Showing posts with label active learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label active learning. Show all posts

Friday, June 21, 2013

 

LOOK AT MY FINDS!!

This summer one of the tasks on my TO DO LIST is to find games.
I have been scouting out a few garage sales and Goodwill.
Yesterday, I hit the jackpot!!
I found two Chutes and Ladders, Boggle Jr., and another Connect Four.
Connect Four - I have many ideas swimming in my head because of Penterest.
(Check out my Penterest boards , reading, word work & math, to see some of the ideas.)
Chutes and Ladders - This board has soooo many uses.  Just add any set of cards (comprehension questions, flashcards, even use worksheets as the questions).  Student picks a card, gives an answer, and checks answer. If they are correct, spin and move! That simple and FUN way to practice.
Boggle Jr. - I have two ideas. One is to give it to a Kindergarten or first grade class. 
Secondly, using just the cubes, students will roll and see how many words they can make.
 
 
Monopoly - This is a special set that I picked up just for the game pieces. 
Fun game pieces can be found on the cheap this way.
(Getting large sets of mini erasers can be used for interesting game pieces as well.  Oriental Trading offer all kinds of little trinkets in large quantities and can be found for themes or holidays.)
My plan is to have a large container filled with different items so they can choose their game pieces.

 
Think of my surprise as I walked by a bin of binders to see this 5" binder sticking out!
YES!! I am always in need of LARGE binders. 
Upon investigating the bin I found 3 of them!
They have the clear sides so I can make colorful titles. I am in teacher heaven.

 
What kinds of items are you looking for this summer?
What are you doing with them?
What SURPRISE items have you found and turned into exciting educational items?
 
Kim

Thursday, June 20, 2013

What would you do with this spinner?

 

SOOOO....many ideas floating through my head!

 
Found in Oriental Trading carnival catalog 2013.

Okay...so, I bought this along with one of my teaching partners from last year.  
Here are the ideas I have so far:
 
lining up...spin for who gets to line up
active learning ... Each team sends up a representative to spin to see which problem 
they will work on first.  Once they complete that answer, they can check with
the teacher or other answer holder.  If it is correct, spin and do the next
problem. If not, team tries again.
points....I give points for doing the right thing.  I imagine having a "secret" behavior
for the week or day and spinning to see how many points it is worth.  Normally,
students earn one point at a time.
review game...the same as the active learning but maybe the students complete
the review problem individually. Then discuss as teams how they
came to their answers.  Great resource, I just downloaded and printed,
are discussion cards that each team can use to help deepen conversations.
multiplication practice... center idea...spin for two numbers then multiply.
coordinate practice...center idea...spin two numbers find the plot. 
 
There were two more ideas...they are now lost somewhere in the grey matter
contained within my cranium. 
 
Now I want to pick your brains...
HOW WOULD YOU USE THIS IN
YOUR CLASSROOM?
 
Kim


Friday, April 19, 2013

Math Vocabulary meets Pantomime

It is nearing the end of the year.  Though you would have thought we were at the end since before 4th quarter started!! Students are needing even MORE active learning to keep engagement at 90% level my district is striving to obtain.  So......
equivalent  

equilateral triangle

Hmmm...forgot which word they were. 
 I just loved laughter and pure fun they were having in
this picture.

What do you think the vocabulary word was for this one?
(think about it... I am sure you can telepathically see me
pointing to my temple as a signal to not respond.)
x
X
x
X
x
X
x
x
X
x
(think time......)
 
"1, 2, 3..tell me."
(Again, I am sure you saw the signal for speak!  :) )
YES! Denominator


I have a great group of future pantomimes! They did a terrific job. Only once or twice was it hard to figure out the vocabulary word.
   I am getting to be a proficient teacher of math vocabulary, solid 3. I decided in February after a quick exit ticket activity that we REALLY needed to focus on vocabulary EVERY DAY!  It has been working.  This was just one way we have practiced.  They love to toss the ball to music and review as well and vocabulary bingo.
   Now, I know I cannot open my student's brains and see if they were at 90% engaged when participating as the audience.  However, because of their interactions, I know they were paying attention better than just sitting and listening to me!  I would have been marked high for engagement when the groups were deciding what to do with their vocabulary word.  I would have dropped fast when they were watching as a whole group.  If you want to keep the "score" for engagement high, have your students pair with another group and show just them.  The "audience" would then be actively guessing together.  The groups would keep moving around the room until they have done their pantomime for everyone.

   Have fun building vocabulary connections inside your student's brains!
      Kim