A Sneak Peak into Modern Language Learning

I got the chance to pop into 3 classrooms today, and wow, each was engaging and relevant, increasing both student understanding and skill.

A Roll of the Dice:  Students review a Spanish grammar concept, writing as many of the newly acquired skill as they can before the next person in the group rolls a "5."

The energy and focus was a buzz into the classroom.

In German, students write about themselves...in the language.

The writing is both rigorous and relevant as students make connections between their art and language skills.

Conferencing is not just for ELA!

Students roll dice to construct a sentence in French.

The race is on to be the first to write an accurate sentence.

Her group is proud of how she applies her French grammar skills.

I'm the Best Thief!

Last week I shared pictures from my walkthroughs at Sappington Elementary, and this week I get to share ideas from both Sperreng and Concord from our district PDC walkthroughs.

Long ago, I realized that I am not the most creative of people, but like any learner, I've accommodated this weakness...I've become a thief.  Very little of what I do was an original idea; instead, I see things that inspire me and morph them into a system or structure that works for me.  As I share the ideas believe, I encourage you to become a thief...think about how you can make any of these ideas work for you.

Let your students know you.  This simple visual lets kids see what they have in common with you and supports building relationships.

Conference with kids.  Pulling kids into another section of the room to meet with them gives them a sense of purpose and direction, as well as a chance to move.

Clever Visuals:  Whether it's the "math stairs" floating around on Facebook or inspirational quotes as shown here, consider how we can use our space to reinforce learning.

Visual Learning Supports:  This chart provides both graphic representations and detail to help all types of learners.

4th Grade ELA Learning - they really have learned this before!

Clever "Whiteboards" - these placements serve as dry erase boards for students in small group learning.

Common book themes - as students read throughout the year, they identify which of the common themes their book showcases.

Announcements on a scrolling screen - as students do their morning work, the announcement scroll on the whiteboard.  This may be a good fit for Flyertimes next year.

The learning in this classroom is spiraled with the teachings of our middle school ELA classes.

Flyervision - this short video announcements are led entirely by students.

A clever roll of the dice to get kids writing.

Visual math - the associated vocabulary is on the symbol

Book Club norms

An elementary schedule - this is how they really spend their time.

Encouraging reading with visual supports.

Encouraging reading school-wide.

Helping students pick books and holding them accountable for being a "real reader."

Inspiration from Sappington...

Today, I participated in district walk-throughs, visiting Sappington Elementary and observing a wide array of instructional best practices.  Often, we think that elementary learning looks so different than learning at the middle level, but should it?

In the classroom....

Math Anchor Charts:  As students work in math stations, these charts provide reference for increased student independence.

Learning Objectives as "I can" statements

Integration of Science and Writing:  In this 2nd grade writing unit, students are writing about force and motion, providing specificity and clarification of scientific terms in their writing and developing an index of main ideas.

Math Review:  As students worked independently to review their concepts, the teacher conferenced with small groups of students.

Math Review:  A combination of high and low tech

Math Review:  Conferencing with small groups of students to identify and remediate misconceptions.

Anchor charts to work on closing paragraphs in writing.

Student Writing and Publication:  Go to Seesaw to learn more about the student's book.

In the Library....

Dash and Dots:  During library time, students program their robots to catapult objects, reading a Level 4 DOK.

Students have suggestions for using technology for higher levels of DOK.

An Idea Shelf:  Whatever the theme, students determine how to represent it and expand on the idea through their own creativity.

 In the Gymnasium....

Core Workouts:  Students scoot along the rope  as if acrobats in training.

Who thought you couldn't paddle board in a land-locked gym?

What used to be a recess staple...

 

Rock Climbing

Ropes and Swings

Building a shelter

Virtual Kayaking

Todd!

Todd!

 The energy of this PE class was amazing as students had outdoor adventure inside!  The criteria was that students access each station once and check their heart rates periodically.  This fun and engaging lesson connected kids to fitness in the real world.

What is Curiosity?

Last week, I was in a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) meeting talking about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with both educators and parents in STEM fields.  One of the key points of the discussion was how much we control the learning of students rather than giving them the opportunity to build knowledge based on their curiosity.  It was then reinforced when my monthly "Education Update" arrived in my mailbox on Friday.  And, one of the articles, "The Wonder Years," highlighted how to nurture students' natural curiosity by making time for wondering.  The article highlights that "Curiosity released dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps improve noticing and affects attention and remembering.  When your curiosity is piqued, you're going to remember things more deeply."  Doesn't this make sense?

So let's look at what made us curious today at TMS...

What do all those charts on the TV news mean?  Before teaching them the content, have them engage with the map, questioning what the signs and symbols mean.

How do instruments make sound?  Students created instruments with random materials.

The vibrations of the tin were amazing.

Carrots for clarinets, Styrofoam for xylophones and so much more...

Students played the stock market before learning about it from an expert who could answer all their questions.

I challenge you to use student curiosity to build content knowledge in your classroom.  And, here's how:  don't give them the information...in any form, readings, video, lecture, etc.  Instead, let them explore it and figure it out.  Give them a real issue to grapple with, build their frustration, develop their understanding, and then tie it all together in a neat little bow with your added knowledge.