Description
Subject: Engineering
1. The first step for this project is to come up with 20 vocabulary words (along with kid-friendly definitions) that your students will need to learn as a part of YOUR curriculum in upcoming units. This means that they are content-specific: if you teach business, they will be business terms; if you teach English, they will be related to some aspect of writing or literature; if you teach math, they will be related to upcoming math units, etc. Please note that a deficit in vocabulary is often an effect of living in poverty, which means that all teachers need to teach words in a rich and systematic manner.
2. Next, you must design three ENGAGING ways for your students to learn these 20 vocabulary words. You should assume that you are chunking your instruction so that your students are working with these words over more than one day. One thing to keep in mind is that the brain keeps items in long-term memory if they are connected to other things. Help students make connections! Note also that merely handing out a list of words on Monday and giving a quiz on Friday is not a brain-friendly strategy! Also be certain that your strategies are student-centered. The students will not retain words because you lecture about them. Get their brains involved. Think about how they might be able to help each other. Make it engaging!For
3. each of the strategies, you need to:
- Indicate the class, grade level, and any other relevant information
- Indicate what words you are going to use with this strategy: all of them? If not, how many? Which ones?
- Fully describe the strategy.
- If, for example, you are going to use pairs or groups, how are you going to set that up?
- What materials will you need?
- What instructions will you give to your students?
- What will you be doing to facilitate the learning?
- How long do you anticipate this activity will take?
4. Finally, reflect on what you have learned by coming up with these strategies. Why are you optimistic that these strategies will help your students learn key vocabulary words for your subject? How might this approach to using learning methods that include a high level of student engagement carry over into other aspects of your teaching?
Rubric for Using Engaging Strategies (Vocabulary)
0-1 points |
2-3 points |
4-5 points |
||
Vocabulary |
Does not consist of 20 words with student-friendly definitions |
Has 20 terms and definitions but they do not appear to be related to your subject area |
These are 20 words with sensible definitions that clearly are important in your subject area |
|
Strategy 1 |
This is not engaging or brain-friendly; some of the required information in #3 is missing |
This has a 50/50 chance of engaging your students; some parts of the explanation required in #3 are missing |
This is an engaging, student-centered, brain-friendly strategy; you clearly answer all parts of #3 |
|
Strategy 2 |
This is not engaging or brain-friendly; some of the required information in #3 is missing |
This has a 50/50 chance of engaging your students; some parts of the explanation required in #3 are missing |
This is an engaging, student-centered, brain-friendly strategy; you clearly answer all parts of #3 |
|
Strategy 3 |
This is not engaging or brain-friendly; some of the required information in #3 is missing |
This has a 50/50 chance of engaging your students; some parts of the explanation required in #3 are missing |
This is an engaging, student-centered, brain-friendly strategy; you clearly answer all parts of #3 |
|
Closing Reflection |
Only a few sentences in length and superficial in reflection |
Shows some thinking but needs to go deeper |
Thank you for using this assignment to reflect on how any lesson can be engaging |