I can't believe Spelling Tests is the topic of my 13th blog and not my first one. In fact, I had to skim through my previous posts to make sure that I didn't already write about one of my all-time favourite topics. I LOVE talking to people about spelling tests and dictées. I visit teachers in their classrooms and offer to show them alternatives to spelling tests. I flat out don't believe in them. They cause anxiety among students, some parents put pressure on their children to get 100% and the children generally forget words right after the spelling test is done. My grandmother turned 100 years old last December. My sister and I flew out to Vernon, B.C. for one night to celebrate this momentous occasion. Just looking at the picture, I remember how emotional the event was! Why am I mentioning this? Because, when my grandmother was young she did spelling tests. Do you see the connection now? Yep! Teachers have been giving spelling tests for well over 100 years! Is it important to learn to spell? Absolutely! It is important to spell but it is not the most important tool needed to become a good writer. Content is much more important than the spelling itself. As a teacher who has corrected thousands of papers in her lifetime, I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading a paper more with poor spelling and a good story line, rather than good spelling and a poor story line. It is important to teach spelling but tests are not the most effective way to teach children how to spell. As a teacher, I used to give weekly spelling tests because that's what my teachers did when I was young. After a few years, I got tired of giving them. So, I stopped. I didn't enjoy searching for new words every week, I didn't like that added homework of kids going home and memorizing them, I certainly didn't enjoy correcting them, handing them back, asking the kids' parents to sign them and then collecting them again. And I especially didn't like that the kids would forget how to spell those words. It was clear to me that spelling tests were a complete waste of time. Last week, Michael Fullan, author, speaker and educational consultant, gave a talk at our school board. It was the second time in two years that I heard him speak. I really believe in his Deep Learning philosophy. And, as you can probably tell, I don’t like tests. I find that students memorize facts for tests only to forget the information soon after the test is over. According to Fullan et al. (2018) deep learning is valuable learning that sticks. More often than not, the information that students memorize is forgotten shortly afterwards. I remember having 30 students in my grade 3 class one year. I used to give out 20 spelling words every two weeks. I realized that 1/3 of the class simply looked at the spelling list and wouldn’t have to study. 1/3 of the class studied hard for the quiz and would feel very anxious on test day. They would do exceptionally well but would not be able to correctly spell these words weeks after the test. And the final 1/3 of the class would study hard but due to learning difficulties, were not able to pass the test. I knew that there must be a better way to teach spelling. Oscar Wilde once said: “Nothing worth learning can be taught”. If this is true, we need to stop teaching in traditional ways. We need to engage students more. According to Fullan, 95% of students are engaged in the early years of elementary but this number drops to 39% by the time the kids reach grade 11. And the ones who are doing their work in the later grades, seem to be studying to get good grades and not because they’re engaged. By giving percentages, are we making kids and parents obsessed with marks? Does deep learning conform to our current standards of evaluating or is it something that needs to be changed? Last year, I played Jeopardy with my students every Friday. I tried to throw in worldly questions, such as: “What is the capital of Dubai?” or “Name one of the Seven Wonders of the World.” Recently, I asked my students to name the female animal of a horse (in French). No one knew it. I decided to take the opportunity the following week and review the names of all the animals in French. I predicted one of the questions from a student, and I was right. He asked: “Is this going to be on a test?” This question saddened me. It’s as though we have conditioned our students to prepare for tests and not for learning. Deep learning encourages the opposite. We need to give children the opportunity to learn and not merely to write exams. The philosophy of Deep Learning is to get children excited about school. Imagine a child who isn’t having a good morning, and is forced to sit at the same desk all day long? How can this student concentrate during the day? Now, imagine this same student, knowing that he/she can come to school and sit on the bean bag chair and work at his/her own pace? The student in scenario number two is likely to be more productive that the same student in scenario number one. Teachers are used to hearing about new ways to teach, new ways to evaluate and different ways to engage students. So what makes Deep Learning different? Well, Deep Learning looks at students’ and teachers’ roles differently. Students have to be in charge of their own learning and teachers have to take a step back from the traditional teaching and become learners. Teachers have to understand that they don’t know all the answers and they aren’t expected to teach. Students can’t become critical thinkers if they are taught what to think. Fullan explains that teachers need to move from traditional lessons without jeopardizing student success. The authors attached a myriad of rubrics in their book and encouraged teachers to evaluate the 6 Cs (Citizenship, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and character). Some schools have been brave enough to move away from traditional report cards and are evaluating the 6Cs. To do this, the entire community has to be on board, from the teachers to the students and their parents. When I first stopped giving spelling tests, one parent asked me if there was a reason I didn't give weekly dictées. I simply told her that it wasn't the most effective way to teach children how to spell. So, what are some alternatives to traditional spelling tests? According to Calkins (2018), the answer is mini-lessons. Calkins recommends daily mini lessons where you teach spelling or how to use quotations or even how to write strong introductions...For example, if you focus on spelling, the teacher might say: "If you don't know how to spell a word, try stretching it out. If you are trying to spell vacation, stretch it out: VAAAACCCCAAAATTIIONNN. What do you hear? Write every letter that you hear." You would only work on that one strategy for a few days until all the students have tried it. On another day, the teacher would say: "Try breaking up the word into syllables: .BEA U TI FUL What do you hear? Write down the letters you hear. Another strategy is to listen for a little word in a big word. For example, the teacher might say: "FRIEND FRIEND. What little word do you hear in FRIEND? You hear END! Good!" Those are three strategies that can be used for spelling any word! When you give a spelling test, the kids are memorizing words. When you give a strategy, the kids are coming up with their own solution. My family had come over this evening. My niece was colouring and writing some words for fun and turned towards her mom and asked her how to spell certain words. Her mom gave her daughter, Leah, the answer right away. I took out my phone and filmed it. Here, Leah asked how to spell the word HIT? youtu.be/PjWFZ1eOmkM Here, she asked her how to spell KICK? youtu.be/ShJbEXVCmq4 and here, she asked how to spell the word hug? youtu.be/iI6uXnPiii4 It is a natural instinct to spell the word out for your child or even your student. The problem with spelling out the word for your child is that they didn't do any work to figure it out. They will most likely not remember afterwards and if they ask you at home how to spell a word, then they will surely turn to their teacher and ask the same question. What's the problem with that scenario? Well, if the teacher is doing a writing activity and has 30 students and each student asks the teacher to help spell just 5 words, well, the teacher will spend the entire lesson spelling words and not encouraging students to work on content. The kids will waste their writing block focusing on the spelling and not on writing. There is a big difference. Teachers have to teach their children strategies for spelling and parents should do the same thing at home. Every teacher has a list of grade level "no excuse spelling words" that children need to master. Can they be sent home? Definitely! But with clear instructions that they should be read and not written or memorized. And definitely not in the form of a spelling test. Why not post them up somewhere in class and have the kids look at them when they need to use them? Isn't a Word Wall (see image) another great strategy for children learning to spell? There are many strategies that are much more useful than traditional spelling tests. It is a 100 year old tradition that needs to be replaced with something more effective. References and recommended readings
Fullan, M., Quinn, J., & McEachen, J. (2018). Deep learning: Engage the world, change the world. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, a SAGE Company. Calkins, L. (2018), Units, Tools, and Methods for Teaching Reading and Writing -A workshop Curriculum: Grades k-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing.
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Why won't they just listen?Years ago, when I was doing my stage in an elementary school, I remember having my lunch in the staff room and there, right on the table were a few teacher books. I began flipping through the pile of books when I fell on one called: How to talk so kids will Listen and Listen so Kids talk. The title grabbed my attention. So, I used the rest of my lunch hour to speed read! There was a part of the book that I still remember over 15 years later. The authors, Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish recommended that when you put your child to bed, don’t tell them that it’s bedtime as it will most likely cause a fight. Instead, give them one of two choices: Ask them: "Do you want mommy to put you to bed or do you want daddy to put you to bed?" Another option is asking them which pyjamas they want to wear: for example: "the red ones or the blue ones". That’s the only part of the book that I actually remembered but it stuck with me for years and years and I can’t tell you how many times I actually used that method! It came in handy in my youth when I babysat and then again when I helped put my nieces to bed. It worked every time! You don't want to ask a question where the answer is no. You want to ask a question where the children think they are in charge, when really you are making the decision. Knowing that I wanted to write about this topic in my blog, I went to my local library and borrowed the book: "How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk". I was thrilled to see that the authors had come out with other books in the same genre that my library carried. I borrowed all three and plowed through them! The stories and anecdotes made them so real that I could instantly relate to them in the classroom. I would highly recommend them for teachers and parents! Please see the recommended readings at the end of this post. What if?In this next section, I have taken the author’s advice for parents and put in into practical advice for teachers. Picture this: The morning bell has rung, your students are hanging up their coats, changing their shoes and getting ready for class. A few minutes go by and the majority of your students are in class. There are a few stragglers out in the hallway, chatting and fooling around. An impulse might be to get upset and to tell the kids to hurry, that everyone is waiting and you might even start the famous countdown: “By the time I get to 0, I want everyone in class! 5-4-3-2-1½, 1, and…” By this time, the students are generally stressed and running around and perhaps even dropping their books. That is not a very good way to start your day! What if, instead of telling your students to hurry up…you simply say: “We are starting a writing activity.” And you let them come up with the solution. You teach them to come up with an answer. Let them realize that they will be late for a writing activity. Here is another scenario: It starts to rain. As an elementary teacher, if you're anything like me, your first thought is probably: “Oh no!” You’re upset because the kids will be cooped up inside and they won’t be able to expend their energy. You know that if you tell the kids that it’s raining they will get upset. What if…You simply tell the kids: “It’s raining.” And you let them come up with the solution. Do not give them the problem. Give them the fact. In this case, it’s raining. Hopefully, someone will say: “That means we have to stay in for recess!” Hopefully, at this point, students have continued to add to the statement by saying things like: “Can we draw during indoor recess?” or “Can we play a game?” If they don’t come up with their own solutions, the teacher can offer suggestions at this point: “Great observation! It is indoor recess! Would you like to watch Mr. Bean or play Go Noodle? Faber & Mazlish (2017) write about the importance of speaking with your children. This is something that can work easily in the classroom too. The authors say that it is important to show your children you understand but not by saying: "I understand". Instead, they recommend you to be specific. For example, if your kids tell you they are nervous about their presentation, and you reply: "I understand", they might get upset and say: "No, you don't!" But if you can relate to them by saying: "It must be really scary standing in front of the classroom and having everyone look at you", then the child really knows that you really understand. There are so many stories in the "How to talk" series. The authors teach the same basic principles -that of listening to your children and letting them know you understand. Does it always work? Definitely not! In one of the stories, a mom's 3 year old son broke down and had a tantrum. The father turned to the mom, knowing she had been taking parenting courses, and said: "You deal with him!" The mom immediately gave her son a paper and crayons. She asked him to draw how he felt. He was still yelling and crying and scribbling all over the paper. The mom said: "Oh my! You're really angry" and kept giving him paper to draw on. But his fourth sheet of paper, he was completely calm and said: "Now, I will draw me being happy". And his tantrum completely disappeared. The mom said that this method did not work every time and she had to come up with creative ideas of having her son talk about his feelings at that young age. I only had one student throw tantrums in my classroom. It became so bad, that I had to leave the classroom with my students. I left the student to have a tantrum by himself and called the principal for help. It turned out that he had calmed down by the time the principal had arrived, perhaps because there was no audience... What about punishments? Parents might ground their children, remove TV, video games, and not let them see their friends outside of school...teachers might keep children in at recess or after school as part of a detention, they might call home, write a letter to the parents, or even send the kids down to the principal's office. Faber et al. recommend alternatives to traditional punishments. For example: Instead of telling your child in a store not to run, give a choice: "You can either sit in the shopping cart or walk. In a classroom, a student might be running around the classroom or down the hallway. The same rule applies, you wouldn't say: "Don't run down the hallway!" Instead, you can say: "You can either sit or walk". This reminded me of my life-guarding days. We were taught to say: "Walk", instead of "Don't run" and "Only jump in the shallow-end", instead of "No diving in the shallow end". So, what if the student continues running in class? Or if your child keeps running in the grocery store? Well, in that case, the authors of the best selling series recommend you pick up your child nicely, put them in the grocery cart and say: "I see you decided to sit in the cart!" You need to take action. And if that doesn't work? Well the next time you go grocery shopping, you don't take them with you. Have them tell you what they did wrong. I guess that one doesn't really apply to school as kids can't miss school! From what I have learned on these methods of talking to you children, I would simply have a one on one talk with the student. They need to know that their behaviour was wrong. The teacher needs to find out why they behaved like this. The teacher needs to listen and the child needs to feel heard. You can't predict what your kids say or do. You can't have a script ready for every single scenario. But you can learn some useful tips and tricks. You can learn how to listen and how to talk. It takes a lot of effort but it is worth all the work. References and recommended readings
Faber, A. E., & Mazlish, E. (2017). How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk. London: Piccadilly Press. Faber, J., & King, J. (2017). How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7. London: Piccadilly Press. Faber, A.E., Mazlish, E. (2003). How to talk so kids can learn. London: Piccadilly Press. Wallace, T. L., Sung, H. C., & Williams, J. D. (2014). The defining features of teacher talk within autonomy-supportive classroom management. Teaching and Teacher Education,42, 34-46. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2014.04.005 Learning a second language definitely has its challenges. I learned French in school. My French instruction started in kindergarten and continued into CEGEP. Having grown up in Montreal, I was able to practice French in the workplace, conversing with friends, and in social contexts, when I am out at a restaurant for example, or even in stores... Neither of my parents spoke French. As an adult, my mom went back to school to learn French so that she could help my sisters and I with homework. My dad listened to French radio often in order to improve his accent. He grew up in Flin Flon, (yes, that's a real place!) Manitoba, learned very little French at school and was never able to practice as no one in his neighbourhood actually spoke French! According to Gordon (2000), if children learn a second language at an early age, they can master it and speak without an accent. I tried learning Spanish as an adult. I took a 10 week course, did my homework, progressed in class and felt as though I could move to a Spanish-speaking country and get by with my fantastic Spanish! Ask me a question now and all I would be able to muster is: No habla espagnol. I completely lost everything - I guess that's what happens when you don't practice. According to Gordan (2000), learning a new language after the age of 12, can be compared to learning any other subject. You can still learn it but may not necessarily master it. I was first hired as a French teacher. I had an interview at Lester B. Pearson School Board back in 2003. My interview was conducted in both French and English, and as there were more French positions available, I got a job as a grade 6 French teacher. I had to take a course that year, offered by my school board. It entailed me to write papers throughout the course, and to do a final oral and written exam to be considered a French teacher. It was a great experience! I thought back to my schooling, from my early years in elementary all the way to CEGEP, and thought how well I was taught a second language that I was able to find work in French. According to Hartshorne et al. (2018), children learn languages more easily than adults. Later on in my career, I taught in English too as more positions began to open up. I have taught in 50-50 schools (equal instruction given in English and French), in immersion schools (French instruction only from kindergarten to grade 2, turning into a 50-50 setting as of grade 3), and finally in Français Plus schools (French instruction only from kindergarten to grade 4, turning into a 50-50 setting as of grade 5). I taught students who had never spoken French at home and whose parents don't speak French, I have taught francophones who speak French with their parents at home, and I have taught anglophone children whose parents really make an effort with their children to expose them to as much French as possible in the classroom. In my fifteen years of teaching experience, and having taught over 500 students, I really appreciated the parents who continued to speak French at home with their children. And if they didn't speak French, they would make an effort to watch movies in French and to help their children with their homework. According to Hoover-Dempsey et al. (2005), parent involvement in their children's school work, has a positive impact on student outcome. It is so important for parents to get involved in their child's academic work. Not all parents are able to help their children. In those cases, work has to be done in school. I used to give an extra hand to my students at recess and at lunch time if I knew that they weren't getting the support at home. Two things happened to me recently that inspired me to write this blog. One, I was on a road trip with a couple and their children. We were traveling to Quebec City together. The husband is anglophone and the wife is francophone. They were speaking English to their children the whole time. I asked the mom if she spoke French with her kids and she said: "Ah! They can learn in school!" I was taken aback by this answer! Although the mom is right and her children can very well learn French at school, it would be most beneficial for the kids if they learned French at home before starting school. Teachers need support at home! The second thing that happened was that my sister said her kids would not be speaking French as well as they do now if it wasn't for her efforts at home...Again, I was taken aback. What's wrong with encouraging them to speak French at home? Why does it have to fall solely on the shoulders of the teachers? I love what my sister does with her kids: From ALL screen time being in French, to French board games, to random conversations in the house. I hear my nieces speaking French among themselves without any prompting from their parents ALL THE TIME. Although their parents are anglophone, they make every effort to bring French into their home. According to Gordon (2000), if children hear a second language at home, they are learning it as they would their mother tongue. I start off every "Meet the Teacher" night by telling the parents that we are in a partnership for a year, that it takes a village to raise a child and that we need to work together and communicate throughout the year. I tell them that I need their support and that I can't do it without them. I ask them, that if they don't already speak French at home with their kids, to please consider adding it to their daily routine, by reading to them in French, by having them read in French, watching French shows and movies and really integrating it into their routine. So, what if you don't have parental support, for whatever reason...Perhaps, the parents don't speak French and are unable to help their children. According to Goldberg (2012), children can fall into a homework trap and fall behind in their studies. The students may not understand the work being taught in class, and not get the much needed support at home and fall more and more behind in their work. It is a win win situation, if teachers, parents and students all work together and support one another. It takes a village to raise a child. References and recommended readings
Anderson, R. (January 01, 2004). Phonological acquisition in preschoolers learning a second language via immersion: a longitudinal study. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 18, 3, 183-210. Fennell, C., & Byers-Heinlein, K. (2014). You sound like Mommy: Bilingual and monolingual infants learn words best from speakers typical of their language environments. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38(4), 309–316. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025414530631 Gordon, N. (January 01, 2000). The acquisition of a second language. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 4, 1, 3-7. Hoover‐Dempsey, K. , Walker, J., Sandler, H., Whetsel, D., Green, C., Wilkins, A., and Closson, K. Why Do Parents Become Involved? Research Findings and Implications, The Elementary School Journal 106, no. 2 (November 2005): 105-130. Goldberg, K. (2007). The homework trap. Encounter, 20(4), 70-89. Hartshorne, J. K., Tenenbaum, J. B., & Pinker, S. (2018). A critical period for second language acquisition: Evidence from 2/3 million English speakers. Cognition,177, 263-277. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2018.04.007 Learning a Second Language Through Interaction. (January 01, 2002). Language and Education Clevedon-, 16, 73-75. Five minute games are a teacher's best friend -that and the dollar store! Five minute games are pretty much when a teacher has taught a lesson, the students are done their work and there are five minutes left before the bell rings. What is a teacher to do? Five minute games can also be used when the kids are getting antsy and they have to get up and move. According to Papanastasiou (2017) games in class are able to keep both elementary and high school students with attention, and developmental delays engaged in classroom. Brain break is a term used mostly by educators to get the kids up and moving. I would use brain breaks often in class and multiple times per day. I would use them when I saw that the kids had been sitting for a little too long and getting restless. Sometimes, it would consist simply of a few stretches, other times, it turned into a 5 minute game. Here are a list of my favourite 5 minute games: Game #1: Rock, paper, scissors, squat! I bet you have never heard of the squat part before! That's an added twist to this timeless classic. You know the rule: Scissors cut paper, rock crushes scissors and paper eats rock. Now, here's the twist: Every time you lose, you have to squat a little. If you keep losing, you keep squatting until you're all the way down on the floor. And of course, everytime you win, you get to stand back up a little. It gets the kids to move a little, lasts five minutes and everyone participates. According to Bobe (2014), these quick games are effective in increasing physical activity amongst elementary students. Game #2: Review challenge Divide the class into 4 or 5 groups, depending on the number of students in your class. You want approximately 3-4 students in each group. Quiz them on anything you have covered in class (if you teach history, ask them a history question, if you teach math, ask them something about the math topic you covered that week). It takes 5 minutes, it's a great review and the kids get to discuss the answers in small groups. I would recommend giving one white board to each group so that the kids don't shout out the answers. Instead, one representative from each group writes the answer on the white board. Game #3: Charades Ah! Who doesn't like a classic game of charades? Divide your class into groups of approximately 4 students. Let's call these groups: A, B, C, and D. Have a student from group A come to the front of the classroom. Give this student a topic to act out, perhaps from a popular kids book. Only members from group A can call out the answer. Groups B, C, and D have to wait their turn. This is a great method to keep the class from getting too rowdy. There are only 4 students, on the same team, calling out at once. If a student is too shy to participate, do not force them to act. They generally enjoy being one of the ones to guess. Other jobs for students who don't like to participate are: Time keeper, score keeper and teacher's helper. 5 minutes means every group gets a chance to participate once. It will keep the kids asking for more charades on following days -which is a great way to build a relationship with a student who may not necessarily enjoy attending school. Perhaps a little game like charades is the highlight of their day. According to Demaray (2005), it is important for educators to support shy students, as kids develop positive attitudes toward school. Game #4: Math train I learned this game during my fourth year stage in a grade 2 class. It works for students at any age in elementary. Have two students stand next to each other and ask them to solve a math question (something quick like an addition or multiplication). Students 1 & 2 stand next to each other and you call out something like: 4 X 6. Student 2 answers "24" right away. Student 1 sits down and student 2 walks up to the next student. The teacher asks another question. The kids get very excited when they go around the room, especially when the same student is on a winning streak. The teacher should make sure to ask easier questions for students who struggle with math. This way, everyone gets a fair chance! Game #5: Bop, Beep Have the students stand in a circle and tell them that you will begin counting from 1 to 100. Every time, they get to a multiple of 5, they have to say Bop instead. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4, BOP, 6, 7, 8, 9, BOP...Sounds easy, but someone inadvertently always makes a mistake! Stop at 100 and start over. Add another rule, this time, students have to replace all multiples of 5 with BOP and all multiples of 3 with BEEP. Here's what it looks like: 1, 2, BEEP, 4, BOP, BEEP, 7, 8, BEEP, BOP. That definitely gets more challenging! Five minutes is all you need. If it goes longer than that, the students might get frustrated. For students who have difficulty with math, consider writing the numbers 1 to 100 on the board. Point to the numbers as the kids go around the circle. This will help keep them focused on the number that they have to call out. According to Shellard (2004), teachers need to use different strategies in the classroom so that students can connect to math. She goes on to say that teachers need to encourage positive attitudes. I found that math games was a way of introducing math to the kids in a fun way! Game #6: A Figure of Speech My sister sent me this image recently. I was confused at first and then I started looking carefully at all the different figure of speeches. How fun! My husband and I played it together and excitedly started saying them out loudly: 1) Kicking the bucket 2) Born with a sliver spoon in your mouth 3) From rags to riches 4) Having cold feet...I could keep going but I don't want to ruin in for my readers in case they want to try it out. We were able to find 25! We weren't sure about the halved walnut or the red fish...let me know if you figure it out! I immediately posted in on FB for my friends to try. I also recommended that they share it with their students. Some of my friends found 4 or 5, some got to 20. I was thrilled when I found out that some of my friends shared it with their students! The kids loved it! They definitely knew a few expressions while they had never heard of some other ones. It turned out to great learning opportunity as the teachers were able to explain some of the expressions to the kids. #win Game #7: Fortunately, unfortunately I actually just played this game this morning with a grade 2 class that I visited! This was a game that my dear daddy taught my sisters and I when we were young. Have the students sit in a circle. The teacher starts by telling a story. For example, I woke up late for school this morning and missed my bus. The first student continues the story with FORTUNATELY, and adds a piece to the story. The next student continues with UNFORTUNATELY, and so on and so forth. I used that beginning with my students today. It went something like this: I woke up late for school this morning and missed my bus. FORTUNATELY, it was nice outside and I rode my bike. UNFORTUNATELY, when I got to school, the principal got mad at me for being late and started yelling at me (at this, the kids laughed and laughed), FORTUNATELY I was able to go to class. UNFORTUNATELY, I forgot my school bag at home, FORTUNATELY, my mom was able to drive it to school (funny how the mom couldn't drive her child to school), UNFORTUNATELY, my mom got a flat tire, FORTUNATELY, her grandmother called the tow truck...and then the bell rang. That's not part of the story. The bell really rang so we will never know how that story ends. I told the teacher in the class that I always start this game with the whole class and then I separate them into groups of three and have the students play with their classmates. Very popular game! Here's a funny example that I often share with my older students. I remember my dad sharing it with me when I was very young. A man fell out of a plane. FORTUNATELY, he was wearing a parachute. UNFORTUNATELY, there was a hole in the parachute. FORTUNATELY, there was a hay stack on the ground. UNFORTUNATELY, there was a pitchfork sticking out of the haystack. FORTUNATELY he missed the pitchfork. UNFORTUNATELY, he missed the hay! Game #8: The word game I am not sure if that's the actual name but nevertheless, the kids love it! Have two students face each other. Give them a topic, such as: Objects that you find in the kitchen. One at a time, they have to take turns naming objects. For example: Student 1 says: a fork, Student 2 says: a cutting board, student 1 says fridge, student 2 says: a microwave and so on and so forth. Sounds easy? It's really not. After about five or six words, the kids have a hard time thinking of other words. Note that there's a 3 second time limit and if you say a word that has already been said, you forfeit the game. This is a fun game to play on road trips too! Game #9: Hot potato with a twist This is not your everyday regular game of hot potato. Have the students sit or stand in a circle. Play music. Start with one ball and pass it around the circle, add and a second and third ball too. At one point, stop the music, this means that everyone FREEZES! The three students holding the ball do a little movement (wave of the hands, bending their knees, a little dance...and the game continues). If students are too shy to do a movement on their own, do one for them and have the whole class repeat. Students might have more confidence once they see everyone acting a little silly. Do not force kids out of their comfort zones. Game #10: C like Charlie I definitely made this name up! I came up with it for my students who were always finished their work early. I remember one of my grade 4 students, Ella, asking me what she could do when she had finished her work. I asked her if she knew the 50 states, to which she replied "no". I told her to print out a sheet of the states and to memorize them. She was up for the challenge and it became a fun game for all students once they were finished their work. Ella loved the game! She told me a story of when she had gone to her sister's piano recital, bored out of her mind, asked her mom for a paper and pen, and began to jot down all the states. Her parents thought it was amusing. This popular in-class game got me thinking of other similar games, namely C like Charlie. I asked the kids to memorize the military alphabet (alpha, beta, charlie, delta, echo...). The kids love it! I told them that it's helpful when they're on the phone with someone and they're trying to spell out a word. Games and brain breaks are so important for children at any age. There is a website called www.gonoodle.com/ It is designed for students to get up and move in class. So, for a teacher who is not comfortable playing games with the students, this website will take care of that! You don't need much space either. The students can stand behind their desks and follow along. There are options for stretching, dancing, running and jumping on the spot. I highly recommend it for indoor recess (when it's raining and the kids don't have a chance to move around). According to the Canadian Physical Activities Guidelines, Children should do some form of exercise for at least 60 minutes per day. What if they are not getting the recommended minutes of physical activity per day at home and are sitting at their desks all day at school? Teachers and educators need to do their part and have the children get up and move a little each day. References and recommended readings
Baron, Ella. A figure of speech cartoon retrieved at: https://www.ellabaron.com/ Bobe, G., Perera, T., Frei, S., & Frei, B. (July 01, 2014). Brain Breaks: Physical Activity in the Classroom for Elementary School Children. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior: Supplement, 46, 4.) Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, retrieved at: http://csep.ca/CMFiles/Guidelines/CSEP_PAGuidelines_0-65plus_en.pdf Demaray, M. K., Malecki, C. K., Davidson, L. M., Hodgson, K. K. & Rebus, P. J. (2005). The relationship between social support and student adjustment: A longitudinal analysis. Psychology in the Schools, 42, 691–706. Korem, A., & Korem, A. (January 01, 2018). Supporting Shy Students in the Classroom: A Review. European Psychologist. Papanastasiou, G., Drigas, A., Skianis, C., & Lytras, M. D. (November 07, 2017). Serious games in K-12 education. Program, 51, 4, 424-440. Shellard, E. G. (November 01, 2004). Helping Students Struggling with Math: Teachers Need to Employ a Wide Variety of Strategies to Develop Understanding of Math Concepts and Encourage Positive Attitudes. Principal, 84, 2, 40-43. My nieces, aged 5, 7 and 9 have always been very active in after school activities. They participate in tennis, swimming, ringette, skiing, gymnastics, ballet and karate. This means that they are busy every day after school. Their grandmother thinks it's too much and that they need more downtime. Their parents think that the kids need to be active and think their activities are important. Note that the kids love every minute of their activities. So, what's too much? Is grandma right in saying that they need more free time or are mom and dad correct in saying that their kids should be in multiple organized sports? According to an article published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Burdette et al. (2005) writes that free playtime dropped 25% between 1981 and 1997. More and more children are being registered in organized sports. But is this a good thing? And how much is too much? According to Burdette et al., unstructured play needs to be restored in children. Unstructured play means no rules, no coaches, no adults interfering. Unstructured play simply means kids use their imagination and make up their own games and rules. This helps children with problem-solving skills, organizing and social skills, as parents and coaches aren't there to tell the kids how to solve their problems. Here is a picture of my nieces playing in the snow after a huge snowstorm. This is an example of unstructured play. There were no rules, no parents, just their imagination. Were there fights? Guaranteed! But they learn to talk and socialize and figure it out themselves. These are lifelong skills. When I was young, like most of my friends, I played outside. My friends and I rode our bicycles, we played hide and seek for hours and only came back home to eat and then again when it got dark. During the summer, I spent my days at the local swimming pool, and when I wasn't there, I was playing with the neighbourhood kids. I did, however participate in organized sports too. I took swimming lessons and was on the swimteam during the summer, soccer during the spring and summer and skating lessons during the winter. That's it. Those were the organized sports that I was apart of. What are the benefits of extra-curricular activities? According to Simoncini et al. (2012), the benefits of participation in extra-curricular activities can influence children's behaviour. Their research shows that children and adolescents who participate in extra-curricular activities have less behaviour problems than those who don't. Depending on children's socio-economic status, children may not be able to afford extra-curricular activities. A P.E. teacher I know (featured on the front row, second from the left), plays soccer on a regular basis. As a child, he and his brother played soccer competitively. He told me recently how expensive it was for his parents to pay for competitive soccer for both their sons. It was well-worth it of course, as they both still enjoy the sport very much. They both did well in school and one of them coaches soccer at a CEGEP level. What happens if you can't afford any extra-curricular activities for your children? Parents should look for activities in their children's own schools. I personally have taught dance, knitting, and improv in my school. A lot of my colleagues coach sports at lunch time or after school. Some music teachers teach lessons at lunch time! Ask your local school what they offer in terms of activities. What should parents do to encourage more free time? According to Spivey (2013), parents should understand that not every minute needs to be structured. She goes on to say that playing is the child's job and that not every minute needs to be structured. She recommends offering open-ended toys, like legos, or costumes, that encourage imagination. Spivey recommends as much free time as possible in a day, beginning with 15 minutes at a time (depending on the success of the unstructured play). Back to grandma versus parents. They're both right! Extra-curricular activities are healthy and important for a child's growth. I am secretly a little jealous of my nieces who will grow up to be expert skiers, swimmers and a whole lot of other sports! I went skiing last week end with friends who were expert skiers. One had been skiing since she was two years old! I couldn't keep up, went very slowly down very easy hills, and was passed repeatedly by kids under the age of 5. I would highly recommend a balance of both extra-curricular and free time as they both benefit children and teens. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References Burdette HL, Whitaker RC. Resurrecting Free Play in Young Children: Looking Beyond Fitness and Fatness to Attention, Affiliation, and Affect. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159(1):46–50. doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.1.46 Swan, Avril, MD. 2011. Whole Family Medicine. The benefits of unstructured play. Retrieved January 2013 at http://avrilswanmd.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/the-benefits-of-unstructured-play/ Levine, Madeline. 2012. Dads and Families. Why kids need unstructured play. Retrieved January 2013 at http://goodmenproject.com/families/why-kids-need-unstructured-play/#bJdaSwrlZRsXepMu.99 Onderko, Patty. (2013) Parents. Breaking free: the case for unstructured play. Retrieved January 2013 at http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/breaking-free-the-case-for-unstructured-play/ Simoncini, K., & Caltabiono, N. (January 01, 2012). Young school-aged children's behaviour and their participation in extra-curricular activities. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37, 3, 35-42. Spivey, B., Whatever Happened to Unstructured Play? Retrieved 2013 at https://www.handyhandouts.com/pdf/379_Unstructured_Play.pdf Were you the kind of student who practiced oral presentations in front of the mirror, in front of your parents or simply winged it the day it was due? I was the kind of kid who practiced over and over again. I remember my dad giving me great pointers like pausing at commas, taking full breaths at the end of sentences and E-N-U-N-C-I-A-T-I-N-G every word. I enjoyed preparing for oral presentations. I was a pretty shy kid in class, so being able to memorize something at home meant that I was able to participate in class. I was lucky as I had the support at home. My parents would listen to me over and over again, until my dad would eventually say: "Enough". That's when I knew I was ready. What about students who don't have the support at home? Are they the ones who don't show up at school the day their presentation is due? Are they the ones who are so nervous they can barely sleep at night? Or are they the ones who stand in front of the class absolutely mortified and say umm...ohh...ummm a lot? Of course there are the lucky ones who have the gift of gab, don't practice at home and present a flawless presentation, with a loud, clear voice, and a lot of enthusiasm! I asked some of my colleagues what the point of having kids stand in front of class was. One of them told me that it was good practice for later on in life. Really? Having a 7 year old stand in front of their peers is good practice for later on in life? I don't agree. How many of these children will grow up and never have to present in front of their peers? How many of my own colleagues are too shy to speak up during staff meetings? The majority of the teachers at my school would not be comfortable presenting in front of their peers, yet we have our students do it all the time. One of my colleagues, a grade 4 teacher, told me that she was terrified of speaking in front of the classroom when she was young. Although she had the support at home and was well prepared for presentations, she would still have difficulty sleeping the night before, and had terrible stomach aches the day her presentation was due. She is in her fifties now, and she still can't present in front of a group of peers. She told me that she never got over the fear of public speaking. I asked her if I could film her telling her story for my blog but alas, she is not comfortable in front of the camera! Based on a study involving 65 candidates, Shin et al.'s (2018) results showed that anxiety in public speaking can still be present years later. After I read that article, I understood why my colleague was so uncomfortable speaking in front of large groups decades later. The problem with having students work on oral presentations is that it is something worked on at home. There is no discussion, no deeper thoughts, no time for deeper learning. Preparing for an oral presentation consists simply of memorizing a text at home, and reciting in front of peers. According to Reznitskaya et al. a recent study showed that discussions were absent from more than 90% of the 200 classrooms that were observed. Students need to have a venue for deep conversations. Schools should be one of these venues. In Quebec, the evaluation criteria is such that communication is evaluated from grade 1 to grade 11 in English and in French. Here is what most students are expected to do:
As the student works on the written component at home, oral presentations must be graded as written work, not for communication. If your mark is based on students raising their hands and participating, then introverted children are at a disadvantage. As an introvert myself, I had a very difficult time raising my hand in class. I still do. As an adult, I force myself to raise my hand during staff meetings or during McGill classes. I do it anyway as I want to add to the discussion. My heart races up until the time I am asked to share with my peers but I do it anyway. I did not have as much will power when I was young. So, how can we possibly give a better mark to a student who speaks up in class as opposed to a quieter student? When we do this, we, as teachers, are basing marks on personality as opposed to communication skill. Here is a fantastic Ted Talk on the Power of Introverts: https://bit.ly/2EGAf3r Here is an activity that teachers can do with their students in order to incite a discussion. I got this idea from my colleague Heather-Anne, who is a French consultant at Lester B. Pearson School Board. She recommended watching short animated clip with our students. These clips have no words and therefore can be used in any language. They last approximately five minutes. Here is one called: Take me home Here are some ideas to try with your children or students:
According to Ketch (2005), conversation is the basis to critical thinking. She says that in most classrooms, students are required to be quiet for most of the day and have little opportunity to have conversations. As a teacher, I understand why teachers want their students to work quietly. Classrooms can become very noisy very easily and the teacher may feel as though he/she is losing control. It's ok to have moments of conversations with the whole group as well as in small groups. Here is another great activity to get all students to participate and listen! We recently tried it out during a staff meeting. Here I am giving directions to my colleague. I was describing a fruit basket to him, but I wasn't allowed to use the the words "fruit" or "basket". The goal was for my colleague to draw the exact picture that I am describing. I was very impressed with his questions! For example, I was describing an apple, but wasn't allowed to say apple. So, I said: "Draw a circle". He asked where the circle was on the page, and what size the circle was. I then responded that it was in the middle, on the right hand-side of the page and that it was the size of my thumb. What a great exercise in listening and participating! It can definitely be done at all ages and in any language (in their mother tongue or in a language that they are learning). According to Barker (2015), having discussions of texts in class is "at the heart of teaching English". She says that teachers should give the students a chance to discuss. Asking students a question and having them answer and then following up with another question is not a discussion. That is considered a simple question and answer period. In this case, the children are not given the opportunity to elaborate on their answers. Here is another activity to help facilitate discussions. Give students a list of topics, such as:
Ketch (2015) reminds us how crucial conversation is to children and that it is the foundation for critical thinking. She says: "It provides students with the practice that becomes the foundation for reading, writing, and thinking." There are so many alternative to traditional oral presentations and getting students to have meaningful discussions. I hope this blog encourages parents and teachers to facilitate more discussions at home and at school. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References and recommended readings Barker, Lisa M. (2015). Under Discussion: Teaching Speaking and Listening. English Journal 104.3 (2015): 97–100 Ketch, A. (2005). Conversation: The Comprehension Connection. The Reading Teacher,59(1), 8-13. doi:10.1598/rt.59.1.2 Reznitskaya, A. & Glina, M. (2013) Comparing Student Experiences with Story Discussions in Dialogic Versus Traditional Settings, The Journal of Educational Research, 106:1, 49-63, DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2012.658458 Shin, K. E., & Newman, M. G. (2018). Using Retrieval Cues to Attenuate Return of Fear in Individuals With Public Speaking Anxiety. Behavior Therapy,49(2), 212-224. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2017.07.011 I don't remember any of my friends being bullied in elementary school. Is it possible that there weren't any bullies in elementary school when I was young? I doubt it. But we weren't aware of it like we are today. We have programs in schools to help bring awareness to staff and students. We send messages to parents telling them there is zero-tolerance for bullying in our schools. Teachers are encouraged to let students know they can talk to them whenever they want about any problems they are facing. As part of Side & Johnson's research (2014), they interviewed students between the ages of 13 and 15 who had all experienced being bullied (either cyber bullying, physical and/or verbal bullying). Out of the eight students who participated in this interview, only one of them had seen their school's anti-bullying policy beforehand. Once shown the policy, the students didn't agree with the way they were supported, meaning what was on paper and how they were actually supported was different. These eight students had all found a supportive teacher but did not appreciate how the school took care of the situation. I remember one of my friends being bullied in high school. Girls teased her about the colour of her hair, the stains on her teeth and even bought her a toothbrush once. She cried a lot. I didn't know how to help her. I didn't report the incident. I didn't talk to anyone about it. As an adult however, I recounted the stories to my mom and she was shocked! She remembered my high school friend very well and asked me why I didn't do anything about it. I became a statistic -a bystander who did nothing to help her friend. Those girls were mean. Not to me. Never to me. She was one of my closest friends. Had there been an anti-bullying program when I was young, would I have been more likely to report the incident? I would like to think so, but I can't say for sure. According to Petrosino et al. (2010), 64% of bullying in schools goes unreported. 64%! That is more than half of all cases that we are aware of. Something needs to change. I first met Lisa Dixon-Wells at a school that I used to teach at. She is the founder of a bullying prevention program called Dare to Care. She started it in her hometown of Calgary. She founded the program because she felt the need to help children and teenagers. Dixon-Wells introduced herself to our staff and parents one day after school. She worked in the school system and told us that she met students who had so much anxiety that they couldn't even go to school. Her purpose was to create a common language so that when students, teachers and parents see something wrong in the community, they know which steps to take in order report it immediately. These programs are available to schools across the country and I would highly recommend it to anyone. www.daretocare.ca/ So, how do you get students/children to admit that there is bullying going on? According to Dixon-Wells, children need to be taught what to say. She says that children should learn to use the following catch-phrase: "Excuse-me. Can you please help me? This person (insert name here) has been bothering me for X amount of time and I need help!". Simple enough! Everyone can learn to use this statement. She says that a lot of times, if a child reports bullying to an adult, it might come out as complaining and the adult's brain might shut off and tune the child out. I myself have been approached by many of my students complaining about what happened at recess or at lunchtime. It is so difficult to determine if it is bullying or a matter of tattle-tailing. And it is very challenging to deal with it right away when other students are waiting for you in class. One year, I failed to recognize a case of bullying in my very own classroom. I think about it all the time. How did I not do anything about it? I gave points to students who followed simple procedure, such as placing their shoes properly on the bench, taking out their agendas in the morning, finding a book to read...One student approached me one day at recess (let's call her Allison) and told me that another student (let's call her Molly) would move her shoes off the bench and onto the floor every day so that Allison wouldn't get any point. She also told me that Molly would do the same in art class. I listened to her, I told her that was awful. I spoke with Molly about her behaviour but she denied it. And that's it. I had to teach. I went on with my day but failed to realize that Allison lived through this over and over again. Thankfully, Allison approached the Daycare coordinator and told her the whole story. The daycare coordinator wrote everything down. She approached me afterwards and recounted everything that Molly had been doing to Allison. The daycare coordinator approached the principal and the principal called in Molly. I was invited to attend the meeting between Molly and the principal At first, Molly denied EVERYTHING, just like she did with me. The principal told her she needed to be completely honest, that another student was being hurt and that she couldn't help her if she didn't know the truth of the matter. At this, Molly broke down and confessed everything. The principal contacted Molly's parents, with Molly in the room, and told her how proud she was of Molly divulging the truth about everything. The principal wanted the parents to be aware as Molly would be in high school in a few years and didn't want her to target any other students. She wanted bullying to be stamped out right then and there. What if Allison hadn't approached the daycare coordinator? What if the daycare coordinator hadn't approached the principal? If this hadn't happened, Allison would have gone her whole life knowing that she wasn't supported by her school. According to Cowie, H. et al. (2005) schools would benefit from training other students to become peer supporters. They recommend that students be trained to detect problems in the school yard and to intervene. After the incident with Molly and Allison, I decided to start a girls and boys club at school. I invited all girls for a meeting at lunch time one day and boys for a meeting at lunch time on a separate day. It was an opportunity for the students to openly talk about any problems they encountered at school. The teachers involved taught them tricks and tips on what to do when they encountered problems with other students. The goal was for kids to seek out help when needed, and for bystanders to be proactive and to report the incident. There are many different definitions of bullying but the one that makes the most sense to me in the elementary school is the one given by Dixon-Wells who says that if it is a repeated offence, it is considered bullying. Like my high school friend who was repeatedly teased by the same girls over and over again. That was bullying. A student who takes a ball away from another student is not considered bullying. It happened once. It's not very nice, but if this child doesn't do anything else to this student, then it's a one-time offence and not considered bullying. Teachers should have open conversations about bullying with their students. They should take a few minutes a day to speak with children about the importance of looking out for one another and taking care of each other, which includes reporting any incidents to their teachers. Administrators should speak with their staff about having a common language with their students. Parents need to have these conversations early on with their children too. They need to teach them to be nice to others and that they have a responsibility of reporting bad behaviour to their parents or teachers. If children, teachers, administrators and the community have a common language, perhaps we can come one step closer to preventing bullying. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References and recommended readings Cowie, H & Hutson, N (2005) Peer Support: A Strategy to Help Bystanders Challenge School Bullying, Pastoral Care in Education, 23:2, 40-44, DOI: 10.1111/j.0264-3944.2005.00331.x Petrosino, A., Guckenburg, S., DeVoe, J., & Hanson, T. (2010). What Characteristics of Bullying, Bullying Victims, and Schools Are Associated with Increased Reporting of Bullying to School Officials? Issues & Answers. REL 2010-No. 092. Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. Side, J., & Johnson, K. (2014) Bullying in schools: why it happens, how it makes young people feel and what we can do about it, Educational Psychology in Practice, 30:3, 217-231, DOI: 10.1080/02667363.2014.915209 It's the time of year when parents start to look for schools for their kindergarten-aged children. Open houses take place in January and parents begin to shop around. When I was young, I went to the local neighbourhood school. There was no shopping around. But today, parents have choices. And why not? Parents can find a perfect fit for their child. If their child likes the arts, parents should look for a school that prides itself on the arts, if their child shows athletic ability at a young age, then why not find a school with a sports program? Even before finding a right school is finding a right preschool. According to Bana, (2010) parents' search for a good school does not start in kindergarten. It starts earlier. Bana says that a good educational program in pre-school can help with a child's success in elementary school. One of my friends is currently searching for an elementary school for her daughter. She asked me what I thought about French immersion schools versus bilingual schools and what one looks for when looking for schools. I told her about sports schools, arts schools, the ones that concentrate on academics and STEAM schools. That was the only one she had never heard of. I am sure a lot of parents don't know about it. I wanted to write this blog for exactly that reason. To inform parents and teachers about STEAM schools. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. STEAM is a curriculum approach based that teaches students the different competencies (Science, technology, engineering, architecture, and mathematics). The idea isn’t to revamp the curriculum but to integrate STEAM into the curriculum and focus on real-world problems. STEAM helps transform learning, brings innovation into the classroom and encourages children to think. Every time I have assigned a STEAM activity to my students, they tell me that it’s fun and that it’s not real work. I will even hear them talking amongst themselves about how much fun the activity was. What they don’t realize is that they’re doing a different kind of work -not one that involves reading or writing, but one that involves thinking, being challenged, problem-solving and collaborating with their peers. These are life-long skills. According to Harper (2017), when assigning a STEAM activity, students are intrigued simply because the activity seems to be non-academic. I would highly encourage teachers to use STEAM in the classroom. There is nothing quite like giving students a challenge and then watching them try and come up with an out-of the-box solution! I have to admit, there have been tears in the class and there have been arguments among students but I think that it's because they are so used to being told what to do and how to think. With these types of activities, the students have to think about which steps to take as a group and when they can't solve it, they have to discover completely different steps to take. I feel as though the crying and arguments in the classroom has just turned every teacher. reading this blog. off from STEAM. Let me try again! Here are some reasons that you should use STEAM in the classroom:
So, what happens next? What if you, as a teacher, or a parent, want to try these activities in the classroom or at home? Where do you get all the supplies from? You may have some of them available at home for a few children but what if you're a teacher and are looking for supplies for 30 students? The cost of supplies and materials can add up when you start working on hands-on STEAM activities. According to Harper (2017), a common obstacle are lacks of materials. Here are a list of suggestions:
During an in-class STEAM activity, teachers have an important job to do. This goes for parents too! If the children were reading in class, I would recommend that the teacher takes out a book and read too. During STEAM, the teacher DOES not build and design as we don’t want the students to get ideas from the teacher or think that they are doing something wrong. The teacher walks around observing the students, speaking with the students, asking questions, commenting, and assessing. According to Harper (2017), school administrators have an important role in bringing STEAM to the classroom.
When I taught math, I would try and find some literature that would tie my math lesson together. For example, if I were teaching a lesson on fractions, I would read my students a short story about someone using fractions while baking. I just wanted to show my students how math is used in real-life situations. When introducing a STEAM-based lesson, it is equally important to read books to the students. It doesn’t matter if the students are 8 years old or if they are in grade 8. They are never too old to be read to. Here are a list of STEAM activities that you can try with your children/students:
As you can see, there are many benefits to using STEAM in the classroom. Using a STEAM based-curriculum in the classroom helps prepare our students for the future. Students become passionate about solving problems -which is one of the greatest gifts a teacher can give to his/her students. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References and suggested readings: Cook, K. L., & Bush, S. B. (April 01, 2018). Design thinking in integrated STEAM learning: Surveying the landscape and exploring exemplars in elementary grades. School Science and Mathematics, 118, 93-103. Harper, C. (October 01, 2017). The STEAM-Powered Classroom. Educational Leadership, 75, 2, 70-74. Wana, J. (2010). How to choose the best preschool for your child: The ultimate guide to finding, getting into, and preparing for nursery school. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. Teachers today are up against so many challenges. We need to make daily decisions about EVERYTHING! Do we teach students how to write in cursive or is print sufficient? Do we focus on spelling or can they just use spell check? Do we give homework and if so, how many hours per week? Should our students be working on projects in class or is it ok to send the projects home? Education is ever-advancing. And teachers need to be too. The definition of being literate has changed since I was young. It used to mean that you could read and write. Today, people use terms like “tech literate” or “tech illiterate”. Today, being literate doesn’t only mean you can read or write; today, being literate means reading , writing and being able to navigate technology. By teaching in innovative ways, children are taught to think and not taught what to think. Teachers are preparing children for jobs that have not yet been created. According to Kaminiski et al. (2003), teachers should not assume that students are tech literate and that they aren't necessarily learning to use technology at school. Teachers need to keep that in mind when introducing technology in class. A study in Quebec (Karsenti et al, 2013) showed that the benefits of having iPads in the classroom outweigh the challenges. This study observed 18 elementary and high schools across Quebec. At the time of the study, over 6000 students in Quebec were using iPads in schools. As long as screen time is limited to a maximum of 2 hours per day (this may mean 1 hour at school and one hour at home) there is no harm in using ipads at school. iPads in the classroom can teach children in ways that cannot be taught with paper and pen. It can help children express themselves. And the best part? Children are all active learners. When a teacher is teaching in front of the classroom, the children are not necessarily all engaged -with an iPad they are. Here is a video of a 6 year old playing with an educational app called: Lexia. He is learning about contractions and about words that start with b, d, and p: youtu.be/CBwy6hz1yxg Here is again writing words like know and could: youtu.be/f0R1RwBaaGg His mother, Tami Zuckerman, a former kindergarten teacher and former CEO of VarageSale, likes to call this "App enabling" and not "App dependent". She went on to tell me she thinks there is a good use for technology in school, like the app her son was using but that there are also some bad uses of technology in school that are not educational. She calls those babysitting apps. According to Kemp et al., there are some people who support technology in schools and others find that there are many disadvantages. Here are some pros and cons of using iPads in the classroom: Pros
So, how about all that other technology in the classroom? Are they tools, or should technology remain at home? What about all those educational games? Do we need technology to make schools more suited for 21st century learners? Or are the basics, like pencil and paper more than adequate? I remember the day Smartboards were introduced into school. The first one that arrived at our school was on wheels. Each teacher reserved it for a month and then passed it onto the next teacher. I remember receiving a quick training from another teacher who was familiar with SmartBoards. I loved using the Smartboard -so did the children. The biggest challenge was that not all teachers were using it properly. Some teachers went from standing in front of a blackboard teaching, to standing in front of a $6000 Smartboard and teaching. There was no difference. According to a study conducted by Franklin et al. the biggest obstacle for the 23 teachers who were part of the research was lack of time in the classroom to use technology. They said that they were so busy teaching other subjects and getting their students ready for exams that they didn't even have time for much technology. When I read this article, I thought it was an interesting obstacle to face. These teachers were adding technology to their curriculum instead of integrating it into the curriculum. Last year, I did a project with my students on WW1 and WW2. They had to use ipads to make a video about the wars. I did not add to the curriculum, I simply enhanced their learning by having them use ipads instead of other tools. In a recent study, researchers Kucirkova & Sakr (2015) reported that story making apps help with student creativity. My students' projects on WW1 and WW2 were EXCELLENT! When iPads were first introduced into the classroom, we received about 5 per classroom, which meant that you could easily have a center in class -centers are when a few different activities go on at the same time. Students sit in groups of 4 or 5 and do different activities for a given period of time. One group might be working on a puzzle, when another group is working on math; another group will be working on reading or writing and finally, one group will be working with iPads (usuallly a very popular center!) Some classrooms may have a 1-1 program (1 iPad per student). Some classrooms may have a 1-2 program (1 iPad for two students). Some classrooms may have a class set of iPads, perhaps just 3 or iPads per class. Although it is more convenient to have more iPads in the classroom, even a few can prove to be beneficial. Here is a video of a high school student that I interviewed, talking about what it is like to share iPads with classmates: youtu.be/PD_09Qjn610 What about schools that do not have access to iPads? I believe that teachers have to find creative ways to teach without technology. I met with a grade 6 teacher recently who was very surprised with the grade 6 government exam. She said that she thought the students would be sitting in rows and working quietly, instead, as part of the exam, the students are to discuss their dream home with one another before reading and writing about it. They are supposed to draw a picture of their dream house too and present it in small groups. No iPads or technology was needed for this exam -yet it was still very creative, something that students need. According to Dunn et al. (2018) iPads allow students more choice and creativity in students' writing. The researchers went on to say that students didn't realize that they were doing work. They thought they were playing. I believe the same goes for any activity in class. The kids might not think of the assignment as work if it's fun. Here is a YouTube video of an elementary student that I interviewed who doesn't think that iPads belong in the classroom: https://youtu.be/WJm4LM8iREo Here are some tips for teaching students to use the iPad in the classroom
iPads can be used in addition to any subject that the teacher teaches in class. Some teachers only have students use iPads to play games, or to make movies. iPads offer so much more! Here is a YoutTue clip of a teacher (part-time science teacher, part-time History and Geography consultant with his opinion about iPads in the classroom. https://bit.ly/2GA3WVi Here are a list of my FAVOURITE apps!Epic! Is a digital library for students under the age of 12. There are 25 000 English and French books in this app. If you are teaching a unit on butterflies, you can find books on butterflies and add it to the collection for students. The children will have access to all those books. You can create your own comprehension questions or use the ones that are already provided. Pic collage is an app that allows children to create collages using pictures and words. For example, you can ask your students to find an image or to take a picture of something to do with Halloween. Then the students are asked to write words or sentences describing that image. Students can then share the image with their parents. The students can take a picture of a book cover, then write the beginning, middle and the end of the story. The teacher can send an assignment to the children and the students can work directly on Pic Collage. This same activity can be done with paper and pencil but students wouldn’t be able to instantly share them with their parents. And the students wouldn’t be able to take a picture. Pic collage is just a creative way to engage the students. Class kick in an app that allows the teacher to see what the student is doing in real-time. The teacher can give feedback right away and students can edit their work as soon as they receive the feedback from their teacher. The teacher can prepare assignments or use existing worksheets. The teacher can send the assignment to the student and the teacher can see the student working on it in real time. Book creator is a way to have students make their own books. The teacher teaches the importance of writing a book (beginning, middle and end). Each slide is a different page in a book. Students can add text, images and their voice. This book can be shared with parents. This app is used to help select students. It is a random student selector or a random group generator. Each student puts a finger on a button and the app chooses a student. So many times, students will argue about who goes first in an activity. The teacher shows the students how to use the app once, and they will be able to easily use it on their own as needed. Two or more students place their finger on the app. After a few seconds, the app will choose one person. This app is used to time classroom activities, transitions between activities, morning routines…It is a visual aid that the students can use at any time. The teacher puts the timer on the SmartBoard for all to see. Kahoot is a game-based application that allows teachers to formatively assess their students. For example, the teacher reads a story to the students and uses Kahoot to test their knowledge. The teacher can instantly see who understands and who doesn’t. Plickers is an assessment tool. The teacher asks a question, the children answer in multiple choice format by holding up a QR code. The teacher scans the answers using an iPad or phone. The results are anonymous and the teacher can see if the majority of the students understand the work. Tip: Don’t laminate the QR codes. The scanner won’t be able to read the results. Seesaw is a digital portfolio that allows students to share their work with their teachers, peers and parents. Students can upload pictures, record their voices, type, circle important information... It takes seconds for students to post their work. They can post science projects, artwork, written work. They can read passages from their favourite book. Parents can only see their own child’s work and not the work of other students.. Children can see all their peers’ work. This app is called Number Pieces. I would recommend it for math teachers. It allows students to represent numbers using base ten blocks. Students can record their voices and show their work. Instead of simply marking them right or wrong, the teacher gets to see their thinking. I would recommend the use of stylus pens as a classroom management tool for using iPads in the classroom. The teacher buys a few Stylus pens for the iPads. The students who are focused and working well get to use one for the day. There are so many incredible, innovative and creative ways to use the iPad in the classroom. Teachers need to take the time to become familiar with the apps. Do not introduce them to the students all at once. Do not use the iPads all day long. All students should have equal opportunities to work on the ipad, not just students who are finished their work early. Using iPads properly in the classroom can be truly beneficial to students. And if you don't have iPads, make sure to integrate educative games into the curriculum. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References and suggested readings
Cheryl A. Franklin & Philip E. Molebash (2007) Technology in the Elementary Social Studies Classroom: Teacher Preparation Does Matter, Theory & Research in Social Education, 35:2, 153-173, DOI: 10.1080/00933104.2007.10473331 Dunn, J., & Sweeney, T. (September 01, 2018). Writing and iPads in the Early Years: Perspectives from within the Classroom. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49, 5, 859-869. Kaminski, K., Seel, P., & Cullen, K. (2003). Technology literate students. Educause Quarterly, 3, 34-40. Karsenti, T., & Fievez, A. (2013) The iPad in Education: uses, benefits and challenges- A survey of 6057 students and 302 teachers in Quebec, Canada. Montreal, QC: CRIFPE. Kemp, A., Preston, J., Page C.S., Harper, R., Dillard, B., (2014) Technology and Teaching: A Conversation among Faculty Regarding the Pros and Cons of Technology The Qualitative Report, 19(3), 1-23. Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol19/iss3/2 Kucirkova, N., & Sakr, M. (September 01, 2015). Child-father creative text-making at home with crayons, iPad collage & PC. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 17, 59-73. Homework is a pretty controversial topic. That's why I waited until my fourth blog to write about it! In any given school, you will have teachers who believe in giving homework and others who don't; you will have parents who enjoy doing homework with their children, and you will have those who don't. And finally you will have students...hmmm....I'm not sure if any of my students have ever really LOVED homework...Except maybe my first grade students. I remember the very first time that I gave them homework...they actually cheered! They must have thought that it felt "All Grown Up". The novelty wore off quickly and there was NO cheering the second time I gave homework. John Hattie, author of Visible learning, has done research on the impact that homework has on children. He says that it has a positive impact on students over the age of 14. Hattie says that the traditional way that homework is being given, has zero impact on children. He does not tell teachers to stop giving homework altogether, he simply encourages them to find alternative ways of giving homework. Here is a short video clip of John Hattie speaking about homework: thelearningexchange.ca/videos/john-hattie-homework-and-its-value/ When I first starting teaching 15 years ago, I gave out homework, projects, spelling tests...you name it! If you're reading this and I taught you when I was a young new teacher...I am SO sorry! It was pointless homework! I gave it to you because, when I was in school, I was given homework, spelling tests, and projects. I wasn't taught anything differently. As my teaching style improved, I started to give homework with purpose. I wouldn't just give homework for the sake of giving homework. I would give homework as an extension of what I was doing in class. If I taught long division in class, I would hand out a sheet on long division and would write REVIEW on the top. Of course, my homework methods improved over the years. Eventually, I stopped handing out entire review sheets of homework. I would ask my students to write two long division questions in their notebooks and ask them to simply solve that for homework. I realized that there was no purpose in having them answer 20 questions at home. If they understood the concept in class, and could solve it in class, then 2 little questions for homework is ample. If you are wondering, why even bother to send two questions home -Well, I did it so that their parents can see what we are doing in class. My goal is not to have parents teach their children concepts we learn in school. As a teacher, that's my job. According to Goldberg, a clinical psychologist, children can end up in a homework trap. He says that most children go through the system, listen to their teachers, do their homework and do relatively well in school. Goldberg says that some children start falling behind at a really early age. They don't understand the work in class and are asked to complete work at home. These kids may not have the support at home and fall further and further behind in the curriculum. They are expected to catch up at home. Goldberg says that homework can lead to emotional and behaviour problems.
My husband doesn't like reading. I don't think he has ever picked up a book if it wasn't required in school. I know I can write about him because he will never read this blog! Last year, I bought him a book. I know, it seems like a strange gift but the teacher in me wanted to see my husband read. I bought him Elon Musk's biography because of his interest in this man. He was actually excited when I gave it to him. And guess what? At first, he flipped through it and eventually started reading it. He kept stopping to tell me fun facts about Elon Musk, like how he had twins and then triplets and how he married the same woman twice. He knows me well as these facts are a lot more interesting to me than the ones about Space X! Lesson learned: With the right book, everyone can learn to love reading. More and more schools are starting to recommend no homework policies, homework with purpose or after school homework help. As a teacher, I am happy to keep the assignments and homework at school and send home review questions only. I know many parents who are frustrated getting their children to do their homework and to study for their tests. I know some parents who like their children bringing home homework. From what I have observed, children who are academically strong in the classroom don't need extra practice at home, and the ones who are struggling in the classroom don't benefit from doing homework at home. According to Palardy, very little research has been done on the effects of homework. He says that some of the studies are even controversial. In his article, he says that teachers give homework to encourage self-discipline and independence. I think that the minute a parent has to encourage their child to sit down, do their homework, or help them with it, they are no longer independent. Some parents will tell me that they never have to ask their children to do their homework and that they are very independent. But this is not the norm. For the most part, parents will tell me that it is a daily battle to get their children to do homework. My biggest problem with traditional paper and pencil, hour-long homework assignments is that, for the most part, the kids don't like it. And in a world where teachers are competing with TV, video games and sports, we have to be more creative. I want my students to enjoy school, to love the projects we do in class and to learn things that will help them in life. I don't ever want them to skip school, to say they hate it, and that they can't wait for school to finish. I generally want my students to love coming to school, to be attached to their friends, teachers and principal. I am sure that parents want the same for their children. We want them to succeed in school, to work hard, to think for themselves and to be happy. I interviewed a few people on their thoughts on homework. Here is one mom's perspective on homework. She likes the idea of homework because it keeps the kids busy at home: youtu.be/bcUuXCzVy68 Here she is again, not speaking as a mom but as a former high school teacher. She thinks that it is imperative to give homework as she would not have been able to finish the curriculum otherwise: youtu.be/TqyZpPpfrxE Here is her 11 year old son with his perspective on homework: youtu.be/VFuM063zBps He is not a big fan and thinks that you should learn at school. I should make a point about asking him again in twenty years! I asked a high school administrator what his views were on homework. This is what he said: youtu.be/pi5A5NqzNCQ Here is a mom of three elementary school girls who believes in 30 minutes of homework per night. youtu.be/n1q7qD5zzzI The last mom I interviewed does not believe in homework. She had just been up late doing homework with her daughters, made dinner, put them to bed and then filmed herself answering the question in regards to homework. She was exhausted and asked to use filters to mask her identity. She thinks that after school time should be reserved for family time. youtu.be/pF3xqDffb7A She added an afterthought that she wouldn't mind homework if it came with a tutor. Although she was somewhat joking, her underlying message was that homework is overwhelming for working parents. Here is her second message: youtu.be/DvHwOGNxhd0 I think that the jury will always be out on homework. I do think that children benefit from reading and reviewing some work. I don't think the children should prepare projects at home and I don't think that children should prepare oral presentations at home. This could all be done in class. I don't believe children should be spending hours during the evening on homework. Home should be reserved for family time. Parents should not be the ones teaching their children how to figure out math problems. It should be done at school. I have attended a math camp three summers in a row. We were taught new innovative ways of teaching math to students. I wondered how we expected parents to show their children this new way of teaching math when we were just learning it ourselves? Bottom line: Work stays at home, reading and review are good for homework. References and recommended readings
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY, US: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. Goldberg, K. (2007). The homework trap. Encounter, 20(4), 70-89. J, M. Palardy. (April 01, 1988). The Effect of Homework Policies on Student Achievement. Nassp Bulletin, 72, 507, 14-17. |
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