Marzano's 9 Strategies

This week we look at Marzano's 9 Strategies. These strategies are:
1. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
2. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
3. Cooperative Learning
4. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
5. Nonliguistic Representations
6. Summarizing and Note-Taking
7. Homework Practice
8. Identifying Similarities and Differences
9. Generating and Testing Hypothesus

We were asked to look specifically at one of these and I chose to look at Nonliguistic Representation because it was one that I felt I need more explanation over. Nonlinguistic representations is one that enhance students' ability to use mental images to represent and elaborate on knowledge that they already have. Here are some example of a few that can be used in a classroom:

• graphic organizers
• sketches
• pictographs (stick figures and symbols)
• concept maps
• dramatizations 
• flowcharts
• computerized simulations
• math manipulatives

https://youtu.be/zkiJv4AlXcA

Week 4 Thinking Maps

WELL MAYBE NOT Understand MAPS BUT Understanding THINKING MAPS WAS THE KEY TO THIS WEEKS LESSON 

As a future teacher I hope to get to work with early childhood.  I will be honest I did not know how I would even use a few of the different thinking maps for Kindergarten, 1st or even 2nd grade. Going on to Pinterest was a lot of help. It let me see how I could use each of the different Think Maps. For example:

Circle: In a Unit over the ocean students can use a circle map go group animals that they would find living in the water.


Flow: In a Unit over the cycle of a day students could create a  flow map to see how the sun rises and eventually sets.


Bubble: This is actually a thinking map that we use quite often in my classroom. The problem is we do not use the terminology. It is very important that our students begin to hear these words because they will become common practice throughout  their school years. This is a bubble chart that we have done several times.


Double Bubble: This Thinking Map gives the teachers a nice way to transition units and students a fun way to compare and contrast. For example, next week we start a two week unit over apples we will then have a two week unit over fall and pumpkins.

 
Tree: Sometimes things are so simple that even if they are right in front of us we do see them for what they are. We have tree maps like these all over our class rooms. We simple don't think of them as three maps. The more we have though in our class room the more exposure our students have to them.


Brace: What elementary teacher doesn't enjoy Johnny Appleseed week. This brace map would be a lot of fun for the students and would make it easy for them to see the different parts.


Bridge: This and the Brace Map were the two that I worried that I would have the hardest time finding anything for the younger age group. I will admit that this would be a thinking map that my students would help me fill in discussion. I would then put in up on the wall for reference throughout the Unit.


Multi Flow Map: I will be honest this one is a  . The closest Multi Flow Map was one for Dr. Seuss. On the top part students found words that they liked from the book. I am not sure how they flowed like a said a stretch and they they then found words that then rhymed with those words. A multi flow map might be a big more tricky to find for the younger age groups.

Week 3 Madeline Hunter Lesson Plan

Which part of the Madeline Hunter Lesson Plan Design will be hard for me?

I am not sure that I understood checking for understanding. I always thought this meant the test at the end of the unit or the lesson. It will be hard for me to move complete away from this way of thinking. I do not feel that all test have to be formal but I do feel that I have to have a way of evaluating and documenting what they know.

Dr. Steffes discussed using temperature checks. I think that these would work great as you are teaching the unit but not as a full disclosure of understanding.

Which Part will be easy?

I think that the easiest part for me will be guided practice. I work with pre-school students now and this is always my favorite part of the day. This is when I get to see the students show me what I have modeled for them. I get to guide them during this time and I find it very rewarding.

Which part has the most impact on the students?

Probable the Anticipatory Set has the most impact. The Anticipatory Set grabs their attention, it gets them ready and excited to learn, it helps them create the connections to make it worth learning. With out the Anticipatory Set you will loose many of your students before you even get started.

Which part plays a lesser role and why?

This might just be for me but to me the part of the lesson that I could almost skip would be materials. It is not because I don't want to be organized. It is not because I have every thing that I could possible need at my disposal. It is because when working with preschoolers even the best laid plans wont really matter. My motto is keep it simple on materials and I just might make it through. Do you plan on seeing what happens when you mix glue and corn starch together? Awesome guess what at least one kid is going to pee  them self even if you just had a restroom break. That is okay though because glue and starch do not go bad (at least not for a long time) and you can do the lesson tomorrow instead. Plan on making hay stack cookies for The Three Little Pigs (Homes) Unit? Awesome but guess what even though a note went home the week before with the words PEANUT in bold letters and a medical form went home at the beginning of the school year requesting documentation of allergies one of your children are going to EXCLAIM! My Mom Said That I Will Die If I Eat or Get Near Peanuts! What? Where was that allergy alert parents? So for me materials is a finicky friend.

Week 2 Blog Post #1

Question #1

 Are Objectives Important? Why or Why Not?



I work in a school and I have heard teachers talking (Complaining) about writing their objectives. For many of them Objectives were just one more on their endless list of paperwork. I have heard so many teachers say "They can get more paperwork from me or they can let me teach my students."

The way the Objective was explained to us tonight made it's usefulness so much more clear.  As a teacher I need to to know who will be learning A-Audience (students), what I want them to learn B-Behavior, know the context or the way that I will be teaching C-Condition, finally I want to know my expectations for my students D-Degree.

After looking at objectives this way I can see how important they are. They help a teacher know what their students need to know, how they can teach it, and how they can find out if  the students have learned to the extent that the teacher needs them to.

Question #2

Write an objective for something you've wanted to get done at home:

Given the paint and brushes that I purchased from LOWES, I will finish painting the cupcake stands with 100 % accuracy.