Wednesday, February 3, 2010

PD Reflections for 2-3-10

1) What strategies have you used in your classroom?
2) How have these strategies worked for you?
3) When you use the strategy again, what will you do differently?
4) Talk to 2 other teachers, briefly describe their successes with the strategies they have used (you don't have to use names).

5 comments:

  1. 1. Middle school math students have used vocabulary booklets and a response journal
    2. I think they've worked well, it's given me an opportunity to experience how the students write
    3. I'd like to try and use them more often in class
    4. Other teachers have used picture books and OWL to link what students know to new things

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  2. I have used think alouds, which have helped students understand the process of coming up with an explanation for something. This has helped students understand the text "jargon" and also how to use context to understand the vocabulary. Another stategy is read alouds. I wanted to read an article to the students that told more information than what the text had mentioned. So I had an introduction which connected them to prior knowledge. I read the passage and checked for understanding which was our discussion over the new information.
    I would include a student application to this strategy, perhaps a research on even more information or a reflection on the reading that I had done.
    Teachers have used strategies that connect kids with what they are reading. They are linking their world to the world they are reading about. Crazy Professor is popular with teachers and students, it is a strategy that gets kids thinking about their reading in a fun way. QAR is a strategy that is beyond the factual recall, it helps students make sense of their reading.

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  3. 1. I use several strategies in my classes. I will share about three or four of my favorites. First, The think aloud is a strategy that I use a lot. It helps students to understand things better when I share how I figure things out. Another strategy that I really like to use is think pair share. It allows students that may not know the answer orignially to figure it out and be able to share it. A third strategy that I really enjoy using is picture books. I use them to teach certain reading skills such as finding the main idea or making an inference. They pick up on the skill without even realizing what they've done. lastly, I've done the Crazy professor with my class a couple times.

    2. These strategies have been helpful to the students. They help the students feel success in the classroom.

    3. The Crazy professor is the only strategy that comes to my mind that I needed to do differently after the initial try or tries. I realized that the sections we used needed to be shorter than the sections I was choosing for them to use.

    4. Two teachers that I talked to told me about The Crazy professor and the OWL strategies. The teacher that used the crazy professor said that he liked the engagement level of the students. The teacher that used the OWL liked how the students were able to make a connection to what they were reading.

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  4. 1. Since I teach reading and language arts in my classroom it is very easy for me to incorporate new reading strategies. Some of the current strategies I am using in my classroom are the following: Following the Inner Conversation, Noticing When We Stray from the Inner Conversation, Using Picture Books to Build Background Knowledge and Teach Content

    2. I have liked all of these strategies, but I feel that different strategies work for different students. I especially like, Noticing When We Stray from the Inner Conversation; I think this is very useful during DEAR. It helps students be aware of when their mind is straying from the reading and gives them things to do to get them back into the book.

    3. At this time, I don't know that I would change any of the strategies I have used, but I think it is helpful to have a couple of strategies in mind for students to use so that they can use the one that works best for them.

    4. One of the other teachers that I have visited with regarding these strategies felt that using Following the Inner Conversation was working well in the classroom. It is helping students to take the time to process what they are reading about and to ask questions about the story. Other teachers felt that The Crazy Professor really got the kids excited about reading!

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  5. Calista shared her reflections with me!-Jess

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