Lessons 7&8 vocabs

using Worditout: worditout.com/word-cloud/243519

Day 1: Google Map

Another way for the students to introduce themselves using Google Apps: Make a life map with Google Maps. It can include the following:

• Schools they've attended
• Their favorite resturants/eateries
• Their favorite hangout place
• Where they want to go to college
• Other memorable places

1st EdCampSFBay

I finally made it to EdCampSFBay in 2013! I signed up last year but didn't get to go (I forgot why).

I love the idea of "un-conference".  In fact, some colleagues and I were doing something similar about 2 years ago. A group of us decided to form a "support" group to help each other with curriculum, technology, classroom management, and sanity! The group started with about 5 or 6 teachers, and grew to something like 10 or 12. We met in schools or at someone's home.  We met semi-regularly for about a year, and then life got in the way, and we were having problem scheduling a get-together.

Now that I've attended EdCamp, my colleagues and I are thinking about an "EdCamp" on Campus or for the district.  We'll see.

Emergency Lesson Plans

As I have been called for jury duty during the first week of school, I have to come up with lesson plans that will work for new, non-Chinese speaking students.

Since they don't know Chinese, and there's no one there to teach them, what curriculum should I plan? Ah..culture. So I spent some time searching for some ideas.  Here are some that I am going to use, both as lessons during this first week of school when I am (or will be) gone, and as emergency lesson plans in the future:

IKEA Catalog Ideas

Just got the new IKEA catalog. Very thick and colorful.  Then an idea hit me: Use it for speaking triggers for some themes, such as colors, directions/placements, furniture, likes/dislikes, describe&listen activities.  You can probably think of more, but these are the ones that come to my mind right now.

Day 2 Plan: CMP

Now that I have a better idea what Day 1 is going to be like, I need to think about day 2.

Day 2 will now be focused on going over CMP (used to be Day 1). I have a PPT with some quotes and some Post-It Notes activities that I would like the kids to do. This way, they'll be thinking, writing, responding, processing, and moving.

Day 1: Computer Lab

So I've been thinking about not making copies of my classroom management plan (CMP) to save some trees and time in the copy room. So, what's my alternative?  Unless I bring the students into the lab, I can't really do anything about the CMP. I mean, I can't really assume that every kid has his/her own device.

Draft 1 of Tasks

I came up with my first draft for the different Real-Life tasks. Like I said, I put them into different categories. I also include shortened URL (goo.gl) and QR codes for the links, just to make it easier.

CMP Activity-Crossword Puzzle

On day 1 of school year, in addition to doing a little bit of getting to know you, I sometimes take the students to the computer lab and have them fill out a Google form.

Day 1 Activity: Jeopardy

Every day, first day of school is always about CMP. In addition to just reading them, or asking students to find answers, I've looking for some new ideas.

Task-Based Assignments

School is about to start, and I am getting itchy hands on planning my upcoming school year.

While I am no-longer a newbie at teaching, I am, however, always changing the way I deliver and discovering new ways to engage students. Therefore, I am always on the look out for new ideas or new ways to use an old idea.