Currently, we are utilizing many strategies in our curriculum to create an environment that yields to a learning platform. At the foundation of our planning are the design qualities outlined by Schlechty. We focus on our who and question our students to help in creation of engaging lessons.
As Dual Language, our students work together in a community of learners that share differing native languages. They collaborate and share everyday with one another in an effort to help one another grow as second language learners.
In language arts, we currently have students reading above grade level in their native language transferring their reading in their second language as they take part in their second language classroom for part of the language arts block. We structure our reading block around the Daily Five model and Reading Cafe. During guided reading, students are facilitating their own book discussions, making choices with buddies as to which word work tasks would help them grow the most in their learning, and are taking ownership of their own learning through fluency goal setting, in which they read and record, choose a fluency goal, reread, and then reflect on their own progress towards their goal. Students are also creating their own stories through digital storytelling, writing about topics of choice they are personally connected to, and sharing their writing with others. Our current social studies focus is on inventors, which leads us into biographies and autobiographies during reading. We are helping our students make connections through the creation of their own autobiography using Scribble Press, which they will publish in a class wiki so they are able to share with classmates and others they have an interest in sharing their work with that are not within our classroom.
During math, science, and social studies, classes are created with a 1:1 ratio of english and spanish speakers. Collaboration and communication is key to students development of their second language. We utilize visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learning into each day to help second language learners make a connection to the concepts being introduced. In math, we are currently using a guided math structure where Mrs. McAdams is able to teach students in small groups at differing levels to meet individual needs. While not working in a small group, students are engaged in math activities at differentiated levels through resources available on the IPAD, computer, or centers with choice. In science and social studies, Mrs. Velazquez has students working together to complete hands on inquiry investigations that allow for discovery and creating products for sharing their learning through resources such as Pic Collage and thinking maps.
In the fall we completed our first lesson using Project Based Learning design . To be able to make connections with the voting process during the presidential elections, students had to decide on a fair way to vote for their reward to be given by Mrs. Blaisure for working so hard the first semester. We integrated the PBL into all subject areas as the students read and listened to books that had plots centered around voting, created campaign posters, wrote speeches, compared numbers and recorded data through graphing. The PBL ended with students using an IPAD to place their vote and receiving the reward voted by the majority. We are currently preparing our second PBL for next month to go along with our unit on Texas. Student Learning in Action
English and Spanish students creating an end product to share their learning through pic collage
Students create and pulish books to share with others.
As Dual Language, our students work together in a community of learners that share differing native languages. They collaborate and share everyday with one another in an effort to help one another grow as second language learners.
In language arts, we currently have students reading above grade level in their native language transferring their reading in their second language as they take part in their second language classroom for part of the language arts block. We structure our reading block around the Daily Five model and Reading Cafe. During guided reading, students are facilitating their own book discussions, making choices with buddies as to which word work tasks would help them grow the most in their learning, and are taking ownership of their own learning through fluency goal setting, in which they read and record, choose a fluency goal, reread, and then reflect on their own progress towards their goal. Students are also creating their own stories through digital storytelling, writing about topics of choice they are personally connected to, and sharing their writing with others. Our current social studies focus is on inventors, which leads us into biographies and autobiographies during reading. We are helping our students make connections through the creation of their own autobiography using Scribble Press, which they will publish in a class wiki so they are able to share with classmates and others they have an interest in sharing their work with that are not within our classroom.
During math, science, and social studies, classes are created with a 1:1 ratio of english and spanish speakers. Collaboration and communication is key to students development of their second language. We utilize visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learning into each day to help second language learners make a connection to the concepts being introduced. In math, we are currently using a guided math structure where Mrs. McAdams is able to teach students in small groups at differing levels to meet individual needs. While not working in a small group, students are engaged in math activities at differentiated levels through resources available on the IPAD, computer, or centers with choice. In science and social studies, Mrs. Velazquez has students working together to complete hands on inquiry investigations that allow for discovery and creating products for sharing their learning through resources such as Pic Collage and thinking maps.
In the fall we completed our first lesson using Project Based Learning design . To be able to make connections with the voting process during the presidential elections, students had to decide on a fair way to vote for their reward to be given by Mrs. Blaisure for working so hard the first semester. We integrated the PBL into all subject areas as the students read and listened to books that had plots centered around voting, created campaign posters, wrote speeches, compared numbers and recorded data through graphing. The PBL ended with students using an IPAD to place their vote and receiving the reward voted by the majority. We are currently preparing our second PBL for next month to go along with our unit on Texas.
Student Learning in Action
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