Bright Ideas Conference

On April 12th, I attended the Bright Ideas Conference in East Lansing, Michigan. My favorite session was a morning presentation, in which the presenter discussed the idea of going more in depth in an English classroom, and the use of scaffolding in the classroom. Scaffolding means providing support for students, instead of merely expecting them to complete a task all on their own. The presenter talked about the Zone of Proximity, which is basically finding the point at which students can accomplish a task with the help of another, and how when teachers provide this type of help, students are able to achieve more. The presenter also discussed some alternative assessment strategies used in Europe, such as asking students questions using multiple prompts or modeling a task for students before asking them to complete it themselves.

The presenter also discussed in some depth a senior project that was conducted in her school. The senior project was a requirement for graduation, and an entire class was dedicated to its completion. The students were given an exhaustive checklist, which required some tasks, such as “getting the signatures of 30 adults,” geared to help students in the research process.

I also found one interesting technique a useful tool for the classroom. The instructor gives students “provocative prompts” which help students think more deeply about the content. The presenter also recommended that instructors spend more time on depth, rather than breadth, when it comes to concepts. She argued that spending a unit on one Shakespeare play will give students the tools they when they are required to study Shakespeare in the future. The presenter said that when students spend more in-depth time on a concept, they are no longer afraid of approaching something that seems scary. Instead, they already have the tools they need in order to complete a task, which in effect, can help better prepare students for college.

Grammar Group Presentation

Wow! I must say that I was impressed at the “Paris Theme” this group used to teach their presentation. I thought that it was especially thoughtful of them to bring in “wine” for the class to enjoy. I also enjoyed the background music that was being played at an non-distracting level throughout the presentation. The group really got into character by dressing up in berets and “French” attire. I liked the theme, and I thought it was a good lead-in to their entire lesson: how to use grammar in an artistic manner. Their enthusiasm for their topic was very motivating when it came time for me to compose sentences using an “artistic brush.” I enjoyed the light-hearted, yet descriptive sentences that spewed from my mouth as the presenters guided me through several stages of artistic grammar. I feel that time flew by fast for the students and presenters alike. During the first session, we were practically out of time as soon as the lesson began. I feel that the activities chosen did a good job of reflecting the content of the book this group read. After discussing the book a little further with the presenters, I have decided that it is definitely one I would like to have on my book shelf. Thank you Grammar Group!