There are some times when no matter how you present a lesson, your student just can't see the connection. One of the tools I use to make lessons more clear is transparency sheets. They are a great way to not only mix things up a bit, but they can make lessons and lesson planning less wasteful, too. Just be sure to use mirror images when printing. Here are a few of the ways I use transparency sheets.
Lesson Planning - As I mentioned in my Workbox post, I use transparency sheets in our Workbox file folders. Each day I write out instructions for every lesson so that my daughter can quickly see what needs to be done for her classes. At the end of the day, I wipe them clean and write the next day's instructions. No paper lists to throw away! I've used the same sheets for 3 years now, and don't see them wearing out any time soon.
Handwriting - When my boys were little I printed out handwriting practice sheets for each of them. Having twins, it was easy to see just how many sheets of paper were being used up. When my daughter came along, I wised up and printed her handwriting pages on transparency sheets. We used them in conjunction with her Doodle Pro for a no mess way for her practice her letters over and over again. If you don't have a magnetic doodle board, simply use dry erase crayons or markers.
Science - As my youngest is now in 5th grade, classes are getting more complex. In science, she is currently studying the body systems of animals. How better to illustrate how all the body systems fit together than with transparency sheets?! I found images of the systems at InnerBody.com, and printed them on the sheets. She added them to her science lapbook, layering them so that she can view different combinations of systems together. (Just ignore the ugly packing tape used to attach the sheets to her lapbook. Sometimes you just use what you have!)
Maps - Whether the class is U.S. History or Government, transparencies are definitely the way to look at how states vote. I found these election maps at NationalAtlas.gov. Laying one on top of the other makes it very clear which states are red, which are blue, and which are more of a purple.
Early learning - Although I have not done it myself, as you can see from the purple states, layering colored strips of the transparencies blends the colors beautifully. Print one sheet with 1/3 of the sheet red, 1/3 yellow, and 1/3 blue. Cut the three colors apart. Then, leave them out for your preschooler to discover, and watch the magic of the rainbow light up his face.
How will you use transparency sheets to make lessons more clear?
Karissa
Many people just aren't good at note-taking. Still fewer are good at teaching note-taking. Besides, what young kid, or teenager for that matter, wants to write page upon page of notes...let alone go back and study those notes? Get creative with the information and make it memorable...and maybe even a little fun. Here are four ideas I've discovered to help kids see it, do it, and learn it.
- Visual Note-taking. Do you have a doodler in your house? Visual note-taking may be a great way to combine his or her natural tendency to doodle with taking notes. I recently discovered a blog post on Core 77 which explained that visual note-taking is simply a way to visually organize important pieces of information. It can be done using images or words (or both), and is organized using lines, arrows, boxes, and even color. Don't worry about being a great artist, it doesn't have to be pretty, as long as the information flows and keeps the note-taker interested.
- Mind Maps. Mind Maps are similar to visual note-taking in the sense that it is a way of visually organizing pieces of information. However, it differs in that it doesn't flow. It's more like a spider web, or a snow flake. The main idea or topic is in the center of the page, and each sub-topic branches out. Details then branch out from each sub-topic. I found a great article on Mind Tools and a blog post on Beyond Talk that explain the technique in more detail.
- Power Point. Some people can't stand making Power Point presentations, my daughter on the other hand, loves it. She loves copying and pasting images & texts, then animating each slide. Furthermore, she loves to go back and watch her creations over and over again. Hmm...sounds like studying to me! For younger children, a whole unit can be a long time to remember details. By creating a slide for each lesson (or chapter, or whatever reasonable chunk you choose), the information doesn't seem to be too much to handle. If you have access to digital or online textbooks you may even be able to copy important information directly from the textbook. Then, have fun with slide transitions, animated text, and image entrances & exits. You can even record your child reading some of the information and link it to an image. If you don't have Microsoft Power Point, don't worry, you can download and install a free office program called Apache Open Office.
- Lapbooking. If you've never heard of lapbooking, think of the big poster you made for the science fair. Now shrink it down to the size of a manila file folder. Lapbooks can be as ornate and detailed as you want them to be. If you need more space, create fold out pages by attaching more file folders. Now, fill the folder with minibooks that display all the information your child has learned. Jimmie at Squidoo has a very informative article with everything you ever wanted to know about using lapbooks to help your child see it, do it, and learn it. For even more samples, visit my lapbooking board on Pinterest.
There are so many ways to learn in the classroom, whether that classroom is in a brick and mortar school or your own home. These are just a few that I find useful. What creative tips do you have to share for making note-taking more fun and effective?
Karissa
