Vocabulary Learning & Instruction Concordia University

1. Vocabulary Learning & InstructionConcordia University • On the index card write: • your name • grade level or content you’ll teach • home city and state • 2 things you hope to learn today

2. Resources • Jen’s wiki • http://jenmadison.wikispaces.com/ • Lenny’s wiki • http://lvermaas.wikispaces.com/ • Email Jen or Lenny • jmadison@su6.org • lennyvermaas@gmail.com

3. Today’s Objectives • Use research supported strategies to teach individual vocabulary directly and encourage long term retention. • Use facets of brain research to enhance student learning and promote long term memory. • Identify and experience APL strategies.

4. Sharing Objectives What: • explanation and display of clear descriptions of what students will know and/or be able to do as a result of instruction • Identify characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction. When: • beginning of lesson (segment) Why: • requires clarity of instruction • increase accurate focus and retention

5. Today’s Agenda • Opening activities • Priming the brain, thinking about vocabulary • Why is it important to develop vocabulary? • Eight characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction. • A six step model from Marzano • Ways to “muck” around with words.

6. We pledge to… • Have fun • Avoid flat butt syndrome • Focus discussion about what is best for kids • To let you know why we are doing what we are doing during the presentation

7. We also pledge to… • Do activities rather than talk about them. This means we will not cover as much. • Have materials ready to use in your classroom • Not be a mile wide and an inch deep. • It is not what you cover but what your students discover.

8. You pledge to… • Interrupt us with questions, observations, comments or something you want to share. • Take care of yourself • Stand up • Use the restroom

9. When helping students learn we would like you to pledge to… • Have fun • Avoid flat butt syndrome • Focus on what is best for kids • Let your students know why you are doing what you are doing during class • Encourage a growth mindset vs fixed mind set

10. Collect Index Cards

11. Why Index Cards? • Prime Brain • All students have the expectation that they may need to provide input. • Make sure students have a chance to be successful. • Do not call on unfocused students as a classroom management technique.

14. Calling on Students • “Random” • Every student has opportunity to be selected, each time. • Equal distribution of student involvement • Eliminates teacher bias • Quick, user-friendly • Can also be used for easy grouping

15. Variations • Cards • Sticks • Clickers • Random generator • Talking Chips

16. Creating a Name Tent • Fold the paper in half hamburger style. • On the open end approximately 1 inch from the bottom fold the paper to the middle or inside. (This creates the bottom.) • At the top near the fold write your first name in large letters (2 inches tall). • Leave space under your name to write one more word.

17. Vocabulary Emphasis • Vocabulary acquisition must be one of your top priorities as a teacher. • Think of a vocabulary term that describes you and be able to provide a reason. • My vocabulary word is trapezoid. • Write that term below your name.

19. Word Power • 2006 Nebraska Volleyball National Champions • Each Husker selected a word as a guide during the 2006 season. • Belief, Presence, Love, Fearless, Trust, Impact, Discipline, Serve, Intensity, Impact, Moxie, Passion

20. Jordon Larson, passion, “I want to come into every match showing the love for the game, how much I want to play it.” • Sarah Pavan, impact, “I wanted to make a bigger impact both on and off the court this year in terms of leadership and my play.”

21. When You See My Hand Up: • Raise your hand • This lets me know that you have seen my signal. • This lets others in the room who may not be looking at me become aware of the signal. • Finish your thoughts with your partner or group. • Wait for clarification or more directions.

22. Vocabulary Emphasis Vocabulary acquisition must be one of your top priorities as a teacher. • Write that term below your name. • Standup, pair-up, share your words and rationale for choosing the word.

23. Interest Circle Directions • Please tell me what we are going to do when we get started. • Let’s get started. • I played a musical instrument in high school. • I have read a book for pleasure in the last 3 months. • I am an only child. • I have a close relative who is a teacher. • Categories from the group

24. Processing Interest Circle • Why did we do the activity? • Goals • Provide an opportunity to get your voice in the room • Get to know your students better • Explore learning styles • Get up and move around

25. Learning is all aboutrelationships.Get to know your students by asking questions.

26. Students don’t care what you know, they want to know that you care.

27. So why is it necessary to change up instruction? As your brain gets numb-er You get dumber.

28. Changing STATESChange up instruction every 5-10 min. for pre-adolescents andevery 10-20 minutes for adolescents to adults.

29. Thinking About It • Why would you want to change states when you finally have students quiet, sitting in their seats, and looking like they are listening to you? • The brain needs a chance to refocus and start again. • When you stand up, blood flow to the brain increases.

30. Synapses or Brain BreaksJudith Willis • Change activates and turns on different parts of the brain. • Dopamine is a pleasure neurotransmitter that makes you feel good and is released during certain activities and depletes over time. • Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, needs an opportunity to recharge and rebuild. • Brain breaks (synapses) help to replenish.

31. Key Points • Changing States • Processing time • Primacy-recency • VAK • Going Limbic • Brain schematic • Chunking • Making sense/meaning • Long term memory working memory

32. Resources • Eric Jensen • Teaching With the Brain in Mind • Different Brains, Different Learners • David Sousa • How the Brain Learns, Third Edition • Pat Wolfe • The Brain Matters • Robert Sylwester • How to Explain a Brain • The Adolescent Brain

33. Eric Jensen and the BRAIN • It’s not enough to know just the right thing to do. • Understanding why you do what you do is critical. • Most purposeful thinking means that you are a professional who makes learning an on-going part of your career. • Those who excel in this field do not do it by accident.

34. Eric Jensen (continued) • Good teachers are constant learners who want to understand the science, the research and the rationale behind what they do. • They want to know details; when, where and how to do it. • An attorney understands the legal system, a mechanic should understand cars, as teachers we should understand learning and the brain. • Become a “brain shaper”, “neuro-cognitive surgeon”, or “sculptor”

35. Craft Knowledge • Craft knowledge: the knowledge about the practice that is collected, codified, legitimated, and shared by professionals. (Burney, 2006)

36. Professionals in any field… • Act on the most current knowledge that defines their field. • Are client-centered and adapt to meet the needs of the individuals whom they serve. • Are results oriented. • Uphold the standards of the profession in their own practice and through peer review. (Wiggins and McTighe, 2006)

37. Educational Practice • We must develop and nurture a practice in our profession. • Collaboration and peer review is the model in all other professions. • We need to develop an open, collaborative system about our practice, as opposed to private practice.

38. Private Practice • Private practice: Individual actors working in isolation. The replication of any success is unlikely

39. Collaborative Practice • Collaborative Practice: Staff working under common beliefs and expectations about teaching and learning. The practices are continually open to discussion and review. The replication of success is likely. • Examples: • Important curriculum is agreed upon and enacted in all courses. • Research based principles of instruction are agreed upon and enacted by all staff.

40. Craft knowledge • Lets take a minute to record the strategies we have used to this point. • Interest circle • Think-pair-share • State changes, synapses, or brain breaks

41. Clock Partners • Cooperative learning, strategy for base partners • The teacher designates a time, the students meet, and share ideas on designated topic. • A specific time, for example 12:00 is designated as homework partner. That clock partner is responsible for getting assignments and handouts when either is absent. • For today, fill in a different partner on your clock for 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00

42. Sousa, D. (2001). How the Brain Learns

43. The Importance of Processing Time • The brain needs time to create connections and pathways to create long term memories. • The hippocampus can only hold so much. • Example of glass of water. • Too much, to fast, it won’t Last.

44. If the rectangle below represents a period of time when learning will occur, when does the best learning occur?

45. Primacy-Recency EffectSerial Positioning • During a learning episode, we remember best that which comes first, second best that which comes last and least that which comes just past the middle. (Sousa, p. 90)

46. Graph from How the Brain Learns by David Sousa

47. Graph from How the Brain Learns by David Sousa

48. Amount of Prime Learning Time • 20 minute episode • 18 prime time (90%), 2 down time • 40 minute episode • 30 prime time (75%), 10 down time • 80 minute episode • 50 minute time (62%), 30 down time

49. Question • Does primacy-recency apply to the school year? • If it does, how should it affect your planning?

50. Craft Knowledge Lets take a minute to record the strategies we have used to this point.