Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites - Try Games Instead!

Hi, Teaching Friends!


It's time for Chapter Four of the Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites  book study, and the topic is one of my favorite teaching strategies!

I love to use games for teaching, and this quote from the chapter nails the reason why:

"When students are engrossed in game playing, the stress is lessened and memory for content is increased!"

And taking that a step further, when students are engrossed in game playing, the teacher's stress is also lessened. You can circulate, observe, comment occasionally, and be confident that your "sneaky teaching" is working. You know, "sneaky teaching" ... your students are learning but having such a good time that they don't even realize it!


One of my favorite ways to use games is to have students create their own games, especially as a review.

"When students develop a game's content as well as play the game, the amount of time they are exposed to and involved with the content is doubled." (Allen, 2008)


Early on in my teaching experience, I once or twice tried just giving my first graders an 18"X24" paper, a topic, and had them go at it.  I quickly learned that most of them need more structure than that. One thing I tried that worked pretty well was supplying my students with sticky dots and precut skills cards. That also cut down on the (sometimes ridiculously long) amount of time it took to make the games. After all, we needed to have time left to play the games, too!

When it was time to play, we had a rotation. It was a bit complicated ... I think of those diagrams for tennis, I'm pretty sure it is, where everyone gets to play everyone else... but worth it, because there's huge benefit both in skill/fact mastery and self-confidence when you get to teach your classmates to play the game you designed.


If you're thinking about having your students create their own games, I do happen to have this freebie in my store that might save you some time. It's a set of blank board games, along with some suggestions for ways that you or in this case your students can program them for practice at your own grade level. If it's something you might like to give a try, you can download it here.

I've really been enjoying reading everyone's posts about this book, and would also like to thank you for your comments here. It's so nice to have a conversation! This week's host is Katie King, The Queen of the First Grade Jungle. Click here to see what everyone else is talking about!



Happy Teaching!

Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites, but Field Trips Sure Do!

Hi, Teaching Friends!

Well, this is the PERFECT week to write about field trips, which coincidentally is the next chapter in our book study, Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites.

What teacher doesn't love a good field trip? Well, okay, maybe not the hour each way on the school bus, but even that can be fun if you get your kids singing. Even just watching their excited faces can be fun, don't you think?

In my opinion, the learning potential of a field trip is unbeatable.

The author Marcia Tate has a very inclusive list of the ways that field trips help our students learn.
Each chapter in this book includes a section of quotes, "The Theoretical Framework". My favorite in this chapter:

"Enhancing higher-order thinking skills, refining observation and questioning skills, and increasing the confidence and attitude of students are all benefits of field trips." (Davis, 2002)

That's a good one to keep in your back pocket the next time an administrator asks you to justify the expense of a field trip!



Here's why this is the perfect week for me to write this post.  I'd like to share with you today some of the ways "field trips" have floated through my life in the past week, and how they relate to what I read in this chapter.

My husband and I had the opportunity to hear a presentation by a local historian this week. A lifelong resident, his presentation included a picture of the one-room schoolhouse he attended. Then he showed us a picture of the farm that used to be across the street from it. "We went there on a field trip," he said. "It was the only field trip I ever went on. We walked across the street. I still remember it." This man is nearly eighty years old and still fondly remembers this field trip. 


Field trips create lasting memories. They are significant events in a student's life.




The second way field trips touched my life this week was through a mini-vacation we took with our daughter, son-in-law, and their three children. Our grandchildren are 3, 5, and 7, and are homeschooled. We spent three days in Lancaster, PA. One of the big highlights for the kids, of course, was swimming in the hotel pool every day, but each day we also went some place interesting, little homeschool field trips, you might say.

One day, we went to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. A phenomenal learning experience, this museum is like a huge terminal (over 100,000 square feet inside and out) where you can wander around among more than 100 locomotives and cars. There are docents positioned in and near some of the equipment, but you can also self-tour via the info kiosks or QR codes. Look at these photos - so much potential for math learning!

Can't get to this museum for your field trip? Your students can see more here, and the site is loaded with lots more info for your students.


Our second "field trip" was to the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory in Lititz. The children had some schema for this, since they're big fans of Mr. Rogers and one of his wonderful trips was to a pretzel factory.  Picture their faces when, after a few moments of looking around, they realized that this was THE pretzel factory where the one-and-only Mr. Rogers had filmed the episode!


Field trips take on new meaning when you provide your students with prior knowledge.



The pretzel factory was a hands-on experience...

Field trips, like lessons in class, become more meaningful when active learning is part of the experience.


Here's what E, the five year old, did after the pretzel factory experience.

Your students will continue to apply their learning after a field trip.



Whether your field trip is to the Smithsonian or your school yard, here's a way for you to help your little learners consolidate their learning afterwards. If you can find a few minutes for your students to complete these when you get back to the classroom, this is a handy tool to send to your families to help them continue the conversation when their child gets home. Click here to download.

Thanks to DeeDee Wills, who's hosting the linky for this chapter. Visit her blog to connect with lots of other bloggers who are sharing their *Aha!* moments about field trips! Please share here, too! What's the best field trip you've ever been on with your class?

Happy Teaching!

Book Study Bliss: Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites

Hi, Teaching Friends!

Have you noticed lately how many teacher bloggers are admitting to being nerdy? Even the ones who you know really aren't? ;)


Here's my nerdy confession: I am somewhat of a geek for professional books. I love to read them, and I tend to keep them forever. I've always wanted to be part of a book study but couldn't get anyone else interested. The one time we had a book study at school, it fizzled like a wet firecracker after the first few chapters.


So I am Very Excited  to be embarking on a study led by a terrific group of bloggers who also like to talk books and teaching. I even love the title of this one, Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites.

 

Boo to the trend toward worksheets that seems to be rearing its head again. {it's that old swinging pendulum thing...}  I know that active teaching is physically demanding and handing out worksheets isn't.  I know that probably every teacher has had moments of wishing her classroom was at least a little bit quieter at times. { True confession: I may have occasionally let Writing Workshop or silent reading time run beyond the scheduled time because they tend to be the quieter times of the day! Wild and crazy, huh? } 

And I also know that some districts/administrators require some sort of written accountability piece from each student for everything you teach. Seriously, people, in K/1??? Does your school require this?

All that being said, we all know that both the research and our own classroom experience show that the best, long-lasting learning is active, not passive. That's why I'm kind of uneasy about the appearance of  all these no-prep resources. Some of them are games, or surveys, or "semi-active" learning that at least includes interaction and conversation. But in my opinion far too many of those new resources are just plain old worksheets fancied up with cute clipart, but worksheets nonetheless. I don't think that's the best use of our students' learning time.  A little bit of paper and pencil here and there is one thing, but too much of it takes the fun and excitement out of learning.

That's the underlying premise of this book. But the great thing is that the author, Marcia Tate, goes beyond the research to the reality, with very specific suggestions for including active learning throughout your day, regardless of what you teach.

Chapter One focuses on the importance of conversation. That's where I found my *aha!* connection: Think-Pair-Share! It's one of my favorite strategies to keep children actively listening and processing information. When my students come to the rug, they sit with a "Rug Buddy", a partner that changes every week or two. Students expect there to be times when they will "turn and talk" to their buddy, in response to whatever I'm reading ( "How does this character feel? How do you know?", "What do you predict will happen next?", etc.) or teaching ("Explain to your partner how you would add these three numbers", etc.).  This expectation keeps them listening, and the pause to review consolidates their learning. 

The twist to my use of the Think-Pair-Share strategy was the last step. Sometimes, I'd ask a student to share what his or her partner had said in their conversation. Voila! It's an easy way to provide multiple opportunities to talk, listen, interpret, process... and understand and remember! And most of the time that learning is going on, the teacher's mouth is closed and the kids are doing the talking.

I love that so many bloggers will be sharing their reactions to this book!  The linky today is being hosted by Elizabeth at Kickin' It in Kindergarten.  Visit to find new ideas for keeping the dendrites growing in your classroom!

Happy Teaching!