The last few week I have been tutoring students (with my Writing class) at Hawthorn Public School. After the first day I was a little bit discouraged because the student I was working with only wanted me to edit his work. I had so many great ideas to include into our time together but instead all I was asked to do was edit.
I went home knowing that I would need to get hard at work developing a plan to engage this student more in the next session; but where should I start?
He wrote many essays that presented facts, but there was little room for creativity. I took this on a as a challenge to develop the most creative tutoring session any student will ever experience in writing!
We started off using the math poetry idea, we took turns writing a short poem about math (without saying the word math) and he had to include a colour and an emotion. He was very sceptical about this activity at first but when he saw the poem I created he became more comfortable because "he expected my poem to be much more sophisticated" (notice how I put that in quotes? My student actually said those words...) When he realized that you do not need to be a genius to be creative he opened up completely and we had a great tutoring session.
We went through numerous creative writing activities and it allowed me to ask him questions about his writing that he could not answer in the previous session together. By the end of the morning we were laughing and thoroughly enjoying writing together.
This experience taught me the value of sharing work with other students, especially being the teacher. If you show them what you expect, it takes a lot of pressure off of the student because they will quickly learn that teachers do not expect the students to create masterpieces. Showing my student the math poem I wrote changed his entire attitude about doing creative writing. This was a big progress point for us because we had such a difficult time connecting on a writing level on the first day.
I am excited to see what tomorrow's tutoring session will bring! Stay tuned for more posts about my writing life!
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Smart- An ugly word that destroys potential.
I recently saw a video about a multiple intelligences school in the United States. For those of you who are unaware, the Multiple Intelligences theory was created by Howard Gardener and he suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited. This makes sense because every child/person is different and they excel in different areas.
Gardner chose eight abilities that he held to meet these criteria: musical–rhythmic, visual–spatial, verbal–linguistic, logical–mathematical, bodily–kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.
Alright, so with this being said, Gardener has a point. His theory makes perfect sense to me (having a background in psychology) but the next step is asking ourselves, "How should we use this information to benefit students?" After watching the video of the school in the United States something did not sit right with me.
Here is a link to this school's website:
http://www.gcssk12.net/eesweb
Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy focusses on what kind of "smart" each student is, whether they are music smart, language smart, or body smart, etc. They have an area of the school called Smartsville and they advertise the school as "The Smart Place to Be". I understand that this school wants every student to feel smart (because they are obviously not terrible human beings...) but I believe they are doing the exact opposite and most likely limiting students in what subject they are "smart" in.
First of all, I hate using the word smart. I believe that we must praise effort and not intelligence. If someone works hard at solving a math problem, do not say "Oh Wow Jenny! You are so smart!!" A more appropriate response would be, "Wow Jenny, you worked really hard at that problem! Great job!"
And why is this??
By telling a student that they are smart, they will never want to do anything more challenging because they will not want to lose their "smart" title. If someone always told me I was smart at addition, I would not want to move on to multiplication because I might not be smart anymore if it is too difficult for me. By praising effort, a student will always want to try newer, harder problems because even if they arrive at the wrong answer they are still working hard to get there and in turn, they will still be praised for their effort.
This being said, you may be able to figure out why I am already starting to have an issue with Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy. If a student believes they are music smart, they may not believe they are math smart, or language smart and vice versa for all of the other intelligences. Nota emphasizes which areas each student is smart in, and I believe that this takes away from their potential in every other subject.
A better way to implement Gardener's Multiple Intelligences into teaching would be to keep it a secret. Don't tell the students that they are mostly smart in one area. We should use the multiple intelligences to change the way we teach. We should develop lessons that touch on each intelligence because every student learns differently and we are more likely to reach everyone by implementing each intelligence into every/most lessons.
Here is where the fun part begins.
Another way to implement the Multiple Intelligences would be to incorporate them into assignments. That is where the students will have the most response. If you provide options or different ways students can complete assignments based on their interests and strengths they will be jumping for joy! Instead of writing a book report, a student should have the option to a) write a song about their novel, b) turn their novel into an interpretive dance c) re-write the last chapter in another setting (i.e. on Mars, or in the future). There are limitless opportunities to incorporate the intelligences into the curriculum and the everyday life of the students. But do it in a way that will allow them to succeed in every subject, and every intelligence.
I would love to hear others opinions on this topic. Here is the video of Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy in action!!
P.s. Thank you for bearing with me for the entirety of my "smart" rant.
Gardner chose eight abilities that he held to meet these criteria: musical–rhythmic, visual–spatial, verbal–linguistic, logical–mathematical, bodily–kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.
Alright, so with this being said, Gardener has a point. His theory makes perfect sense to me (having a background in psychology) but the next step is asking ourselves, "How should we use this information to benefit students?" After watching the video of the school in the United States something did not sit right with me.
Here is a link to this school's website:
http://www.gcssk12.net/eesweb
Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy focusses on what kind of "smart" each student is, whether they are music smart, language smart, or body smart, etc. They have an area of the school called Smartsville and they advertise the school as "The Smart Place to Be". I understand that this school wants every student to feel smart (because they are obviously not terrible human beings...) but I believe they are doing the exact opposite and most likely limiting students in what subject they are "smart" in.
First of all, I hate using the word smart. I believe that we must praise effort and not intelligence. If someone works hard at solving a math problem, do not say "Oh Wow Jenny! You are so smart!!" A more appropriate response would be, "Wow Jenny, you worked really hard at that problem! Great job!"
And why is this??
By telling a student that they are smart, they will never want to do anything more challenging because they will not want to lose their "smart" title. If someone always told me I was smart at addition, I would not want to move on to multiplication because I might not be smart anymore if it is too difficult for me. By praising effort, a student will always want to try newer, harder problems because even if they arrive at the wrong answer they are still working hard to get there and in turn, they will still be praised for their effort.
This being said, you may be able to figure out why I am already starting to have an issue with Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy. If a student believes they are music smart, they may not believe they are math smart, or language smart and vice versa for all of the other intelligences. Nota emphasizes which areas each student is smart in, and I believe that this takes away from their potential in every other subject.
A better way to implement Gardener's Multiple Intelligences into teaching would be to keep it a secret. Don't tell the students that they are mostly smart in one area. We should use the multiple intelligences to change the way we teach. We should develop lessons that touch on each intelligence because every student learns differently and we are more likely to reach everyone by implementing each intelligence into every/most lessons.
Here is where the fun part begins.
Another way to implement the Multiple Intelligences would be to incorporate them into assignments. That is where the students will have the most response. If you provide options or different ways students can complete assignments based on their interests and strengths they will be jumping for joy! Instead of writing a book report, a student should have the option to a) write a song about their novel, b) turn their novel into an interpretive dance c) re-write the last chapter in another setting (i.e. on Mars, or in the future). There are limitless opportunities to incorporate the intelligences into the curriculum and the everyday life of the students. But do it in a way that will allow them to succeed in every subject, and every intelligence.
I would love to hear others opinions on this topic. Here is the video of Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy in action!!
P.s. Thank you for bearing with me for the entirety of my "smart" rant.
Math Poetry Rocks!!
I absolutely loved the poetry activity I did in class a few weeks ago. The use of poetry in other subject areas is a great idea that can allow students to be more engaged, and understand the subject matter more effectively. It also allows the teacher some background information about how the students feel about the subject in question. For more background information, as a class, we were asked to come up with a poem about either "The Trouble with Math" or "The Love of Math". Our poem needed to be nine lines long, have at least one colour, one emotion, and we could not use the word math.
Many individuals in our class wrote amazing poems about their struggle with math, and some people wrote about how they love math. By assigning this task to students it allows them the freedom of creative expression and if the teacher collects the poems and reads them, they can understand the way their students are feeling about the subject.
I will now share with you my terrible poem about math (but I loved writing it!!!)
Many individuals in our class wrote amazing poems about their struggle with math, and some people wrote about how they love math. By assigning this task to students it allows them the freedom of creative expression and if the teacher collects the poems and reads them, they can understand the way their students are feeling about the subject.
I will now share with you my terrible poem about math (but I loved writing it!!!)
I really enjoyed this activity and it brought up my feelings about math that I was not even fully aware of. I would definitely recommend some sort of poetry activity in any subject to break the ice and to get students talking about their feelings regarding what they are about to learn.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Using Narrative Poetry and Prose
Based on reading Shelley Peterson's work on writing across the curriculum, there are many incredible reasons why poetry and prose can be used across the curriculum in a variety of subjects. Of course, it is assumed that poetry and prose will be used in English and Language Arts classes, but there are many uses for poetry and prose in other subjects. Writing stories or poems allows students to comprehend the information they receive in a new and more memorable way. If a history, geography, or social studies teacher is teaching a lesson about World War I, students could be asked to write a reflection, story, or poem based on the facts they are receiving. By writing their own narrative, students will be able to understand what they are learning and they will have an easier time storing it into memory and recalling it later rather than the classic "memorize and forget".
Writing a narrative poem or story in science and math can allow students to comprehend the subject matter more effectively as well. Students could turn their math problems into stories, or write personal reflections about when they use math in their own lives. By using narratives in a science class students could explore relationships between the elements on the periodic table.
With these few examples, it is evident that narrative could be used in numerous subjects in so many different ways.
As I have previously stated in other posts, my teachable is English. There are endless opportunities to use narrative in this subject. It would be hard not to use narrative! A specific poem I focussed on today was the use of Robert Frost's poem called, "Nothing Gold Can Stay". Students could use this poem to understand the novel "The Outsiders" in more depth. By analysing, rewriting, or acting out this poem, students will understand the theme and meaning behind it in order to comprehend why it is such a major influence in S.E Hinton's novel "The Outsiders" and what it means when Ponyboy is told to "stay gold".
Narrative and writing (especially poetry and prose) are important tools to utilize in every subject across the curriculum in order to allow students to use their creativity to apply what they are learning through a different medium than what they are typically used to.
Writing a narrative poem or story in science and math can allow students to comprehend the subject matter more effectively as well. Students could turn their math problems into stories, or write personal reflections about when they use math in their own lives. By using narratives in a science class students could explore relationships between the elements on the periodic table.
With these few examples, it is evident that narrative could be used in numerous subjects in so many different ways.
As I have previously stated in other posts, my teachable is English. There are endless opportunities to use narrative in this subject. It would be hard not to use narrative! A specific poem I focussed on today was the use of Robert Frost's poem called, "Nothing Gold Can Stay". Students could use this poem to understand the novel "The Outsiders" in more depth. By analysing, rewriting, or acting out this poem, students will understand the theme and meaning behind it in order to comprehend why it is such a major influence in S.E Hinton's novel "The Outsiders" and what it means when Ponyboy is told to "stay gold".
Narrative and writing (especially poetry and prose) are important tools to utilize in every subject across the curriculum in order to allow students to use their creativity to apply what they are learning through a different medium than what they are typically used to.
Implementing Writing in Science
Based on our discussion in class today, about incorporating writing into different subjects, I would like to share a song that I wrote in Highschool for a project on lipids. A partner and I were given creative control to present information on lipids to the class in grade twelve and we chose to pick many popular songs and change the lyrics to explain what a lipids are.
For those who are unsure about what a lipid is, you can watch the video here!!
Amy and Kat's Awesome Lipid Song (Click Here)
For those who are unsure about what a lipid is, you can watch the video here!!
Amy and Kat's Awesome Lipid Song (Click Here)
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Why use mentor texts?
Class Three: Using Mentor Texts -January 19, 2015
A mentor text is a resource that a teacher provides to a student to demonstrate what the teacher is expecting for an assignment. If a student is asked to write a blog, the teacher will show them a blog that replicates what is expected of the student. The same aspect applies to newspaper articles, essay, or anything being asked of a student.
In order to teach students specific lessons, teachers must provide students with examples and resources to scaffold their learning. Non-narrative texts are essential to help students understand what is expected of them when they are writing. I found a great blog called "For the Love of Teaching" that could be used to demonstrate many important aspects of writing to students. The
link to the blog is here:
http://4theloveofteaching.blogspot.ca
If I were to ask students to create a blog as their major assignment for the course, I would use examples of other informational blogs to demonstrate to the students what I am expecting. I would use "For The Love Of Teaching" to show students how I wish for them to write casually, professionally, and informally. I would give them a lesson on being casual but professional when they are writing for a medium such as a blog. This can teach them how to include their opinion along with other evidence in their blog.
Using a blog as an example can show students how to incorporate pictures into their work as well as links to other useful resources.
This resource could be used to teach students other writing techniques even if their assignment is not to create a blog. Showing them a blog can introduce students to the differences between casual and professional writing, or writing for different mediums. I could combine this example of a blog with an example from a newspaper or magazine and show students different writing techniques that they could use depending on who their audience is or what they are writing about/for.
A mentor text is a resource that a teacher provides to a student to demonstrate what the teacher is expecting for an assignment. If a student is asked to write a blog, the teacher will show them a blog that replicates what is expected of the student. The same aspect applies to newspaper articles, essay, or anything being asked of a student.
In order to teach students specific lessons, teachers must provide students with examples and resources to scaffold their learning. Non-narrative texts are essential to help students understand what is expected of them when they are writing. I found a great blog called "For the Love of Teaching" that could be used to demonstrate many important aspects of writing to students. The
link to the blog is here:
http://4theloveofteaching.blogspot.ca
If I were to ask students to create a blog as their major assignment for the course, I would use examples of other informational blogs to demonstrate to the students what I am expecting. I would use "For The Love Of Teaching" to show students how I wish for them to write casually, professionally, and informally. I would give them a lesson on being casual but professional when they are writing for a medium such as a blog. This can teach them how to include their opinion along with other evidence in their blog.
Using a blog as an example can show students how to incorporate pictures into their work as well as links to other useful resources.
This resource could be used to teach students other writing techniques even if their assignment is not to create a blog. Showing them a blog can introduce students to the differences between casual and professional writing, or writing for different mediums. I could combine this example of a blog with an example from a newspaper or magazine and show students different writing techniques that they could use depending on who their audience is or what they are writing about/for.
Student Resources, Writing Conventions, and Creative Writing
Class Two: Response to Atwell January 12, 2015
Nancie Atwell's reflection made me excited and worried about teaching. I am extremely excited to be able to reach out and help students grow. I want to, one day, be able to influence students to believe in themselves, and I want to understand the different ways in which students learn. Atwell's reflection makes me a little bit nervous because I fear that I might enter a school where the students have incredible amounts of potential, but they do not have the proper resources to succeed. If students need certain accommodations I would hope that they will have access to them. Atwell's reflection begins with her horror of entering her classroom for the first time to see it basically falling apart. If a school does not have money to fix floor and light bulbs, they most likely will not have enough money to provide students with resources they need to succeed.
In regard to Atwell's teaching strategies, I must disagree. Atwell writes that she was only concerned with conventions in the final drafts of essays. I believe that students need to be constantly reminded to check their spelling and make sure their grammar is correct. I do not believe that students need to be marked or assessed based on the mistakes in their lessons or rough copies, but they need to be reminded about proper writing conventions. If a teacher does not stress the writing conventions to their students, the students may not see the importance of having correct spelling and grammar in each aspect of their lives. Students need to be sure to have proper writing in each subject, and in the writing they are doing at home; practice makes perfect.
Seeing as my teachable subject is English, there are many opportunities I will have to incorporate writing into my lessons. The most important writing aspect I would like to incorporate into a daily routine is a creative writing journal. I want my students to have the opportunity to have ten minutes where they can work on a story, write about current events, or write about anything they wish. Students need to have access to opportunities of creative writing where they can let their imagination take control. This idea ties into what Peterson was proposing in the textbook. Each day can begin with the students' creative writing journal. The students will be able to start a daily writing routine that gets their minds working creatively.
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