Assignment #6: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 6 – Nonliguistic Representations.
Remember: Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part C and D. We’re trying to make the blog easier to read and more user- friendly. Thanks!
A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Nonlinguistic Representations in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. After completing your self assessment please post a thought or two as a comment (click on comment link below) to this posting labeled Week Six: Nonlinguistic Respresentions.
• Nonlinguistic representations help us to recall and use information every day. Think of a topic that you understand very well and notice how many images related to this topic you can generate in your head. Now identify a topic with which you are familiar but that you do not understand well. Try to generate images and notice how difficult it is.
• What would be the purpose of representing knowledge in different forms everyday in our classrooms across curriculum areas?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 6 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for both Nonlinguistic Representations. After completing your chapter reflection, please post it as a comment (click on comment link below) in the posting labeled Week Six: Nonlinguistic Representations.
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom). You may want to consider the bullets below.
• This chapter explains that nonlinguistic representations are powerful ways to learn and recall information but that many classrooms are very linguistically oriented. Think of classroom experiences that are often effective but that are inherently linguistic (e.g., reading the textbook, engaging in a discussion, listening to an explanation). Suggest several specific ways that these linguistic experiences could be even more effective by guiding students to generate and use nonlinguistic representations, such as graphic organizers, multimedia, and role-plays.
• When do you ask students to represent knowledge using forms other than words?
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner.
How has the information you read in this chapter on Nonlinguistic Representations effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How might I change how use nonlinguistic representation in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about nonlinguistic representations?
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7 comments:
C: Practice
Once again this was another great chapter that just reminds you that not all students learn in the same way. There were so many great ideas for how to represent students work in a nonlinguistic way. One thing that I will definitely implement into my classroom form this chapter is the time sequence pattern organizer. This will help students in many areas as they try to organize their thoughts from what they read and translate it into their writing. As we study Ancient China, the section about drawing pictures and pictographs really stood out. This is something that I am going to incorporate next week as we begin our discussion on ancient Chinese inventions, which includes the original hieroglyphs and pictographs. I will start my lesson first by describing the work environment and typical day of the Chinese and then have my students visualize what inventions we have now that could help ease their labor. I will finish with sharing a PowerPoint of the actual inventions of the Chinese.
D: Reflection
I found this chapter to have some really great ideas for non –linguistic representation. However, I do think that most of the examples and graphic organizers from the text would require a fair amount of pre-teaching, modeling and guided practice before the responsibility could be released to students for individualized work. I think once they had those examples and then became familiar with how and when to use them, they would find them very beneficial.
C. Practice:
My 5th Graders are in the middle of a Colonization small group project. I was happy to see that, without knowing it, I had already incorporated a couple of the activity suggestions from the chapter. After researching the colonies, I have asked them to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways, both linguistic and non-linguistic. They are asked to write paragraphs and make lists on a couple of different topics. They are also asked to draw a map, draw pictures, and create a timeline. I love it when my activity/lesson ideas are validated!
D. Final Strategy Reflection:
When reading and listening to reading, I have always used the very useful strategy of “Drawing a Scene” from the reading. I have even used it for pre-writing – having kids draw a picture before they write to get their imagination and creativity flowing. However, I have never really used kinesthetic techniques of getting kids moving. I have seen other teachers do it, but haven’t done it myself. I really loved the last section of the chapter about Body Math. As a 5th Grade teacher, I don’t do enough kinesthetic teaching! I love the idea of having the kids create their own mental images and body movements to demonstrate what they know.
C. This year, our third grade team has decided that rather than cover everything that needs to be covered in a fast, shallow way, we will teach more slowly and in-depth, even if this means our pacing is off. This chapter was great for that because in the past, we have read, discussed, and moved on. Reading about non-linguistic methods was a nice reminder of what we can add to our lessons to deepen understanding. This past week we were learning about the bones in our bodies. We read the material, and went over the information. I then asked the kids to show their partner what a joint is and how it works. Then, I asked them to show each other a different joint, etc. Finally, we were discussing how bones protect organs, and I had them feel their skulls in order to reinforce how well it protects their brains.
D. From this chapter, I learned that I need to make more time for nonlinguistic representation. My own reflections on the times that I do it, as well as reading this chapter remind me that it is so worthwhile. From the book I also learned that role playing is a form of nonlinguistic representation. That is fun, and the kids love it. It is such a good way to get everyone involved.
Marisa H.
Part C. Practice
At Kelso, the elementary school where I work, we get together as a staff and decide the science themes for the year. This month students have been working on learning about animal habitats by studying the rainforest. This week’s reading selection in “Classroom Instruction that Works”, reminded me of the teaching and learning that has been occurring in my Kindergarten classroom over the past few weeks. Rather than teaching by lecture (not so great for Kinders) or teaching solely by reading from non-fiction books, I use a variety of nonlinguistic representations. Using GLAD strategies, I have created and taught from several graphic organizers that have helped my students learn about the animals and structure of the world’s rainforests. Additional strategies that I have used throughout this unit included songs and movement. All of these strategies were discussed in this week’s chapter on nonlinguistic representations. I enjoyed reading this chapter, as it justified tools I was using in my own classroom, and also provided me with new teaching strategies to use in the future. One of my favorite graphic organizers I used during this rainforest unit was a pictorial input chart. I created a pictograph by drawing a world map. Students learned the locations of the world’s rainforests by watching me draw the map and seeing the locations of the world’s seven continents and where the rainforests are located on those continents. Then, students “turned and talked” to discuss the map and share what they learned. Later, students added pictures to the enlarged world map of rainforest animals, and finally, students learned several songs with kinesthetic movement to help remind them of the continents and rainforest animals. I had parents tell me during our unit that their student came home singing the “Continent Song” and that their student now knew all the seven continents! What a fun way to learn!
Part D. Reflection
I really like using nonlinguistic representation strategies in my Kindergarten classroom. It is especially important in Kindergarten because the majority of my students come into Kindergarten with very little reading or writing skills. My students are just learning the power of words and books. Nonlinguistic representations are important for my students because they can’t necessarily read words, but they can listen to songs, visualize concepts, and process pictures and graphic organizers. After reading this chapter, I realize that I can use these nonlinguistic strategies through out my daily Kindergarten curriculum, and not just solely related to science/GLAD units. I can use these strategies in math and reading to name a couple of subjects. For example, when reading a descriptive story, I can have students close their eyes and visualize the story that is taking place. I could also help students remember math symbols by having them draw or make the symbol shapes with their fingers in the air. There are so many possibilities when using these strategies, and after reading this chapter, I feel that I have many more tools to use in my classroom!
C. Practice
I am a true advocate for the use of non-linguistic representations. Their use with any age group has proven to me time and time again that the learning experience goes in deeper and wider when forms of non-linguistic representation are incorporated into the mix. Here are some activities I’ve done in the classroom:
“Freeze Frames” – During read-aloud or reading groups (any level, story or chapter book), stop the story and have several students portray a snap shot, a freeze-frame, of an event of their choice just covered in the story. Who will be what character? How will they stand? What expressions will be on their faces? Then have the remaining students guess what the frame is – what is being portrayed or pictured?
Sound Unit – “Storyboarding” I drew pictures (10” x 12”) for the pathway of sound entering the ear to the brain – sound waves, the outer ear, the ear canal, the ear drum, etc. all the way to receptors within the brain. Cards contain picture and word label. These cards were placed face down on the floor. A student selects a card and stands at the front of the room. Students tell what they know about that element of the sound pathway. Another card is drawn. Where does this picture belong in the line-up? Students decide and tell what they know. The process continues. I’ve had this activity yield great debate and discussion. For ELL, write labels in L1 and L2.
Estimation – Teacher chooses areas of the playground that have differing uses: sports field, heavy use play area, along a sidewalk, etc. Student groups measure a square inch area of grass in that particular area and count the blades of grass. With this count recorded, then estimate the number of blades in a square foot. Why do groups have such differing estimates? We used a graphic organizer similar to the Process/Cause-Effect to examine the question. Extend the math to average all results. Express the number using exponents. During rain or snow, get a bowl of salad from the lunch line and create estimation activities with pieces of lettuce.
Book titled Katie and the Sunflowers – This activity was a several day process. I wanted students to know where we were headed so I posted and discussed a Time-Sequence type Step by Step chart. I’d grown giant sunflowers in my garden, so I started with showing a sunflower seed-head to the class. We read and discussed the book, then talked about van Gogh and looked at his art. I was lucky that the school library had large prints of several of his pieces so students really got to see his brush style. Students listened to the song Starry, Starry night while looking at the picture, then wrote down words that had come to mind during the listening. Out came the paints and students painted their own renditions of Starry Night. Students chose some of their descriptive words and posted them with their painting.
D. Reflection
When I was growing up, my family had a close bond with another family in town. We got together nearly every Sunday. The kids would play and goof around while the adults did their thing, but we always did something together and the activity of choice was to play charades. I’ll call this a core lesson in the value of non-linguistic representation. I’ve used this game in classrooms and there are many students that struggle, really struggle, with acting out words and actions. It’s almost as if their brains just aren’t able to connect physical body – non-verbal movement to words. Too much TV and video games where the action is dramatically done for you – no imagination necessary – maybe? So, here’s a vote for kinesthetic connections to the lesson, for “freeze-frame” activities, for pictographs, for chants and singing, for “storyboarding,” and for graphic organizers of all shapes and forms. It’s about incorporating activities that get those connections in the brain to zing from right to left and back again. And, I feel that non-linguistic representations promote and support a person’s growth and confidence in artistic expression.
Thanks for your comments – Ashley, Nancy, Christy, Marissa, & Kim! I think Ashley said it perfectly, so many of Marzano’s strategies are working towards meeting the needs of our varied learners and their individual styles. I absolutely loved the way Nancy incorporated both linguistic and non-linguistic demonstrations of their learning for the Colonization project….what a great way to give students control over their learning!!! Christy – Good for you and your team to be brave enough to teach the way it makes sense..basing instruction on student needs…I know you will find success :) Marissa - I think teachers of the primary grades, especially in Kindergarten, always teach using many of the strategies discussed in this chapter…it’s the upper grades it’s probably a bigger leap. I’m so glad that this chapter provided some confirmation for your amazing teaching. Kim – What a great idea “Freeze Frames” are…also a great support when working with visualizing. Thanks for sharing so many of your great ideas that will support learners with nonlinguistic representations!
C. Practice
I found this chapter really helpful. I think I used to do more with nonlinguistic representations and this reminded me of the value they have for "real" learning. It's funny I had just decided not to use a physical model as a way for my students to study watersheds, but now I will. Although they saw someone else demonstrate it I think it will help them to actual make and label the watershed. I find in our math program that students really understand the math concepts because they are required to draw and label the concept to show their understanding. Many students want to skip this part and it is so important. It's also a clue to me that some students can do something by rote, by don't really understand the concept. We also use kinethetic activities during math to help remember math vocabulary and or the order a procedure takes.
D. Reflection
I really appreciated all the examples of graphic organizers and various ways to use them. I particularly like the time-sequence patterns which I would like to try using when we're studying historical events. I would also like to try the generalization principle and the episode pattern organizer. I agree with Ashley that many of the organizers will need preteaching and practice, but I think my students will respond well to them.
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