Engage the Brain: Vocabulary Practice with a Twist

The students in my classes have been using a web-based resource for vocabulary learning called Membean. Membean is a tool that can help students build word consciousness.  Knowing the meanings of words, and being able to use them, is an essential skill for both reading comprehension and effective writing.

Membean is individualized.  When the students joined a Membean class, they took a pre-assessment to determine their placement.  Then, they began learning words that are appropriate for them. Words learned are continually reinforced.  Students are assessed on the words they have learned over time. When the students have mastered one level, then they can move to the next level.  Students are learning the words they need for success.
There are many components to Membean that appeal to many various learning styles.
Learning the Word in Context:  students can listen to how the word is pronounced and how it is used in context.
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Root Trees:  (Word Ingredients) students learn how the root words are used.
Pictures Association of the Word and Spelling the Word
Memory Hooks
Examples
  • ways to bring the word to life for the students
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Picture association and spelling of the word

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What I like a lot about Membean is the fact students can track their own progress. Students are able to see their progress after each study session.

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Amount of time spent practicing word study.

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Progress after word study session.

It is important that students spend at least 25 minutes a week on word study outside of school.  This helps them to remember the words they are learning.  Students are assessed on their progress every two weeks with an assessment that has been created based on the words they have learned.

In the next few weeks, students will be utilizing the words they have been learning in context.

Please ask your child to show you what he or she has been learning with Membean! Some cool words are being learned!

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A Simple Talk

The students read IRB’s (Independent Reading Books) throughout the year.  Reading is social, and I am always thinking of ways to incorporate IRB discussion and recommendation into our classroom.  The latest project I assigned is the simple yet powerful book talk.  Students picked a novel to read,, set a goal (filled out calendar for how many pages to read each night) and then picked a date in March that they would present their novel. When finished with the novel, students had to write a summary and recommendation for their novel.  Next, the students had to prepare for their book talk- the expectation, the students would present their novel to the class without reading from their paper.  The students were amazing!  But don’t just take my word-watch some of the presentations!

 

 

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Energizing Brain Breaks

I teach reading and language, double blocks- 80 minutes with the same group of students on most days.  At times I observe the students yawning, disengaged, or wanting to leave for those “bathroom breaks”.   In order to tackle these issues  I have been reading about a not so new technique, Brain Breaks.

I had so many questions about Brain Breaks:   How would I fit it in? What are the best type of Brain Breaks?  Would the students buy into it?  Would the brain breaks work?    As I read,  many of the questions were beginning to have answers.

Brain Breaks are:

✓ A short mental break, taken during instruction and
used to achieve better learning outcomes
✓ Brain breaks are best when they are physical
**Blood and oxygen moves to the brain
✓ Brain breaks are limited to five minutes or less
✓ Brain breaks allow the brain to refocus on learning

I figure I would implement them any time after 20 minutes of instruction or between different segments of the lesson(s).

Some ideas for Brain Breaks…………………….

A Great Way to Start the Brain Break Moment- That’s My Song- begin and end Brain Breaks with students’ favorite songs (previewed of course). Also, a great way to connect to students- what better way then to discuss some of their favorite music.

Some Activity Ideas:

  • No Stress Test  (2-5 minute walk break)
  • Mime Yourself (have students get into pairs and without talking, mirror each others’ actions
  • Friend Connect (take 2 minutes to connect with a friend- provide questions to ask)
  • Brain Toss Across (students split into small groups, stand in a circle, toss a ball back and forth to each other while asking content questions- the student receiving the ball must answer the question)
  • Jamin Minutes (stretching exercises) 10 reps each of the following:  march in place, face chair tap toes on chair, feet together- hop side to side, sit and stand up, hands on abs-squeeze and release abs)
  • Calm Down (lead students in a different type of stretches to help loosen up tension- maybe before an assessment)  Have students hold each stretch for 15-20 minutes:  reach for the sky. touch toes, arm circles, neck circles, knee to chest, quad stretch, etc.

I plan on implementing Brain Breaks tomorrow- so I will keep updates coming, especially about student engagement.  In the meantime, if anyone uses Brain Breaks or has ideas for Brain Breaks please comment- I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and ideas!

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It has been awhile, but I am back……..

It feels like I have not blogged in a long time.  So now I am back with so much to share about the start to a new year.

We started off the new year with building our classroom community and getting to know each other.  In order for students to introduce themselves in a different way, they completed two different task.

The first is one of my favorites- The Six Word Memoir- students needed to describe themselves in six words.  This task was all about the power of words- or like what I like to call “Word Consciousness”.

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The second task introduced students to Animoto- a web based video creation program.  In order to get students acquainted with the program, students created videos about themselves.  Some examples follow-

I look forward to sharing so much more about our learning community!
Once again we have begun to Make Waves in Sixth Grade!

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Welcome Back

We’re back, and I am so excited!  Today I welcomed a new sixth grade class.  The first day of school brings mixed emotions- happiness to see friends yet anxiety-not knowing what to expect.  Today the students learned all about the expectations.

The half day of school was spent on PBIS- Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports. PBIS is a program implemented in order to reduce disciplinary incidents and promote a climate of greater productivity, learning, safety, and kindness.

Students interacted with various teachers and each other in order to learn the expectations of our middle school.

Activities throughout the day included expectations for the:

  • Cafeteria
  • Bathroom
  • Technology
  • Attendance/Dress Code
  • Classroom
  • Being a Productive Student
  • Organization

Also, students were introduced to their Guidance Counselor.

Today was a wonderful way to introduce the students to their new school.  It is always important to introduce the students to what is expected of them right from the start.

Below is a video that sums up some of the learning today! (A special thank you to our World Language Teacher for showing it)

 

Remember to  BE MORE AWESOME and GET YOUR LEARN ON!

Good Luck to a successful school year!

Think about this:  What do you want to teach the world?

 
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Novel Review

Divergent seems to be a hit among adolescent readers.  Some of my sixth grade students chose to read it at the end of the year.  A group of four girls read the novel in pairs and then collaborated as a group to create a Readers Theater script. Let me back up a bit.

As the final project for Literature Circle groups, students needed to collaborate with book group members and create a Readers Theater script.  The unit we were in focused on theme, so students had to pick a part of the novel that would showed the theme of the novel and would entice the viewers to read the novel.

This group enticed me to read the novel,  Divergent:  In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself (Barnes and Noble).  I was so engrossed in the novel at one point when I was reading in a waiting room that I didn’t hear the nurse calling me.  She had seen what I was reading and commented that Divergent is a great novel and movie.   Although I loved this novel, I do have a disclaimer.  It may not be appropriate for all middle school students because of the content.  It is important to know this when choosing to read the novel.

Readers Theater is a great activity to ensure collaboration between students in order to express their creativity and knowledge of a novel. It is also another way to promote good reads.

More Readers Theaters will be posted.

Happy Summer!

 

 

Reaching Out

As a teacher, I feel it is important to experiment with new approaches to teaching, especially using technology!  Today was one of those days I experimented with technology and loved it!  What technology did we use you may be asking?  It was an application that allowed us inside Mrs. Donofrio’s Sixth and Seventh grade classroom in the Sunshine State.  Did you figure it out yet?  I won’t keep you in suspense.  Today we used Skype to communicate with our blogging buddies at Hey Kids!

The purpose of today’s session was to initiate communication, a chance to get to know a class.  Students in the classes read previous blog posts (Mrs. Donofrio’s class read our blog, and we read Hey Kids) and created questions in order to initiate discussion.  The students in both classes asked  questions and provided answers.  Some of the questions asked were as follows:

  • What sports do you play?
  • How do you fit blogging into your busy life?
  • How did you come up with the idea of book trailers?
  • What are some of your favorite books?
  • What is Genius Hour?
  • What were some of your favorite activities for the year?

Through reading one of the blog posts on the Hey Kids blog, we learned that last year for summer reading, Mrs. Donofrio’s students read the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.)

This is the required novel for our sixth graders going into seventh grade to read this summer.  Mrs. Donofrio’s class explained how they incorporated the novel into their class.  They took quizzes, engaged in discussions, and raised money for fresh water in the Sudan.  Mrs. Donofrio explained how they incorporated the novel’s message- One Step at a Time- into their learning everyday.  I am excited to have our students read this novel and share their thoughts and connections.

Students in my classes were excited to talk to the students in Mrs. Donofrio’s classes about their blogs and what their student lives are like.  Students were jealous that Mrs. Donofrio’s classes last day of school is tomorrow.  But just because the school year is over does not mean communication has to stop.  We will stay in touch through blogging.  In addition, students in both classes will be able to share their summer time experiences by sending post cards to the schools.  Sharing summer time experiences through post card experiences will be an exciting way to start the new 2014-2015 school year.

Thank you Mrs. Donofrio and your class for taking part in the wonderful experience.  Next year I would love to connect again in order to share our learning.  The possibilities for collaboration are limitless!


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I Was Struck With Wonder

I LOVE to read adolescent literature.  I feel it is  one way I can connect to students.  There is nothing better then to promote a GREAT READ!  I recently read  two novels that I feel all students would enjoy.  Both are by Brian Selznick, who is not the traditional author.  He says his novels are, “not exactly novels, not quite picture books, not really graphic novels, or a flip book or movie, but a combination of all of these things.”  That is why I love both of his novels- The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck.  Both novels intertwine a story with words and a parallel story with pictures.  Both novels present an element of mystery to the readers and have accompanying websites, which bring the stories to life.

These sites provide the visitors with the opportunity to extend their knowledge  of the book, the author, and the worlds surrounding these novels.

 

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Wonderstruck

Hopefully this post will strike you with wonder and intrigue to pick up these novels and start reading!
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