This is from a song workshop I gave some time ago. Take care with the copyright!
Songs can be exploited in many ways:
1: The Cloze or gap fill. This is the most familiar and popular activity, and for that reason is probably overused. However, there are many important things to bear in mind when using them, and there are many different ways to use them.
Have a point, be it vocabulary or prepositions or whatever.
Don't cloze 3 or more in a row.
For lower levels: give the first letter, miss out word endings, give dashes for letters, or give a glossary.
Give vocabulary clues or synonyms for the missing words.
Get students to work in pairs to predict words before you play the tape.
Insert extra words which students then cross out as they listen.
Change the words, as in "Careful Shouts" or "Countless Whiskies."
Cloze unstressed, then stressed words in the same song, and have students discuss why one is easier than the other.
Cloze several words in a row and Ss have to guess not only form (adj., adv., n., vb, prep.) but words, rhythm and rhyme.
2: A-B activities.
Students match beginnings and ends of lines, such as ."Another Day in Paradise" (simple) or "Private Investigations" & "If Only..." (more complicated).
3: Mixed-up activities. Generally, have the lines of the song on separate strips of paper
Students put down strips as they hear them.
Mixed-up lines/verses.
Students try to organize in advance (use prompts).
4: Dictation
Wall dictation
Self-dictation (whole song blanked)
Part Dictation
5: Translation.
Class chooses a song from their own language.
Groups translate.
Check with other groups.
Combine the best. Then work on rhyme and rhythm.
6: Jigsaw-listening.
Groups listen to different songs with the same (Luka/Behind the Wall) or different themes (Easy Street/Money for Nothing) and peer teach vocabulary, compare.
7: Composing
Listen to the song
Students add verses of their own. Good songs for this are, "Imagine" & "Man Gave Names To All The Animals" by Bob Dylan.
Students finish the line in each verse, then listen to check.
In groups, students then write their own verse.
8: Writing.
Put random words from the song on the board. Students try and write the "tale of the song."
Students paraphrase the song
Cut the song in half. Students predict the other half.
9: Pronunciation.
He's got the whole world... /h/ sound
Do I speak double Dutch to a real double duchess... /d/ sound
10: Vocabulary
Miming verbs
Dictionary work
Matching
11: Listening.
Give Ss word list. Ss number as they hear them.
Sound discrimination, e.g. tempted/tended
12: Song Posters
Arrange lyrics and pictures, or just lyrics, or translate.
Bibliography: Music and Song (1992) Murphey, T. Oxford University Press
There have always been tests, but there have never before been so many! It’s natural for parents and concerned citizens to wonder what is motivating this increase and to examine the many reasons why.
Why test students?
Well, to start with because we need to know how children are doing in school. Ever since there have been schools, teachers have used tests of various kinds to find out how well students are learning and if their
instruction has been successful or not. But the reasons for testing don’t stop there. In recent years, large-scale testing has taken on a more significant social role. Many policymakers claim that American education isn’t doing the job it needs to do. They cite studies showing that by 12th grade, students in the U.S. perform below most other industrialized nations on international assessments. Our 12th grade students fail to make substantial gains in reading or mathematics on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress, “America’s report card.” Numerous educational reforms of the 1990s, they say, have failed to
deliver on their promise to improve student achievement. In this context, policymakers have passed federal and state legislation using tests to measure school performance and spur improved achievement. Tests are used to rank schools, place students at various levels, and decide who will graduate from high school. In schools where test scores fail to improve substantially, parents may transfer their child to a higher performing school. In some cases, federal law allows students to use their share of Title 1 funding for tutoring services. Such uses of test scores go far beyond finding out how well a child can read, write, or solve word problems.
According to testing experts and researchers, testing serves many important purposes.
Tests are used to:
•Diagnose individual student strengths and weaknesses.
•Focus learning and instruction to state standards and key concepts.
•Motivate improved student, school, district, and state performance.
•Make school and college entrance decisions.
•Report how well schools are performing and improving to the public.
•Help determine whether or not schools should be accredited.
•Evaluate school program quality and recommend improvements.
•
Education researcher Robert Linn points out that tests are on the increase not only because they serve
so many purposes, but also because they are less expensive than many other school reforms—such as
professional development (teacher education programs). He notes that tests can be put into place
relatively quickly, can pressure teachers to make instructional changes in hopes of improving test
performance, and tend to attract media and public attention.
So the shorthand answer to “Why test students?” is because tests serve an expanding number of
significant educational purposes, bolstered by some financial and political considerations.
Classroom Tests
State tests have garnered the headlines, while far less attention has been paid to classroom tests—the
most frequent tests taken by students. Like state tests, classroom tests can have major consequences,
especially in the upper grades when test performance contributes significantly to a student’s grade point
average, a key factor in many college and university admission decisions. While classroom tests are
generally useful for evaluating student skills and learning, they sometimes fail to reflect state content
standards or may assess only low-level content. In more negative cases, classroom tests can fail to
provide effective feedback to students and can contain scoring errors.
In general, teachers use classroom tests to:
•Diagnose student strengths and weaknesses.
•Monitor each student’s progress.
•Assign grades.
•Determine the teacher’s own instructional effectiveness.
•Provide information to inform instructional and curricular decisions.
•Help teachers clarify their instructional intentions.
When combined with results from school assignments, state tests, and teacher observations, classroom
tests can provide a dependable picture of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. They can also inform
the teacher or parent if the child is improving or falling behind.
Determining a teacher’s or lesson’s instructional effectiveness can be another very useful facet of a
classroom test. If the entire class performs below a teacher’s expectations on a test, the teacher can use
those results to change their instruction. He or she might try a different instructional approach, spend
more time teaching missed concepts, or use different instructional materials.
Classroom tests also help teachers clarify their own instructional intentions. Developing tests prior to
instruction encourages teachers to develop a clear roadmap for learning, which includes standards,
instruction, and assessment. Both classroom tests and state tests serve many important purposes
helping to answer the question, “Why Test Students?”
What You Can Do
•Stay informed about testing. Read newspapers, magazine articles and school newsletters to see how
•test results are used by your district and state.
•Discuss test scores and school rankings with your school principal or district assessment administrator.
•If your district administers their own local tests, ask how they are developed, scored, and used.
•Carefully review your child’s classroom tests. Look not only at your child’s performance, but the quality
•of the test. Is it challenging? Was the content covered well in class and supported by homework,
•assignments, and textbooks so your child had an opportunity to learn the material?
Below are brief summaries of each of the ten steps to writing an essay. Select the links for more info on any particular step, or use the blue navigation bar on the left to proceed through the writing steps. How To Write an Essay can be viewed sequentially, as if going through ten sequential steps in an essay writing process, or can be explored by individual topic.
1. Research:Begin the essay writing process by researching your topic, making yourself an expert. Utilize the internet, the academic databases, and the library. Take notes and immerse yourself in the words of great thinkers. 2. Analysis: Now that you have a good knowledge base, start analyzing the arguments of the essays you're reading. Clearly define the claims, write out the reasons, the evidence. Look for weaknesses of logic, and also strengths. Learning how to write an essay begins by learning how to analyze essays written by others. 3. Brainstorming: Your essay will require insight of your own, genuine essay-writing brilliance. Ask yourself a dozen questions and answer them. Meditate with a pen in your hand. Take walks and think and think until you come up with original insights to write about. 4. Thesis: Pick your best idea and pin it down in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay around. Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know where you're going, and why. It's practically impossible to write a good essay without a clear thesis. 5. Outline:Sketch out your essay before straightway writing it out. Use one-line sentences to describe paragraphs, and bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain. Play with the essay's order. Map out the structure of your argument, and make sure each paragraph is unified. 6. Introduction: Now sit down and write the essay. The introduction should grab the reader's attention, set up the issue, and lead in to your thesis. Your intro is merely a buildup of the issue, a stage of bringing your reader into the essay's argument. (Note: The title and first paragraph are probably the most important elements in your essay. This is an essay-writing point that doesn't always sink in within the context of the classroom. In the first paragraph you either hook the reader's interest or lose it. Of course your teacher, who's getting paid to teach you how to write an essay, will read the essay you've written regardless, but in the real world, readers make up their minds about whether or not to read your essay by glancing at the title alone.) 7. Paragraphs: Each individual paragraph should be focused on a single idea that supports your thesis. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support assertions with evidence, and expound your ideas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your reader as if he or she were sitting in front of you. In other words, instead of writing the essay, try talking the essay. 8. Conclusion: Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap-up sentence, and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly what. 9. MLA Style:Format your essay according to the correct guidelines for citation. All borrowed ideas and quotations should be correctly cited in the body of your text, followed up with a Works Cited (references) page listing the details of your sources. 10. Language: You're not done writing your essay until you've polished your language by correcting the grammar, making sentences flow, incoporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making other intuitive edits. Proofread until it reads just how you want it to sound. Writing an essay can be tedious, but you don't want to bungle the hours of conceptual work you've put into writing your essay by leaving a few slippy misppallings and pourly wordedd phrazies..
You're done. Great job. Now move over Ernest Hemingway — a new writer is coming of age! (Of course Hemingway was a fiction writer, not an essay writer, but he probably knew how to write an essay just as well.)
Topic Sentence: the topic sentence states one main idea. Everything in your paragraph must be subordinate to the topic sentence .
Supporting Sentence: a supporting sentence supports the assertion made in the topic sentence. Supporting sentences include concrete details, commentaries, facts, examples, opinions, interpretations, and analyses. Include as many supporting sentences as necessary, but not more than you need.
Limiting Sentence: a limiting sentence limits the scope of the topic sentence. you can only have one per paragraph.
Direct Paragraph: a topic sentence followed by a limiting sentence (optional), supporting sentences, and a transitional sentence is the most common type of paragraph in an essay, article, or research paper.
Pivotal Paragraph: the first sentence of a pivotal paragraph is a limiting sentence, followed by a supporting sentence and a pivotal sentence--one which turns the paragraph in a new direction. Although, but, yet, however, nevertheless, etc. are found in pivotal sentences. The pivotal sentence is followed by supporting sentences and a transisitional sentence.
Suspended Paragraph: in a suspended sentence, the topic sentence goes last. limiting and/or supporting sentences lead up to the topic sentence. Introductions/thesis paragraphs and conclusions are usually suspended paragraphs.
Read any piece of non-fiction. For each paragraph, do the following (I've used the second paragraph from the article below as a guide. You may use it too):
1) identify the topic sentence (After moving from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons struggled for over two decades.).
2) identify the limiting sentence, if it exists (It wasn't until the mid 1980s when Detroit head coach Chuck Daly instituted a more "aggressive" style of play that Detroit became a premier NBA team.) .
3) identify all supporting sentences and categorize them as a facts, examples, statistics, opinions, analyses, interpretations, etc. (Their fans affectionately called them "The Bad Boys." (fact)).
4) identify the transitional sentence (In this case the pivotal sentence and transitional sentence are the same.).
5) identify the pivotal sentence, if it exists (Basketball aficionados, however, called them bullies and blamed "The Bad Boys" for the league's downward spiral, a spiral thath saw the league fall from its pinnacle of excitement in the 1980s to its nadir of unwatchability in following years.).
In 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons won the lowest scoring game in NBA history, 19-18, over the Minneapolis Lakers. As boring as that 19-18 snooze-fest must have been, it just may have set a template for the methodical thuggery that has become a trademark of one of the NBA's most successful franchises. After moving from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons struggled for over two decades. It wasn't until the mid 1980s when Detroit head coach Chuck Daly instituted a more "aggressive" style of play that Detroit became a premier NBA team. Their fans affectionately called them "The Bad Boys." Basketball aficionados, however, called them bullies and blamed "The Bad Boys" for the league's downward spiral, a spiral thath saw the league fall from its pinnacle of excitement in the 1980s to its nadir of unwatchability in following years. The Bad Boy era peaked with back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990. Led by king of the sissy-slap, Isaiah Thomas, and a supporting cast of the much hated Bill Laimbeer, the hard-fouling Rick Mahorn, and NBA nutcase Dennis Rodman, the Bad Boy Pistons toppled the Lakers and Celtics to become the NBA's top team.
In addition to its collection of professional wrestler types, the Bad Boy Pistons also included some Good Boys as well, the most notable being guard Joe Dumars, whose defensive prowess frustrated opponents and whose offensive smarts perfectly complemented the skills of his all-star backcourt mate Thomas. The Pistons also relied heavily on backup guard Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson, whose sharp shooting off the bench often ignited Piston rallies.
The Bad Boy Era in Detroit came to an end with its loss to Michael Jordan's Bulls in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals; however, the team's legacy still lives on in cheap fouls, 24 second shot clock violations, and non-stop hand-checking. In addition, John Salley, a key sub on the two title teams, became the worst TV studio analyst in the history of the sport with inane post game analysis, contrived discussion, and stale humor.
The Pistons struggled in the 1990s, but a new century brought back memories of the Bad Boys' success. Under the tutelage of Larry Brown, the team returned to the NBA finals in 2004 where it dominated a heavily favored L.A. Lakers in 5 games. Much like the Bad Boys, the 2004 version of the Pistons, led by the out-of-control king of technical fouls Rasheed Wallace, and perhaps the ugliest assemblage of basketball players in the history of mankind, the Detroit Pistons ruled the NBA.
Unlike the Bad Boys, this Pistons team did not repeat as champs. In fact, this collection of troglodytes will be remembered more for its participation in the greatest fight in the history of team sports: towards the end of an early season contest against the Indiana Pacers, a brawl broke out between players on both teams that spilled into the stands, causing a near riot. Suspensions soon followed, completely crippling the Pacer franchise. Detroit managed, however, to ride out the controversy and remain a strong contender for the title.
The 2007/2008 rendition of the Detroit Pistons is similar to the 2004 team that won it all, and with its deliberate pace, unwatchable offensive sets, and chippy defense, they just might win it all again.
You think that homework drives you crazy?
Think about those poor teachers!
They've got to assign it, collect it, correct it, grade it, and keep track of it.
Students don't want to do it.
Some parents complain that they're giving too much; other parents want more.
So Why Do Teachers Assign Homework?
First of all, please know that most educators really don't want to ruin your lives! Like the rest of us, they have been told that homework is a good thing and it serves a purpose. There are also a number of other reasons they assign homework:
They believe "more" means "better." Why do we think that if a little is good, a lot must be great? That may be true with money, but when it comes to homework, more is definitely NOT better! Too much homework is one of the leading causes of school burn-out, among other things.
They are under pressure to cover material. It is absolutely insane how much material must be covered in a school year! And, it's getting worse! New subjects, new standards- the amount of material keeps increasing, but the school day stays the same. So, work must be sent home ("homework" get it?) with the hope that students will somehow get it done and/or learn it.
They must raise test scores. Politicians and administrators want high test scores. Period. They believe (incorrectly, in my humble-yet-backed-by-research opinion) that higher test scores mean smarter students. Higher test scores mean happier voters and parents.
So, how do you raise test scores? Well, if we believe that more means better, we should cram as much information into students' heads as possible, right? Now we have two more problems. One, more material and information equals more homework. And, two, if students' scores do improve, the tests are made more difficult and the whole vicious cycle begins again.
They want their badge of honor. The teachers that assign the most homework are often considered the best in the school. (It should come as no surprise to you that I disagree with this!) In middle and high school, especially, they have a "tough rep." Sure, they may have more homework to deal with, but they also get more respect from students and parents.
Here's an interesting fact: the more experience an educator has, the less homework they tend to assign.
They don't communicate with others. In middle and high school, students are assigned homework in each class. If teachers don't periodically talk about this, there is a tendency to "forget" that everybody else is also giving students homework. A student with 5 hour-long homework assignments is facing a terrible evening.
They aren't told not to assign it. One would think that educators learn about homework in their training and credentialing programs.
Incredibly, teachers do NOT take a class about homework. They are NOT told if, how, when or whether to assign homework. They are not told which kinds of homework are good, which types are bad, and how much is too much. They are not told how to involve parents- or if that is even a good thing to do. There is nothing to prepare those who ultimately assign homework learn about homework! I find this amazing!
Please understand that each teacher will assign homework based on his or her own personal history, beliefs, philisophy, personality, school culture, and what the principal expects. There is not some established, accepted, standard homework practice. There is no homework bible.
Parent, you must do what is right for your child and your family!
At the beginning of the school year, parents everywhere are asking some key questions:
Should our students have homework?
If so, how much?
Should parents help our students with his/her homework?
What types of homework should our students take home?
What if our students do not have homework?
What if our students make an irresponsible choice and don't do their homework?
The Purpose of Homework
Teachers, students and parents working as a team can accomplish a great deal. As the school year begins, we need to work together to teach what we expect so all children can learn. When expectations are clear, children of all ages know that homework is part of their academic "job description." Teachers should use homework as an extended learning opportunity. Students need to know and understand the purpose of homework. To provide further clarity, the role of the parent is to provide the time, materials and an appropriate setting for homework plus the expectation that homework is the student's responsibility as a learner. Supervision, guidance, feedback, reinforcement and monitoring progress are important tasks for parents. But it is not the job of the parent to do the homework.
When the question of "why do I have homework" is clearly identified for students and parents, there is a clear purpose for homework. Homework needs to be meaningful, targeted, purposeful and relevant and used in the next day's lesson.
Why is Homework Important?
Homework plays a key role in quality teaching and learning. Homework brings forth prior knowledge so teachers can teach what the student doesn't know.
helps the student practice new learning, leaving more class time for quality instruction.
assists in checking for student understanding so the teacher can re-teach as necessary.
sets the stage for the next day's learning.
gives more time for drill and practice to "cement" the new learning.
gives the teacher valuable feedback to monitor student progress.
can teach students organizational skills and time management.
demonstrates student and teacher accountability for learning.
How Much Homework?
Homework does not always have to be a paper and pencil task. What we want is evidence of student learning. That evidence can take many forms such as interviews, reading and journaling, graphic organizers, projects, sequence charts, and more.
A guideline to answer the question of "how much" homework is approximately 10 minutes for every grade in school. For example, 40 minutes for a 4th grader is reasonable if the purpose of the homework has been clearly identified. Daily/nightly practice is more effective than week-long assignments turned in on Fridays! I recommend that homework be used in some way in the next day's entry task, not only for reasons of accountability, but to help the student and teacher know if there is a significant piece of learning that has been missed or if there is a small segment that needs to be re-taught in a different way, with more specificity.
Stumped by Homework?
Most teachers will check for student understanding of the homework assignment or the special skill that should be practiced prior to assigning homework. However, there are times when your student may need your guidance. Homework should take priority over TV watching, video games, etc., and should not be left to the last minute when the child is tired and distracted. Try these ideas; they will work as they have worked for hundreds of families.
Does your student understand the assignment? Ask your student to talk through as much as they understand.
Have your student list the steps necessary to do the homework.
Does your student have the necessary books and materials he/she needs?
Are there words or terms your student doesn't understand? Have your student draw a picture or diagram of their understanding. This is an effective practice for middle and high school students as well; they may want to use a graphic organizer to help them sequence their understanding.
Are there similar examples that can be applied?
Is the answer reasonable?
Does your student need to review a previous lesson?
Take a break; come back to the problem after other problems have been solved.
Call a classmate to ask clarifying questions.
What If our students won’t do Homework?
Homework, as a tool to extend learning, should be the expectation at school and at home. Some schools have homework 4 nights a week eliminating Wednesday nights if that is church night or other all inclusive community activity. Many schools use Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights for homework, leaving weekends for long-term projects.
For students who make the irresponsible choice not to do homework, logical consequences at home and at school should be the result. First, we need to look at why the student is not doing homework.
Is the homework at the correct level of difficulty?
Is the student overloaded?
Is the student making an irresponsible choice?
Is it an issue of "power" and "control?"
Let the answer guide you.
Ideas for parents that will work at school and at home…
loss of privileges, i.e.: tv, bike, scooter, telephone, car, activities, etc.
a specific time at home with the parent sitting with the student reading, paying bills, etc., while the student does homework.
modified assignments.
weekly homework assignment sheet with daily check off of completion tied to active participation points which is part of the grading system.
alternate assignments if the reading level, for example, is too difficult.
parents at school following the student schedule for a day (be a kid for a day.)
loss of athletic or activity involvement until homework is completed.
short term privileges and rewards.
I hope these ideas will be helpful to both educators and parents. Have a wonderful school year. I firmly believe that learning is the job description for students. Homework is a tool to extend learning experiences. As adults, I believe we can help structure homework experiences for students that will enhance learning for every student in our educational system.
