There are five methods you use to FLIRT with the text. Flirting with the text is the beginning stage when you start to read a book. FLIRT helps you understand the reading and what you want to know. The five stages of FLIRT are find the form, look at the text features, identify connections, reveal the purpose, and transfer to organizer. If you noticed FLIRT stands for the beginning letter in each of the stages.
The fist stage is Find the Form. What does it mean when it says find the form? Finding the form of the text is when you try and determine the genre of the text. You go through the text and look at the title, headings, and anything else that stands out in bold print. This will help you figure out what kind of reading that you will be doing and what kind of p[ace you need to read at.
The second stage is Look at the Text Features. At this step you look at how the text is structured. You look if it is has paragraphs or if it has one paragraph. You also look for bolded words or different headings to see what the text is like. In this step all you are doing is skimming the text for the different text features. Most of the time you are looking for bolded words for this part of the section.
The third stage is Identify Connections. In this stage you are looking at the headings and bolded words and making connections on them. You are using your past knowledge or experiences and connecting them with the words in the text. You can look at the pictures and other things in the text and connect to them. Usually the pictures in a text are easier to connect to because you can visualize them easier by seeing everything.
The fourth stage is Reveal the Purpose. In this stage you are determining what the author wants you to know. The author always will show you in the reading what he wants you to know and what the purpose of the text. There is always a purpose to the reading and the author puts clues in the reading to show you that. He/she puts questions at the end of the reading sometimes to hint you the purpose.
The final step is to Transfer to Organizer. In this stage you determine what the author's purpose is, and then that will tell you what type of organizer you need to use. There are all kinds of different organizers that you can use. some of them are compare contrast, description, etc. the organizers will show you what you are going to be looking for in the text. All of these will help you better understand the passage and get you set up with the reading.
This was a guest blog by colleget student, Alex Leland. I would love to hear your secrets for preparing your mind to read. 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.
Showing posts with label common core standards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common core standards. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
3 Reasons Why You Should Visualize the Author’s Message
Everyone has had to read something for school. One of these reading assignments at one point probably was difficult to read. And now that most of us are in college the reading assignments are just going to get harder and harder. That’s why when you read you should visualize the author’s message. Here are three reasons why you should visualize the message.
1.) Pictures are a Brain’s Best friend – When you are reading your brain favors pictures over text. This engages your brain in what you are learning. The visuals; pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc.; all help you realize what is important, and your brain will thank you!
2.) Graphic Organizers = Focused! – Using graphic organizers keeps your ideas clear and concise. When you choose the graphic organizers you have to make sure you use the right kind. For example, if you read something that has problems and then a solution for those problems you would want to use a diagram as shown (Fig 1.). When you are organizing your thoughts make sure to place them in a usable, non-confusing way that makes it easier to use.
3.) Visuals Make You Remember! – The visuals help you remember the new information, because you can quickly visual the pictures before you can text. When you are reading and taking notes pictures can make new confusing ideas into easy-to-understand pictures.
The author’s message can be confusing but using the visuals within the text helps to turn confusion into understanding. Pictures, graphic organizers, and other visuals help with your understanding. A picture is worth a thousand words, so why read those thousand words when you can see them in a picture!
1.) Pictures are a Brain’s Best friend – When you are reading your brain favors pictures over text. This engages your brain in what you are learning. The visuals; pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc.; all help you realize what is important, and your brain will thank you!
2.) Graphic Organizers = Focused! – Using graphic organizers keeps your ideas clear and concise. When you choose the graphic organizers you have to make sure you use the right kind. For example, if you read something that has problems and then a solution for those problems you would want to use a diagram as shown (Fig 1.). When you are organizing your thoughts make sure to place them in a usable, non-confusing way that makes it easier to use.
3.) Visuals Make You Remember! – The visuals help you remember the new information, because you can quickly visual the pictures before you can text. When you are reading and taking notes pictures can make new confusing ideas into easy-to-understand pictures.
The author’s message can be confusing but using the visuals within the text helps to turn confusion into understanding. Pictures, graphic organizers, and other visuals help with your understanding. A picture is worth a thousand words, so why read those thousand words when you can see them in a picture!
This was a guest blog by colleget student, Britteny Smith . I would love to hear your secrets for visualizing the author's message. 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.
How To Prepare For Finals with 3 Quick Tips
1.Obtain A Study Guide Try to obtain a study guide of what exactly is going to be on the finals. This will tell you what words, ideas, concepts, diagrams, etc. to study. Instead of reading over all the materials you learned in the class, you can target your main focus on the given topics.
2. Review Previous Tests & Quizzes Be sure to look over your old test and quizzes. Most likely the professor will use the same questions from previously tested material for the final. By looking over your test and quizzes, you’ll have an upper hand and a better idea of what questions will be on the final.
3.Clarify Confusing Ideas and Concepts Now that you know exactly what’s going to be tested on the final, you can look over any ideas or concepts that you may be having trouble with. Look in the textbook, research online, or even ask your professor to help clarify anything that is confusing.
These three tips are quick and efficient. Instead of going through all of your papers and notes, you will know exactly what to study, so it will save you time. Following these three tips will help you successfully prepare for your finals.
This was a guest blog by colleget student, Alex Tran. I would love to hear your secrets for preparing for finals. 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.
2. Review Previous Tests & Quizzes Be sure to look over your old test and quizzes. Most likely the professor will use the same questions from previously tested material for the final. By looking over your test and quizzes, you’ll have an upper hand and a better idea of what questions will be on the final.
3.Clarify Confusing Ideas and Concepts Now that you know exactly what’s going to be tested on the final, you can look over any ideas or concepts that you may be having trouble with. Look in the textbook, research online, or even ask your professor to help clarify anything that is confusing.
These three tips are quick and efficient. Instead of going through all of your papers and notes, you will know exactly what to study, so it will save you time. Following these three tips will help you successfully prepare for your finals.
This was a guest blog by colleget student, Alex Tran. I would love to hear your secrets for preparing for finals. 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.
Monday, April 2, 2012
4C's for Relevant Teaching
I feel like I am drowning in the letter C. First the message was, "Make sure students can COMPREHEND what they read." Then I was told to, "strengthen CORE instruction through CORE reading programs." Next I heard about teaching 21st CENTURY skills through, "COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, CRITICAL THINKING, and CREATIVITY." Now, the whole nation seems to be getting involved with the adoption of the, "COMMON CORE state standards". Are there any more C's left? This blog attempts to put all the recent talk into a simple plan.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has built a simple framework of lessons that blend these C's into four main topics:
1. Communication: Sharing thoughts, questions, ideas and solutions
2. Collaboration: Working together to reach a goal - putting talent, expertise, and smarts to work
3. Critical Thinking: Looks at problems in a new way, linking learning across subjects and disciplines. One sample lesson suggests students visit www.kiva.org and select a person to support. Each group creates a presentation to persuade classmates to choose that proposal.
4. Creativity: Trying new approaches to get things done equals innovation and invention.Help students bring the text to life by visiting these sites. Google Lit Trips provides a new approach to reading. There is also Google Historical Voyages and Events for history teachers.
For the iPad generation and those who educate them, what does it mean to be literate? Yesterday’s definition is no longer relevant and tomorrow’s definition hasn’t been created. Given the ever-changing definition of literacy, perhaps it is easier to define the set of skills needed to be literate rather than defining literacy itself.
Keep in mind, each C requires a lot of modeling, practice, and facilitation. Without a teaCher, C is just a letter. Let me know how you use these four C's in your classroom.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Internet Project - Procon.org Example
Internet Workshop is an instructional model that consists of an independent reading of information on the Internet around a topic and a location initially designated by the teacher; it concludes with a short workshop session where students can share and exchange the ideas and strategies they discovered during their work on the Internet.
Here is an example of an internet workshop I conducted on the research question: Are Cell Phones Safe?
1. I searched youtube.com to find a video to begin building background knowledge about the process the United States government uses when deciding on laws and regulations for the country.
2. Next I offered several articles for students to read so they could gather information and make informed decisions on this topic. I use an Inquiry Chart to help organize student's notes.
This first link is directly related to the video: http
://cellphones.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=003767
Kelly Gallagher offers wonderful short articles:http://www.kellygallagher.org/resources/AoW%209%20Cell%20Phone%20Etiquette.pdf
A final article links to several opinions on this topic:http://cellphones.procon.org/#did_you_know
3. Finally, students are directed to Procon.org to leave a comment about their opinion: http://cellphones.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001468&tab=reader-comments and then to choose an opposing view point and leave a comment
When teaching students how to learn from the Internet, the Internet Project model can offer structure and teacher control. For more information on Internet Projects, check out: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/RT/3-01_Column/index.html
Here is an example of an internet workshop I conducted on the research question: Are Cell Phones Safe?
1. I searched youtube.com to find a video to begin building background knowledge about the process the United States government uses when deciding on laws and regulations for the country.
2. Next I offered several articles for students to read so they could gather information and make informed decisions on this topic. I use an Inquiry Chart to help organize student's notes.
This first link is directly related to the video: http
://cellphones.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=003767Kelly Gallagher offers wonderful short articles:http://www.kellygallagher.org/resources/AoW%209%20Cell%20Phone%20Etiquette.pdf
A final article links to several opinions on this topic:http://cellphones.procon.org/#did_you_know
3. Finally, students are directed to Procon.org to leave a comment about their opinion: http://cellphones.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001468&tab=reader-comments and then to choose an opposing view point and leave a comment
When teaching students how to learn from the Internet, the Internet Project model can offer structure and teacher control. For more information on Internet Projects, check out: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/RT/3-01_Column/index.html
Sunday, March 11, 2012
3 Ways to Ring in Spring with Twitter!
This is a guest post written by Katherine Haun, a third grade teacher at York Township Elementary School. Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!
By now, you have heard of Twitter. You’ve seen the hashtags, like #edchat, and the @ symbols. You’ve even got your own account and username. But what good are they to you? Here are three reasons to ring in spring with Twitter.
First and foremost, build your Personal Learning Network (PLN). As an educator, the fastest way to learn about new topics in education is to follow other educators. You will feel even more connected if you join in a Twitter chat session with other educators. Scared to join the chat? Start easy, by reading others’ tweets, marking your favorites to reference at a later time. Then, tip-toe a little farther by retweeting something that is interesting to you that your followers might also be interested to read. Once you’re comfortable with that, start tweeting! Share useful websites, your own blog updates, even your animoto videos. To read others’ thoughts and resources on education topics, here are some hashtags to search on Twitter: #edchat, #edtech, #edpolicy, #edreform, and #digitalliteracy. The following are some people I follow on Twitter for ideas about education: @peteandc, @thenerdyteacher, @AngelaMaiers, @edutopia, @ChrisBiffle, @readingrockets, @readingsecrets, @web20classroom, @globalearner, and @kathyschrock. These are just a few to get you started…
Second, get your students involved! Create a class Twitter account and invite student volunteers to tweet a 140-character or less summary of each of your lessons throughout the day. Get your parents involved! Have them follow your class. Make sure that you adjust your privacy settings appropriate for your grade level, send home permission slips, and double-check your school district’s acceptable-use policy.
Third, are you interested in topics aside from education? I don’t know about you, but I basically missed the #GoldenGlobes. Now that football season is over, I’m not up-to-date with the most recent #NFL news, either. How often do you read before bed? Or over your morning coffee? Try searching your favorite topics on Twitter this spring, and I bet you’ll find that you will be reading for pleasure much more often than you did during the winter!
If you like this post, join our mailing list for more digital literacy tips. I would love to hear how you use Twitter for your classroom so take a few minutes to join the conversation on my facebook page.
Friday, March 2, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Fast reading isn't good reading?
Hey, this is your brain here. I need to talk to you. It really bugs me when you assume I can do all the reading myself. Reading is a two way street. It takes both me (the brain) and you (the reader) to make meaning from these squiggly lines on the page.
You read too fast. What do you think I am, a NASCAR? After awhile, I’m so confused I crash. I take all that new information and throw it into the junkyard. If you expect me to remember, you need to adjust your reading speed and apply strategies to keep me from thinking about other things.
We have a long road ahead of us. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!
If you agree with this post, leave your comments below or share how you adjust your reading speed on facebook.
You read too fast. What do you think I am, a NASCAR? After awhile, I’m so confused I crash. I take all that new information and throw it into the junkyard. If you expect me to remember, you need to adjust your reading speed and apply strategies to keep me from thinking about other things.
We have a long road ahead of us. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!
If you agree with this post, leave your comments below or share how you adjust your reading speed on facebook.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
How to Create a Video in 5 Easy Steps Using Animoto
This is a guest blog by Kelly Bortner, an elementary art teacher at Conewago School District. We would love to hear how you use animoto in your classroom. Please leave your comments below or visit facebook.com/myreadingsecrets to post on my wall.
5 Easy Steps:
1. Log on to www.animoto.com
You will need to take about 2 minutes to open an account to enable you to use animoto. (But hey, I’m guessing those 2 minutes are WAY less time than it would take you to drive to the mall to actually BUY a gift!)
2. Choose Your Video Style
There are approximately 30+ styles from which you can choose. Just find a video style that looks interesting and “CLICK”…you get to preview it so no worries if you don’t love it- just hit the “X” and try again!
3. Choose Your Music
Each video comes with music pre-programmed, but if you feel like dancing to your own beat, then GO AHEAD, and name that tune! There are other songs on animoto that you can choose or you can download your own.
4. Add Your Photos (or video clips) & Text
You can download your photos or videos or even add clip art instead to suit your needs. Each photo and text box is its own slide so go ahead & just start adding- you can just click & drag your way to the perfect arrangement once everything in loaded on there.
5. Click “Produce Video”
Click “Produce Video” and in the 10 seconds it takes you to ponder what a GENIUS you are for making this video, you will receive an e-mail telling you your video is ready to view & share. You can post it to You Tube, Facebook, etc…or just save it in “Your Videos” to view/share at a later time.
6. What is this Step 6 Nonsense?!
(Okay, okay- I KNOW I said “In 5 Easy Steps,” but Step 6 is so BEYOND easy I didn’t even think it should count!)…Now all you have to do is sit back and listen to how wonderfully CREATIVE, TALENTED, & THOUGHTFUL you are for all the “hard work” (wink, wink ;) you did to make your Honey’s anniversary (or birthday, etc.) so special! So that’s it! Anyone can do It- including you…so what are you waiting for?! I would LOVE to hear all about how your visit to animoto went so keep me posted! Happy Creating!
3 Steps to Creating an Engaging Critique
This is a guest blog by Katlyn Wolfgang, a high school art teacher at Central York High School. We would love to hear how you are infusing technology into your classroom. Please leave your comments below or visit facebook.com/myreadingsecrets and post your comments on my wall.
Commence all groaning by students AND teachers.
As a teacher of high school art students, engaging the students in a discussion about their artwork in a constructive manner is one that takes skillful planning, questioning and trickery to avoid the sound of crickets and blank stares for an entire class period. I have spent countless hours searching for and experimenting with different ideas to engage my students in a critique. Some of these tactics worked, some failed and others served a purpose but I would never touch again with a 100ft pole.
I was never completely satisfied with a critique until VOICETHREAD.
The best way I can describe VoiceThread (a conversation in the cloud) would be as an interactive PowerPoint in which all can collaborate through comments. Comments can be typed, drawn, video recorded, or recorded by a microphone or a phone.
Take a look at a VoiceThread of student work and their constructive feedback to one another STUDENT CRITIQUE
Did you like what you saw? Want to create one of your own?
FOLLOW THESE 3 EASY STEPS:
1.CREATE A VOICETHREAD
Sign up. Create your own VoiceThread by uploading your desired pictures.
Sidebar: I set up a lighting area, camera and tri-pod for students to take pictures of their work throughout a class period or two. From there I keep all of the pictures on my desktop in a folder for easy selection. Saves me time AND it teaches students about framing an image and using a digital camera.
2. SHARE THE LINK
Choose to share your thread by copying a link and post it in an easily accessible space.
3. STUDENT ENGAGMENT
Have students sign up for an account and access the link. Once on the thread they can leave comments to their classmates work.
Sidebar: I have my students respond to the 5 pieces that are featured after their work. Their comments must be either warm or cool feedback and relate to the Elements of Art or Principles of Design.
And, DONE!
The students LOVE it. They can sit back and develop their ideas in a mode that is comfortable for them. I have found that the quality critiques are much greater and our time in class is used more efficiently.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Course Correction
Did you know while an airplane is in flight, it’s off course 80% of the time? Let’s say you are going to take a flight to Hawaii. If you arrive at the right destination at the right time, you would say it was a successful trip. What you don’t realize is that for 80% of the time, you were actually off course. Luckily for you, the autopilot realizes there are outside influences that force the plane off course. The plane flies for a little and then checks to see if it’s still on course and if it’s not, it makes a course correction. Then it flies a little more and makes another course correction. This continues until the plane lands at the correct destination.
Creating a radical routine is great, but it won’t get you to your destination. It’s time to make some course corrections by evaluating your radical routine and making adjustments. It may take a few weeks to work out scheduling conflicts until you get use to making school a priority. Here are some helpful tips when adjusting your radical routine:
Creating a radical routine is great, but it won’t get you to your destination. It’s time to make some course corrections by evaluating your radical routine and making adjustments. It may take a few weeks to work out scheduling conflicts until you get use to making school a priority. Here are some helpful tips when adjusting your radical routine:
· Do you have a long chunk of study time? Studying is a sprint, not a marathon. Research shows the brain does better with short bursts of studying. Keep your scheduled study time to 20 minutes of intense, distraction free studying, and then reward yourself with a break. Doing this allows the brain to process information and transfer it into long-term memory.
· Are you specific with which class you are studying? It’s easy to avoid reading if you aren’t committed to a certain class. Review your radical routine and make sure you list each class 3 different times throughout the week. Research on the brain has found, “one could increase the lifespan of a memory simply by repeating the information in timed intervals. The more repetition cycles a given memory experiences,” the easier it is to recall the information (p.100, Medina, 2008).
· Are your study times as close to class as possible? Again, brain research has discovered that, “a great deal of memory loss occurs in the first hour or two after initial exposure,” (p.130, Medina, 2008). In other words, if you begin to study new information right after class, the easier it will be to transfer this information into long-term memory. If you wait even one day to begin studying, you may not remember what you learned in class. This schedule also establishes opportunities to get help. When you study, make sure to mark questions you have or concepts that are confusing. Then you can contact your teacher prior to the next class and get the answers you need.
Keep in mind some classes need more study time then others depending on your ability and interest in the content. Let me know what course corrections you make to your radical routine. Leave your comments below or share your thoughts on my facebook wall.
Resource:
Medina, J. (2008). Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.
Automatic Pilot
The idea behind creating a radical reading routine is that it shifts the student from being reactive to being proactive. As Cal Newport explained, “I no longer have to expend any scheduling energy to make sure I accomplish all of these regular tasks. They run, in effect, on autopilot — getting done when scheduled.” When you set aside time to read, you can’t make excuses for not reading. As a result, the reading gets done. If you missed the blog explaining how to create a radical routine, click here.
The radical routine establishes three key ideas:
Guidelines: Everyone has 24 hours in a day, but its how you choose to spend your time that matters. Creating a radical routine limits your options and removes the stress of making decisions.
Boundaries: You can’t be everything to everyone. When you don’t have boundaries, you are more willing to do things for other people and push school work until the night before its do. The radical routine forces you to honor study time and removes the stress of feeling overwhelmed.
Discipline is defined as a regiment that develops or improves a skill. If you hate to read, do it every day. Instead of having to make a decision to read, you establish a daily reading routine. As a result, you train your brain to anticipate reading at a certain time every day and remove the stress of procrastination.
Are you having trouble with your radical routine? I am here to help you work out the rough spots so you can get shift school work into automatic pilot. Leave your comments below or share your thoughts on my facebook wall.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Do You have a Radical Reading Routine?
When I ask students why they don’t read on a regular basis, they always say their daily schedule is too full with no time to read. In fact, Beers’ (1998) study of aliterate students found that students’ most common reason for NOT reading was that they didn’t make time to read, not because they couldn’t read. That’s why I created a radical reading routine that shows students exactly how to schedule their time to finish required reading.
Here are 6 quick steps:
1. Print off the Radical Routine Chart.
2. Write in all major time commitments.
For example, class times, sports practice, scheduled work time, meal and sleep times.
3. Next, reserve time to read/study for each class. Make sure to be specific as to which class you
3. Next, reserve time to read/study for each class. Make sure to be specific as to which class you
are studying. It’s easy to brush off study time if you don’t identify the class.
For example, MATH from 4:00 – 4:20, not STUDY from 4:00 – 4:20.
4. Follow the 3x3 rule, which means you should study 20 minutes 3 days a week instead of studying one day for 60 minutes.
4. Follow the 3x3 rule, which means you should study 20 minutes 3 days a week instead of studying one day for 60 minutes.
For example, Math from 4:00 – 4:20 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
5. Then, list minor commitments like time spent with friends, time spent on facebook, watching TV, or taking naps.
6. Finally, put the schedule to the test. After each day, reflect on how the schedule worked. Did you reserve enough time to read? Did you miss any events that you need to add? Continue to adjust the schedule until you find a balance between school, work, and social time.
When students can control their schedule, stress disappears. Click here to discover ways students have taken control over their schedule. I would love to hear what you think about your radical reading routine. Leave your comments below or share your thoughts on my facebook wall.
5. Then, list minor commitments like time spent with friends, time spent on facebook, watching TV, or taking naps.
6. Finally, put the schedule to the test. After each day, reflect on how the schedule worked. Did you reserve enough time to read? Did you miss any events that you need to add? Continue to adjust the schedule until you find a balance between school, work, and social time.
When students can control their schedule, stress disappears. Click here to discover ways students have taken control over their schedule. I would love to hear what you think about your radical reading routine. Leave your comments below or share your thoughts on my facebook wall.
References:
Beers, K. (1998). Choosing not to read: Understanding why some middle schoolers just say no. In K. Beers & B.G. Samuels (Eds.), Into focus: Understanding and creating middle school readers (pp. 1–27). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Rebel Reading Challenge
I dare you to turn off your cell phone for twenty minutes. It will make you smarter! Did you just say, “No?” What are you, chicken? What’s the worst thing that could happen? Speak up, I can’t hear you. Did you just say, “My family and friends might try to contact me and if I don’t answer, they will start to worry.” Are you serious? You’re telling me that your “peeps” can’t wait twenty minutes while you read a small section of a textbook?
Your cell phone isn’t holding you back from studying; it’s your desire to avoid reading! You sit there, staring at the textbook, just praying that someone will call you so you can stop reading.
Rebel! Go against your desire to avoid reading.
It can be difficult to disobey the ringing vibration of the cell phone, especially if you are not rebellious by nature. That’s why I am asking you to take the seven day rebel reading challenge. In one short week you can take control of your studying and improve your memory. Click here to discover how others met the rebel reading challenge.
REBEL READING CHALLENGE
Day 1: Become aware of how often your phone rings and interrupts your studying. Tell the caller you are studying and will call them back in twenty minutes.
Day 2: Make a commitment to rebel by posting a message (via Facebook, Twitter, email, text, etc.) that you will be unavailable to respond to calls for the next twenty minutes. Notice how often the phone rings, but don’t answer it. After twenty minutes, respond to the callers.
Day 3: Repeat the above process, but turn your phone off for ten minutes. Check your phone after ten minutes and then turn it off again. Respond only to emergencies. (BTW, your friend’s call about which shirt to wear is NOT an emergency!)
Day 4: Don’t post an alert that you will be unavailable to calls for twenty minutes. Just turn off the phone for ten minutes, check it, and turn it back off for another ten minutes. When you are finished reading the section, jot down a summary sentence and then return important phone calls.
Day 5: Repeat the above process, but increase the turn off time to fifteen minutes. Continue checking the phone and reading until the whole chapter is finished. Reward yourself by taking a break to respond to your callers.
Day 6: Keep the turn off time to fifteen minutes and be aware of how quickly you finish the chapter and how much you remember.
Day 7: Continue the rebellious reading but increase the phone free time to twenty minutes.
You have the power to turn off the cell phone, remember what you read and discover your inner genius. Don’t wait for the phone to stop vibrating! Be proactive. Become a rebellious reader and blog about your results.
Your cell phone isn’t holding you back from studying; it’s your desire to avoid reading! You sit there, staring at the textbook, just praying that someone will call you so you can stop reading.
Rebel! Go against your desire to avoid reading.
It can be difficult to disobey the ringing vibration of the cell phone, especially if you are not rebellious by nature. That’s why I am asking you to take the seven day rebel reading challenge. In one short week you can take control of your studying and improve your memory. Click here to discover how others met the rebel reading challenge.
REBEL READING CHALLENGE
Day 1: Become aware of how often your phone rings and interrupts your studying. Tell the caller you are studying and will call them back in twenty minutes.
Day 2: Make a commitment to rebel by posting a message (via Facebook, Twitter, email, text, etc.) that you will be unavailable to respond to calls for the next twenty minutes. Notice how often the phone rings, but don’t answer it. After twenty minutes, respond to the callers.
Day 3: Repeat the above process, but turn your phone off for ten minutes. Check your phone after ten minutes and then turn it off again. Respond only to emergencies. (BTW, your friend’s call about which shirt to wear is NOT an emergency!)
Day 4: Don’t post an alert that you will be unavailable to calls for twenty minutes. Just turn off the phone for ten minutes, check it, and turn it back off for another ten minutes. When you are finished reading the section, jot down a summary sentence and then return important phone calls.
Day 5: Repeat the above process, but increase the turn off time to fifteen minutes. Continue checking the phone and reading until the whole chapter is finished. Reward yourself by taking a break to respond to your callers.
Day 6: Keep the turn off time to fifteen minutes and be aware of how quickly you finish the chapter and how much you remember.
Day 7: Continue the rebellious reading but increase the phone free time to twenty minutes.
You have the power to turn off the cell phone, remember what you read and discover your inner genius. Don’t wait for the phone to stop vibrating! Be proactive. Become a rebellious reader and blog about your results.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Why Do We Have to Read Anyway?
Research defines motivation as an elixir of engagement, self-efficacy, and choice. According to Guthrie and Wigfield (2000), an engaged reader is intrinsically motivated to read and thus able to achieve at a higher level than unmotivated peers. Since reading achievement is strongly related to level of engagement, educators have aspired to create learning environments that positively influence student engagement. One night while reading, Reading for Understanding: The Reading Apprenticeship Framework (Schoenbach et al.,pp.59 - 60) , my heart skipped a beat. I sat up, preparing my pencil to highlight the section of text that said:
“The writings of Malcolm X’s endorsement of reading permitted African American males in particular to feel more comfortable with making mastery of reading and writing part of their identities and less afraid that by taking these pursuits seriously they would be acting white. Attempting to make the value of reading even more immediate, we also asked students to interview members of their families or communities about what they read and the value they placed on reading. In the process students who had previously connected reading exclusively to school settings began to expand their notions of why people read. In some cases student who thought of themselves as non readers or poor readers in the school setting were reminded that they were readers in other contexts-such as reading in a church or youth group or reading about sports in the newspaper-that they had never connected with their academic lives."
Wow! The answer I had been looking for was within me. It was within all teachers. It is within you! Everyone has a story about when and how s/he became a reader and how the value of reading continues to add to their daily success. Why keep these reading stories a secret? Could it be that most of us consider reading inside school different from the reading that takes place outside of school and therefore never saw the value in sharing our personal stories?
The next day I shared my reading history and the texts I currently read to aid in my daily success. I was positive that this would be the turning point for building intrinsic motivation in my students. After my motivational speech, most of my students said, “Mrs. Wise, that is a great story but I don’t want to be a teacher. I am going to be a famous football player. They don’t practice reading, they practice football.”
The problem: I was humbled yet again by the honesty of a student. As quickly as I was disappointed, I was struck with an urgency so great I could not sleep. I started searching the Internet, the library, magazines, anything I could read about the celebrities my students looked up to and wanted to become with the hope of establishing a collection of reading testimonies explaining how reading has played a role in their success, which you can download through this link, http://www.myreadingsecrets.com/thesecrets.html
The challenge: Start your own collection of reading testimonies from parents, student athletes, and other school professionals and share them with your students. Students will be surprised and inspired when they realize all the different purposes for reading. Make sure to start small and replace this activity with your own personal sharing of authentic literacy.
1. Begin by creating a new anchor chart, Why Read?
2. Ask students to predict what football players would read and why.
3. Write the name, Justin Tuck on the anchor chart and tell students to listen for reasons why he reads. Show the following video of Justin Tuck.
“The writings of Malcolm X’s endorsement of reading permitted African American males in particular to feel more comfortable with making mastery of reading and writing part of their identities and less afraid that by taking these pursuits seriously they would be acting white. Attempting to make the value of reading even more immediate, we also asked students to interview members of their families or communities about what they read and the value they placed on reading. In the process students who had previously connected reading exclusively to school settings began to expand their notions of why people read. In some cases student who thought of themselves as non readers or poor readers in the school setting were reminded that they were readers in other contexts-such as reading in a church or youth group or reading about sports in the newspaper-that they had never connected with their academic lives."
Wow! The answer I had been looking for was within me. It was within all teachers. It is within you! Everyone has a story about when and how s/he became a reader and how the value of reading continues to add to their daily success. Why keep these reading stories a secret? Could it be that most of us consider reading inside school different from the reading that takes place outside of school and therefore never saw the value in sharing our personal stories?
The next day I shared my reading history and the texts I currently read to aid in my daily success. I was positive that this would be the turning point for building intrinsic motivation in my students. After my motivational speech, most of my students said, “Mrs. Wise, that is a great story but I don’t want to be a teacher. I am going to be a famous football player. They don’t practice reading, they practice football.”
The problem: I was humbled yet again by the honesty of a student. As quickly as I was disappointed, I was struck with an urgency so great I could not sleep. I started searching the Internet, the library, magazines, anything I could read about the celebrities my students looked up to and wanted to become with the hope of establishing a collection of reading testimonies explaining how reading has played a role in their success, which you can download through this link, http://www.myreadingsecrets.com/thesecrets.html
The challenge: Start your own collection of reading testimonies from parents, student athletes, and other school professionals and share them with your students. Students will be surprised and inspired when they realize all the different purposes for reading. Make sure to start small and replace this activity with your own personal sharing of authentic literacy.
1. Begin by creating a new anchor chart, Why Read?
2. Ask students to predict what football players would read and why.
3. Write the name, Justin Tuck on the anchor chart and tell students to listen for reasons why he reads. Show the following video of Justin Tuck.
4. List the ideas students recalled from watching the video and discuss what they learned about the role reading plays in the life of a football player.
5. Challenge students to discover the role reading plays in their parents’ career. Have students collect items their parents read by going on a scavenger hunt around the house or workplace. Take a picture of the materials and write a paragraph describing the collection or bring in the materials and do an oral report of the texts.
6. Another option would be to ask parents, student athletes or other school personnel to come in during your designated authentic literacy time to personally share what and why they read.
7. Keep a list of parent names, their careers, and reasons for reading on the anchor chart. Any time students ask, “Why do I have to read anyway?” you can gently point to the “Why Read” anchor chart to find several authentic answers to their question.
When educators go beyond the walls of the classroom and reach out to parents to endorse authentic literacy, students make a connection between academic literacy and the reading that awaits them in the real world.
Research based on:
Guthrie, J.T., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation to reading. In M.L. Kamil, P.B. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 403–422). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Justin Tuck video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlMWy6pSmnk&list=PLEEF8D5DCC28819ED&index=5&feature=plpp_video
Malcolm X, “Learning to Read” in Autobiography of Malcolm X. http://www.smccd.net/accounts/bellr/ReaderLearningtoRead.htm
Schoenbach, R., Greenleaf, C., Cziko, C.,Hurwitz, L. (1999). Reading for Understanding: A Guide to Improving Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
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