Archive for December, 2010

Effective Lesson Plans for Reading

December 31st, 2010


As an instructor of English (reading, writing, lit, creative writing, etc.) and as an online course developer, I have found many valuable teacher resources for linguistic, literary, and rhetorical disciplines. Specifically for education and none for teaching in general, and a great many more with lesson plans for reading. Many of the lesson plans for reading are laid out so well that they will include peer work suggestions, interactive games and quizzes and maps, and dynamic and thorough strategies for cross-referencing studies.

As an example I used THE TIME MACHINE one semester. After a few decent lesson plans for reading, I found an incredible sight that was an invaluable resource that told me everything I needed to know about the author and his motivation for his work this was a wonderful resource, doing great justice to the writer, the work, and to students who are offered pre-reading, reading, and post-reading tasks and activities (as well as writing ideas/prompts). Here it is: The Time Machine High School Teacher’s Resource Page(s) – Http://www.sff.net/people/ james.van.pelt/wells/ timemachine.htm .

Yet another great example is for Harper Lee’s classic. For lesson plans for reading TO KILL a MOCKINGBIRD, I started at EdHelper.com; and went on with the incredible chapter-by-chapter synopsis of vocabulary words with The Student Survival Guide which is located here at this URL: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS/tkm/; and concluded by taking advantage of some outstanding lesson plans for reading found at SCORE, the site designed and run by Schools of California Online Resources for Educators.

For lesson plans for reading Achebe’s THINGS FALL APART, I was able to locate a fantastic pre-reading historical, anthropological, and cartological exercises at the following location http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/things/thingstg.html. This resource is broken down in a five-part cyber guide is basically set up as an informative piece for weeks and weeks of pre-, during-, and post-reading work.

And for lesson plans for reading, pre-reading, interim reading, and post-reading tasks, experiments, peer-work, and quizzes and tests, I found such sites as those sponsored, designed, and maintained by educators at all levels–at Proteacher.net; Teachers.net; TeacherOz.com; Webenglishteacher.com; sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/ staff/dehogue/AP/teachers/main.htm; readwritethink.org; teachersfirst.com; Awesomelibrary.org; mrscassel.com; and Teachnet.com to be absolutely exquisite resources that were extremely helpful.

A great advantage of the Internet is the fact that there are so many outstanding lesson plans for reading, writing, and any other discipline. Usually designed, written, and submitted by fellow instructors, these materials lend themselves to professional development, and our excellent for stimulating thought and discussion inside the classroom, or virtual classroom if that’s the case is outstanding as an aid to learning of concepts, strategies, methodologies, and skills. Hopefully these resources that I’ve shared for you will not only help you find lesson plans for reading but also many other valuable resources

By: Morgan Hamilton

About the Author:
Morgan Hamilton offers his findings and insights regarding the world of education. You can get interesting and informative information here at Lesson Plans for Reading [http://www.theeducationannex.com/education/education--learning/lesson-plans-for-reading.html]



Educational Video Techniques – A Bridge to Technology

December 31st, 2010


So you’re taking the first step into using online tools in your classroom.?While it can be very scary drafting up a lesson plan for using technology, it’s not as hard as you think.?Have you mastered the use of a video in your classroom??Then you can stop worrying and get back to planning your lesson.?If you can use a video or DVD in a classroom setting, then you can use newer technology.

One of the real advantages of using online tools in your classroom is that you have so much more of it available.?You really do have the world at your fingertips.?No more hunting around catalogs and your school’s audiovisual resources – or your local library – for the perfect video to suit your lesson or trying to get the VCR to record that spot-on program for your unit on, say, the Middle Ages.?Using the internet, you can often find video clips that are suitable without much hassle.?If you’re only starting out with using the internet in your classroom, online video clips and YouTube are the easiest online resources to create a lesson plan for.

But you don’t have to just stop there.?No matter what topic you are creating a lesson plan for, you can find some way to fit just a little bit of the modern tools into it.?As a starter, how about these ideas?

???????? Online presentations.?Who says the old-fashioned presentation in front of the class has to be seen by the pupils who are present on that particular day??Why not record the presentation and post it to YouTube or to your class or school website??Often, parents have seen the progress of a big project, and it can be rewarding for them to see the final presentation as well.?Of course, you may have to create a lesson plan for teaching presentation skills… ??????? Have an online discussion.??While these won’t ever replace live face-to-face discussions, online discussions can allow more people to join in.?If you’re discussing solutions to world poverty in your class, widening this to an online discussion allows you to maybe invite someone working on the frontlines (e.g. someone from an aid agency) to join the discussion and give a unique perspective that isn’t just theoretical.?How do you know whom to invite to your online discussion??Well, maybe finding out who’s doing what and whose opinion to invite may be something else you can create a lesson plan for. ???????? Have an online scavenger hunt.?Going online to find interesting and relevant material doesn’t just have to be kept for formal reports and projects.?How about using them as a tool for understanding literature??Most unit plans for a novel study have a lesson plan for understanding the setting and the background in them somewhere, and you can use technology for this.?How about, in a lesson plan for a Romeo and Juliet study, hunting for as many versions of the balcony scene as possible??Or for a study of Pride and Prejudice, how about finding pictures or even video clips of stately homes, dances, transport and clothing of the setting?

But don’t neglect the good old VCR or DVD player.?They still have their place in the classroom and can and should thought of when you lesson plan for technology.?However, you have to use them correctly!?Mistakes you don’t even know you’re making can be affecting your lesson plan for the worse. Watch this free video for some important information on why and how you should be using school videos and download the expert guide for easy solutions.

By: Kimberly Stohlman

About the Author:



Reading Bingo Lesson Plans

December 31st, 2010


Although bingo tends to be mainly thought of as a leisure activity, it is also true that variations on the standard game are being used by many teachers. These teachers have introduced bingo in their classes as a way to helping children to engage with their studies, and are using the game to help teach many different subjects including English, foreign languages and mathematics. In reading classes in particular, bingo tends to be particular useful. Here a few ideas for reading lesson plans that involve classroom bingo:

* Phonemic Awareness Bingo – Each student is given a bingo card containing letters. The teacher reads out words, students must then identify the letter than begins the word and find the corresponding square on their cards.

* Sight Word Bingo – Each student is given a bingo card containing words (these, for example, might be words chosen from the Dolch Sight Word list). The teacher reads out a word aloud, and the students must find the matching word square on their cards.

* Rhyming Bingo – Each student is given a bingo card containing words chosen by the teacher (ones which the teacher knows rhymes for). The teacher says a word (for example, “small”) and students must find a rhyming word on their card (for example, “ball”).

* Vocabulary Bingo – Again the students are given bingo cards that contain words chosen in advance by their teacher. In this case, the teacher gives the definition of a word, and students must find the word being defined.

By: Sunil Tanna

About the Author:
By S. Tanna. Discover how teachers can create custom bingo cards for their lessons at http://www.bingocardprinter.com/