Kind Words From Chicago
I usually use this pace to include some of the latest research regarding active learning. I recently spoke at the FCCLA National Conference in Chicago. Here is some of the feed back from that conference. I think these comments from the front lines actually mean more than what researcher have to say. Enjoy.
"I just wanted to let Tom know how much I have enjoyed his books and activities. I heard him several years ago at an FCCLA national meeting and was thrilled to see him again this year in Chicago. I used his books this year to teach a family and consumer science course to 8th graders. I did not have any texts and was teaching in an English classroom setting with our school being under construction. I had 180-8th graders and they all loved the activities I had them for 2 out of 6 days for a semester. One day I would intro the learning standards and topic...the next we did one of Tom's activities. Mid-semester I asked the kids to anonymously evaluate the course in a survey, what I needed to change. Most said nothing needed to be changed...they liked the class...maybe more snacks but as for the activities, they had a wonderful time. The first book is very worn. The kids actually used the books to pick out their own activity to lead the rest of the class on a few occasions. Very unusual for grade 8 kids to be so positive. It was a great year for me. I also write grant applications and have used some of your rationale in the introductory chapters as to why I should receive funding. Thanks, Kathy Lavery, FCCLA adviser from Massachusetts
"Heard you speak at the FCCLA National Conference in Chicago and want to thank you for the new ideas that I plan to use in the classroom. Bought two of your books so I should be able to get through the school year. Really liked what you said and all of us need to be reminded occasionally to put the "fun" back into the curriculum that standards and testing are taking out because of time. I plan to make time for more active learning this year. Starting by 21st year of teaching. Really like your Teacher's Corner on the website. Bobbi Hoyt, Duluth, MN
A new tool is available for finding Tom's activities!
If you have the activity books, "Activities That Teach"' "More Activities That Teach" and "Still More Activities That Teach" then this section will be very valuable for you. This is actually three lists. The first list is by "Topic". It lists all of the activities found in these three books by the topic that the activity covers and the book it is found in. The second list is by "Book". It has every activity from these three books by topic and is broken down into the individual books. The third list is by "Time" and shows every activity in the three books and lists the estimated time that each one of them takes, without the discussion time. These lists will be invaluable for quick planning when you are short of time, looking for a specific topic or activity. What a great time saver this will be.
The activities from the book "Activities That Teach Family Values" are not yet included in the listings.
These three lists were put together by David Edelstein who is a teacher with the West Des Moines Community Schools, Walnut Creek Campus. He created the lists so the activities would be easier to find for his staff. Thank you David!!!
You can click here to see the Activity List which is located elsewhere on this website.
A New Activity For You To Try!!!
Send us feedback on what worked and what didn't work for you! e-mail at: staff@activelearning.org
Title: Do You Have?
Topic Area: Diversity, Team Building
Concept: Classroom activity People have a lot more in common than we generally think. Most people have a number of shared experiences or things in common. Often we spend so much of our time arguing over our differences that we forget to recognize and celebrate our similarities and our individuality. By focusing on the things that divide us, we set ourselves up for conflict and disagreement. If instead we were to focus on what we have in common or in what we all can add to the group.
Method: Classroom activity
Time Needed: 10 minutes plus discussion time
Materials Needed:
None
Activity: Divide your group into teams of 5 or 6. Have them sitting down either on chairs or on the floor. Ask the entire group a question. The groups compete against each other to see which group will have the requested item first. The first group to have the requested item and has every one their team standing up, wins the round. The group must prove their answer within the constraints of the game. You can check for eye color, but it is hard to verify who ate pizza yesterday. The team with the most points at the end of the rounds is the winner. Here are a list of suggested questions. Adapt the questions and the number of items to the age and size of your group.
Do you have on your team....?
3 people who have flown in an airplane.
2 people wearing contact lenses.
3 people wearing shoes that don't have shoestrings.
3 people who play on a sports team.
2 people who have played a musical instrument in a band or orchestra.
3 people who have worn braces on their teeth.
2 people whose middle name starts with the same letter.
4 people who have traveled outside of the state you are in.
1 person whose first and last name starts with the same letter.
2 people born in the same month.
Any number of people whose shoe sizes add up to exactly 30.
Any number of people whose family size adds up to exactly 21.
The first group who can spell a word with at least 3 letters using just the following letters. A, J, M, E, B
The first group who can name the capital cities of 5 different states.
3 people who all have different colored eyes.
3 people who can do 5 push ups each.
1 person who ate pizza yesterday.
1 person who can spell hippopotamus.
3 people who can touch their toes without bending their knees.
3 people who have at least one hole pierced in an ear.
Discussion Ideas:
"What" Questions
Which person on your team contributed the most items?
How did your group compare with the other groups in the number of items you had?
Which items asked for were the hardest to find?
If you had more time, would your group have been able to find more of the requested items??
"So What" Questions
What can this activity teach us about each other?
How can knowing more about each other help us feel connected?
How can knowing more about someone keep disagreements between us to a minimum?
List ways in which people are the same.
Can all differences between people be seen when you look at someone? Why or why not?
What would happen if everyone was the same?
How do differences among people help our society?
How can people be similar but not the same?
Are some differences more important than others?
Explain this statement: “Everyone is different but also the same.”
What happens when we concentrate on our differences instead of the things we have in common?
How can you be an individual when you are part of a group?
"Now What" Questions
What can we do when we meet someone who seems different than we are?
How does having things in common help us work together?
How does having differences help us to work together?
If you would like to have Tom Jackson present at a conference, school district, school or organization, check out the page with information about Tom's speaking. Have Tom Speak. We are booking speaking dates for the rest of 2004 and 2005.
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