VISUAL
Learning Strategies
Creating a sense of structure in the classroom is absolutely imperative in utilizing as much instructional time as possible. One strategy that I implement in my classroom that facilitates that structure is the use of visual learning. Utilizing various forms of visual learning ensures that my students are consistently exposed to different ways to analyze the information provided to them. Due to the fact that I teach fifth grade and that fifth grade standards become incredibly complicated and difficult to organize without effective strategies, it is absolutely imperative that I provide my students with additional visual learning methods. Below are examples of how I utilize visual learning strategies within my classroom.
*Hover over this image to learn more
Interactive Notes
I implement lessons that contain interactive notes at the beginning of every unit. Utilizing interactive notes personalizes learning and ensures that student organization practices are upheld in the classroom throughout the year. Students know that taking these notes is relevant in their education, and that they can use their journals at any time if they forget a skill or strategy that we've already covered. In ensuring that students write the notes with me, I am facilitating exposure to the content, while ensuring that students develop and consistently practice organizational habits that will support their success in school and beyond.
The journal above is an example of student written notes from whole group note taking during our main idea unit. Students in my class are given guided instruction in writing down the interactive notes. I project the written definitions, and then provide practice for students to demonstrate understanding with the skill in their own journals.
The document below represents interactive notes for a student who needs additional academic supports in order to demonstrate mastery of the information. For him, I write the notes before the instructional block and white out some words to ensure that he pays attention while I'm implementing whole group notes.
Anchor Charts
Anchor charts are an extension of our interactive note taking. Once we write and discuss the skill for the unit, I create and post an anchor chart that has the same information as what students are writing in their journals. This is in order to create consistent exposure to the content so that students remember important skills and information. Throughout the year, we will constantly review skills and strategies that we have identified as successful, and ensuring that students have a quick way to access this information is essential in ensuring their long term comprehension and meaningful application of ideas.
The anchor charts below are "retired," because they represent information that we have covered in previous units. Students will continue to practice these skills, so it is important that they see charts with the information on a daily basis to ensure that they remember the skills and definitions.
Below is an image of my anchor chart easel, as well as the interactive notes connected to the anchor chart. Once we have taken notes for a unit, I create and display the anchor chart with relevant information from our note taking lesson here. Once we complete the unit, this chart will move to the retired wall to make room for our next anchor chart. This system ensures that students know exactly what skill we're working on, and exposes them to the content and understandings of that skill in plain sight for extremely easy access.
Pictured below are anchor charts and their corresponding interactive notes from the first three units of the school year. The "retirement wall" will continue to grow as the year progresses and we learn about additional skills and content.
In addition to utilizing anchor charts to explain academic content to students, I also use them for behavior and routine expectations. These two anchor charts are the only things put up in my classroom on the first day of school. On that day, I go over the expectations of academic discussions and our think pair share activity, as both occur on a daily basis in my classroom. This ensures accountability and maintains expectations throughout the year.
Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are incredibly important to implement when discussing complex ideals. As fifth grade concepts become more abstract than earlier elementary years, I find that ensuring student comprehension and utilization of graphic organizers is really beneficial in organizing those difficult concepts. Facilitating the use of various kinds of graphic organizers also ensures that students have a wide depth of knowledge about how to organize information. Below are three examples of how my students utilize graphic organizers in their learning. Next to each example is the text that students were expected to analyze to meet the task at hand. Hover over each example of our graphic organizers to learn more about how I utilize each within my classroom.
Unit One: Main Idea
MAIN IDEA UNIT
This is one of the three graphic organizers that I introduce to students in our unit on Main Idea. In our notes for that unit, we discussed metacognition and the fact that people prefer their own learning style. This student said that she prefers to learn with pictures, so she chose to create an umbrella and rain drops as opposed to the "boring"main idea box organizer. She is able to demonstrate understanding of the main idea and details of a passage through using this organizer.
Unit Two: Story Elements
STORY ELEMENTS UNIT
This graphic organizer is one of three graphic organizers from our story elements unit. This student chose the basic organizer instead of the other two organizers introduced, which were more image oriented. When discussing how this student learns, she mentioned that she prefers to read and write, and that images distract her from the information, so she decided on the more "boring" organizer (the other two were a mountain and a hand, most students chose the mountain).
Unit Three: Point of View
POINT OF VIEW UNIT
In this unit, like the figurative language one, I had students focus on the content in front of them rather than practicing metacognition and choosing their own organizers. This student was able to organize her thoughts on point of view and how it impacts the story through utilizing a simple three column chart cut in half. Going forward, she will use this in analyzing the point of view of more complex passages.
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IN
Summation
By providing students with a variety of strategies to utilize in organizing their own thinking, I am ensuring their academic success in the fifth grade and beyond. As previously stated, higher level thinking becomes an expectation in middle school, and if students are able to remember even half of the strategies that they have implemented in my classroom this year, they will meet higher educational expectations with success. Providing my students with organizational practices also facilitates their ability to create structure and routine in their own lives, which will be beneficial not only in the world of academics, but in their personal and professional lives as well.