I am a Teacher: 2014

Ideas for Practicing Grammar

Friday, November 07, 2014

In the midst of searching materials to read, I found this video. The video showcased 9 ways of teaching grammar based on a textbook. I am unsure of the textbook but the ideas presented are practical to be used in TnL activities.

I made a list of the 9 activities and detail out the steps in executing them. I hope you find it useful.

Pic from GISCafe.com

Mistakes

a. Write a sentence with a mistake.

b. Get the pupils to identify the mistake.

Slowly revealing

a. Get children to think about word order.

b. Reveal word by word and solicit next word from pupils.

What’s missing?

a. Show a sentence, then ask the pupils to read.

b. Then pupils close their eyes, teacher take out the words and ask them to identify the missing words.

What’s wrong?

a. Ask the pupils to close their eyes, switch the cards and let pupils to identify whats wrong

Finish the sentence

a. Teacher write the starter for a sentence, e.g. I read… and encourage pupils to finish the sentence. This helps pupils to understand how a sentence can go together.

Order the words

a. Teacher writes a question then draws the lines for the answers based on the number of words and include a line for the punctuation as well.

b. Teacher prepared words to be rearrange in cards.

c. Pupils rearrange the words to make a sentence.

Whats number one?

a. Almost similar to the activity above only pupils put the words not in sequence.

b. Pupils identify words to be put into numbered lines randomly.

Arrow game

a. Paste a picture.

b. Then pupils arrange the word cards based on the lines drawn by the teacher.

c. For e.g. What is it? Then for the answer (teacher don't have another word card for the word it, so teacher ask the pupils to use an arrow to show the placement of the word it in the answer.

Good opportunity to highlight punctuation

Describe an animal

a. E.g. describing a dinosaur

b. Teacher provides sentence pattern to describe the dinosaur.

c. Teacher shows another animal picture and ask the pupils to change the sentence patterns to describe the new animal.

Give it a try!

(sorry about the alignment of the words, did it on words and copied to here and....)

apkcreator

Made an App!

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

higher order thinking

Incorporating HOTs into Learning Objectives

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

In the last post, I discussed on how to make sense of our learning objectives. One learning objective was demonstrated and detailed for execution.

Based on my further reading, Bloom's Taxonomy should be incorporated in learning objectives. The usage of correct verbs can specify the outcomes that we want to achieve.

First let us look at the pyramid below.

http://ww2.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/fx_Bloom_New.jpg

New Version of Bloom Taxonomy

In the new version of Bloom's, CREATE is on the pinnacle of the pyramid. Based on their learning, putting the knowledge into good use, pupils will be able to develop or transform something into something new.

Remembering: can the student recall or remember the information?	define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, reproduce state
Understanding: can the student explain ideas or concepts?	classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate, paraphrase
Applying: can the student use the information in a new way?	choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.
Analyzing: can the student distinguish between the different parts?	appraise, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.
Evaluating: can the student justify a stand or decision?	appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate
Creating: can the student create new product or point of view?	assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write.

Source: Overbaugh & Schultz, Old Dominion University

*the link of the source above is dead, I'm sorry.

Below are some example of Bloom's Taxonomy incorporated into learning objectives:

Remembering

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to recall the poem by listing 10 common nouns.

Understanding

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to rephrase the meaning of highlighted words from the passage.

Applying

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to demonstrate the steps in making chicken sandwich by using the sequence connectors.

Analyzing

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to reason relationship between family members based on the passage read.

Evaluating

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to appraise the jazz chants based on the moral values found in the chants.

Creating

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to produce a short play based on the chapter from "The Jungle Book".

UPDATE: I have received a feedback from a blogger who wrote an article on Bloom's taxonomy and how it can help you study (Thanks Mr. Milgram!) I find the article is useful as it provide insights on how a learner can self-navigate their learning using the taxonomy. Nonetheless, teachers may use the points highlighted in the article using the specific level of taxonomy bloom with relation to the kind of knowledge that their learners need to learn. To read the full article, please click on the table below.