Incorporating Creativity and Communication in the Classroom

I really like to incorporate a lot of creative activities in my CT's classroom. I like to use multimedia sources that students are familiar with. In my last lesson design I incorporated a video that gave the students a artistic representation of the Industrial Revolution. The clip was of the London 2012 olympic opening ceremonies. The students really enjoyed it and I was able to hook them into the lesson. They got to discuss what they saw and they were really interested in the Industrial Revolution even though they didn't have any knowledge of it. I  a lot of critical thinking and problem solving activities that really foster communication and discussion. This week, I am incorporating an activity where the students will analyze a primary document on child labor during the Industrial Revolution. I will allow the kids to collaborate with one another to get a deeper understanding of the content and relate it to their lives and the lives of their fellow classmates.

I often teach a lot of information literacy in my classroom. For instance, I really like to have the students read the textbook aloud in class. I feel that this really helps support my students who may struggle with literacy (i.e. EL and IEP). I feel that reading the text aloud and giving them strategies to interpret the text will be very beneficial for them in the long run. I really don't teach my students media literacy because a lot of them don't have computers at home. I do know that they learn these skills in their English classes. There is a class that specifically teaches students how to type out word documents and create emails. In my future classroom, I understand the benefits of typing and creating word documents. I think I will devote time to teaching these skills. My CT doesn't really have the students complete assignments that include technology. I think I would just use it to help teach the content. Maybe add Google Earth and YouTube videos to my lectures. The students are all about visual learning. Why not show them a video of how a guillotine works or what the storming of the Bastille may look like!

Often to have my students complete quick-write assignments independently. This allows the self-directed learners to flourish. I really like using this instructional strategy because I can really see if the students are getting a full understanding. Before I have my students write their quick write responses, I give them  opportunity to brainstorm on their own then I allow them to collaborate with a partner or a group. I really like have the students interact with one another because it is another way form them to express their knowledge on the content. They can answer questions that other students in their group may not know. They can clear up any misconceptions. I just have to be aware of what the students are discussing so that they don't go off task. I have learned to set parameters before I have them move into groups to collaborate and discuss.