Some time ago, I read about interactive journals that Jen uses in her classroom - see her most recent blog post about interactive math journals here at
Runde's Room. I thought it was a great idea, but I wasn't sure when or where I would use them.
And then, lo and behold, I was working with a group of kids who were a bit unhappy about needing to work again on some comprehension skills with me. This is a group of kids that I'm now meeting with three times a week for an additional half an hour. They're just frustrated that they're not "getting it." And the truth is - they're SO close!
While we were talking about how we were going to tackle this learning curve, I remembered interactive journals. I can't honestly say that they're the miracle cure, but my goodness, I've never seen kids so excited to tackle some of the concepts in their journals!
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-wr0QEhPCBWI/URm35sMsDMI/AAAAAAAAAJE/2tI8WO8z7bA/s320/main+idea+interactive.JPG)
You can't see really well that the the students created a foldable with examples on the inside. And then, moving from there, we created a way to identify what facts and details questions might look like. So we drew hands and worked from there.
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-838TjnC6PV8/URm4qdXVW2I/AAAAAAAAAJU/i1UxC0AlU_A/s320/hand+details.JPG)
Sometimes it only takes a little "something" to make an idea click. I'm pretty happy that the kids are investing a new level of energy into mastering these concepts!
Have a great Tuesday!
Marion
Thank-you, Marion! LOVE the hand - we use that idea for summarizing, too. I hope your students keep that excitement for the journals - my students get so excited when we use a foldable in any subject - and they are getting so much better at reflecting on their thinking!
ReplyDeleteJen
The credit goes to you, Jen, for posting the idea. I can't really say why it makes a difference, but it does for the kids. And I want to use it to have them reflect on the skills they're learning -where they think they're growing and what they think they still need to work on.
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