Professional+Development+Reflections

Vocabulary Session Reflections:


 * In order to follow up Friday's professional development, I'd like us to remark within this thread (reply to all please) how we intend to use (or possibly already have used) activities/approaches we might have gleaned from in-service.**

I am excited to incorporate the mini white boards and paper books into my lessons. I also need to work on organizing a worth while word wall. I already do a sort of cloze passage for vocabulary review. It seems to work well and it lets me know that the students truly understand the word and didn't just memorize the definition. I'm planning to use the "I have" for my final exam review. I'll definitely start a good word wall next year. I plan to go through all of these ideas over the summer and see where they'll fit in with my units. We are also looking into have the students create their own version of "I have…. Who has...." to help them review for their final exam. We plan on using the I have… exercise for our review next Tuesday. We’ll let everyone know how it turns out. I’m also in the process of redoing my word wall to make it more user friendly (bigger, more interactive). I’d also like to create a large scale KUD for kids – any suggestions for next year and saving space would be good. While I have used some of the picture-type review for words, I plan to extend my study to include other ways to look at the words. I love the I have who has thing as a review for the words. I hope to even use it for my final for lit terms and vocabulary. I plan to incorporate their vocabulary in other assignments like use in essays. I plan to use the Frayer model even more. I don't know… I realize I have to make vocabulary more meaningful in general. Kendra I will continue to use frayer, give one - get one, collaborative pairs, word wall with better organization. Plan on trying Act it Out for Final Exam review.

I will continue to use Frayer foldable, Give One/Get one, Collaborative pairs, Act it Out, and will include mini white boards and meeting by the clock next year. For myself, the most valuable piece of information shared with us were the various "assessment" words--analysis, define, contrast, etc. Too frequently, I have students who are uncomfortable with these words during assessments, which means I not only need to devote more time at the beginning of the year to this, but also review the words periodically to refresh students' memories.

Collaborative Partners Clock-- by marking period next year Mini White Boards-- for each student in binder Paper Books-- Test preparation, review, etc Quick Talk--review, during lesson Cloze Passages for review (plot review/reading quiz) Plan organization of word walls for next year--establish real estate in the room in the beginning of the year This year, I incorporated what was essentially a word wall. I have a back board that is perfect for it. Part of the idea was that I would be consistently looking at them, so I can reference them. I found that I did often, and it helped to decentralize my classroom. I would like to do more with it next year, grouping words differently and in a more colorful fashion. Additionally, I plan on utilizing a few of the exercises into my classroom when dealing with big concepts (not SAT prep words, as there are too many and that would take too much time), such as doublethink with 1984 or insanity with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. These expansive frameworks will allow me to better explore some of the key concepts at work within the texts, and will hopefully increase student learning and achievement.