Comments on Module 3

Another strategy I used in my classroom was think clouds. Some of the questions are " I thought __________ was important because....," I made connection when ________, I wondered ________., " This was mostly about__________." Using think clouds in a classroom gave students a chance to think about the material they were reading. It also gave them a helpful tool to keep their mind focused on their readings. The second strategy I used in my classroom was Venn diagrams. Students read the title of the story that they were working on. They also read the first three pages, and made three circles that they were to pick information they felt related to the topic. The third strategy that Iused was the Verbatim Spit Page Procedure (VSPP). This system was designed to help students learn how to take notes. I had students divide their paper into a 60/40 fold. The left side of the paper represents 40% and the right side has 60% of the page. My students took notes from the board on the left side of their paper. Taking lecture notes on the left side of the paper gave them an opportunity to listen to the lesson that was being taught. Students were instructed to expand their notes on the 60% side of their paper so that they could fully understand them for later instruction. I helped students learn how to put them in an outlined format. Students learned how to put the notes in thier own words so that they could understand what they needed to know. I gave more information during this time when students did not know what material was important for them to know. This helpful tool will build the note taking skills that my students will use in my classroom as well as in future classrooms and in college.