Intensity of Learning

People enjoy intensity such as the intensity of a ski run, an amusement ride, diving into a lake, a round of Jeopardy, or a Soduku puzzle.

Students enjoy and benefit from class when we provide them with intensity of learning We can give them short activities that are highly focused on critical learning. As we move our students from talking about learning to using what they are learning, many opportunities exist for intense learning.

In my Spanish class, I have my students do many one to two minute speaking activities. Each activity focuses on a specific language function such as asking for information or persuading. For example, in groups of two, one student looks at a picture such as a people in a mall and asks his/her partner questions while the partner answers the questions. They do not prepare for this activity, they just dive into it. They have to combine their already learned vocabulary and grammar from previous lessons to do this activity. After this intense activity, they debrief by going over what they could do better next time and then practicing to show that they can improve. This formative assessment activity provides a intense experience for students.

In my English comp0sition class, my student write essays but they write them intense part by intense part. After my students have selected a topic, narrowed it down, written a thesis, and generated ideas, they spend a few minutes in organizing the ideas into a graphic organizer. They complete the graphic organizer if any parts are missing. One student described this as putting together a giant puzzle with a clock ticking. He also commented that sometimes he has to create a missing puzzle piece. When the students finish, they feel a sense of satisfaction. A writing partner looks over their graphic organizer for the logical flow of ideas and the support of those ideas in this formative writing activity.

These intense activities require the students to use higher level thinking and to perform on the spot. Students like a challenge and that students can climb higher academically if we give them the opportunity.

How do you provide intense higher level learning for your students?

I have Spanish spontaneous speaking activities at Teacherspayteachers: http://bit.ly/tpthtuttle

My formative assessment books: http://is.gd/tbook

Education with Technology

Flickr Vocabulary Pictures Based on Real Objects For Your Class February 21, 2012

I have been having my Spanish students take real life pictures of vocabulary items that are in our textbook and put the pictures in my class Flickr account. The textbook’s drawings lack realism (what is that?). Most students used their Smartphones. When students can see a real object such as a plate, they can better [...]

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Education Leaders Promote Higher Users of Mobile Learning Technology February 15, 2012

Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum, and Principals as the educational leaders for their district and building have the responsibility of helping students to succeed. One way to accomplish this goal is to assist teachers through showing them how to use technology at higher levels to meet learning goals. A current hot technology ce […]

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Learn not be engaged in technology February 7, 2012

I would like to ban the words “engage”, “engagement”, “engaging” from education. Many educational articles, company ads, and conference presentations use the this concept with titles such as “Engage your students through…”, “Highly engagement by….”, or “Engaging Students … […]

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Modern Language Spontaneous Speaking Find Someone Who + February 7, 2012

Many modern language/ foreign language teachers use a form of the common Find Someone Who activity to get students speaking. For example, the teachers may ask, in the target language, for the students to find someone who has five pens, has two books, has a blue notebook or find someone who sings, bikes, swims, etc. [...]

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Administrators Learn From Others Through Google Forms January 22, 2012

Superintendents and other central office people often need to find out information, collect real time data, opinions or interests of others. Likewise, a building principal might want to survey the views of his/her staff. He/She may be looking for alternative ways of solving a possible school problem. When administrators receive suggestions, opinions, etc […]

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Intensity of Learning January 20, 2012

People enjoy intensity such as the intensity of a ski run, an amusement ride, diving into a lake, a round of Jeopardy, or a Soduku puzzle. Students enjoy and benefit from class when we provide them with intensity of learning We can give them short activities that are highly focused on critical learning. As we [...]

hgtuttle

Spontaneous Speaking in Foreign Language/Modern Language: Contrasting Spontaneous Speaking to Structured Speaking January 19, 2012

There are two very different types of speaking in the modern language or foreign language classroom. Very structured speaking- mechanical speaking …. Focuses more on the correctness of vocabulary and grammar than on the actual content. “What did you buy on Monday? I bought shoes. What did you buy on Tuesday? I bought a blouse.” [...]

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Use any Web 2.0 tool at any Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Don’t be Limited by Listings January 9, 2012

I have been teaching for many years. In fact, one of my earliest presentations was on “Using Print Shop at All Levels of Bloom” (the original Print Shop). Therefore, whenever I see the listings that supposedly say what Web 2.0 tools works at what level of Bloom’s taxonomy, I become very confused. A few of [...]

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Teachers as Producers, Not Consumers, at Faculty Meetings January 9, 2012

Many teachers consider faculty or department meetings a waste of time. They often complain that a memo could have given the critical information, that a person talked to long about nothing, or that they had better things to do that would help their students. An administrator can transform meetings so that teachers move from being [...]

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Replace Glogster Posters with Free QR code Poster December 5, 2011

Many educators like Glogster since students can put in links to videos, music, and pictures instead of just text. As a free alternative, students can create a QR poster as their learning poster. Their poster can be a regular one page word processing document. The students type in their project title and their name. They [...]

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Education with Technology Harry G. Tuttle