Posted on Thu, May 31, 2012
While I’ve been a classroom teacher for twelve years, this is my first year of educational blogging, and I’ve certainly enjoyed every post! Why, you ask? I’ve got five reasons:
1. I love sharing ideas that work in my classroom with teachers, and I have loved all the feedback I have gotten-thanks! I feel less isolated by knowing I am in a huge community of English teachers all working to develop better readers and writers.
2. I have a better understanding of and appreciation for the Common Core –and my webpage makes remembering and using Common Core standards easy! I find the Common Core website a bit hard to navigate, so I created my own version using the overall anchor standards, then layered links to each grade level for each standard. This way, I know the big picture easily, then can adjust my teaching of that standard according to the grade level of each of my classes –and can easily compare each grade level’s specific standard. All of my activities and games have the Common Core Standards listed, so you can easily list standards on lesson plans or show students what skills they are developing through the activity/game.
3. I finally have a great excuse to interview my favorite YA authors, and I have met and interviewed over 40 authors this year! Alas, editing each video takes quite a while, so there are currently only 16 on the website that are complete, but every other week is an author interview next year so be ready (Laurie Halse Anderson, Neil Shusterman, and Gordon Korman to name a few of the interviews to come)!
These videos really do make learning vocabulary relevant to students who otherwise may not care about their weekly vocabulary lists. Next year, I plan to start each week off by showing an author interview in my classroom, and see what each author can teach us not only about words, but about writing (FYI, these videos are only 2-3 minutes-classroom time is precious I know!).
4. I have to stay creative. Knowing that a post is due every week forces me to experiment in my classroom, which keeps me and my students from getting bored. I am especially proud at how well received my version of Apples to Apples has been-it’s had a few thousand hits! My Create a Car activity has also been quite popular-I think because it appeals to males –who often (in my experience) seem reluctant to learn vocabulary.
5. I love promoting words! Clearly I am lexicon aficionado, but sometimes my students, friends and family become a bit annoyed by how passionate I am about words. Getting to write this blog and attend NCTE, IRA, OCTELA & other conferences allows me to meet fellow word lovers, and I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm!
Thanks for a great year, and I am looking forward to next year –hopefully I can meet all of you lexicon aficionados at NCTE, TCTELA (Texas), OCTELA (Ohio), or IRA. I will highlight some of my best posts throughout the summer, and then will be back with new ideas in August!
Related Posts:
Teacher Reflection: NCTE and ALAN 2011
Posted on Tue, May 29, 2012
Vocabulary Word of the Week on iWords
Vocabulary Word of the Week Online Games
Check out the infographics for Language Teachers over on the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning blog. These colorful graphics can be great learning materials for the classroom.
Need some graphic organizers for vocabulary? Looking for ideas to enhance the vocabulary organizers you already use? Well, check out this wiki page!
Posted on Thu, May 24, 2012
Don’t Let the Learning Stop this Summer!
Have Students Earn Word God or Goddess Status
Ahhh…summer is in the air! With school ending, I have been wondering how to keep myself and my students immersed in vocabulary.
I’ve decided I am going to hold a “word god/goddess” challenge to see how many students can keep track of old and new vocabulary words this summer.
Giving students bragging rights over a god or goddess status is one way to actually keep them learning their vocabulary all summer long!
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Essentially, any student who finds and/or uses 50 vocabulary words this summer gets to be recorded on my “Word God/Goddess” poster that I will hang outside my room. You can download the banner for your own poster HERE.
Note: I think I may, in later years, have a Hera/Zeus designation for students who meet this challenge for more than one summer.
Students have to keep track of their vocabulary discoveries/uses through the chart I have created. If students would rather create their own charts or type up their examples in their own document, this is great too!
Essentially, any student who finds and/or uses 50 vocabulary words this summer gets to be recorded on my “Word God/Goddess” poster that I will hang outside my room.
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If you are worried about cheaters, I suggest having a guardian sign off on the student’s chart. However, students are playing for bragging rights, not grades, so hopefully they will stay honest.
I will also encourage students to play games to keep their vocabulary fresh in their minds. I think I will instruct them that playing a vocabulary game will “earn” them five words on their.
You can refer students to my posts about Apples to Apples, Scattergories and Memory to have them create their own game pieces. Or, if they want to have some fun with a more basic game, they can check out my Mother May I? post.
To keep myself fresh, I am also going to play these games with friends and family. Not only can I help teach my younger relatives words, the more I embed the words into my lexicon, the easier it will be for me to use them naturally in the classroom (one of the best ways for many students to learn is constant reiteration of new vocabulary).
Regardless of whether students are playing with their vocabulary, using it in everyday conversations or spotting it during their summer activities – thinking about words throughout the summer will make them Word Gods and Goddesses!
Common Core Standards:
Reading Literature/Informational Text Standard 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text
Writing Standard 10. Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking & Listening Standard 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats
Speaking & Listening Standard 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks
Language Standard 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words
Language Standard 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge
Related Posts:
Apples to Apples
Scattergories
Memory
Mother May I?
Stars on the Ceiling
Scavenger Hunt with Vocabulary
Posted on Mon, May 21, 2012
Vocabulary Word of the Week on iWords
Did you know English has the most words of any language on earth? Test Your Vocabulary is a research project looking to measure vocabulary sizes according to age and education. This simple 3-part process provides accurate results for virtually everyone! This would be a fun activity to do with students as the end of the school year approaches. Let your students leave feeling proud of the words they already know and encouraged to continue learning new ones!
Word SlapPs is an iPad app that has customizable features for learning vocabulary words! Word SlapPs aims to teach children vocabulary words specific to their world via uploaded pictures and voice recordings. This app is incredible!
Posted on Thu, May 17, 2012
To review before vocabulary tests, I often have students write sentences with as many vocabulary words as they can. I love the end results –not that they always sound great, but the process is both fun and educational. Students like to compete against each other to see who can use the most words, and they don’t even realize that by having to thoughtfully place the words in sentences, they are learning the words!
Students like to compete against each other to see who can use the most words, and they don’t even realize that by having to thoughtfully place the words in sentences, they are learning the words!
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Yet I wanted to give my students a little more direction than “write as many vocabulary words in a sentence,” so I thought of a specific task: describe a specific vocabulary noun with as many other vocabulary words as possible. Not only do students have to learn the meaning of the vocabulary noun they are explaining, but they have a specific purpose that then creates a less meandering sentence. Plus, some of my students flounder with the open-ended directions of simply writing vocabulary sentences, so I’m hoping that more precise directions will help them be more successful.
The steps to this vocabulary word game are easy.
1. Pick your vocabulary word noun and have students write it on their downloadable handout (note, to conserve paper, I made two sets of directions per sheet-just cut your paper on the perforation –students can use the back of their half-sheet to finish their descriptions if need be).
2. Give students the parameters for the vocabulary words they can use in their descriptions-from how many units can they use words? Sometimes I do this when review for a one unit test (20 words) and sometimes for a three unit test (60 words). By the end of the year, however, it could be a free for all, and students can use any word from any unit—perhaps bonus points could be awarded using words from the most number of units. Note: I usually let students use their vocabulary books when writing sentences, but you could just provide the words and have them work from their knowledge of the words if you wanted a bigger challenge.
3. Decide how long you will give students to complete the game-I would say between 3 and 5 minutes works best-enough time to get some great descriptions, not enough time to finish early and get bored.
4. Have students read the directions and look at the example sentence on the top of their handout for full clarification of how to play the game (please note my rule that using two or more words incorrectly students from the game).
5. Set the timer and have students write! Students can do this individually or possibly in teams of two.
6. When the timer dings, have students count the number of words used. Ask students to raise their hands if they used 3 vocabulary words besides the noun being described. Keep their hands up for 4, 5, 6 etc. When you have narrowed the field to five finalists, collect those papers first, then the other groups’ papers. Read over the finalists for correct usage, and award as many winners as you want. Look over everyone’s papers to make sure students are using the majority of words correctly, and take time to review words that have been repeatedly misused.
Hopefully everyone can enjoy a little fun in their learning through this easy vocabulary game!
Common Core Standards:
Writing Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Writing Standard 10. Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Language Standard 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words
Language Standard 5. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meaning.
Language Standard 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge
Related Posts:
Mother May I? Use a Vocab Word
Celebrity Throw Down
Vocabulary Practice with Vocab Toss
photo © iStockphoto
Posted on Mon, May 14, 2012
Did you notice that Word of the Week was absent last week? With the excitement of writing about ingenious vocabulary apps, guest posting on The Balancing Act blog, attending #Engchat, and prepping my interview with author Heather Brewer I lost track of time... or words!
So today I'm going to make my Ingenious Ideas post all about vocabulary words. Feature a "Word of the Week" in your classroom to emphasize the importance of learning vocabulary. To get students really excited about learning the "Word of the Week" use the fun resources below.
Vocabulary Word of the Week on iWords
Vocabulary Word of the Week Hangman Interactive
Vocabulary Word of the Week Word Search Interactive
Vocabulary Word of the Week Flashcards
Posted on Thu, May 10, 2012
Heather Brewer is an incredibly strong and compassionate author, in addition to being a hugely successful best-selling writer! I’ve been trying to get over my awe of her after spending time with Heather on two occasions-at the ALAN conference where I interviewed her last November and again at a St. Louis young adult authors event she did last week (where I interviewed fellow YA authors Antony John and Cole Gibsen-those interviews are coming!).
"Everything you learn in English class.... is really important, especially if you want to be a writer."
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Heather really speaks up against bullying, and, with her friends Jackie Morse Kessler and A.S King (from my last interview), they run an anti-bullying workshop. She refers to herself as “Auntie Heather” to all her fans, showing that she truly cares about her readers, and her stories definitely champion the underdog.
I love that she looks like a rebel, yet praises English classes and vocabulary –she’s the ultimate “cool” spokesperson for our profession.
“If you just listen-you can appreciate language in all forms.”
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I think my favorite quote from the interview was her remark about how to learn vocabulary: “If you just listen-you can appreciate language in all forms.”
I also love that she tells students, “Everything you learn in English class…is really important, especially if you want to be a writer.”
Thanks “Auntie Heather” for taking the time to share your ideas on writing and vocabulary with me!
Website: www.heatherbrewer.com
Twitter: @HeatherBrewer
Common Core Standards Heather Advocates:
Reading Literature/Informational Text Standard 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a textWriting Standard 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriateSpeaking & Listening Standard 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formatsLanguage Standard 3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts.Language Standard 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words
Posted on Wed, May 09, 2012
My dad is one of the reasons I love vocabulary so much. He always used “big words” like facetious and lackadaisical. While it took me several years of childhood to figure out what he was saying, I was proud when I knew those words when they appeared on my high school vocabulary lists.
Today, I try to promote vocabulary usage with my four year old son. We watch Word Girl on PBS and discuss the meaning of words (note: his favorite so far is frolic). Some of his Transformer toys also have great names like “Prowl” and “Ravage” so we talk about what those mean too. It’s a small start, but I’m trying to keep the learning entertaining.
Now, I am excited to get many more ideas about teaching vocabulary at home from vocabulary experts Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher! They are going to be on the Lifetime channel on the show The Balancing Act discussing the importance of vocabulary and how parents/guardians can get involved.
As a teacher-I can’t wait to tell all my parents/guardians about this show (they can watch it live or also get the link here once it airs). As a parent, I can’t wait to watch and get some new ideas on how to help my children learn vocabulary (heck-these ideas might even carry over in my teaching too!).
Posted on Tue, May 08, 2012
Last night’s Engchat discussion was amazing-so many great teachers weighing in on what it means to be a reader and how to develop thoughtful readers. I just kept retweeting brilliant ideas –thanks everyone!
Posted on Mon, May 07, 2012
Today I'm spotlighting three apps that can assist in learning new vocabulary words! These educational apps can be used in the classroom or added to an app suggestion list you can share with students and parents.
Imangi- This app requires you to use your vocabulary and spatial reasoning skills to slide rows and columns of letters in a 6x8 grid to form words! This fun game will test your word knowledge and spelling skills.
SAT 1500 Words Challenge- This app is an interactive game played against other users in REAL TIME! This educational app features SAT vocabulary list with definitions, audio, and sample sentences.
Vocabology- This free app highlights a word of the day from various different sources on the internet. Vocabology encourages users to get out of the "vocabulary rut" by learning new words each day and applying them in their lives through quizzes and social media! The app covers everything from Merriam Webster, Yahoo Education, Dictionary.com and Common SAT words .
Posted on Thu, May 03, 2012
Grades 2-12+
Everyone has a favorite meal-foods that conjure up fond memories or set one’s taste buds to watering. Today, I propose we harness students’ stomachs and attach their memories of food to vocabulary word meanings. How do we do it? Ask students to write out the items that would make up their perfect meal –and then describe each portion using vocabulary words.
Students get to write about a subject they love, and then attach those positive associations to vocabulary words-a win, win for everyone (except perhaps a few stomachs that may start grumbling).
Directions:
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Have students fill out each food item on the sheet (or they can list each menu item on their own paper).
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Explain to students which vocabulary words they will be using in their descriptions (a specific word list, unit list, etc).
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Have students write a description of each food item using the vocabulary words on their list. Explain to students that they may go down their vocabulary lists looking for words that can describe their first food item and write as much as they can using those words. Once a word is used, they can cross it off their list. Then, they can go down their lists again, looking for words that describe their second food item. They can continue to go down their vocabulary lists until all their words are used.
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Have students draw pictures of their food items or perhaps find clip art or photos that match their descriptions. Label these drawings with the vocabulary words.
If you have extra time: Have students find a partner and trade meal descriptions. Then students could explain to each other, using vocabulary words, why they like or dislike the other’s perfect meal.
Displaying the work: consider displaying the meal descriptions-possibly on a picnic tablecloth.
Do other teachers already have a similar lesson or fun item for displaying the end result? I’d love to hear what you do in your classrooms or suggestions for improving this lesson!
Common Core Standards:
Writing Standard 1. Write arguments to support claims, using valid reasoning and evidence.
Writing Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Writing Standard 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate
Writing Standard 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, etc.
Writing Standard 10. Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Language Standard 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Language Standard 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Language Standard 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words
Language Standard 5. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meaning.
Language Standard 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge