Howdy do Hip-Hop Classroom! It’s my pleasure this week to share with you a very original, very incredible lesson plan from our good friend Shelby Oates. Shelby is a lit coach and teacher at Summerour Middle School, just outside of Atlanta, GA, and she never ceases to amaze with her academic creations: high-quality, detailed lesson plans to go along with units and themes – in this case from The Word Up Project: Level Blue.

The lesson plan has students learning new vocabulary words so well that they can literally “knock out” incorrect synonyms and definitions. There’s teamwork, there’s physical activity, there’s repetition and there’s competition. In other words: it’s fun AND it works.

For those of you using Word Up, enjoy this treat. For everyone else, maybe it will inspire some creative lesson planning of your own. A huge thanks to Shelby – keep up the amazing work!

Link to download lesson plan

Ahhhh… so good to see high-quality educational hip-hop out there! Check out this professionally produced track by Mr. Jones – he goes by UBlackJones on his YouTube site – that teaches kids all about verbs. It’s a really cool video too, with kids singing the hook and getting A’s like they know they could.

Beware: this is CATCHY!

“I Know My Verbs” from UBlackJones

Flocabulary friend and colleague Cheryl McCarron of ESL Shop created a video that cuts right to the heart of “Hip-Hop in the Classroom.” In this short clip, you’ll see English Language Learners from all over the world in an elementary ESL classroom in Ontario. The students have been in Canada less than a year – some less than a month.

Watch as they fall in love with Biggie, a song about a very cool (and very fat) cat from Unit 1 of The Word Up Project: Level Red. They memorize the song, learn the vocabulary, practice speaking and using the words in original sentences -and have a great time all the while. The teacher, Oksana Hohol, relates her experience throughout the video.

Thanks Cheryl, Oksana and all the kids at Rose Avenue Elementary School, for working hard and reminding us why we do what we do.

When we went down to do some professional development and student workshops in Clinton, North Carolina, we met some amazing people. One of the standouts is an educator named Tonya Hannah. Tonya has taught U.S. History and Social Studies in middle and high school. As soon as we met her, we knew we wanted to interview her and share her insights with the world. Enjoy!

1. What has been the most effective technique you’ve used in the classroom?
The most effective technique I’ve used in my classroom is a survey that I give my students the first day of class.  I ask them to tell me about themselves, what they like and dislike about school and teachers.  I ask them what their favorite subject is and why?  And then I ask them to describe their outfit.

Here’s the rational behind the questions: Students tell you what they want you to know about themselves, usually the positive things, what they think they do best or are good at.  This is a discussion point and something that can be integrated in the first lesson and collaborative learning project.  The more they write, the more I learn.  My mentor told me a long time ago, “children don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  Knowing this information I can make relevant connections between content and “real life” application.

When students write about their favorite subject and teacher they are telling you how they learn.  “I like Mrs. So and So because she tells funny stories,” what they are saying is I am an auditory learner.  I ask them to describe their outfit because I allow them one fashion show.  The students walk down the catwalk (aisle in the classroom) while I read their description of their outfit, this stops any further catwalks to the pencil sharpener and other unnecessary strolls across the room to be seen.  (Hey, it works for me).

Another one of my favorite strategies is the use of signals.  The signals range from students asking permission to use the restroom to letting me know when I am speaking too fast. My favorite signal is when students blinking their eyes.  Most students do not like to admit they do not understand a concept.  So as I am reviewing or facilitating instruction I continually walk my classroom and scan my students faces.  If a student begins blinking fast this means “stop, you lost me.”  No, they are not flirting, its our classroom version of S.O.S.  When I see them blinking, I stop and go back and review my statements or ask another student to repeat what they heard, in their own terms.  I will then do thumbs up, if they understand and can explain the concept to someone else, thumbs to the side, if they kind of got it, and thumbs down, if they don’t understand and want to go over it again.  There are too many to list, but each signal is geared to helping students save face in front of their peers.  I will say that as teacher, we must create the atmosphere where students feel free to explore, express, take risks and take part in the learning process.

2. Have you ever had one of those “a-ha!” moments? Some kind of breakthrough?
Yes!  I thought that lesson plans were just a tedious task that teacher had to do in order to check the box.  As a new teacher all I knew was that I had to use the standard course of study and my curriculum map/pacing guide and fill in the boxes on a lesson plan template, make a copy and turn it in.  One day, I realized that the lesson plan is actually the classroom GPS, it stated where we are, where we want to go, how we plan to get there, what we are going to use to get to our destination. So just in case I’m out, the next driver can pick up where I left out and keep the class motoring along.  This is when lesson planning became relevant for me.

3. What keeps you motivated?
Students and laughter.  I laugh everyday, sometimes with the students and sometimes at myself.  Students keep me motivated; everyday is a new day with new challenges and opportunities.  Our students are ever changing bundles of energy!  Students carry a light in them of hope and aspirations for the future.  Students are all unique and have a gift in them to give to the world.  I begin everyday with the thought of what can I do for someone today.  How can I be a blessing, how can I pass on a legacy of excellence, a love for education?  The purpose in my heart is not to be the one to hinder a dream or goal.  What keeps me motivated?  Knowing that the student I am helping right now, may be the next Bill Gates, Oprah, or even the President of the United States.  We never know.

Hello again, Hip-Hop Classroom. We just found this incredible (and incredibly thorough) series of lesson plans revolving around the 1920’s, and needed to share. Four weeks worth of lessons are included!

Kudos to The Hip-Hop Circuit: Teachers for compiling some great hip-hop in the classroom resources – there’s more where this one came from, be sure to check them out too!

Here is the link: Roaring 20’s Curriculum

Happy Teaching!

Oort Kuiper created this fantastic, thorough rap – dealing with the marvel and complexity of genetics as we understand it today. The song and the music video serve as an engaging, easy-to-relate-to vehicle, covering tough scientific knowledge.

Produced by Jon Chase (with music by Risk 1) for the Genetics and Merthyr Youth (GAMY) Project, Wales. The GAMY project “has been working with a group of young people aged 16 to 19 years old from Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, and we have been learning about their ideas and attitudes towards genetics.” Check them out at www.gamyproject.org.uk

Good looks Oort and everyone who helped make this happen – we love it!

The use of Hip-Hop as an educational tool continues to expand, and the media is taking note. Check out this video and news story from NYC local news channel, NY1!

Students at one Bronx high school rap their way through science class, and say the material is more interesting than ever before. NY1’s Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

Read the report and see the video here.

We all know the importance of effective teaching. We know effective teachers raise their students’ test scores, boost their self-worth, and inspire them to become open-minded students and good people. But what makes an effective teacher? A potent combination of precise classroom management and content-area knowledge. So says a recent article in the New York Times Magazine.

The article details the work of Doug Lemov, an educator who set out to study America’s best teachers. He distilled his observations into 49 techniques that teachers can use to run effective classrooms. Here are a few, paraphrased.

1. Precise Praise

The idea here is to acknowledge when students follow your instructions with a positive remark, but not one that indicates surprise. Saying “thank you” or “he’s doing it” is better than saying “wonderful, thank you so much.” You want students to get the idea that their good behavior is being noticed, but that it’s also expected. Here it is in action:

We gladly pass the word along for NYC’s 10th annual TORCH Music Fest – the ultimate talent competition for NYC’s public high school students!

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We are looking for talented teens individually or as a group to audition! Past shows have included singers, dancers, rappers, music groups, spoken word artists, steppers, actors, and comedians…

TORCH Music Fest has been running for ten years and is very popular among NYC high school students…*and our TORCH High School students plan, promote, and produce the entire event*. Truly, this event is for teens, by teens.

I’ve attached all the information. Please take a moment to look at the poster (courtesy of our TORCH students), and the Teacher/Counselor advisory for all the information you may need. Let me know if you have any trouble opening and/or have any questions about the event and how you can be involved!

You can also check us out using any of the following student-run sites:

www.torchmusicfest.org
www.torchmusicfest.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/torchmusicfest
www.formspring.me/torchmusicfest

And for more about all of our work at TORCH : www.thetorchprogram.org

About TORCH Music Fest:
Music Fest is a citywide talent competition and showcase open to all New York City high school students. From conception to creation, the event is entirely put together by the TORCH participants who plan, promote and produce the event. This includes production, set design, marketing, promotions and public relations, web design and creative design. Professionals from the music and entertainment industries mentor and advise the students throughout the project and also serve as judges at the event. Music Fest encourages NYC high school students to express and showcase their culture, creativity and talent. Through the process of preparing for Music Fest, the performers join TORCH students in gaining the satisfaction and sense of self worth that comes from seeing a project of this magnitude through to completion. This project is an excellent example of how TORCH incorporates empowerment within the learning experience through visual and performing arts. Additionally, the project provides an opportunity for TORCH to engage other students throughout the city as they participate as performers and audience members. TORCH Music Fest 2010 is scheduled for June 4, 2010.

About TORCH:
The TORCH (Together Our Resources Can Help) Program’s mission is to transform the lives of underserved New York City public high school students by providing intensive exposure to career training and opportunities in communications and the arts, all while facilitating a meaningful way of increasing the diversity of the workforce in those industries. Through hands-on career focused projects, educational outreach and professional mentors, students are provided with the tools to formulate and pursue educational and career goals.

We look forward to meeting the talented teens you send our way!

Shelby Oates from Summerour Middle School (just outside of Atlanta, GA) is an educator with a never-ending supply of tricks up her sleeve – to motivate students, engage them in learning, and help them achieve to their highest potential. Check out some ideas she recently submitted for use with Flocabulary’s Word Up Project program!

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“I have begun to use the program!  My kids were excited just from the mention of the name!  We have deemed our Friday’s, “Flocabulary Friday” and though sometimes we have to miss a week due to other deadlines, it has become such a reward for the students;-)  They even have started to say “WORD UP” when taking attendance on our “Flocabulary Fridays”, and they are publishing a magazine soon where the first 15 words from the program must be used throughout.

“We spent a couple of weeks on the first rap, Bottom of the Ninth to ensure retention of the words as they slipped up a little when we assessed them; but that’s what I love about the program, it is so flexible!  We even played Word Up Baseball in Flocabulary Field!! We set up the room like a baseball diamond and named if Flocabulary Field.  The students used the sentence mix up activity with Bottom of the Ninth and on home plate was the incorrect word on a large piece of paper for whatever sentence we were on.  The opposite team had the other 14 words written on large pieces of paper and those were their “gloves” and the batter had to hit a baseball (a rolled up papertowel hit with a yard stick;-) into the field and had to do his/her best to hit or come close to the correct word in the field.  We figured out equivalents to 3 strikes, walks and different base hits/home runs/grand slams, but it forced each team to know what the correct word is so they could either play defense in the field and block the correct word so it wasn’t hit, or to hit the baseball in the right direction.  IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!

I am ready to study Mime in a Box next and this is really just a preview of next year for me as a teacher, because EVERY Friday next year will be “Flocabulary Friday” and I can’t wait to think of great games to play with the sentence mix ups……I think charades will be the next challenge to do our best to mime out the meanings;-)