Trashcan Basketball

The students line up and have to answer the question the teacher asks. Then if it is correct then they have the opportunity to shoot the "basketball" at a 5 point, 10 point, or 20 point mark. 

• This is a fun way to get the kids active in mind and body. 

                                          

                                                                  Colored Cups

The students have three colored cups on their desk such as red, yellow, and green. When the teacher asks whether they understand the concept the kids will put the green cup on their desk if they understand, the yellow cup if they kind of understand but have a question, and the red cup if they have no idea what the concept means.

• This is a quick, easy way to see whether the students understand what is being taught in the class. 

                                       

                                                             Four Corners

The teacher has the option to choose basically anything to label the four corners of the classroom. 

For example, the teacher may ask an opinionated question and can label each corner with a 

different answer. The students go to the corner they agree with. 

                                          

                                                   Index Card Summaries:  

After a lesson, have the students summarize what they have learned on an index card. 

• This is a great way for the teacher to read what the students have retained for the lesson

Exit Cards:

This can be as creative as one will allow. The possibilities are endless. Some examples are: asking a question before the students leave and have them write the answer, then they are expected to give the card to the teacher on their way out the "exit". The can be simplified or made harder according to grade-level.

Clothesline:

The teacher hangs a string out across the room. One side of the string will represent “know a lot” while the other side is labeled “know nothing” and the students place themselves where they feel necessary for a particular topic. 

ABC Review:

Students are asked to draw tiles from a container with letters on them. The students then will be asked to make a statement about the topic beginning with the letter. 

RAFT:

RAFT stands for:

• R=Role 
• A=Audience 
• F=Format 
• T=Topic 

This motivates students because it appeals to several different learning styles and interests. It can be presented in many ways and used as a unit hook, an assessment at the end of a unit, a lesson within a unit, a test review, etc. 

Three Minute Pause:

After several bits of new material has been presented in a class period, the teacher will ask the students to brain-storm for three minutes about what they have learned thus far. This is a time they can take notes, sketch a picture of what they have learned, and overall journal their thoughts.

1.       Diverse teaching: using thing like visual, verbal, and non-verbal to teach to a variety of students. (Example) As I lecture my students on subject matter I will also make drawings of what we are talking about on the board.

2.       Portfolio writing: Each student has a folder with their writings from the year. As the year goes on their writing style should improve. (example) I would use this in school to measure improvements of the students in writing.

3.       Matching boards: These are pre made boards that may have Velcro that will allow students to place a variety of responses to a variety of subject matter. (Example) identifying plant cell with answers cut and laminated to be placed in correct order.

4.       Study buddies:  It can be a good idea to give students a study buddy because having an extra viewpoint is very beneficial for many subjects. (example) I would use this for subjects like science in which students need to do a lot of analyzing.

5.       SDL (self-directed learning): When a student is complete with their work they can enrich their learning using pre-approved projects such as reading groups and educational games. (Example) I would use this in class to both further the child’s learning and development and to also keep them busy while the other students finish their work.

6.       Idea Spinner: The teacher will have a spinner that has things like predict, explain, evaluate, and summarize. The teacher goes to each student with a topic and has them spin the spinner. The student then has to do what the spinner lands on. (example) I would most likely use this for science and reading because both of these subjects have predicting, explaining, evaluating, and summarizing.

7.       Inside-Outside Circle: The teacher instructs half of the students to form a circle facing outside and the other half facing inwards. They then ask questions to each other and then rotate. (example) I would use this as a review tactic for the students.

8.       Double Bubble Maps: It works like 2 bubble maps squished together. This allows the students to examine 2 things in detail and then compare and contrast them as well. (example) I could use this in reading to analyze to characters.

9.       Flow Maps: This map is used to show sequence or order. It is a series of boxes, to be filled with content, and they go in sequential order. (example) I would use this in class during reading to make sure the students Know what happened and in what order.

 

10.   GIST: This is all about being minimalist. Explain something to the children in about 25 words, then in 20, then in 10. By the end of this you are left with only the main idea. (example) I would use this as a tool to teach the students about effective communication. Sometimes they get lost in the details and some students get along better with just getting the gist of it.

1. Homework Checkers: This is when students work on their homework together and come to a conclusion about what the answer is. This way the teacher only has to grade one set of homework. 

Example: Have students go over their math homework together in groups so they figure out the processes.

2. RSQC2: The students are given two minutes to recall and list everything that they learned in class the previous day. Then they have two more minutes and they summarize those points in a single sense. Then they write one question that they want answered. Lastly they identify a theme to connect this material to the courses major goal. 

Example: This would be really good to use in a history class. I would have the students list things they learned about a specific war, then follow the rest of this assessment technique so they could make connections and ask questions.

3. Walking through Pages: This is used to familiarize students with the book. The students get 3 minutes to put sticky notes on the favorite parts of the book. After the time is us discuss with each child is their favorite and why. Mark it in your book so you have an interest inventory. 

Example: I would use this during reading. It would help the students get excited about the book. It would also help me figure out their interests so I can make connections to other assignments.

4. Ticket out the door: This is where the students are given an index card or sticky note and they have to show a report of what they learned that day. 

Example: I would use this when teaching vocab and have the students use a vocab word in a sentence.

5. Cubing: The cube has 6 faces with a different activity on each face. Use the 6 levels of Bloom's Taxonomy on the cubes. 

Example: I would use this for station work. It would be good for students to have a different activity that goes along with the theme in reading of that week.

6. Even Dozen: Students draw 12 boxes after looking at certain material. They group students and have them write the main concepts in the box. One student says something about a box and label's it #1. The next student chooses a box, and says something about it that relates it to #1. They label box #2. The cycle continues. 

7. Divide and Conquer: Divide the class into groups and give each group a section of the board to write on. Each group has different problems to solve. One group at a time goes to the board and answers teh problem, but the group can help each other out. 

Example: This would be really helpful for math. The students could work out a problem as a group. They could also help each other out with the process.

8. Hot Seat: Use post-it notes, write questions and stick them underneath the students' desks or chairs. 

Example: I would use this for a test review.

9. Wise Sages: Teacher announces the topic. Students create their own questions about a topic in three minutes. They put these on post-it notes. The group goes through them and initials which ones they know the answer to. THey take turns choosing a question, looking to see who initialed it, then asking them to answer. 

Example: This would be really good for a scientific experiment. They could ask questions about something like the process of photosynthesis. 

10. Vanity Plates: Students take on the role of the topic to be studied for the purpose of creating a vanity plate. They assign a topic of study. The students create a vanity plate related to the topic of study. The students share by lining up in parallel lines, student facing student. Then they rotate. 

Example: I would use this for my students to create a board of descriptive words to describe a particular character.