From the start of my teaching career, I integrated technology into my classroom. I used to be a rarity! People would come observe me using tools and ideas that today are commonplace in schools across the country. As education begins its transition into the 21st century, schools are quickly adapting by purchasing technology to aid instructional practices. Teachers are beginning to use these tools to have students conduct research, create multimedia, and take the lesson plan to a different, exciting level!
All of these are steps in the right direction. However, we must remember that this venture into the new land of Ed Tech must be rooted in best practices.
Using Roskos & Neuman’s article from The Reading Teacher as a guide, we’ll be discussing how educational technology can help teachers be more effective and engaging while being sure to implement best practices.
Many students, especially at the middle school level, find writing difficult. Instead of pushing through, some shut down completely, spending an entire period, maybe more, staring at a blank page. This is not because they don’t want to try – but simply because they don’t know how to begin.
Every writing teacher has heard the infamous words…
“I can’t start it.” “How should I start?” “What word should go first?”
Students need guidance and structure in their writing, and that’s what the HOT format provides, a clear, logical structure for composing introduction paragraphs.
First, you’ve gotta get the kids excited about writing!!!!! They have to be engaged in what you’re presenting in order to be receptive to the format, which will hopefully result in more confidence in your writing.
Keep in mind:I have the BEST in-class support teacher who goes along with whatever idea I pitch. Here’s what we do.
As per the usual in my classroom, this has a theme song! We, the co-teacher and I, meet in the back of the classroom and play the song from the video below. We start clapping, singing, and chanting to take out their notebooks and get ready for some WRITING!
You’ve gotta sell it. I mean really sell it!
We cha-cha our way to the front of the room, conga-line style, clapping the whole time and circling the kids desks to make sure they’re ready for notes.
Once we get to the front of the room, the kids may think we’re crazy, but guess what?
WE’VE GOT EM! They’re hooked, engaged and ready to learn about writing an introduction paragraph!
We break it down: HOOK OVERVIEW THESIS We explain each, provide examples of each, give suggestions for each, and read TONS of models.
This is followed by collaborative class introduction writing. Then, we move to small group introduction writing in a CHA CHA competition! Depending on the class, we’ll move to either leveled partners, more small groups, or individual paragraph writing.
We practice the introduction until the students are comfortable with it!
And every mini lesson on the introduction paragraph begins with this song!
It certainly becomes something the students never forget – the lessons, the dancing, and the format!
Finding a review game that works can be challenging. If you’re lucky they can be effective, but others, though engaging, may not be a strong review of the material.
I needed something driven by content that was highly engaging for my students to help review for our vocabulary assessments.
So I came up with SNAKE!
Using music and collaboration, I have been able to effectively engage students in their own reviews of material!
Here’s how it works:
Students are seated like a giant snake, in an S shape.
Each students has a Terms to Study card where they can record terms they are confused about or need to study that night (at the end of the activity, I have students staple it into their planners)
Play the MUSIC! DO NOT SKIP THIS! It’s all about the music! And our class favorite has been linked below!
Starting with the student on one end, pass the vocabulary terms you’ve written ahead of time on the Snake cards
Students self-reflect: if they know they word, they pass it down the snake; if not, they record the term on their study sheet
When the teacher decides, shout SNAKE! and STOP THE MUSIC!
Here’s where you have some options.
Starting with the student furthest away, each child reads their term and defines it to the class
Or have the students turn and tell the definition of the term to their partner
Continue rotating and playing the music until the snake has ended
REPEAT until students have a solid understanding of the terms!
My students LOVE playing Snake and really enjoy the review!
Feel free to visit my TeacherPayTeachers store to download the FREE templates and instructions to use in your classroom!
