Beginning Teacher November Forum #2 Using Stories and Picture Rubrics CIC:

Connecting Forum Structure Part A

Agenda Connecting Activity Using Stories to: -connect to students and inspire -assist with memorization -engage through entertainment -activate learning Using Picture Rubrics to Teach Procedures Announcements Closing

Outcomes Know how to use stories in lessons to enhance learning Understand the effectiveness of using picture rubrics to teach and reinforce procedures

Norms Active Listening Appropriate use of electronics Equity of voice Respect for all perspectives Confidentiality

Sharing Your Experiences Go around the room and state a break- through moment or a significant success in teaching you experienced since our last forum.

Learning Forum Structure Part B

Using Stories to Enhance Learning

In more than 80 interviews, university students consistently said that their best teachers throughout school were the ones who told stories. Stories helped them learn because they were entertaining and engaging, because they provided a concrete context in which to place abstract ideas, and because they helped them remember what was being learned. Stories helped them connect with their teachers. Stories made ideas real. Knight, Jim (2013); High Impact Instruction. Stories that Connect to Students and Inspire

Hannah Grant’s Story Read the story that Hannah told her middle school art students. Think of a personal story you might tell your students that will inspire them and help them connect to you. (1 min.) Take 2 minutes to tell your story to a partner.

What Hannah Accomplished She immediately engaged her students. She communicated her faith in their abilities. She revealed herself as human and approachable. She motivated her students to dive into their assignments with confidence and excitement. She built community.

Stories that Assist with Memorization An example of anchoring an abstract concept in concrete context is given in an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati. The D.J., Venus Flytrap, is talking with Arnold, a young man who works at the station. Arnold is discouraged and wants to drop out of school because he doesn’t understand the parts of an atom. Venus makes a deal with Arnold that if he can teach Arnold the basics of an atom in 2 minutes, then Arnold has to stay in school. Arnold doubts Venus, but accepts.

WKRP in Cincinnati

Stories Make Learning Sticky A story is powerful because it provides the context missing from abstract prose. It’s the Velcro theory of memory, the idea that the more hooks we put into our ideas, the better they’ll stick. This is the role that stories play – putting knowledge into a framework that is more lifelike, more true to our day-to-day existence. Heath and Heath (2007); Made to Stick.

Stories that Engage through Entertainment There is no shortage of research and writing on the value of entertainment in learning. However, when the entertainment includes story-telling, learning increases surreptitiously. “When story-based entertainment is incorporated in learning, the learning objectives are achieved almost by stealth.” (P. Chatterjee) Nobody does this better than Sesame Street.

Count Dracula’s Vocabulary Lesson

Engagement is primarily determined by the level of retention, level of learner involvement, and level of satisfaction with the learning. All of these also seem to be identified as the reasons why entertainment is required in learning. The relationships between entertainment and engagement seems to emerge strongly, and the strongest common factor is the retention of the learning. - Chatterjee, P. (2010); Entertainment, Engagement, and Education Entertainment, Engagement, And Retention

Telling Stories to Activate Learning Our brains become more active when we tell a story and even more-so when we create a story. Not only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are activated as well. Widrich, Leo (2012); The Science of Story Telling

Tell the Story Which object is most damaged; the car, the truck, or one of the trees? Use the science TEKS of force, motion, and energy to tell why.

8 th Grade Science TEKS Force, motion, and energy: The student knows that there is a relationship between force, motion, and energy. The student will investigate and describe applications of Newton's law of inertia, law of force and acceleration, and law of action- reaction.

Create a Story As a table group (or whole group), develop a story as instructed. Be sure to include the relationships of force, motion, and energy. The story should take 2 minutes or less to tell.

Stories “Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other’s memory. This is how people care for themselves.” -Barry Lopez

Using Picture Rubrics to Teach Procedures

Compliance vs. Cooperation Like all human beings, our students are full of hopes and fears, responsibilities and relationships; only some of these are related to school, the classroom, or the topic for the day. Students are often more focused on friendship and alliances in the classroom than on teacher expectations or directions. All of this is natural, and yet it can provide distractions and or elicit misbehavior in school. Understanding and having empathy for the wider scope of life’s influences allows us more easily to guide students in the right direction, without confrontation or escalation. This spirit of compassion manifests in cooperation from the students, rather than simple rote compliance, and colors every aspect of teaching and learning.

3) Photo Rubrics and Visuals Rick Smith: Author of Conscious Classroom Management and Picture This! Keynote Speaker at New Teacher Academy Teach common procedures and routines you use in your classroom using photos and rubrics

A scoring tool that lists the criteria for evaluation and success Information is condensed into simple words, numbers, or images. What is a Rubric

Teaching Procedures Break things into parts Address students’ learning styles focusing on kinesthetic and visual approaches Teach, reteach and review Write procedures into the lesson plan

A Lesson Plan to Teach Procedures Click on FREE RESOURCES Click on Shared Documents and Images Click on Procedures Lessons with Images- Secondary Open Beginning of Class Procedures Review the lesson plan and visual rubric

Rick Smith – Picture This! Starting a ClassMaterials Set-up

Elementary Readiness to Learn Rubric

Staying on Task 1. Circulation Ring Components 2. Circulation Ring 2. Circulation Ring Used By Teacher

Students Finishing Early

Learning Student’s Names Flashcard FrontsFlashcard Backs

Clarifying Steps in Projects Step 1: Use the Microscope Step 2: Use the Scale Step 3: Record Your Data in Your Lab Notebook

Lining Up Rubric 2 1 3

Books on Shelves YE S NO

Putting Supplies Away Match sink to photo

Lunch Procedure

Other Non-Verbal Signals Sound Signals - Use several sound signals, each for a different procedure. Music for transitions - Use the same song for the same transition, each time. Hand signals – Use American sign language, or signals that students develop.

Students do what needs to be done in a fun and efficient way Saves your voice No confronting students Visual and Rubrics to Teach Procedures

Formula for Teaching Procedures Determine what procedures are needed Break them into simple steps Teach them visually, orally, and/or kinesthetically Check for understanding Practice them Reinforce them Periodically review them

Procedures precedes content First teach content-free teaching of procedure Then use procedures with content in the lesson: During a discussion, teacher says, “Yes Sally. Thank you for raising your hand (procedure). What is your comment (content). Periodically reinforce/clarify procedure steps even when there is no obvious reason (proactive before natives get restless!) Teach a minimum of two procedures per class for secondary teachers, or 1 per lesson for elementary teachers. Hold students accountable for using the procedure

Reflection on Practice Describe the beginning/end of a typical class or lesson in your room. How might this time be used more effectively? How might you teach the procedures you want to see. How well do your students work in small groups? What works well and what does not? How might you teach the procedures you want to see? What specific practices can you take back and use with your students?

Time for Practice Brainstorm possible moments during the day to implement a well defined procedure (students entering the classroom, materials set up, cleaning up,) Decide the criteria for successful implementation Share ideas with a partner Practice teaching procedure with partner

Managing Forum Structure Part C

Announcements Ask BTs if mentors have completed eLEARN tasks with them BTs need to verify mentor’s MAS entries. Verify only if the task occurred (provide pathway) Other announcements pertinent to your campus BTs

Closing Forum Structure Part D

Reflecting on the Learning Complete the CAL Survey: What’s working? (What is going well so far this year?) What are your challenges/concerns? (Have there been any challenges or concerns that have been difficult to resolve?) What might be your next steps? (What might you do to address any pending concerns? Will you use anything that has been addressed in this learning?) What can I do for you? (What kind of support would you like from your mentor and what kind of training would you like from your CIC?)

Mentoring Activities Survey Which activities have you completed with your mentor? Check the boxes on the CAL Survey for the specific activities that you and your mentor completed together.