WVSKPhillips Domain

Wow – here I was – taking a quick break from writing lesson plans for the week – just foolin’ and toolin’ around and look at what I stumbled across….Newtools!

Click on the “click here” button to see new possibilities. My thoughts for this in my classroom would be to use this when kids need a break from the usual routine, when things are getting stale, on early out days and class periods are short, and so on. Once you see how it works, you could also make your own options with your own curriculum and choices for how/what type activities and let kids draw from a hat. Then give them 20 or so minutes to get set, do whatever researching they need to do, practice, and then have them hit the stage! This would be lots of fun and the kids may not even realize they are learning as well as doing a little teaching.

Thanks to a link from Cool Cat Teacher – I’ve been exploring a wiki dedicated to Dr. Marzano’s Classroom Instruction that Works.

My school system is one that a few years ago adopted this resource and every teacher was provided a copy of his Handbook for Classroom Instruction that Works. We all participated in several days of in-service as well as on-going staff development sessions through-out the year.
Dr. Marzano has now put together a wiki designed as a portal for Web 2.0 resources which specifically target one or more of his instructional strategies. These strategies, as outlined in his books and the wiki are:

1) Identifying Similarities & Differences

2) Summarizing and note taking

3) Reinforcing effort and providing recognition

4) Homework and practice

5) Representaing knowledge

6) Learning groups

7) Setting objectives and providing feedback

Generating and testing hypotheses

9) Cues, questions, and advance organizers

On the wiki page labeled, web 2.0 tools, there is a marvelous chart where all the tools and resources that have been added to the site are arranged and then check-marked as to which strategy they address. Many of these tools are ones that several of us already use, but sometimes it’s nice to have verification that what we may already be doing is on the right track according to The Power That Be. Be that as it may, there are quite a few new items that I will be seriously checking out.

This site is obviously new and a work in progress. You don’t have to join it to utilize the resources, but if you wish to add something you use then you need to sign up to join the wiki. Check back with it often to see what new!