Instructional Portfolio by

Writing (on names)

blake608 — 2023-06-29 18:23:04 UTC

This is where students write a small text (can be informative and/or creative) about their name. This is a great chance for students who feel comfortable explaining the new way in which they would like to be addressed if they had a dead name that they would not want to be referred by. Groups will then come together and have a dialogue about their pieces.

- This is a great way to practice feedback as well (I wonder… or I appreciated).

“My Life Sounds Like This”

blake608 — 2023-06-29 18:23:34 UTC

This is my own brain break that I really enjoyed. In a previous course that I took in college called “the essay” we had an entire paper that surrounded music. Students will think of a couple of songs that mean a lot to them, then they will explain this in a text that they have created. This can be as personal or informal as one would like.

“Ideal Happy Place”

blake608 — 2023-06-29 18:23:57 UTC

this is an activity that allows for students to hone them. Skills in creative world building within their writing. The student thinks of a place that makes them happy – can be anything really, and then the describe the place. Students may focus on the smell, sound, the feel, anything that is parallel to the human senses.

“Love Letter or Break up Letter”

blake608 — 2023-06-29 18:24:19 UTC

I loved this writing activity. This is executed just as it sounds. Students either write a love letter or break up letter to anything that they want. In my case I chose Diet Coke (because I hate it). It is a great way for students to have fun with their writing as well as strengthen their own authoritative voice.

"Stream of Consciousness"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 19:41:10 UTC

I thought this was a great writing activity that I could use at the beginning of class in order to get the students warmed up to whatever the writing task would be assigned that day. This is essentially an activity that has no bounds, just write in the way your brain works. Everything you think or conceptualize, just write.

Charades

blake608 — 2023-06-29 19:45:03 UTC

This was the Brain break that I decided to come up with for the class. It starts with students thinking about one of the talents they possess, it can be anything. Then in a small group, play a little game of charades with the goal of having the other group members guess what the talent is. I found it to be a great way for students to express themselves and something that they are interested in.

Simple Stretch

blake608 — 2023-06-29 19:46:21 UTC

While this was not something that was used in the class, I thought that just a simple "get up and stretch" could be a good way for students to get their blood flowing and have a quite break/revitilization.

"This or That"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 19:47:56 UTC

Questions will be asked, for example "Cold or warm weather" then the students will be able to choose by walking to the side of the room correspondes with the answer they desire. Pretty simple.

NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)

blake608 — 2023-06-29 19:52:03 UTC

This is a resource for English teachers, in their website they state "The Secondary Section enhances the professional lives of English language arts educators and the quality of education of their students by providing multiple forums for significant dialogue on historical, current, and emerging topics of interest to secondary English language arts educators." They give educators intructional tools to empower students and their education.

Jamboard

blake608 — 2023-06-29 19:59:11 UTC

What: This is a collaborative tool that allows for student to me emersed in a space that encourages dialogue.

How: It is pretty much a digital whiteboard, an educator can place a prompt about say... clasroom expectations. Then students can comment and collaborate about some of the different principles they would like to see implemented in the classroom.

Why: It allows student experience to be centered. They choose what to talk about and some ways that these ideas can be implemented in the classroom. It is also a great way for teachers to see where their students are at.

Fishbowl

blake608 — 2023-06-29 20:02:45 UTC

What/How: This is essentially a different form of a Socratic seminar. First, there will be a group in the middle of the fishbowl, then surrounding the inner circle is the outer "bowl." The individuals on the outside will then comment on a virtual discussion board about some of the things the inner students are discussing, this can consist of some things they agree or disagree with.

Why: This is a great way for students to have an actual dialogue with the material they are assigned. Students can challenge viewpoints and debate, or praise and agree with other students. All in a respectful nature of course.

I can see this being used in book discussions, I used this when we read "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote, it was a great way to talk about the themes and tropes that are shown throughout the story.

"Life Journals"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 20:09:14 UTC

What/How: This is an actual journal that students will have where they can write specific things that are important to them. They can turn this in each week in order for the teacher to see how the students write and so on.

Why: I think that it is a great measuring tool to see where students are with their progression in writing. It allows the educator to see their creative process as well.

I personally used these in my last semester of college in the course called "The Essay" and I thought that it was a huge benefit for my own writing. We got graded by the Professor in terms of how well we met the requirements for the prompt. Alongside this writing, we could also draw pictures to explain what we were thinking, which I thought was a nice touch.

Surveys

blake608 — 2023-06-29 20:27:45 UTC

This is pretty simple, it is just a survey that is given to al students halfway through the semester/trimester that allows for students to give their opinions on how the class is being taught and some things they like/dislike about the class.

I think that this is a great way for instructors to take accountability for some of the inadiquacies in the classroom. And furthermore understand where the students are when it comes to their own progression.

"Think, Pair, Share"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 20:37:34 UTC

What: This is a strategy that asks for students to think about a writing topic, pair with a partner (collaboration and conferencing), then filanny sharing with the class.

Why: It is a great way for students to synthesize thier writing abilities, as well as sharing these ideas with the class. It also allows for the students to participate with the entire class, as one body.

How: Students may be given a prompt, think individually, then collaborate and write with their partner, then share with the entire class.

We used this a lot in class this semester. we did it with writing groups as well as our reading groups and writing activities. I thought it took a lot of the pressure off of myself when I knew that I would be speaking to the class with another partner about the writing.

"Rotating Leader"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 20:41:11 UTC

Textured Teaching

What: This is an activity that allows for students that are usually the quietest in class the ability to speak their minds about a specific reading.

How: There will be five members to every team (or equal size depending on the class size). Then each group will be given a leader (this is the more reserved individual). This individual will then take notes on the topic that is being discussed in their group and speak in front of the class to discuss what their group was talking about. Each group will be given around ten minutes to discuss, then each group will present.

Why: I thought that this was a great way for all students to be involved in the classroom procedure, rather than just having the same five kids speak over everyone else. It is also a great way for students to have a constructive dialogue about whichever topic is at hand.

This was found in Textured Teaching.

"Philisophical Chairs"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 21:02:34 UTC

Textured Teaching

What: This is similar to the "This or That" brain break activity. Which allows for students to have specific opinions on some prompts that are given to the class.

How: This activity could be used well in an argumentative essay unit, where students move to either side of the classroom when given a topic. Students can go to one of two camps, agree or disagree. Then students from either side can share why they think this way.

Why: Is a great visual representation of how dialogue can work in the classroom as well as in an argumentative essay.

I used to do this all the time in my English and history courses, it was a great way to show what I know on a subject matter, and a chance to defend my viewpoints in a respectful manner.

"Gallery Walks"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 21:13:43 UTC

Textured Teaching

What/How: This is an activity that can be used at the end of a unit when a students project is completed. students will be assigned in pairs and will be given a rubric with a set of questions on it. The students will answer the questions about the students work, maybe something they did well or general observations.

Why: It is a great way for students to praise their fellow students work, as well as see their own through process about what the student was thinking in terms of the assignment.

Student Chosen Texts

blake608 — 2023-06-29 21:22:23 UTC

What: The is a principle of my own pedagogy. I would like to have students choose the texts that they read in class because that will then enact more participation

Why: I think that having student choose what they read will then allow for some care when it comes to their own thoughts: they will be more invested. Too many times throughout my academic career I was given texts that I simply didn't care about, this practice can change that.

How: From a wide selection of books, I will allow for students to choose between them, which one seems the most interesting to them? Which text ilicits the most thought provocing questions? Then, they can be paired in a group.

"Random Country"

blake608 — 2023-06-29 22:47:35 UTC

What: I came up with this activity on my own. It is a writing activity that requires quick thinking and processing skills which can translate the the writing process greatly.

How: Students must pick a random country, this can be some place that they have been before, or an entirly different place altogether. They then have to write about an aspect of this country. It may be informational or creative. Just a little something to get the class started off.

Why: It is a great way for students to think on their feet when it comes to writing. This quick thinking may not be their greatest work they will ever create, but that is not the point, rather the strategy surrounds racking the brain of memory and placing these memories and information onto the page.

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)

blake608 — 2023-07-03 21:38:15 UTC

ISTE Standards

blake608 — 2023-07-03 21:42:11 UTC

These are some helpful standards that students should be aclamated with when learning about educational technology.

Parking Lot Activity

blake608 — 2024-09-16 16:13:30 UTC

Useful and versatile teaching tool
• Post somewhere in the classroom (can be digital
too)
• Give students post-it notes to answer a question,
give feedback, or ask questions (you can make it
anonymous or not)
• Open 24 hours- takes frequent usage
• Meta-lesson: reflect on/critique discussions

"Your Perfect Classroom"

blake608 — 2024-09-19 18:59:31 UTC

Students form groups and are given a sheet of paper, there will be questions on the board to get each group started. they will make a presentation on classroom expectations, curriculum they would like to be taught, etc.

Dialogic Teaching: Final Word

blake608 — 2025-01-13 20:04:19 UTC

Description: Final Word provides a structure for students to choose portions of a text
they find interesting, meaningful, or significant and have discussions with others about
their selected text.
• Procedure: Working in small groups, each person chooses and marks a short selection
of a text that they find meaningful or significant and that they would like to hear the
group discuss. One person begins the discussion by reading aloud their own selection
without commenting on it. One by one, moving around the circle, everyone else
comments on the selection. In the end, the person who read the selection has the final
word, explaining the significance of this selection and commenting on it. Repeat the
process beginning with the next person’s selection, everyone commenting on it, and
the reader having the final word.

Collaborative Text Maps

blake608 — 2025-02-03 19:13:21 UTC

While students read a text, ask them to identify a generative word, phrase, or sentence in the text and underline it.
Each student writes their word, phrase, or sentence in the center of a piece of paper and puts a circle around it.
Gather students in groups.
Each student will pass their paper to the left. They will read the word, phrase, or sentence, draw a line from it, and do one of the following:
•respond directly to the text
•elaborate on another person’s ideas
•ask questions
•add more from the original text
•make a personal, intertextual, intratextual, or world connections
When they are finished, they will pass the text to the person on their right.
“Conversations” continue around the circle (in silence) until the students’ maps are filled.
After a few rounds when the map reaches the original student, they will look at all the comments and choose two of the most “generative.”
8. The “generative” comments are the foundation for discussion in small groups or as a whole class.

Read, Talk, Write

blake608 — 2025-02-10 18:54:11 UTC

•Timer 2 minutes: Choose a passage to read and annotate

•-Timer 2 minutes: Talk to your partner about what you learned

•-Timer 1 minute: Write 1 question based on your discussion

•What new insights, dilemmas, questions, and/or concerns arose after reading this article?

Key Words

blake608 — 2025-02-17 21:39:21 UTC

1. Students work in pairs; everyone gets Key Word Notes form

2. Everyone reads designated piece of text individually, silently

3. Each student selects 3-4 words as memory aids, writes in Box 1

4. Partners tell each other what words they selected and why

5. Students repeat steps 2-4, completing all segments, using boxes 2, 3, 4

6. Remove the text from view, each student uses his/her Key Words to write summary in box 5

Class Companion

blake608 — 2025-03-14 18:05:47 UTC

School AI

blake608 — 2025-03-14 18:06:20 UTC

Rhetorical, Action, Verb Wall

blake608 — 2025-03-14 18:11:21 UTC

Place somewhere in the classroom the words:

Juxtaposes
Contrasts
States
Claims
Asserts
Sets up
Provides
Distinguishes
Proclaims
Declares
Compares
Announces
Refutes
Echoes

These words are posted somewhere in the classroom for students to bolster their writing.