Fishbowl discussion
What is needed: two circles and prior notes on the subject
Objective: One of the ATLAS videos I had watched a little while back previewed an activity for any classroom, but this one was specific to an English classroom. The activity featured two circles, one being on the outside and one being the inside circle. The inside circle features students who are participating in discussion on the topic, and the outside circle features the students who are just taking notes and listening to the conversation. When someone in the inner circle is done participating, someone from the outer circle comes to tap their back to tap them out of the conversation and the new person taps in.
How it is useful: This is a great exercise for those students who feel they learn more from seeing their peers discuss the topic rather than the teacher. It also gives ELL’s the opportunity to participate if they wish to, but are not forced to participate. They also have a chance to hear some words spoken from their peers that they might not have been able to pronounce themselves. Overall, I think that student based discussion in any sense is extremely beneficial.
Word Wall
What is needed: Giant piece of paper
Objective: a word wall is an organized collection of important words that are displayed in large visible letters on a wall, bulletin board, or other display surface in the classroom. These give the students an opportunity to reference these words for either their spelling, definition, or a reminder of what they mean.
How it is useful: This is a great way for students to reference important words that are useful throughout the year, but also words that are specific to the unit they are focusing on. I remember looking around at all of my teachers' words and their definitions when i was in junior high, so i can only imagine that students are also doing the same now. They might not feel confident enough to ask for help on words or definitions, so having them accessible to look at is extremely important.
Conga Line
What is needed: a notecard
Objective: each student is given a word from the unit they are working on. They are to go home, write that word and definition on a notecard, and bring it for the activity. Each student is paired up with someone. The student then describes their word and definition. The next round, they are to switch notecards with the student they are paired with, and then do the same with the next person. This goes on until every student has had a chance with each notecard.
How it is useful: explaining what a word means is always super helpful to fully learn and remember what it is. The students will rapidly remember the vocabulary words they need for the unit, so they can better understand that unit. This is an activity that can be repeated with each new unit.
Reader’s Theater
What is needed: Groups, a specific section of a book, script, props, and a “stage”
Objective: the teacher creates groups and assigns each group a section of the reading they are focusing on. Together, with the teacher, each group creates a script that dramatizes what they are reading. Each group assigns characters, collects props, and sets the stage for their section of the reading. They then act out their reading in front of the class.
How it is useful: “Rehearsals provide practice for ELLs with beginning language proficiency. All four language skills are integrated into the lesson.
Teach the text Backwards
What is needed: discussion questions relevant to the students
Objective: have students complete application and expansion activities at the end of the chapter to help them make connections with the concepts discussed in the chapter. If the activities are not connected to your students’ lives, adapt them to ensure closer cultural connections. Make use of “hands on” experiences at this time. Engage students in the discussion of the topic, helping them to make explicit their understandings of major concepts. Enable students to read the questions at the end of the chapter and answer them or make guesses based upon the level of their current understanding/prior knowledge. Then read and comprehend the text.
How it is useful: It expands on students' prior knowledge before reading the text. When they read the text, they are able to make connections to what they have known to what they just read. I remember when i was in junior high i could remember the readings the most when i was able to connect it with something. If i read it and didn't have anything to connect it with, i would completely forget what it means.
Think Aloud
What is needed: a specific passage or text to be read during class
Objective: Read aloud to your students that specific text or passage. As you are reading, talk through your internal thoughts about the text. For example, making predictions, talking about character development, a new plot point that could be important, and reference back to our prior knowledge to make connections.
How it is useful: This allows the students to gauge what they are supposed to be thinking and making notes about while they are reading. I know when i was in school, i would always find it hard to know what i should be taking notes on and what was not as important to note. Doing a think aloud helps those students like me know what is important and what is not as important. It also allows for students to ask questions when they dont understand something because the teacher will be taking many more breaks than usual.
Word square
What is needed: specific vocabulary words, a sheet of paper/white board
Objective: the writing material of choice is divided into four squares. The first being the word, the second is the definition, the third is drawing a picture and the fourth is a sentence from the text that contains this vocabulary word.
How it is useful: Using a word square for each unit will allow students to reference back to it when the word pops back up in the unit. If they don’t understand it, they can look it up and understand it from their own words, rather than a dictionary definition. I remember when i was growing up that i would understand a word better when i knew it in my own definition rather than by someone else’s. Word square’s can be personal to each student, so an ELL for example, could have a definition in their native language so they understand it better or draw a picture that they would understand rather than struggle with the textbook definition.
I have/Who has?
What is needed: notecards; a set of key terms
Objective: A vocabulary study activity in which learners each have a card with a definition and non-matching term. A student reads a definition aloud and the person who has the matching term answers, then reads the next description.
How it is useful: this is a good activity, especially with ELL’s, to hear the words being said by their peers, and hear the definitions aloud. This sequence is repeated so that each student has the chance to match each definition to the term. This is a way for students to hear the terms repeated so they can learn it in their long term memory rather than their short term.
Guided Reading
What is needed: a note page that is specific to important terms, plot points, and character development. Anything that is important to the unit being taught.
Objective: work with small groups with similar reading processes. Books are carefully, progressively leveled to introduce new vocabulary, phonics, elements, features of print, and sophistication and length of content. Select and introduce new books and support children reading the whole text to themselves, making teaching points during and after the reading, based on close observation of students’ reading performance.
How it is useful: this caters to each students’ reading ability. This allows the teacher to understand each of their students reading levels without comparing it to the rest of the class. This is especially helpful for ELLs to receive the adequate attention and support they need to strive, rather than make them struggle with a text they are not ready to read.
Read, Retell, summarize
What is needed: a specific passage; key words.
Objective: an activity in which teachers dictate a list of key words in a passage to learners. In pairs, learners read the passage, and then summarize the passage using the key words as a prompt.
How it is useful: this strategy is a way for learners to practice using new vocabulary as they apply their comprehension of text and process what they have read.
Reflection
I loved this portfolio assignment for a number of reasons. I have always thought to myself that there are so many teaching strategies we can use, so many activities students can participate in, and so many different lesson plans that are accessible to use but because there are so many, I was fearful that i would not be able to remember each one of them. This portfolio activity was able for us to create a document that housed all of the activities that stuck out to us the most. As a teacher, we should always be including new activities so that students can feel that they are learning in ways that work with them. As a new teacher, coming up with lesson plans can be extremely difficult. It can be challenging if we have nowhere to start and no ideas to go off of. This is a document that we can use when we go into our student teaching and into our future classrooms. We are always told that we need to be current on our research as well as keep the students engaged in every activity. As we read new studies and hear about new teaching methods, we can add or take away activities from this list so we have an encyclopedia of knowledge on teaching activities. Another reason i really appreciated this assignment was because i was thinking about how each activity can be molded to help ELL students participate just as the native english speaking students are participating. I was able to talk about ELL’s in each activity and how that benefitted not only them, but the entire classroom. I understood that each activity has the capability of being adapted to suit their needs if we only put in a little more effort. This is something that has been brushed over in the past because teachers would try to have them learn as they go, rather than starting from the beginning and adapting to their needs, rather than have them adapt to ours. This is a resource that I will be bringing with me and something I will use forever. I truly appreciate this assignment, as well as the identity text. It has helped with a lot of the fears that I have as a new teacher. I understand that the students will feel a sense of comfort and a sense of belonging when a teacher puts in the effort for them, and that is everything I strive for as a future teacher.