Friday, February 19

Today's Content:

• SIOP: Language Objectives in different classrooms
• Continuous Improvement: Student Analysis of Data: 8th grade ELAR
• Differentiated Instruction: Using Total Physical Response in 7th grade Reading & 6th grade science

Falcon Focus: SIOP

The SIOP committee has spent the last few weeks working on how to bring the Language Posting Language Objectives in our classrooms helps our ELLs become more aware of how the tasks they perform in class connect to their learning objectives.  Not sure what an effective Language Objective looks like?  Here are a few great examples from around our campus!

Falcon Focus: Continuous Improvement

8th Grade ELAR recently used a data day for students to assess their own learning for the year thus far.  Students keep data folders, and compared all of their test results over the course of the first semester to identify different TEKs that were strong, and TEKs that had room for improvement.  

Particular emphasis was placed on growth in Figure 19 TEKS - basic reading comprehension.

Other than celebrating overall class growth, students also looked at their results individually, and identified personal areas of strength and growth.

Falcon Focus: Differentiated Instruction

So why do we want students to move in class?   Because brain research says so.  Studies show that physical activity increases memory retention and recall.  (Click here to read an article summarizing some of the brain research of David Sousa.)

Some great examples of total physical response (TPR) are evidenced on our campus.  Watch the videos below to see Amy White's 7th grade Reading class using TPR to remember the meaning of stem vocabulary, or to see Ted Odum's 6th grade Science class dancing to a plate tectonics rap.  You also get to hear the beatin' skillz of Ted himself!

This was only the 2nd or 3rd time Amy's class had done this activity.

Same for Ted's class.  Hopefully there will be a whole cafeteria flash mob soon; I'll be sure to post!

If have any questions or would like some help implementing these or other strategies, please let me know.  And remember...

It's a great day to be a Falcon!