Fun with flashcards

Flash cards teach automaticity: knowing an answer automatically, without having to think about it. Students need to be able to recognize certain words (such as "the" or "are"), number sentences (such as that 5 x 5 is 25) and other facts automatically. Flash cards provide students with the opportunity to practice recording and quizzing the facts on a regular basis. They can be used in whole class, small group and individual instruction.

Example 1 . Activity with flashcards.

1.   Pretest students. If you want students to work on multiplication facts or sight words, for example, you need to pretest them, so they only practice facts or words that they don't already know. If a student can recognize the word "is" in 3 seconds or less when you hold it up on a flashcard, he doesn't need to continue practicing that word. If a student can't come up with the answer to "6 x 9" in 3 seconds or less, then he needs to practice that fact some more.

2.   Share the pretests. Make copies of each student's pretest and share it with her. You might circle the words she needs to practice or draw a box around the math facts she needs to practice.

3.   Make the flashcards. Allow students to make their own flashcards; it will give them extra practice with the facts and words. Have students write the facts or words in pencil and then allow you or an aide to check them.

4.   Trace the cards. After the cards have been checked, allow students to trace over the words and/or numbers with a marker.

Example 2.  Activity with Flashcard

1.   Make an introduction. If you are teaching a whole group science or social studies lesson, you can use vocabulary flashcards with the class as part of your introduction to each day's lesson. If you are working with a small group or an individual, a quick review of flashcards can also be a good introduction to the day's lesson.

2.   Create a center. You can have students use their flashcards as a center. They can partner up to quiz each other, write each flashcard word or fact five times and/or illustrate each word or fact (draw a picture that shows 4 rows of 2 dogs to show 4 x 2, for example).

3.   Send them home. Use flashcards as part of your homework packet. Have a sheet that parents or older siblings can sign when the student has practiced the flashcards at home.

4.   Post-test the students. After students have been working with the flashcards for one to three weeks (depending on the students' levels and the difficulty of the cards), use the cards to test each student's knowledge. Anything that they still don't know can be moved on to the next set of flashcards; cards they've learned can be saved for major review sessions.

Working in pairs stimulates team work, which increases social skills, a lot of emphasis should be placed on social skills in the preschool classes. The children must learn to develop an understanding of what it means to have feelings. Cooperative play, sharing and taking turns must be encouraged. Learning new words and vocabulary activities helps to complement the children's cognitive development.

"Teaching should be full of ideas instead of stuffed with facts". 

~Author Unknown


Task 4. 30 points

Time to get hands dirty.! In this task you will create 10 flashcards. Any size is welcome, such as any topic. But , chose the topic carefully, because you have to bring a lesson plan to class using those 10 flashcards.!

.

Lesson Plan : 10 points

Flashcards: 2 points each

Due date : Friday at 5pm  room 206

Heres a video on youtube, where you can see tips to create flashcards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ozn8gRCMp4

Wall charts at the classroom

Hello students!

When you are working with kids, everyday you need to catch kids’ attention,  So… why do we use the same things?Try something new! what about a wall chart?? A wall chart  is a large poster often displaying information for educational use or entertainment.

Wall charts can be use for teaching colors, members of the family, days of the week, shapes etc.

Show your kids something new and activate your class by moving around these wall charts and their information!.

. Create a wall chart for colors!.

1.      Assign each student one color and ask them to think in things that are from the same color.

2.      Give a construction paper to your students to paste things that are from the same color in it. They can cut magazines or coloring books.

3.      To finish the activity, ask to each student to pass to the front and show their wall charts.

4.      Make comparisons with your wall chart and their papers!

         Encourage your students and give prizes to increase their self esteem!

Be patient! Remember that at early stages their classification skills and reasoning ability are still developing.  This activity will help to  recognize and identify the colors and the differences between the objects from real life,  preschoolers  learn by experiencing and by doing, this kind of activities can also help to stimulate their small muscle control.

"The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book."  ~Author Unknown

NOW, YOUR ASSIGNMENT WILL BE:

You will create a wall chart for kids, the topic is up to you. Could be colors, days of the weeks, shapes etc.

You must be creative and also prepare 2 lessons plan for the wall chart (different activities of course).
http://www.daydreameducation.co.uk/-strse-Early-Years-cln-Wall-Charts/Categories.bok

http://jennysclassroom.com.au/store/classroom_essentials/charts/macmillan_wall_charts/
These are links where you can see examples of wall charts, you are not going to buy them, just examples.!

TOTAL POINTS: 30 POINTS

Wall chart: 20 points

Each lesson plan (2): 5 points.

Due date: Friday, 4:00 pm at 206 class.

So, use whatever you want to make your wall chart, remember that all materials are useful!

Good luck!

Magic Puppets

Hi students! Do you know that puppets are a very entertaint tool for kids. A puppet is a figure whose movements are controlled by someone else, either via strings, rods, or hand movements. Puppets are great for kids because not only are they entertaining and creative tools , they also allow the child to express their emotions through a third party which they can control


Example of a class with puppets.

Divide your classroom in team, and give different puppets for your students so they can create a story.(iF you are seeing the past tense, you can tell the ss to narrate the story in the past tense)

By this, not only you are evaluating students competency with the past tense, you can also check their pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency etc.
And what is most important, is a way to approach to your students feelings, thoughts,creativity, etc. Remember that in this kind of activities your students always reflect part of their personality.

Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them."
Richard L. Evans

SO.!! HERES YOUR ASSIGNMENT.!!

For this week you will be doing 3 puppets.! including a lesson plan about the future use you will give to this puppets.

Points for this : 30 points

Lesson Plan : 15 points
Each puppet : 5 points

Here are some links were you can find some ideas to create puppets

http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/puppets.html .

http://www.teacherhelp.org/puppets.htm

http://42explore.com/puppet.htm

You can also find good ideas on revista de la educadora mes de julio

Due date : Friday 4pm at class 206!!

Have a great week.!! See you at class c:

How to Develop Teaching Material

 

 

Developing teaching material is an important beginning to teaching any course, class, or student, whether you're a professional or amateur teacher. Teaching materials provide a foundation for the skills and knowledge to be taught and learned, and very often these materials will provide a record or portfolio that your students will be able to use for review at a later date.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Printer
• Copier
• Scissors
• Glue
• Die-cut machine
• Laminator

1.  
   Review your curriculum or syllabus carefully. As you review, make notes on ideas for teaching materials you may need in order to teach the skills and knowledge listed in the curriculum or syllabus. This may seem like a preliminary step that can be dispensed with, but it's actually very important because you need to make sure that you create teaching materials that are relevant to the curriculum or the syllabus that you are to teach.
2.  
   
   Make notes about the class, the students, or the level of students you will teach. Consider what their prior knowledge, skills, and interests are, or are likely to be. Make notes on what kinds of activities they enjoy in or outside of the class.
3. Compare the list of possible teaching materials with the list of interests and skills of students you created. Highlight the ideas for teaching materials that seem to match or complement the likely interests and skills of the students. During this step, you'll likely think of other, even better, ideas for teaching materials. Add these new ideas to your list.
4.  
   Decide on a budget. If you've been given a budget from the school, stick to it. If you're paying for materials out of your own pocket, which teachers commonly need to do, decide on your budget now. Write down a dollar amount.
5.  
   Choose your best ideas from your list of ideas for class materials. Make sure that you include materials for beginning, middle, and ending sections of the curriculum or syllabus. Run careful price checks with the help of internet shopping search engines such as Google Shopping or Pricegrabber to make sure that the materials you choose will fit within your budget. If you need more money, call donors, parents, or students (if the students are adults, and if it's appropriate), to see if you can get help on a budget for creating class materials. Very often, the answer is yes.
6.  
   For each class material item that you have decided to make, create a list of supplies needed. Buy the supplies if necessary, and use appropriate tools such as your computer, printer, a copier, scissors, die-cut machine, laminating machine, and others, to create the materials.

"Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more".  ~Bob Talbert
Retrieved from : http://www.ehow.com/how_6592423_develop-teaching-material.html

Task 2 . 5 points.

What an interesting reading.! As you have seen, according to this reading and last weekend, the use of material during class is very important. Specially in this new generation of children in which technology is part of their lives.! They dont play anymore at the park,  or use puppets.! They use wi, computers, play station etc. 

So, we as teacher should make a really big effort to attract their attention! ( remember is we against wi.!), and using material will help us a lot.

Do you remember when you were little? How were your classes?? Did your teacher use material? Do you think it would have been neccesary? 
Post the answer of  those questions in a paragraph with not more than 100 words, and not less than 70.

Due date : Friday 12:00 pm

Have a blast this week.!

The Importance of Learning Materials in Teaching

Teaching materials" is a generic term used to describe the resources teachers use to deliver instruction. Teaching materials can support student learning and increase student success. Ideally, the teaching materials will be tailored to the content in which they're being used, to the students in whose class they are being used, and the teacher. Teaching materials come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have in common the ability to support student learning.

Examples

1. Teaching materials can refer to a number of teacher resources; however, the term usually refers to concrete examples, such as worksheets or manipulatives (learning tools or games that students can handle to help them gain and practice facility with new knowledge -- e.g. counting blocks). Teaching materials are different from teaching "resources," the latter including more theoretical and intangible elements, such as essays or support from other educators, or places to find teaching materials.

Student Learning Support

2. Learning materials are important because they can significantly increase student achievement by supporting student learning. For example, a worksheet may provide a student with important opportunities to practice a new skill gained in class. This process aids in the learning process by allowing the student to explore the knowledge independently as well as providing repetition. Learning materials, regardless of what kind, all have some function in student learning.

Lesson Structure

3. Learning materials can also add important structure to lesson planning and the delivery of instruction. Particularly in lower grades, learning materials act as a guide for both the teacher and student. They can provide a valuable routine. For instance, if you are a language arts teacher and you teach new vocabulary words every Tuesday, knowing that you have a vocabulary game to provide the students with practice regarding the new words will both take pressure off of you and provide important practice (and fun) for your students.

Differentiation of Instruction

4. In addition to supporting learning more generally, learning materials can assist teachers in an important professional duty: the differentiation of instruction. Differentiation of instruction is the tailoring of lessons and instruction to the different learning styles and capacities within your classroom. Learning materials such as worksheets, group activity instructions, games, or homework assignments all allow you to modify assignments to best activate each individual student's learning style.

Acquiring Teaching Materials

5. Getting your hands on valuable teaching materials is not nearly as difficult as it can seem at first. The Internet has many resources for teachers, most of them free, that can significantly increase the contents of your teaching toolbox. You can also make your own materials. Every learning material you develop will be an asset to you when you next teach a similar unit. An investment of time or money in good teaching materials is an investment in good teaching.

A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.  ~Author Unknown


Retrieved from : http://www.ehow.com/about_6628852_importance-learning-materials-teaching.html

Task 1.!  5 points. Arent you excited ? C:
Post in your own words, ( not less than 70 words, not more than 100) your opinion, about this article.
Due date : Friday 12:00 pm


P.s Remember that each monday  i will be posting assignments, Stay in touch!

Have a great week,!