Exit Slips

Exit slips are a way for students to reflect on the lesson. They are completed at the end of class and are usually a response to some sort of prompt. These slips are not graded, but are a way to check for student understanding of a topic. 

In my class I most often give the students an index card at the beginning of the class and ask them to title one side of the card "I get this!" and the other card "I  don't understand this." As the class progresses I encourage the students to write down what they understand and what they feel like they need more help on. This information helps me determine if I need to revisit some part of the lesson the next day. The exit slips give my more quiet and timid students an opportunity to be heard without having to take the risk of speaking out in class. 

There is a Google App called Socrative which includes an exit slip as part of the app. I have not had the chance to play around with this app yet. One downside to using this app for an exit slip would be that the students would need to have their computers out until the very end of class which could make it more difficult to get to their next class on time. 

Adjunct Displays

Adjunct displays are similar to graphic organizers.  They use charts, pictures, concept maps, outline, diagrams, and so forth.  The adjunct display could be totally empty or partially filled.  Be sure the students understand what information should be filled into the empty spaces on the adjunct display.  Students then read the material to fill in the adjunct display.  Review the material to ensure understanding.

I use a variety of adjunct displays in U.S. History.  The most recent one has been on the Populist Movement.  We examine the events leading up to it, why it happened, and the effects of it.  This strategy helps students to connect the causes and effects to events and also see the relationships that exist within the topic.   It also helps to students to start with a concept they understand and use that to build onto and lead them to a deeper understanding.  Adjunct displays can be adapted to most subjects.

Student Questions for Purposeful Learning (Page 107)

Student Questions for Purposeful Learning (SQPL) is a technique in which the teacher makes a statement about the topic that the students will be studying and the students generate questions that they will answer as the class explores the topic. This technique helps the students take ownership of the learning by allowing them to "become interrogators exploring information and ideas with purpose and with heightened attention."  

For my current English 3 unit, the students just completed chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby. Since they now know basic facts about the major characters, I provided them with 3 quotes from the book (beginning, midpoint, and ending) and asked them to pair up and create 2 questions that they would like answered for each quote. These questions had to be questions that could be answered through the reading and through interpreting what was read. Once each group had 2 questions for each, we discussed all the questions and put most of them on the board. These questions will become part of the students' final assignment and discussion for the novel. Below is a screenshot of the students' questions once they have been typed from the board. 

For additional ideas, check out the chapter in our professional development book. I hope you're finding this book to be a helpful resource for adding more literacy to your class.

Feel free to share any questions or ideas in the comments! 

Collaborative Conversations

Collaborative Conversations is a technique which encourages teachers to provide students time each day to engage with their peers in collaborative conversations using the language of science, history, math, etc. The book suggests teachers set clear expectations regarding conversations and to hold students accountable for their conversations. The writer phrases it this way, "Students use accountable talk to persuade, provide evidence, ask questions of one another, and disagree without being disagreeable." The book also suggests that teachers provide a framework for students. A couple of examples are "The reason I believe _____ is because _______." or "I disagree with ____ because _____."

This would be a good tool to use in Geometry classes when discussing proofs. Students could discuss the steps/reasons and justify their responses.

In Algebra 2, after students have learned various methods for solving quadratic equations, students could discuss which method would be the best way to solve a quadratic equation and why.

Do you already do this in your classroom? If so, give us some tips. If not, give it a try and let us know how it goes...

Welcome

Welcome to our blog! The LEHS Curriculum and Instruction Focus Team will be sharing literacy strategies from the book 50 Instructional Routines to Develop Content Literacy. It is our hope that as we highlight what we found to be the pros and cons of using the strategies with our own students everyone will be able to find something that will help in his or her own classroom. Please, share your questions and successes with us in the comments! 

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