Week 3- EDUC 337

 Making Vocab Fun!

1. My first idea of making vocabulary practice fun would be to incorporate sports. This first game would be a ball toss and whatever word it landed on, that's the word they had to give the definition to. I would let them do this in groups of 3-4 to keep the games going faster and more students would get to take a turn.

2. My second idea would be to incorporate basketball. I got this idea off Pinterest. A small basketball goal would be hanging up on the door or wall. All the words would be written on the board. The class would be split into two teams and I would read a definition. The first team to buzz in or raise their hand would get to answer and if answered correctly, they would get a chance to shoot the ball for a point.

3. I like this next idea because it makes kids think of the definition by breaking down the word itself.

4. This idea would be fun for kids who are more creative and imaginative. The students would draw a vocab word and have to to create a comic strip out of the word drawn. This could be a quick filler activity for transition times. 

5. The fifth idea consists of partnering up another student and rolling a dice. I like this idea because it allows for multiple ways in which students can learn their new vocabulary words. 

Week 2 - EDUC 337

Word Walls

I love the idea of word walls. The concept of a word wall isn't used as much as it should in the school I work at now. It's a great way to get students to think of other word choices for simple words.  I love how word walls can be categorized by subject, parts of speech and affixes. This concept can be used for most grades k-8. I'm excited to incorporate my own word wall in my future classroom. My favorite word wall example is the affixes model. It gives students the definition of what the prefix or suffix means without giving the meaning or definition. This allows for students to still use context clues to figure out words. 

EDUC 337- Class #1

Give a "glow and a grow"

In our first couple of chapters, there were a few key points that stuck out to me. The first my (which is my favorite) was give a "glow and a grow." This phrase refers to giving students honest praise along with specific direction on how to improve. An example would be:

"I love the way you used the pictures in the book to make a prediction, but what is the author trying to show us or make us aware of? What's the title of this book?"

Another key topic I enjoyed was the ways in which teachers can create an enticing classroom. This includes desk/tables efficient for natural movement; colorful boards, signs, calendars, etc; organization; and a table or area for small group work.

EDUC 337 Intro

Introducing ME!

Hello everyone! My name is Marley Winkler and I am a junior here at Columbia College. I transferred this year from Missouri Western (Fall 2018 was my first semester here at CC). I was just admitted into the TCP which is super exciting because I get to take more upper-level classes. I want to teach 3rd-5th grade in a small school somewhere. I'm also on the fence about teaching special education.

I currently work as a special education aide at Gratz Brown Elementary School in Moberly, MO. I also get to work in the behavior management classroom as well, which is a really neat experience. This is my first summer taking classes and I'm super excited.