Well, Fergie might not like drama (did you catch the Black Eye Peas "My Humps" allusion in my title?), but I sure do...but only when it's used as an educational tool. So, let's talk drama in the classroom:
Using drama in the classroom is authentic, meaningful, relevant, engaging. While I used to think having students act in class wasn't something to take seriously, my mind has since changed. Due to the literature I have read on using drama in the classroom, graduate classes I have taken, and actually imparting drama in my own classroom, I can confidently say that drama is an essential tool that all teachers should use.
I recently had a discussion with my Scholar Sophomore English students about the seven deadly sins to help prepare students for a character analysis of Prince Prospero in "The Masque of the Red Death". I enjoy discussing the deadly sins with my students because we find out that there is a gray area for each sin, and they all seem to bleed into each other with regard to meaning. To help students to better understand the meaning of each word, I had them apply a sin to a real world example, and to do that, students had to act. Since there are seven deadly sins, I had seven groups of students. I especially liked that students worked in a group because that gave the shier students a mode of comfort; not one individual was acting alone in front of the class.
I gave students roughly ten minutes to come up with a non-scripted (or scripted if that made students feel comfortable) skit to perform in front of the class. After each performed skit, we had a brief description about how their skit embodied the sin and why it is considered to be a dark side of human nature. We even applied students skits to other real world examples. Students were active participants in their learning, and they facilitated a discussion on and an application of real world examples.
The acting and the discussions were a complete success; students got to momentarily live the sin and really explore the meaning both in their acting and in our discussing. Additionally, this drama activity was authentic in that students took ownership over their learning and made it their own, which is what teachers ultimately seek to achieve in their classrooms.
I urge you all try to try incorporate drama into your lessons. Students really do appreciate it because they are having fun while they are learning. The day after I had my students do the drama skit, I had a student exclaim in class, "Guess what! I was watching [insert TV show] last night, and they were talking about envy, and I knew exactly what they were talking about because of what we did in class the other day!" Wahhhhoooo! I call that a success!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
You Want Me To Write A What?
I'd like to think that I teach my students real world skills. I'd also like to think that I relate canonical texts to my students' lives. My philosophy on teaching is that it needs to be relevant and meaningful. However, never have I ever experienced completely grasping each and every students' attention like I have this week. Students were interested, invested, and inspired.
As part of our districts move to make learning more authentic, we have revamped our students' graduation project. Instead of students completing a project during their senior year, students now start it as a freshman. Each year, students gradually prepare themselves to either attend college or acquire a job upon graduation from high school. That means students participate in career surveys, create a resume and cover letter, fill out applications (job and college), go on interviews, visit colleges, etc. I love this idea. And I love that it is truly authentic and meaningful for our students.
Because I am a sophomore English teacher, my role in the graduation project is to teach my students how to create a basic resume, write a focused cover letter, and fill out a job application suitably. My students were hooked. They have never been taught such skills, and they genuinely wanted to learn how to write those materials. The reason why they were so engaged is because they found their learning to be meaningful; they saw what they were doing in class as actually benefiting their future. Students finally saw that a state test is not ruling their education.
Folks, don't underestimate the value of teaching students the basics; writing a cover letter may open your students eyes and genuinely prepare them for their future.
As part of our districts move to make learning more authentic, we have revamped our students' graduation project. Instead of students completing a project during their senior year, students now start it as a freshman. Each year, students gradually prepare themselves to either attend college or acquire a job upon graduation from high school. That means students participate in career surveys, create a resume and cover letter, fill out applications (job and college), go on interviews, visit colleges, etc. I love this idea. And I love that it is truly authentic and meaningful for our students.
Because I am a sophomore English teacher, my role in the graduation project is to teach my students how to create a basic resume, write a focused cover letter, and fill out a job application suitably. My students were hooked. They have never been taught such skills, and they genuinely wanted to learn how to write those materials. The reason why they were so engaged is because they found their learning to be meaningful; they saw what they were doing in class as actually benefiting their future. Students finally saw that a state test is not ruling their education.
Folks, don't underestimate the value of teaching students the basics; writing a cover letter may open your students eyes and genuinely prepare them for their future.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Research: Students Love to Hate it, and They Hate to Love it!
While I love research, most of my students, year after year, loathe the Sophomore English research project. I see eye rolls; I hear heavy sighs; I experience complete resistance; and serious tension develops between my students and me. You're probably thinking: so, if you know this to be true every year, what do you do to change it? I have simplified the project by reinforcing researching and essay writing skills from last year and introducing one new skill to further their writing ability. It's very important to me that students continue to develop as writers. Despite simplifying the project, students still hate it. I get that not every student will love research, but the stubbornness from students is downright frustrating. How do you help a student that refuses to be helped because they just don't want to complete the project?
To give you an overview of the Sophomore research project, students select a controversy of their choice to research. Then they are to do the following:
(1) After preliminary research, students are to choose one side of the issue and argue it with three main reasons.
(2) I provide a graphic organizer to help them establish the basics of the controversy--background information and status quo--and a thesis statement.
Sample Thesis Statement: Gay marriage should be legalized in all U.S. states because (reason 1), (reason 2), and (reason 3).
(3) Practice skimming sources for supporting details for each of the three reasons in their thesis statement.
***Each reason paragraph needs to have three supporting detail notecards (nine in total) and one opposing detail for each of the three reasons (three in total). It's important for students to address the opposing argument and refute it.
(4) Create at least three introduction notecards: attention grabber (they could choose to write their own), background information about the development of the controversy, and status quo.
(5) Organize notecards and write outline: I provide a template that students simply fill out.
(6) Provide instruction and models for how to write the paper: focus, organization, development of ideas.
(7) Draft: teacher graded and peer review
(8) Final MLA formatting day
For each step of the process, there is ample explanation, modeling, time to work in class, and teacher-student conferencing. I have the process of this research paper completely organized and chunked so that students feel in control and don't panic; however, students are still not happy with the project. I will admit--it's not engaging! How do I make it engaging?!
Well, I may have found the answer....or my school librarian has found the answer! Easybib, and not just the free edition, but the school edition.
Here's what it has to offer:
And here's a nifty video that will walk you through the benefits of Easybib visually.
Yes, it does cost money, but I really think it may be worth it. My school hasn't purchased the program yet, but we are for the upcoming school year. The reason why I like Easybib is because it allows students to use mostly media to conduct research and write their paper. For example, notecards are written in the program, and they can be neatly organized. Class materials don't have to be lost ever again! Now, I don't think students will miraculously love this research project because of Easybib, but I think it may make the process more enjoyable for students.
What do you all think? What have your experiences been with the school edition of Easybib?
To give you an overview of the Sophomore research project, students select a controversy of their choice to research. Then they are to do the following:
(1) After preliminary research, students are to choose one side of the issue and argue it with three main reasons.
(2) I provide a graphic organizer to help them establish the basics of the controversy--background information and status quo--and a thesis statement.
Sample Thesis Statement: Gay marriage should be legalized in all U.S. states because (reason 1), (reason 2), and (reason 3).
(3) Practice skimming sources for supporting details for each of the three reasons in their thesis statement.
***Each reason paragraph needs to have three supporting detail notecards (nine in total) and one opposing detail for each of the three reasons (three in total). It's important for students to address the opposing argument and refute it.
(4) Create at least three introduction notecards: attention grabber (they could choose to write their own), background information about the development of the controversy, and status quo.
(5) Organize notecards and write outline: I provide a template that students simply fill out.
(6) Provide instruction and models for how to write the paper: focus, organization, development of ideas.
(7) Draft: teacher graded and peer review
(8) Final MLA formatting day
For each step of the process, there is ample explanation, modeling, time to work in class, and teacher-student conferencing. I have the process of this research paper completely organized and chunked so that students feel in control and don't panic; however, students are still not happy with the project. I will admit--it's not engaging! How do I make it engaging?!
Well, I may have found the answer....or my school librarian has found the answer! Easybib, and not just the free edition, but the school edition.
Here's what it has to offer:
And here's a nifty video that will walk you through the benefits of Easybib visually.
Yes, it does cost money, but I really think it may be worth it. My school hasn't purchased the program yet, but we are for the upcoming school year. The reason why I like Easybib is because it allows students to use mostly media to conduct research and write their paper. For example, notecards are written in the program, and they can be neatly organized. Class materials don't have to be lost ever again! Now, I don't think students will miraculously love this research project because of Easybib, but I think it may make the process more enjoyable for students.
What do you all think? What have your experiences been with the school edition of Easybib?
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