Friday, December 23, 2011
Chapter 1 and 2
What stood out to me from Ch. 1 is the amazing job we do at techniques #1, 2, and 3! In most classrooms I have observed, the teacher does an exceptional job at explaining a concept, then questioning their class to ensure deeper understanding. If a student sits without answering or gives an incorrect answer, rarely have I witnessed the teacher simply move onto another student without revisiting the idea with the initial student. Moreover, after the answer is given, there is effective follow-up questions and explanations. In Chapter 2, the "4 MS" technique, I believe, is relevant to our PD with Carole Ferraud and reinforces the suggestion that we write our objectives in "LOL" format - Learning Objective with Language. As you have heard me say before, however, if the objective or standard is written, but not made meaningful, it is worthless. It's just taking up space on your dry erase board. "Post It" like it says to do in technique 8 and refer to it often to ensure clear expectations, especially for your visual learners. A great exercise would be to revisit the objectives of your future lessons and attempt to revise them to be more effective. Continue to reflect and challenge yourself to be the best you can be - and teach like a the champion you are! Thanks folks for your efforts, talents, and dedication to our craft!
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I found the first two chapters of the book to be interesting and useful. They pertain to a component of teaching that I try to focus on, planning. I would love to be able to just show up, open the textbook for the day, thumb through for something that I think might be interesting, and begin instructing the students. Although it would shorten the work day, it is simply ineffective teaching. Any good lesson requires design and planning. I found the segment about “Beginning with the End” especially useful. I am attempting to implement this strategy more and more as I gain experience over the years. One way that I have implemented this strategy during this school year is to plan out my objective for each week before the school year began by creating a year long pacing guide for each subject. This was a pretty big step for me, but has made this year much smoother with no flipping through the textbook the week before looking for inspiration or scanning a google search for activities and worksheets to fill the gaps. Additionally, I have begun making tests for a particular unit before I start that unit. In this way I can focus on the most important sections of the unit and those I want to test the students on more easily.
ReplyDeleteOther parts of chapter two that rang true to me were “4 M's,” “Double Plan,” and “Map It.” I agree with the author about making objectives that are meaningful, not just taking copying standards from the textbook and putting them onto the whiteboard. We need to make sure that our objectives are manageable in a class period or week and that we use language that can be understood by the students as well as adults that might enter the room. Also, a teacher needs to “double plan.” He or she needs to plan for him/herself as well as plan for the students. It is not sufficient for me to plan just what I will do in the class. Although what I do is important, what is most important is the activities that the students will be doing. Lastly, I like the author's point about planning out the classroom and his ideas on how to arrange students' desks. In college, my professors always stressed using alternative seating charts like a “U” shape or small groups of 3-4 desks facing each other. I have tried these, but when I am using the overhead projector, we are using the whiteboard, showing a video or using the LCD projector these types of seating arrangements are not the most beneficial. Students have to turn around in their seats to follow along. They may not have something to write on because their desk faces away from the front of the class. I have tables around the periphery of the classroom for small group activities and projects. For main lessons, though, students should face the front of the classroom so they are in the best position to follow along with what the teacher is presenting.
The idea that resonated with me the most in this reading was the "Stretch It" technique. I think it is so important to continue with follow-up questions (even after a correct answer has been given) to ensure that students really understand what they are talking about. I use this strategy regularly and it amazes me how many times that students have had "faulty" thinking but somehow reached a correct solution. Probing further takes a little bit more time, but it can be extremely valuable. Even if a student is on the right track, it can help him/her solidify and further his/her thinking (and the thinking of others in the class too).
ReplyDeleteWhen reading chapter 2, the sentence “What am I going to do tomorrow” really struck home. I constantly find myself thinking these same words three times a week. Because I have taught Geometry for a few years now, the class runs smoothly. I know what I am teaching, and where I am going with the material. My SDAIE class, on the other hand, is another story. It takes much more effort. I haven’t yet found what works for these students, and I feel like I am constantly reinventing the wheel. I haven’t planned out my objectives for the entire year as David has (I’m jealous), but instead find myself searching for new material and new ways to present the material on a daily basis. I know my objective is for my students to LEARN the concepts, not just teach the concepts. This is the hard part. Still working…
ReplyDeleteNo Opt Out- I've read this book before, so I am very familiar with no opt out. I do love this technique because it does make sure that students know that "I don't know" is not an answer, whether they look in their notes, or get help from a neighbor, they are going to eventually verbally give me the correct response.
ReplyDeleteRight is Right- I definitely need work with this strategy. Sometimes I catch myself helping the students with answers or taking partially correct answers, but as soon as I catch myself, I make sure to correct it and not continue to do it. Because I do this, my students know that I will continue to ask them questions until I get the whole correct answer.
I will comment on Chapter 2 before Chapter 1. It remind me of a particular class I had during my Credential and Masters program. My favorite professor (David R. And I both had him at Pepperdine) taught us to lesson plan by "Beginning with the End," as this chapter states. I remembered it as one of my most valuable classes. As a master teacher for Pepperdine, LMU, Northridge and now USC, I can see right away when my student teachers don't plan this way. As the chapter states, they are too busy saying, "I am 'teaching,' fir example, the poem Annabel Lee. In middle school especially, you don't teach any piece of literature; you teach a concept or standard, and use the liiterature to illustrate. Our professor used to say it this way: what are the students going to make?
ReplyDeleteAs for Chapter 1, it was a good sort of "laundry list" of how to conduct classroom discussions. I agree with prior comments that we generally do this well, in ALL classes I've visited. This is a very common-sense sort of, teacher with-it-ness attribute. I do believe in holding vry high standards for achievement, which is one of the reasons I believe so fervently in the world of extra credit. I have an anecdote from today that this subject reminds me of:
I have been going "easy" on my SDAIE class with vocabulary. They have the same words as everyone else, and the same test, also the same grading system - entirely the same access. However, knowing how difficult the material can be, My "accommodation" was to let them use their notes on the test, since I actually do feel that DOING the Cornell Notes in the first place is even more important than the test itself. My top student (a recent immigrant from Mexico) came in early today, however, and insisted that I no longer allow the class to have their notes during the test. She said she'd seen several of the students perfectly capable of memorizing up to 15 words in other classes, and that all of the students who'd done the notes in the first place COULD do it. The students did just as well, if not better, than students in my regular classes. I love it when students set the pace! It just reminded me again to continue keeping that bar as high as possible. My students accomplish amazing things: from winning essay contests, to changing their study habits mid-year, to performing competently in front of large audiences, to assuming leadership positions, and the list goes on.
Finally, one of the things I liked best in Chapter 1 was "without apology," which I was discussing with my student teacher the other day. I have seen too many new teachers apologize for, say, "having to teach" a grammar chapter, or whatever. The minute you apologize for your product, you've lost your customer. I'm fond of my Steve Jobs quotes lately, as follows: "people don't know what they want until you show them." This goes a thousand percent for students. BTW, I highly recommend the Steve Jobs bio by Walter Issacson!
Both chapters had a lot of good information that I could apply to my classroom. But the strategy that stuck out the most to me was No Opt Out. I agree with Margarita 100%, it does let the students know that "I don't know" isn't going to let them off the hook. Normally, when I'd call on a student, and get the "I don't know" respond, I would mentally roll my eyes, and select the next student. But now, when I get the right answer from another student, I have the "idker" repeat the correct answer. Genius! Why didn't I think of that before!
ReplyDeleteIt has totally decreased by 100% the "I don't responsive" and let my students know that I expect them to learn and participate in their education.
I have experienced both ends in my class; 1- how my students appreciate when we follow the syllabus and they know what to expect, 2- when I have to improvise on the spot because I am caught on the corner of "what to do street" and "how to keep them interested boulevard." Regarding the issue about asking students questions, I learned from my master teacher years ago that students should be given ample time ( 3 - 5 seconds) before an answer is expected, Sometimes I have to remind myself of this advice! The "I don't know response" comes perhaps when students are afraid of giving the wrong- better yet, the "not correct" answer. In response to a wrong answer, I have practiced the following method and it has paid off positively. Tell the student " had I asked...give the question that makes his/her answer right... your answer would have been correct!
ReplyDeleteI want to work on making objectives meaningful to the kids and on smoother and less timely transitions. I am watching my time more closely and it has been effective. Annie Zarrinpar does a great job at this.
ReplyDeleteI know that it has already been said, but I love having the “I don’t know” person finish by saying the correct answer. I had struggled with this topic for three years now and I love the genius little fix that the book outlines. I also appreciated the comments about making sure the student states the correct answer. (Right is Right!) Many times, I find myself elaborating off of what a student answered. As a result, the students don’t get to be the ones to answer correctly. I’m trying to stop myself from doing this. I have this urge to add in more information to make sure it’s right. But, I enjoyed the helpful suggestions that the book gave. For example, I always appreciate and get a little laugh out of the sports’ references. “ Kim just knocked a base hit. Who can bring her home?” This tells the students that they are close but not quite there.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 2, I was engaged in the "Draw the Map" idea. It focuses on desk placement in the classroom and making sure students have a clear and comfortable line of sight when taking notes. It also mentions that fact that sometimes classrooms are "over stimulated" with content and materials on the walls, thus posing a distraction for the students.
ReplyDeleteSince I teach computers and can't move desks easily my students seating arrangement's never change. That being said, I want to try to engage my students more with one another rather than just me. I know I can't move the desks but I can find other ways to have them meet in groups, if just temporarily to discuss concepts or projects.
I like the "No Opt Out" because I feel that I do that already and I like reading tips that I already do. It makes me feel better. If I see that I'm at least doing something right then I'm more likely to identify one or two things I could add.
ReplyDelete"Format Matters" is rough. Language arts in includes many divergent standards. So if a student creating a counter-argument, but fails to use correct spelling and/or capitalization I feel the need to correct it. This often means asking 1/3 - 1/2 the class to correct themselves, even when 85% have met the named standard. It can feel overwhelming.
I like the "No Opt Out". I find that I already use this strategy. It is nice to put a name to it. I feel it helps students feel successful. I also liked the use of the word "voice" instead of "louder". I say "please read louder" when students are reading to the whole class. I am going to start using the word "voice". I often use the term "indoor voice" and "outdoor voice", so it makes sence to keep using the same termenology. I like the examples that are given so that it makes it more understanding to me.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of not opting out. I call students off of index cards and when they don't know an answer, they get to "phone a friend" a'la "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" They get help with the answer, but are still responsible for listening and being engaged on some level. They do not get to sit back and just say, "IDK." After a while, they learn that they don't get to be invisible in my class and they tend to participate.
ReplyDeleteI think Doyle's idea is super cool. I will definitely give that one a shot. My students seem to know that there is a consequence for not being a part of what we are doing. I think it's important to communicate to students that part of the consequence is being an ignorant citizen of our school/community/country. No middle schooler wants to feel like they are ignorant, immature or told that they are behaving like a child. I find that appealing to their ever-present insecurities helps motivate them to be involved and feel a sense of pride in that involvement.
ReplyDeleteWow, nice job Mr. Hanks. I think that is a great idea and use of the "no opt out" idea from the text. Getting 100 percent engagement in classroom discussions has always been a difficult task. Early on in BTSA I was able to attend a conference by Rick Morris who discussed using the card system when calling on kids but to just say "ok" after they give you their answers and the. Get five responses to a question and then ask the kids who was right. This was pretty effective because it reduced the kids anxiety in class of always having the right answer. If a kid saId "idk" then I put the card aside and the the kids. To find the answer in the book and I would come back to him or her later in the lecture. The problem with this was that by going back to the kid who didn't know the answer put that child on the spot in front of the class. I like Doyle's system better.
ReplyDeleteI have seen Mr. Hanks use this and it is great. Students have a place to go if they are not sure. I use this somewhat in my class. I ask students to give help to the student that is "stumped". I make sure to let the student that was "stumped" know that I will be coming back to them to answer a similar question. I want all my students to feel successful (especially in Math), even if it doesn't come when I call on them.
ReplyDeleteI also like the "No Opt Out" strategy. I used to do this a lot when I just started teaching but I have to remind myself constantly to practice this. I really like the examples given in the book. I like Doyle's idea of insisting on students to always answer a question by giving them an option to "call a friend".
ReplyDeleteI agree with Donna M, the importance of Technique 3 on page 41, "Stretch It," "The sequence of learning does not end with a right answer;reard right answers with follow-up questions that extend knowledge and text for reliability." THis echos the higher-level critical thinking AVID strategies. I know sometimes I am so rushed for time, if I get a correct response, I feel like I need to push on. But his reminded me I am passing up on an important learning opportunity for my students. Allowing them to further display their level of mastery in a new setting, thinking on their feet, and tackling harder questions will keep them engaged and reach an even higher level of learning. Always good to be reminded of what is important and essential for a healthy and challenging learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ruth's comment about Chapter 1 and "Without Apology." If I believe the curriculum is vitally important, so do the students. In Chapter 2, the Double Plan technique for lesson planning impressed me. Lemov recommended thinking about what the students will be doing during the lesson as well as what the teacher will be doing. I've tried imagining that I am the student in my lesson plan, especially an EL student, and it opened my eyes.
ReplyDeletemy team and i use no opt out. i used to allow a "pass" technique but found that it was massively abused. now i use popsickle stix( i cant spell pop-sikle and it is not in my dictionary)(enough time spent on that) students are allowed to answer the question or ask for help. that is 100 % of their choices.
ReplyDeleteall 11 teccniques have merit. i especially like draw a map and double plan. i am skeptical of right is right and stretch it. both have reasonable limits.
“Without Apology” is a technique that I constantly use in my class. Every lesson is taught with a purpose and that purpose needs to be shared with the students. I always explain what the point of an assignment is. It helps keep the students engaged giving them a reason to take it seriously and value what they are learning.
ReplyDeleteI like the "ask for help" aspect of Kyle's technique. I also use popsicle sticks with seat numbers to randomly call on students during activites and during times of transition when certain jobs need to be done by students. I don't use them everyday---it really depends on the lesson and whether or not I am in a situation where too many or not enough hands are up.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the take on "Without Apology". Yes, there are times when certain topics may be hard to sell, but if you give them a reason and remind them of the prior units that led up to the new topic they will buy into it and see the connections.
Over the past few months I have been applying some of the strategies with this book. One of which that I have found great success is "right is right." I have been calling students to have 100 percent correctness. . . I have seen that students now explain a concept and they support their reasoning with backup evidence. It also has helped the students who tend to not pay as much attention in class to be called to a higher standard. Students know that I will call on them again to state the correct information (so they need to figure it out and ask questions if they dont understand it the first time). Practicing "right is right" with "stretch it" has also helped my students high and low extend what they know about a topic and helped them self monitor their own success. Overall I have seen test scores and confidence increase in my class.
ReplyDeleteCh. 1 – Technique 2 ‘Right is Right”
ReplyDeleteThere is a difficulty of keeping the high standard of teaching between pretty good and 100%, especially in larger population classes that we all at some point have to endure. Upon reflecting on this technique, I realized that indeed there are some things that I have identified in why I have missed this target and have settled for ‘pretty good’.
-Time was a very important component that I identified as keeping me from the 100% mark. Feeling that if I took too much time on one student with a certain piece of information, I would then sacrifice the possible future time and information that is just as important.
-Impatience was also another item of interest. I noticed that sometimes MY patience (or lack of) would result in the need or urge to move on without following the 100% rule. Being aware of my patience threshold in repeating the same information all day should not effect a student’s patience who is hearing this information for the first time.
-Class Control and understanding how to hold everyone accountable with 100% by using one student at a time and risking the others falling behind or loosing attention was very interesting. Realizing that this can be done by reading the examples and techniques in the book have helped me understand that this can be done!
All of these are examples of how ‘Right is Right’ can be obtained.
I have also tried using the "right is right" technique. This particularly comes into play when we are solving equations or questions with integers. In the past, if the answer is -5 and a student answers 5, I would say, "yes, but it 5 or negative 5?" Now I respond that's not correct, and most students are able to realize that the answer is actually negative five. I think there is a little bit of surprise from the students when they are confident they are right, but I remind them there is a big difference between having 5 dollars and owing 5 dollars, so it's important whether the answer is negative or positive. I think that forcing them to say the answer correctly will reinforce that there is a difference and that it is the difference between a correct answer and an incorrect answer.
DeleteI definitely use the No Opt Out strategy in my classroom, but need to remind myself to come back to the student, after another students has responded correctly or with a hint. Sometimes when I hear "I don't know" in my classroom, I take the No Opt Out a little further and require students to take a moment to think about their answer and have all students raise their hand with a response. Or, I might have students breifly pair share and then respond chorally as a class. One strategy I saw that I particularly liked in this chapter was Stretch It Out. I recognize the importance of continued questioning for students who get the right answer, as a way to develop critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the need to come back to the student. The pressures of getting everything done in a period or my impatience has hindered me from making sure that a student who passed over a word during outloud reading got another chance to read that word correctly.
DeleteI like the “Stretch It” technique. Many times, I don’t follow up with a key lesson or a learning objective and I find that although some students have gotten the lesson, many students have not gotten it. I find that by following up with questions and repeating the key idea and questions the next day helps students burn in the concept into their memory. Probing is also a good technique to further distinguish the key concept and solidify it into the student’s knowledge base.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, Donna, and Tom all mention the "Stretch It," which was a technique that stuck out to me as well. Like Audrey, I feel like sometimes I'm rushing to move on and cover more ground, but I really see the value in stopping to dig a little deeper by asking questions that push students' thinking about a concept. Critical thinking is such an essential but often overlooked component in education, and I think that utilizing the "Stretch It" technique as a door into higher level questioning would be a good addition to my classroom practices.
ReplyDeleteI found that I was already doing so many of these techniques in my teaching but none of them 100% exactly. So I have been working on trying to use them 100%. The students noticed that I had been more serious about the no opt out and even commented on it. So many students started to make sure to be on task for fear of being called on. I also have extended the questions for many of those students that could use a little extra challenge.
ReplyDeleteI started the entry routine where I would greet students at the door and remind them what they are to do what to pick up. I notice a better start when I do that v ersus getting tied up at my desk then once they are in starting. I also do the no opt out and I use a timer to help with pacing. Students realize they may not finish an essay but will pick up where they left off next time.
ReplyDeleteNo Opt Out and Beginning with the End have been the two strategies that I have been working to incorporate into my classroom. That being said, the No Opt Out has been a hard sell to my students. It is a fine line that stretches between embarassing the student in front of their peers, which we can all agree does not do anything to motivate the student to answer the next question, and motivating them to do better. I noticed that giving a "heads up" to the class at the beginning of the year and a gentle reminder at semester time helps a lot. If they know the expectations, rather than me simply springing it on them, it is easier for them to acclimate and accept it for what it is. Also, I like to plan out the whole year and mapping it out like most teachers do. Each unit plan starts with what I want to students to be able to achieve at the end, evidenced by what they can show in the form of a project or test. In doing so, I can bridge the gap between my expectations and the students' abilities easier.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 1, circling back to students to ensure correct answers is something I will forever do. "Right is Right" reminded me of the necessity of standards posted in textbooks: accountability for teachers and students. One way to do the "Without Apology" technique is to front load the entire year's curriculum in summary form for students during the first two weeks by reviewing what will be covered in the entire textbook.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 2, a very insightful part for me was the suggestions for using wall space in the "Draw the Map" section of the chapter. What should be there?
1. Put up a few things to avoid distraction and clutter.
2. Put up exemplary student work (which supports the "Right is Right" technique in Chapter 1).
3. Put up some tools that can actually assist students to master their content and skills.
These ideas were not covered in my methods class but should have been.
this is the first post and it is a test.
ReplyDeleteThese initial chapters were peppered
ReplyDeletewith clear concepts and strategies that can be effective in any classroom setting. I fully embrace the "No Opt Out" strategy to help students experience "Getting It Right". I already use this strategy with students, but never thought about assigning a name to it. I appreciated the covering of various responses that can occur in class and identifying scenarios and techniques to address them (Right Is Right, Stretch It, Format, Apologies). It was gratifying to see that some of the strategies that I've employed over the years were identified. For quite sometime, its been my habit to discourage one-word responses from students and to encourage communicating in complete sentences (even if it's a short sentence).
Since I have an elongated, three tiered, student seating arrangement, along with the music of band practice next door, I tend to frequently remind students to project. The text helped me recognize the necessity to limit lengthy reminders about speaking louder when students respond in class. Instead, I will now explain why it's important at the beginning of school (twice only), and use the word "voice" or something similar during the remainder of the school year (looking forwad to measuring the effect on time and continuity).
I will conclude by visiting an earlier point. "I Don't Know" answers or "Shoulder Shrugs" can be the result of a lack of preparedness or an effort to send a "message" to the teacher, but they could also be attributed to a variety of other causes. My esperiences have taught me that a number of students have been the victim of a teacher's callous comments, or they've experienced being embarrassed/ridiculed by peers while trying to answer questions or during discussions. It could also be do to extreme shyness, stuttering, personal problems, illness, or devastating life events.
As teachers, we do take pride in being sensitive to students' needs, but sometimes, we can miss it. Therefore, a caveat: All of us must strive to KNOW our students BETTER before coming to a conclusion regarding their reticence or motive for saying "I Don't Know".