3 Quick Guidelines to Review with Note Cards

If you hate to study, try note cards for a quick and easy tool.

1.) Narrow your focus by breaking down what you read so you can get a better understanding of what you just read.

2.) They are easy to practice from and in many ways. You can make flashcards because note cards are two sided. You can take them anywhere and "Practice on the go". You also can make a group game so you don't have to study alone.

3.) They help you memorize what you read. So you're not lost or confused. They can also help you increase your memory. That way you will know the main points.

This was a guest blog by colleget student, Sarah Fields. I would love to hear your secrets for creating note cards. Share your thoughts below or join the conversation on facebook.com/myreadingsecrets If you liked this post, sign up for my newsletter for more tips to become a better student.

4 Context Clues to Clarify Vocabulary

Psst! Hey! Yeah, you! It’s your brain again. I have a secret tool that will save you a lot of time and stress. It's call Local GPS.

Best of all, this Local GPS tool will prevent you from getting confused while reading. I call these confusing words and ideas, road blocks, because they block the meaning from entering your working memory. Road blocks are those unknown words and phrases that cause you to stop reading and say, “Oh man, what the heck is the author talking about?” Here is a list of road blocks you need to watch out for as you read:

Revisit a vocabulary word when:
• you can’t pronounce the word
• the word is new or unknown
• you are unsure of author’s meaning

Revisit an idea when:
• you are confused.
• you notice you are thinking about other things.
• you can’t create mental images.
• you can’t make a connection.

Skipping over these road blocks isn’t helpful or a mature decision. We are no longer going to let these road blocks stop our thinking! With the help of my built in Local GPS tool we will be able to navigate these road blocks and find a direct, fast, efficient route to the meaning of these unknown words and phrases.

Local GPS is an acronym for the four different types of context clues the author uses to support a reader’s comprehension. To find the local context clues, zoom in to the sentences surrounding the difficult word. Reread the sentence before, and after the word you are trying to understand. The author often uses commas, parentheses, and hyphens to signal definitions, pronunciations, and examples to help the reader build meaning. This is your local context clue because the author’s clues are located right by the word.

The G stands for global. To find the global context clues, zoom out and look at the whole page. Scan the text features (pictures, captions, charts, and maps) to see if they can give you more information. This is called global context clues because you are taking a wide view of the text.

The P stands for prior knowledge. Sometimes the meaning is implied, which means the author doesn’t come right out and say what he means. In this case, you have to look at the text and add meaning to what the author didn’t include. Your schema will help you determine a meaning or clearer picture of the word. Prior knowledge is the third type of context clue because you can use what you already know about this word to build meaning.

The S is the final context clue. Structural analysis is looking at how the word is built. By breaking the word into smaller parts you will be able to decode the meaning. Search for prefixes, suffixes, or root words. Keep in mind working with words is a complex process. Being able to pronounce the word doesn’t mean you know the meaning. Until you know both, the pronunciation and meaning, you haven’t fixed the road block.

Remember, context clues are located within the sentence, on the page, or within your own mind. If you get lost, turn on my Local GPS to help you navigate through the road blocks, gain a deeper understanding of an abstract concept and save time from looking words up on the computer.

Reality Check

You are in the driver’s seat now. Knowing your destination or purpose to read isn’t good enough. You need to know different ways to build meaning by using the context clues on the page to help you figure out unknown words and ideas.

You are now ready to expand your understanding of how your mind builds meaning. The good news is you are independent and free to drive your mind wherever you want it to go. The bad news is your choices may lead you off the road and into a ditch. You must steer yourself over difficult words and through abstract ideas.

Your world is going so fast. Be a rebel and slow down! Once you identify a confusing word or idea, use your Local GPS to guide you to a deeper conversation and understanding of the author’s message. Beware, the more you apply these strategies, the more information you will retain andthe smarter you will become. Avoid the temptation to skip over the words/ideas due to time constraints or lack of effort. This slip of poor judgment will only result in a loss of meaning and a missed opportunity to sharpen your mind’s ability to maneuver around difficult sections of text.

I would love to hear how the Local GPS tool worked for you. Share your thoughts below or join the conversation on facebook.com/myreadingsecrets.

Falling in Love with Edmodo- 6 Steps to Get Started

This is a guest blog from Joanna Wallas, a middle school world language teacher at South Eastern York School District. We would love to hear about your newest technology discoveries and how you apply them to your classroom.

I’m obsessed. I admit it; I am completely and unequivocally obsessed and possibly in love. The object of my affection? Edmodo. You may scoff, as many of my colleagues have, however it does not negate the truth- I a former skeptic, have fallen in love with Edmodo.

Why am I so crazed you may ask? I have discovered that it is not just a mere
facebook interface for the classroom, but a class management system that can
make your classroom mobile. It’s secure, and circumvents several problems that other learning platforms have with email requirements, moderation, peer to peer texting, and parent transparency. Here are some tips to get started with Edmodo, try them and maybe you will fall in love too.

1. Build & Organize your library- The first flirtatious feature that drew my eye was the library. Within minutes, I could upload the entire year of class notes onto Edmodo. However, that was only the beginning. Prezi’s, voicethreads, youtube videos, screencasts, pdfs, audio files, and other websites can be uploaded easily and appear as a small preview icon. The key here is to have a collection of materials from a variety of sources. Many of us already have engaging electronic materials; we just never had an easy secure way to share them with students or maybe even not enough time. After you upload material, you can organize it by folders and control whom you share those folders.Material can appear in more than one folder allowing you to refer to it later on in another lesson, or to allow students to review past concepts.
2. Simplify scanning- The part of my relationship with Edmodo that I dreaded committing to was scanning my paper materials. The thought of sitting there and scanning page after page was daunting. Maybe you have already gone paperless, maybe you haven’t. This was the big thing holding me back; however, I discovered one tiny secret that made my life easier. The brand new photo copier at work emailed scans of images straight to my work email. All I had to do was punch in my address. Most of the teachers in my building are unaware of this, check out your photocopier- you may get lucky. If you are not the lucky goose I am, check out other options like your local library, staples, or mail centers. If you can streamline this part, the rest of the relationship will be easy. Electronic copies can easily be added to posts, assignments, quizzes, and the library.
3. Think ahead and give yourself time- I’m looking forward to marriage or at least a committed relationship with Edmodo. However, I am not diving in and shopping for a wedding ring at this very moment. I’m “dating” first and laying the groundwork for future plans. I work on the library,then make a quiz or two, and then try adding a student or two before adding a whole class with assignments and tasks.
4. Test the Waters-Some couples buy a pet together to see how things work out. I created a fake student to how things would work. I put my fake student into class and explored as her. I gave her assignments, checked out my library (her backpack), and posted things to see how students might experience Edmodo. I learned students can message me or the whole class and I can even moderate those comments. They can’t directly communicate with each other which cuts down on many cyberbullying or time wasting concerns.
5. Join a community- Dating’s more fun when you can do it in a group or with other couples. Many teachers are out there having the same problems you are, or they are creating incredibly innovative things and sharing them with others. This is a great way to multi-task and have a PLN as well as a platform for your students.


6.Meet the Parents and Do Your Homework- This goes back to planning your
dates and your future. You can’t just marry someone your parents never met. Edmodo has a help section with FAQ’s and a blog. They even created some resources that you can adapt to your classroom. These helpful items include student guidelines, codes of conduct, parent letters, and guidebooks for everyone involved. Their resources help explain to parents what Edmodo is and will help you explain what purpose it will serve in your classroom.

As with all things electronic, there are many things like access and time constraints to consider before entering into a relationship with Edmodo. I haven’t yet regretted my commitment. If you decide to start flirting with the idea of Edmodo in your classroom, write and tell me how your relationship with Edmodo works out!