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

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Scaffolding Modern Language Speaking For Fluency Through Questions May 1, 2012

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Final In the Course What is it really? May 1, 2012

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Online Grading For Communicating Students’ Learning Problems and Successes March 26, 2012

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I recently heard a modern language teacher brag about how much speaking her students did in the classroom. She said that her students orally did every book grammar exercise. She was amazed at how much they were speaking. Yes, the students were orally saying the grammar exercises but they were not spontaneous speaking. They could [...]

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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 those 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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Education with Technology Harry G. Tuttle