101. The Transformative Power of AI

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Folks, let’s face it. Our classrooms are going to look a little different this year. AI, specifically ChatGPT, is going to change the way we design learning experiences and assess student mastery. I’ll be honest, when I first explored the ChatGPT platform I was terrified. As I have dug deeper into the technology and its capabilities, I realized that while it does pose significant challenges — it also presents us with some pretty amazing opportunities. In this series, we will explore what AI is capable of, its implications in the classroom, and how it can benefit both teachers and students. Let’s start by examining where we have been, where we are currently, and looking forward to where we are going. Whether this is a trip you wanted to go on or not, the AI train has left the station and it is time for all of us to jump on board. From Card Catalogs to Artificial Intelligence I belong to the micro-generation called Xennial. Xennials are considered to be a “bridge” between Generation X a...
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#59 Picture This! A Visual Vocabulary Strategy

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This year I have purposefully incorporated more face-to-face learning opportunities within the walls of my blended classroom. In this post, I will share a brief, easy-to-implement, works-for-any unit, vocabulary strategy that will get your students thinking, moving and talking.

The following activity requires students to create a visual representation of a concept without using any words. Here's an overview of the process:

(An exemplar assignment is provided in Step #6 below.)

1. Choose the Vocabulary Terms. These should be terms that have already been learned in class. It is not a strategy designed to teach new vocabulary terms. This activity will work with almost any set of related terms.

2. Assign Terms. Assign one term to each student. I like to highlight the term on the direction sheet. They should keep their term a secret! It should not be written on their drawings.

3. Provide Directions.
Here are mine: You will be assigned one vocabulary word. You will have 15 minutes to draw a visual representation of your concept. It should be conceptual in nature. There should be no words in your drawing other than to label items as necessary. Your peers will attempt to match the term to the correct picture. Be sure to identify your picture by number but do not include your vocabulary word on your picture!!

Now, on to the good stuff…

4. Ready, Set, Draw: Provide each student with a blank piece of paper. At the top of each paper write a number from 1-30. This number is how the other students will identify each picture. Break out those smelly markers and let the students get to work!

5. Post Them: Ask the students to post the pictures around the room when they are finished. Remember, each picture needs to be numbered and the term should not appear on the drawing.

6. Move and Mingle: Give the students between 15-20 minutes to circulate and look at each drawing. Their job is to match each drawing to the correct term in their word bank on their handout. Here's an examplar handout (google doc or pdf)

7. Share Out: If you have time, go over the answers as a class. If there is a disagreement about a particular picture, project the picture and allow the students to share their reasoning.

Why This Strategy Works:
  • Retrieval Practice: The purpose of this activity is to get the information out of their minds and identify any misconceptions or misunderstandings. This also helps the students identify which concepts they remembered - and which ones they forgot.
  • Visual Encoding: The student who created the picture must represent the term using visual imagery. This can increase the durability of the memory. In addition, their drawings might even incorporate concrete examples or dual-coding - two other great learning strategies!
  • Elaboration: According to the Learning Scientists, elaboration involves explaining an idea using examples and details as well as making connections between the content and day-to-day life. In this activity, students are required to differentiate between similar terms and create practical examples of each term.
Feeling Tech-y or teaching virtually?? If you are looking for a way to adapt this using technology, consider asking the students to create their drawings using a platform like Google Draw, or ask them to hand draw them and post them in a class slide deck or Padlet. Are you looking for other ideas? GimKit has a new game called "Draw That" that utilizes a similar skill set. You can learn more about how to use it here.

I hope this adds one more tool to your tool box! It is fun, engaging and easy to use. Please share your favorite vocabulary activities in the comment section below.

In gratitude,
Cori

Last Post: A Mindfulness Intervention

Comments

  1. SasselboOctober 26, 2021 at 11:42 AM

    Hi. First I would like to say thank you for sharing your amazing ideas. I am interested in doing this to review biological. Can you clarify how you assign them their term without anyone else knowing what their term is?

    Best,
    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cori SchwarzrockOctober 26, 2021 at 1:06 PM

    Hi Sarah! I am glad that you found this strategy to be helpful. I assign the topics by highlighting one term per sheet and hand them out to the students. I have found that they don't really share their terms - at least not with the majority of the class. You could also walk around and assignment them individually. Did I answer your question?

    ReplyDelete
  3. SasselboOctober 27, 2021 at 9:59 AM

    Thank you. This definitely helps.

    ReplyDelete

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