Friday, September 21, 2012

A Positive SDAI Strategy


SDAI STRATEGY

Hi Class:

A positive SDAIE strategy that I have observed in my classroom is the use of manipulatives, or realia. 

While the students were learning about elements and compounds, my CT was passing tests tubes with some elements that the students were able to observe.They were in sealed plastic tests tubes, so it was a risk free activity because the students were not in contact with poisonous elements like mercury or lead.

There were more manipulatives for that lesson, for compounds he showed a big copper sulfate crystal and some rocks. With the rocks my CT showed a solid heterogeneous mixtures.

This kind of strategy allows our EL students to see the objects that the teacher is talking about. That help with understanding and acquisition of new words. 

So we can look around our house for objects that can help our students to understand new words. What do you think?

Friday, September 7, 2012

Tell me about your reading habits



Hi Class

This is the survey that I applied to my students to know more about their reading habits. 

 
From their responses we can conclude that even there are students that don’t read, most of them usually read books over magazines or other kind of printing material.
 
More than half of them read one or two books during the summer.
Most of them have read books from the most popular series as Harry Potter, Twilight, or the Hunger Games, but the majority was not engage with the whole series.

Although 66% of the students enjoy reading, they still prefer to watch a movie based on a book than to read the book.

The big majority (92%) thinks that reading is important for their future, and they don’t know anybody from their class that is not able to read.

The survey was applied among my students of Chemistry (59 responses) in Orange Glenn HS, this is the High School in The Escondido High School District that performs the lowest grades. So having that in mind, I found things that are very encouraging: like more than half of the students read a book during the Summer, that means to me that it was a voluntary activity that they did, and even some of them read more than 5 books, I guess they engage themselves in one of the series that teenagers are reading right now.

 
For me, reading is a good habit, that should be encouraged among students. It promotes creativity, knowledge, the use of your imagination, exercises you memory - your brain, it causes pleasure, it can relaxes you, and so many benefits. And I think that at a certain point we need to be thankful to the authors of all the popular series that have been published in the last decade or so, because they are really promoting a reading habit. 
 
I really wish that the Hollywood writers will become more creatives and will stop making movies of every single book that comes out!
 
Read a book!
 
Heidy

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Social Injustice


We are what we eat...

What do you think about the food that is offered to our students during lunch?
•Is it healthy?
•Is it right for them?
•What eating habits are we promoting among our kids?
•Is it OK to have a slice of pizza, a hamburger or a fried chicken sandwich every single day?
For me school lunch is Social Injustice.
What do you think?