Finding a Way to Educate

I've recently started to follow the #edchat and #engchat conversations and several educational websites like EDSITEment on twitter. It's amazing the amount of resources I have come across in just a few weeks. It can get almost overwhelming. It can get almost depressing.

I work at a small, rural school. I don't have ipads, and clickers, and nookcolors. I don't have mobile labs and classroom computers for students to use. I don't havea technology rich, everything-at-your-hands media center.

This past week my seventh graders were working on small group projects. It would have been amazing for them to have access to classroom computers for completing digital timelines or media rich slideshows. I read about teachers who have their students blogging, creating digital presentations, and sharing everything on a classroom website. And I get a little discouraged that my students aren't doing those things.

It is so easy to sit back and look what I don't have and use that as an excuse for not doing. This article at Blogging Through the Fourth Dimension sums it up nicely. It's EASY to make excuses for not doing.

And?

So?

Suck it up!

I may not have the dream set up, but here's what I do have - bright students who have a desire to do and learn; a social studies teacher next door who agrees that the more we work together, the better our students will learn; a principal who understands that learning doesn't always need a quiet classroom; a library-media specialist willing squeeze everything possible from her limited resources.

I also have a room full of students who have, for the last week, followed directions, worked as a peer group, read to determine the author's key points, summarized information, argued their opinions, made compromises to keep the group working, paced themselves to meet deadlines, did some self-evaluation of the project before turning it in, and left on Friday asking, "What are we doing next week?"

speed writing

This year I've taken on a new challenge. I'm teaching facilitating a creative writing class. It's completely a trial and error process. I have no frameworks, no guidelines, and thankfully, from my students, no fear. The class is a great mix of ten 10-12 grade girls. And just from the interaction between them in class, I would say it's a success.

In the beginning, I was afraid that I would run out of things for them to do - that I would be constantly scrounging for lesson ideas. Just the opposite has happened; we have so much to choose from that we can't decide which to do next. The girls are full of ideas, there are good websites/blogs about writing, and I've even come up with a few ideas myself. We start most classes with 10 minutes of freewriting. One day a week we read; for now it's been independent reading of each students' choice, and most of them are reading a book assigned in their English classes.

Currently we are speed writing. It's my version of speed dating. Each person is given a different story starter and 4 minutes to begin the story. The timer buzzes. The stories move to the right, and the timer begins. With each move of the story, 1 minute is added to the timer to allow time for reading. With 11 of us writing it took three 45 minute class periods to move the stories back to the original writer who then had 15 minutes to bring the story to a resolution. 

I found a list of story starters, chose 11 that would provide a good variety and randomly assigned story starters to writers. Because we wanted to waste as little time as possible with passing papers, we moved tables into a square. Every one sat in the same spot each day. At the end of the day stories were turned face down so that the next day we would be ready for a quick start. We also made a pact that the stories would not be discussed between writing periods - this way no one would "give away" the story to someone who hadn't gotten it yet. And as far as I know, most of them kept the pact; I may have confessions otherwise over the next few weeks.

I don't think we have the beginnings of a great American novel in one of those stories, but we have started something great. When the last timer chimed on Friday, these authors were eager to discuss their stories. They pointed out problems in plot. They analyzed time lines. They questioned characterization. They argued logical resolutions. And they wanted to "fix" things that others had done to their stories, or they apologized for things they had done to others' stories. Also, they are excited to share the stories in class this week. And they only had a few minutes to discuss them on Friday. I think this week may get loud. And that will be fine with me.

I would love to hear any advice or suggestions you might have about teaching creative writing.

Can Students Benefit from Memorizing?

Don't memorize it; learn it!

Have you heard it before? Have you said it before? Even more importantly, have you just memorized something to make it through the next test?

Because of Benjamin Bloom, teachers have pushed students to higher level thinking skills since the late '50's. We want students to analyze, to synthesize, to evaluate. We feel like real learning isn't happening unless students are pushed to those higher levels. And God forbid we be evaluated when students aren't at the analyze/evaluate/create level.

But does all learning take place at the upper levels of Bloom's? Specifically, does memorizing have a place in today's learning?

As a child we learn the ABC's by memorizing them. Many of us know our math facts because we were forced to memorize them. In elementary I memorized a weekly spelling list just to pass the test. In fourth grade I memorized the states and capitals so that I could write them in on a blank state map. Was all of that effort a waste of time? Or did I reach a higher level of understanding in math because I had memorized my math facts? Can I read a map today because I once memorized which state was where?

While memorization may not be at the top of the chart, it is important. Knowledge/remembering is at the base of the pyramid for a reason - it's the foundation of learning.

Each year I have to do a review of parts of speech and function. It is surprising the number of students who, given a sentence to analyze, can't locate the verb. Or can't edit their own papers because they can't identify the verb when I tell them to check their tenses or agreement.

I start verb study with a pre-test then give students a list of helping verbs to memorize for homework. For three days, I have them write the verbs in a given order as a test. Along the way we identify the verbs in practice sentences. Students are usually amazed at the difference in the pre-test grade and the test grade after memorizing the helping verb list.

This year I required that my students memorize and recite a monologue from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village.  Today a student reading from the book, came to my desk to discuss his reading with me. He started with, "My monologue said..." And without any real comments from me he had quickly talked himself to,"Does that mean that..." He had reached those upper levels on his own. I simply suggested that when they had time, students should read the other monologue parts mentioned in their monologue. Everyday someone brings me information that supplements his/her monologues - and we finished them last week. Learning is continuing without me. Isn't that just what we teachers hope for?

Without a solid foundation, the house will not stand: without a knowledge base, learning will crumble. We cannot expect to students to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, or create without some base knowledge that can be developed and even inspired by memorization.

Is there a better way?

The best way improve most skills is practice, practice, practice. And this is definitely true of vocabulary. Students must read words to learn words. But what about those students who haven't read much? How do we increase vocabulary then?

Academic vocabulary should be taught separate from general vocabulary. Words specific to a subject should be used in daily discussions. I find it best to introduce academic vocabulary several times before students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge of the word. For example, students in my seventh grade aren't tested on diction at all. I do mention the word several times during the year. I even give the definition and tell them that they will have to know the word in future years. After a few times of mentioning it, a few students will begin to point out diction in our discussions of literature.

It helps to make connections with academic words, tie your subject to other subjects. When I teach motifs in literature, I always remind students that they have heard the word in art. I introduce infer as a math problem {knowledge already rolling around in your head + new information from passage = new knowledge}. Throughout the year when discussing infer, I remind them of the math problem. At the end of each nine weeks it helps to review the academic vocabulary taught that grading period.

For many years I used a stand alone vocabulary program. It was a word-a-day bellringer activity. Each day students would copy a word, definition, and sentence from the board. Once a week I would give a vocabulary test. Students had to spell the word correctly and match it to it's definition. A third part of the test might include use the word correctly in a sentence, write synonym or antonym, maybe even write a story using the words. Each week the test was comprehensive, working its way up from five words on the first test up to twenty words. The test always had the ten newest words. Students had to study all words but focus on the newest. After the nine weeks mark, the words would start over. This technique was successful, but very difficult on me. Each week I was making new tests. Another problem was that the words weren't tied to literature being read at the time.

Most recently, I have let students' need determine the vocabulary that we study. While reading, they are given the assignment to make a list of any unfamiliar words. From each reading assignment we have a day that students write three words (including page numbers) from their lists on the board. We read the passage containing the word; I lead students to use context clues, we discuss prefixes or suffixes used, and we discuss synonyms and antonyms of the word. I have been surprised by some of the words that are added to the board. Words that I would think the students knew. Words that are important for comprehension. Several words are chosen and added to the Word Wall; students will be tested on these words. And they are challenged to add these to their conversations, writings,  and class discussions.


What have you done to successfully teach vocabulary in your classroom?

 

Remembering 9/11 in the Classroom

So many teachers have asked the question. How do we teach 9/11?  While others ask How do you NOT teach 9/11?

For several years after, students wanted to discuss the day. They remembered it. But then came students who had very foggy memories of that day. They didn't ask to talk about it . And I have to admit, I skipped it. I let the history classes deal with it. Wasn't a school assembly enough?The day was such a life changer for many of us. And now we are teaching students who may have been so young that they don't remember it. How do we teach something they can't remember? A seemingly simple answer, the same way we teach everything else.

For years I have required my students to read Anne Frank's diary written during the Holocaust. We read about church bombings and the deaths of innocent children during the Civil Rights movement. From Paul Revere's midnight ride my students learn of the American Revolution. While reading The Giver we discuss the Civil War. What is so different about these events and the events of 9/11?

For years historians and authors have given us resources and materials that enable us to teach tragic events from history. With just a little research we can find a plethora of primary and secondary sources from which our students can learn of the life changing events in our past. Could it be that we have questions about teaching this event because we witnessed it? It is personal to us. It is still threatening us. It still scares us.

How many times do we complain because budgets don't allow field trips? Because we don't know someone willing to speak to our students? Because we can't purchase the materials we need to bring a unit to life for our students? And now WE can serve as a primary source. Students know us, and they want to know our stories. This week I will be sharing a post written after hearing of Osama bin Laden's death in May, 2011 wherein I discuss my memories of 9/11. My 7th graders do not remember the day, and to be honest NYC, 2001 seems very far away from rural Arkansas, 2011. But hearing my memories of the day will make the event real to them. To know that I waited for gas in a line that stretched from the little store next door all the way to the school's main driveway and onto the highway will bring a perspective that books and TV shows cannot.

Just as teachers of the '40s and '50s had to incorporate the events of  Pearl Harbor into their curriculum, we must include the events of 9/11 into our 21st century curriculum. Using personal accounts will grab the interest of students and maybe ignite an interest in history that will burn throughout the year.

Nothing New Under the Sun? Think Again

When I was in high school, the math teacher got a computer for his classroom. It sat on a table at the back of the room. It was big and bulky with a tiny black screen. The only thing I remember doing on it was playing a math game. The player had to solve a problem - using pencil and paper - and input an answer. If the answer was correct, a tiny stick person would climb one step up a ladder. Get enough answers right; the stick man would reach the top of the ladder and dive into a pool. Remember - it was a black screen with yellowish lettering, and all pictures were only outlines. No cool 3D graphics. No choosing a personal avatar or uploading pictures. No embedded graphing calculator app. I'm not even sure if it had sound - I think there was an annoying blip with every step up the ladder.

My how things have changed. This morning I sat in another teacher's classroom covering her classes because of an emergency. I didn't have my computer, or any files saved on an external devices, but I was able to log in on her computer, open files that I have stored "in the cloud," and complete some of my planned morning work. I also checked grades for a few students, read and sent a few emails, and did some research for my classes. All while away from my desk.

After lunch I returned to my normal schedule and my own classroom. My seventh graders were doing phrases worksheets. Several students were having trouble remembering prepositions. I quickly pulled up a site with prepositions and printed a list. I have been searching for writing contests for my creative writing students to enter. Today they ask about the list; instead of typing a list and making copies I decided to post links and share with each of them via google docs. They'll be able to click the link and go straight to a site that interests them.

After school I attended my first webinar. For about 45 minutes my principal and I participated in training along with teachers from about three other schools around the state; it was hosted by someone in Illinois. We went through using digital sandbox step-by-step, asked a few questions, and finished with enough information to implement the program in our school. With not travel expense and no time out of the classroom.

Education today is not at all the same field I entered nearly twenty years ago. Honestly, it is not the same as it was only five years ago Students haven't changed much. They are still bright, goofy, talkative, forgetful, and fun-loving. But our mode of delivery for information, the amount of information available to them, and the time and skills needed to access that information have made a drastic change. Our responsibility as teachers is still to impart knowledge. To instill a love of learning. To be successful, we must overcome budget restraints, our fear of the unknown, and the desire to cling to the comfortable and find a way to incorporate available technology into our lessons. Just as that diving stickman would not engage today's students and wouldn't be used in today's classroom, lessons planned years ago and delivered in the original format are not acceptable. To see growth in our students, we must be willing to grow as teachers.

A Look at Grades

I was lucky enough to attend one school from k-12 grade (in fact it is the same school where I now teach). But I have taken classes at several universities and have worked for numerous employers including 5 different school districts. I have had to provide my transcripts for many interviews, but I have never been denied entry a college/university program or had a potential employer question me about my C for the first semester of senior English.

I'm not saying that schools and employers don't look at individual classes, but I believe the final GPA is what is most important. Not every student will be a 4.0 or higher student - it doesn't mean that student will not be successful. Sometimes the final grade is not as important as what is learned in the class.

I have taken classes that were easy A's. I don't remember doing much work in those classes. I don't remember putting much effort into those classes. And I definitely don't remember what I learned in those classes. On the other hand, during my college days I took several classes that required blood, sweat, and tears to finish. And I was ecstatic to finish with a minimal B and occasionally a C. In those classes, I grew. I learned my strengths and weaknesses. I developed a depth of knowledge that would benefit me years down the road.

Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that good grades aren't important. Or that making all A's means a student hasn't learned. Parents and teachers should make a careful look at grades.

Parents

Don't focus on just one test - look at the whole picture. Has there been a steady growth (or decline) in several weeks of grades? Could a low score on one test just be a fluke? We all have bad days; one test score won't usually make or break a final grade.


Make an honest comparison between the grade on the report card and the effort you see your child putting into homework for that class. I frequently have parents ask me what a student can do to improve grades then admit that he/she never sees the student do homework.


Don't settle for an A if your child is doing very little work. An A should require effort at home and school. Expect your child to be challenged - to EARN that A.

Teachers

Take an honest look at your students grades. If a large majority of students aren't passing your class, you aren't teaching. And if most of your students have an A, you aren't challenging them enough.

If the majority of students have completed the class and homework assignments and don't seem to be ready for a test - don't give it. Reteach. Find a new way to present the information. Ask the students to tell you what they know and don't know and listen to them.

Offer suggestions for self study - homework help sites, reference materials, peer tutoring, etc.

If possible, offer after school tutoring or do pull-outs for students who are struggling.

If a student takes a zero for homework repeatedly, that zero is not working. Find another consequence for incomplete work. I have sometimes required students to come to my room for the last ten minutes of lunch until they complete an assignment. This does take away from my lunch time, but it usually takes only a few days to make believers of them. They find a way to do homework so that they get their full lunch time.

Answering the "extra credit" question

Every year I hear it.

Can I do something for extra credit?

Students and parents ask the question. And every year, I give the same answer - No.

I realize that this makes me seem heartless and cruel, but I just can't justify giving extra credit. There are several reasons for not giving extra credit assignments.

1. Many students ask for extra credit after getting a zero on a homework assignment. Homework is assigned to practice skills which will be tested later. If the homework is not done, not only will the student get a zero for the incomplete assignment, but he/she is sometimes not prepared for the test over that material. If a student knows that missing homework can be made up with extra credit, they are more likely to not do it. This could lead to lower test scores which can not be replaced with extra credit.
2. I hear many reasons for incomplete homework. I had practice. I was in a baseball tournament this weekend. We were out of town. I had church last night. My mom made me go to bed. The list is long. Parents will sometimes call or send notes. But my response remains the same. If students are too busy to complete the assigned work, how would they have time to finish extra work? Students must be reminded that one zero will not kill a 9 weeks grade. Most of the time even two zeros in a 9 week period can be overcome with hardwork and study. Skipping three or more homeworks will definitely pull a 9 weeks grade much lower.
3. (This one will make me seem heartless.) I don't have the time. I spend countless hours researching, designing, planning, and grading for required lessons each year. Extra work is just not an option. I work diligently to make certain that students learn the skills needed to succeed and be prepared for the next year. When needed I reteach and retest specific skills and average those scores with other scores. But I can't assign extra credit for just one student.

But the biggest reason for not assigning extra credit? Ethics.

Teachers are required to honestly report grades. A student's grade is the grade earned in the class. It would not be ethical to give a D to a student who earned a B; it is also not ethical to give a B to a student who earned a D.

There are other things that parents and students can do to improve grades. It is important that students complete all assignments, participate in class discussions, come to class with questions over confusing materials, discuss the assignment at home, designate time each day to study, use online tutoring sites, and even participate in an after school tutoring program.