As I work on my GAME plan and monitor my progress, I think that I am doing pretty well, considering all of the other things on my plate right now. Thinking about my first goal, which involves having my students learn vocabulary in a more creative way, I realized that there was a kind of uniformity in recording missing. I want my students to use authentic resources to find their own vocabulary that pertains to the topic in creative ways, but I did not give my students instruction in how to record this new information, and I have learned that if I am not making my students accountable for their work in some way, a great chunk of them will not be motivated enough to do it on their own. To work on this, I am thinking of having my students make their own dictionaries. In a small booklet, they could leave a page for each letter, and as they creatively acquire new vocabulary, they can record it all in one place. I think that this will make it easier for students to record what they are learning, and it can also serve as an assessment aide for me, as I will see that they are keeping up with the vocabulary acquisition.
As for my communicative website, I have not yet tapped into my resource of the library media specialist as she has been busy with all of the new technologies coming into our new building. I still want to increase my communication with parents through email though, so I have put up a “contact me” page onto my website with my phone number and email address. Even though I do not have a direct link to email, parents will still be able to easily access my email address. Through this process, I have learned so far that creating a simple website on something such as Google sites is not as difficult as I thought it would be, and that I should not be so afraid of technology that is new to me. This is an exciting revelation to me, as sometimes I am wary to use new technology as I have had some bad experiences in the past (really, who hasn’t?).
Providing learners with a template of how to record and structure the new vocabulary they are finding and learning is, I agree, essential. We often assume that our students have skills which they don't have, and just as often, it takes an assignment gone wrong to discover the gap. Instructing your learners to create their own dictionary is a great idea. Have you considered using technology to do this (instead of a booklet)? For example, students could create a wiki-dictionary in which words are categorized alphabetically or thematically (perhaps the students could choose themselves which format is more suitable for them). Additionally, students could add images and link words to other words in the same family, to opposites, to synonyms, etc. Using wikis also presents learners with an excellent opportunity to collaborate, perhaps by creating dictionaries in collaborative groups instead of individually?
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteGreat idea with implementing a vocabulary dictionary! Like you mentioned, this will hold your students accountable and increase their motivation. When I have made vocabulary dictionaries with students, I have had students use them in realistic situations. For instance, students use their dictionary to create the essentials phrases they would have to know when given a certain mission. For instance, you could make students into “tour guides.” Students are given different scenerios in which they will have to describe to their tourists. Depending on your school environment and policies, this could take place on school grounds or with in the walls of the school. Through activities like this, students are able to not only apply the vocabulary for an authentic purpose, they are using multiple contexts in which to practice it. Multiple exposures to the word will help to solidify the words into students’long-term memory.
Excellent work this week! You are accomplishing your GAME plan!
Rachel Odland
Jennifer -
ReplyDeleteGreat idea on the dictionaries! I bet your students would enjoy creating them. One thing that I have done with my Seniors is have them find pictures that represent the definitions and create powerpoints. I know it sounds very elementary, but my kids really get into it and have learned the vocabulary. It is always so fun to hear them use the words in their conversations with eachother.
I am impressed with the amount of work you have completed this week, you are way ahead of me! I share your suprise with the difficulty of setting up a website. I thought Google would are make it easy, but you right in the amount of time needed. Seems like something us teachers just never have.
Good luck this week!
Jeni
Jenine,
ReplyDeleteA wiki site would be a wonderful tool that your students could use to practice 21st century skills and their vocabulary acquisition! Last year, my students created a reading quide for a historical fiction novel they read. The wiki was a fantastic collaboration tool, as students could post a multitude of ideas, images, and links that were distinguished by pages that separated the various topics they were investigating.
In terms of vocabulary, my students would post the target word, the page number in the text where it was used, the definition,and part of speech. Then, each 'entry' would also include a sentence using the word in context, an image that correlated with the word's meaning. By incorporating context clues and images, students were able to recall words meanings and uses in more than one way.
I am not sure if you will be determining the layout of the dictionary, or if you instead will be leaving that decision to your students. However, you may want to consider whether the pages will be formatted alphabetically, by units, or by topic. Depending on your overriding purpose, you may want to set up the pages beforehand so that your students have more direction. However, you could also teach students how to create pages and assign the creation of the pages to each of your students so that they are more self-directed learners and know how to create pages for future wiki activities.
It sounds as though you are off to a successful start with your GAME plan! Congratulations!
Wishing you all the best,
Melissa