Friday, January 4, 2013

Taking It to the Next Step Along With TPACK

The reading teacher in me has been quiet and is ready to come back out ….
While reading is a great way to help a child grow in vocabulary and imagination, it is what you DO with what is read that really encourages and supports critical and creative thinking skills!
Technology can be used in many ways to support and encourage the many things that can be done with reading ....
Here are a few ideas of activities that can be used to support higher order thinking skills:Make a collage which might be found hanging in the bedroom of one of the characters and write a brief explanation of each item selected.
  • Write diary entries that one of the characters might have written during the course of the story.
  • Write a poem or a song that expresses one or more of the characters’ feelings.
  • Create a piece of original artwork that interprets one of the themes in the book.
  • Write and perform an original skit based on the book.
  • Write letters that two of the characters might have written to one another about what was happening in their lives.
  • Create an original board game based on the book.
  • Write and record an original news broadcast about the events in the book.
  • Draw a timeline of the book, complete with illustrations and commentaries about each event on the timeline.
  • Create a cause-and-effect continuum of how and why the main character changes as a result of the events and situations that occur.
Did you notice the differentiation embedded in these activities? 
Children would be able to utilize their strengths to demonstrate their learning …
Choice could even be involved if you gave an assignment similar to this one:
  • Choose a book (online or from the bookcase)
  • Read the story
  • Select and complete the activity that most appeals to you and/or best fits the story you read
  • Explain why you chose the activity and how you completed it 
With the added explanation part, you are jumping into that metacognition area … asking children to really think about their thinking!
That is taking it to the next step!
You can look at the WSFCS TPACK Activity Guides to see possible technology tools that can be used for activities like this!

Click on a area and then you can find possible activities in the table along with suggested resources to use!


John Downs said...

These are great suggestions!

Melissa said...

Thanks John!