Professional Development Seminar

Packet
Focus: Literacy in the Academic Disciplines
qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn
mqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcv
bnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzx
cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjkl
zxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghj
klzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg
hjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasd
fghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopa
sdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuio
pasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyu
iopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwert
yuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwe
rtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq
wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn
mqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcv
bnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzx
cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjkl
Defnition of Literacy: wo!voice "oem
I speak, I listen, I read, I write, I view, I represent.I am literate
When I speak When I speak
I cant say what I really mean I eel like I am in control
!ut I have so much to say I have so much to say
"o people think Im dum# they know I $et it
Am I literate%
When I listen When I listen
&he words seem orei$n the words seem amiliar
I eel like I am not part o their world I eel a connection with the speaker
I eel like theyre not speakin$ to me I eel like they are speakin$ ri$ht to
me
Am I literate%
When I read When I read
I pronounce words #ut miss the meanin$ I comprehend the meanin$
Its like that with everythin$ I read #ooks, ma$a'ines, poems
I eel like the author doesnt know me I connect with the author
I lose interest I cant put it down
Am I literate%
When I write When I write
I stru$$le to (nd the words to e)press mysel I can invite the reader to *see+ my
thou$hts
I ,ust dont know where to start I ,ust cant stop
I ,ust want it to #e over I eel like its never complete
Am I literate%
When I visuali'e When I visuali'e
&he ima$e is #lurry &he ima$e is so clear
It shouldnt #e that way &hats the way it should #e
&here are so many #lanks -very word #rin$s a thousand pictures to
my mind
Am I literate%
When I represent When I represent
It only makes sense to me I know everyone $ets it
Ive tried everythin$ pictures, $raphic or$ani'ers, dance,
cartoons
Whats the point you $et the point.
I speak, I listen, I read, I write, I view, I represent.I am literate
Defnition of Literacy: #rayer $odel
% s s e n t i a l s :
. A # i l i t y t o p h o n e t i c a l l y p r o n o u n c e
w o r d s
. / s e w o r d s t o c r e a t e m e a n i n $
. I n t e r p r e t m e a n i n $
. 0 a n # e a p p l i e d t o m u l t i p l e $ e n r e s
a n d d i c i p l i n e s o l i t e r a t u r e
&on!essentials:
.-n,oy the material
."peakin$ #eore lar$e $roups
.immediately understandin$
meanin$ new voca#ulary 1,ust need
the skills to know 23W to (nd the
meanin$4
%xamples:
.5eadin$ 6uently with understandin$
and deeper meanin$ 1may#e even
en$a$in$ in a dialo$ue with the
author4
.3#servin$ 1seein$ and hearin$4 to
comprehed so as to make inerences
and predictions
."peakin$7 5epresentin$7Writin$
clearly, e)pressively and e8ectively
& o n e x a m p l e s :
. 5 e a d i n $ w i t h o u t u n d e r s t a n d i n $
. 3 # s e r v i n $ w i t h o u t i n t e r p r e t i n $ 7
r e p r e s e n t i n $ w i t h o u t u n d e r s t a n d i n $
. 2 e a r i n $ w i t h o u t l i s t e n i n $
1 u n d e r s t a n d i n $ 4
. " p e a k i n $ o r w r i t i n $ w i t h o u t c l e a r l y
e ) p r e s s i n $
Litera
cy
Welcome &eachers9
:y name is "ahar Ahmad and I will #e your acilitator durin$ the duration o this seminar.
&his ;roessional Development "eminar will ocus on literacy in the academic disciplines.
Literacy is a undamental characteristic o any academic discipline and the de(nition o
literacy continues to evolve as technolo$y and techni<ue are introduced. Literacy is not
,ust the simple act o readin$ words on a pa$e as it is commonly used. 5ather, to #e
literate is to #e skilled in writin$, listenin$, speakin$, visuali'in$ and representin$ in
addition to readin$. Also, readin$ $oes #eyond simply puttin$ words to$ether to make
sounds. We all know that students can read a passa$e several times and will still #e
una#le to decipher its meanin$. &eachers must $ive students the tools necessary to
actively en$a$e in the readin$ like askin$ <uestions, makin$ predictions, summari'in$,
takin$ advanta$e o visual aids, constructin$ representations, writin$ responses, and
more to help our students to reach a level o understandin$. An e8ective teacher
understands this discrepancy and ad,usts her instruction accordin$ly.
It is my intention that you will leave here with a #etter understandin$ o how to #est
meet the needs o your speci(c learners. We will look at seven di8erent learners and
determine their $its and their needs as well as a way to assess them as a tool to
determine success. As a result, you will learn to #uild a personali'ed plan to ma)imi'e
learnin$ in your own classroom. We will also analy'e the class and identiy any
similarities, such as $ender, culture, and a#ilities, so as to reach the widest ran$e o
learners.
I con$ratulate you on takin$ this step toward developin$ your own understandin$ o
literacy and I assure that you will (nd this a useul e)perience with a rewardin$ outcome
or your own classrooms.
"incerely,
"ahar Ahmad
;roessional Development Facilitator
'ession (: )nowing *our Learner
=Analy'in$ and Interpretin$ Data..
"ahar :.
>
th
?rade
;alestinian.American, Female
:I: @inesthetic7 :usical7 Lo$ical.:athematical
Le)ile 5an$e: AAAB.AC>B
'ession ( ranscript:
"tudent DA:
;D Facilitator: What do we know a#out this student rom the inormation $iven%
Attendee DA: We know shes a emale in >
th
$rade, who likes to read in her ree
time.
;D Facilitator: ?reat. What else%
Attendee DC: Well, she is a ;alestinian.American, who is mostly a hands.on learner
#ut also musical and lo$ical7 mathematical as well. "he has a Le)ile
5an$e o a#out EFF.GFF, so shes pretty much a#ove avera$e or her
$rade level.
;D Facilitator: Wow. We sure $athered a lot o inormation ,ust #y lookin$ at a couple
o artiacts. How how can we use this inormation to help the student
learn%
Attendee DB: I #elieve that culture is an essential part o any curriculum. "o I like to
make connections #etween what the student is learnin$ and their own
culture. I (nd that this en$a$es the student in the learnin$. For
e)ample, when we were learnin$ a#out measurin$ mass in my "cience
class, I asked how mass is measured in their country o ori$in. All o
the students replied that they use @$ 1kilo$rams4 rather than pounds to
measure mass. I went on to e)plain that this is a "tandard /nit o
measure that is used in "cience all around the world so as to eliminate
any conusion. A student shared her e)perience at the airport when
she was told her #a$ could only have a wei$ht o BF. "he panicked,
knowin$ that her #a$ was well over BFl#s. Another passen$er assured
her that the employee meant BF@$, and that her #a$ would meet the
wei$ht re<uirement.
;D Facilitator: Ies, culture is an important actor to consider. 2ow would you assist a
student like this, who is an a#ove.avera$e reader%
Attendee DB: I usually ocus on the students who have lower Le)ile Levels.
Attendee DC: !ut your other students could #ene(t rom the some o the strate$ies
that you $ive your low.ran$e readers. I usually $ive all o my students
$raphic or$ani'ers as a voca#ulary strate$y like :a$net "ummaries,
Word Family &rees and Joca#ulary 3verview ?uides.
Attendee DA: What are those%
;D Facilitator: I am $lad you #rou$ht that up. I have some e)amples here today,
which we will look at in the ne)t session alon$ with writin$ and
comprehension strate$ies.
Layan &.
>
th
?rade
Kordanian.American, Female
@inesthetic7 Interpersonal7 Jisual
Le)ile 5an$e: LEG.GBG
:I &est 5esults7:A; "cores7 Le)ile 5an$e: Layan &.
"tudent DC
;D Facilitator: 3kay, so what do we know a#out this student rom the inormation
provided%
Attendee DM: Well, shes another emale and she is also an Ara#.American
1Kordanian4 student. &hat inormation is important to consider when
plannin$ instruction.
;D Facilitator: A#solutely. 0ulture and $ender are important, alon$ with
socioeconomic status. We ocused on a culture e)ample with the
previous student. Lets look at ways to #est acilitate the learnin$ o
this student #y ocusin$ on that Low Le)ile "core.
Attendee DB: Wow, thats pretty low. I mean, o#viously she can read, #ut I dont
know i I would necessarily consider this student to #e literate. I mean,
Im sure she stru$$les with readin$ comprehension.
;D Facilitator: 2ow would you help her with that%
Attendee DB: Well, I do know one comprehension strate$y that helps to know what to
look or when they are readin$. Its called an Anticipation ?uide. &he
students read sentences related to the readin$ and determine whether
they a$ree or disa$ree 1Jariation: &rue and False4. &his helps students
to #ecome more invested in the readin$ and more aware o what
important ideas7 concepts they should #e lookin$ or.
;D Facilitator: Ies. &hats one o my avorite strate$ies. We will discuss Anticipation
?uides and other comprehension "trate$ies an upcomin$ session.
Laila 2.
>
th
?rade
;alestinian.American7 ;olish.American, Female
:usical7 Intrapersonal
Le)ile 5an$e: >MN.LGN
:I &est 5esults7 :A; "core7 Le)ile 5an$e: Laila 2.
"tudent DB
;D Facilitator: "tudent DB is a.
Attendee DN: I know9 I know9 I have this one9
;D Facilitator: OLau$hin$P 3kay, we have an ea$er student in the audience today. ?o
ahead.
Attendee DN: /mm Female, Ara#7?erman descent likes music, intrapersonal
thats the one where you know yoursel... not interpersonal=thats the
one where you like to work with others yeah. "he has at a pretty
okay readin$ level I think I covered it all.
;D Facilitator: Iou know some inormation a#out her #ut it takes time and multiple
assessments=#oth ormal and inormal=to really $et to know your
learner. "he may #e stru$$lin$ on an emotional level as well
pro#lems at home, #ullyin$, etc.
Attendee DN: I was $oin$ to su$$est a writin$ assi$nment that is short. "he
mentions in her !io ;oem that she doesnt like when the readin$ takes
too lon$. "hes likely to eel the same a#out writin$. Daily ,ournal
entries with strate$ic prompts would help a student with their writin$
#ut would also provide an outlet or emotions. "he likes music too, so
we could incorporate music in our lessons as well. :ay#e write a#out
your avorite musician or write a rhythmic poem.
;D Facilitator: ?reat su$$estions. A$ain, all o the learners would #ene(t rom a
writin$ strate$y like ,ournal entries.
Diell'a I., >
th
?rade
"er#ian.American, Female
@inesthetic7 :usical7 Interpersonal7
Le)ile 5an$e: EFL.GNL
:I &est7 :A; 5esults: Diell'a I.
"tudent DM:
"D #acilitator: "tudent DM is another emale who says she is a kinesthetic,
interpersonal and musical learner. 2er readin$ level is Low.2i$h Avera$e and she likes to
read or un. "he en,oys #ooks that are happy and uplitin$ and dislikes readin$ a#out
thin$s that are sad and mor#id.
+ttendee ,-: I would recommend literature that is interactive and en$a$in$ rather
than dry and instructional. "hes also interpersonal so she would pro#a#ly like to read
with others as well. I noticed that there is an Annotated !i#lio$raphy in our ;D packets
with interactive #ooks that take the reader out into the (eld as well. I think that would
#e a $reat way to com#ine this learners stren$ths.
"D #acilitator: I a$ree. Im $lad you noticed the Annotated !i#lio$raphy as well. &he
#ooks listed can #e used in several disciplines and several readin$ levels. A couple o
the #ooks address culture as well. Iou can recommend those #ooks to the applica#le
student.
2annan @.
>
th
?rade
;akistani.American, :ale
Lo$ical. :athematical7 @inesthetic
Le)ile 5eadin$ 5an$e: ACCA.ABLA
"tudent DN:
+ttendee ,(-: Wow9 &hats a >
th
$rader% 2is 5eadin$ scores are pretty hi$h. I $uess
you dont have to worry a#out literacy #ein$ an issue or him.
"D #acilitator: 3n the contrary. A hi$h readin$ score does not necessarily mean that
the student is completely literate. As proessional teachers, Im sure
you have come across a student who reads well #ut may not
necessarily #e successul in "cience or "ocial "tudies class. &hats
likely #ecause that student does not read actively so as to understand
and en$a$e with the te)t.
+ttendee ,.: A student like that would de(nitely #ene(t rom the &e)t.0odin$7
":A5& strate$y that I see here in this ;D packet. It says here that this
strate$y that this is a $reat strate$y or active readin$ that increases
comprehension #y encoura$in$ the reader to carry on an internal
dialo$ue with the te)t.
"D #acilitator: Iou de(nitely #e$innin$ to understand how to $ettin$ to know your
learnin$ can help you as a teacher to apply the most e8ective
strate$ies or your student.

Keremiah !.
;alestinian.2ispanic.American, male
Interpersonal7 Jisual
Le)ile 5an$e: MCG.NLG
"tudent D>:
+ttendee ,(/: How this kid seems like the opposite o the last kid when it comes to
readin$. 2e is dan$erously low. 2ow is it possi#le that he is even in
the same class as the others%
"D #acilitator: 3uch. @eep in mind that, althou$h :A; tests and other summative
assessments are important, they do not necessarily show us the whole
picture a#out who our learner is or why they score the way they do.
For e)ample, this student is actually an -LL 1-n$lish Lan$ua$e Learner4
so it makes sense that he does not score as well in 5eadin$ or "ocial
"tudies as some o the other students. What can we do to acilitate
the learnin$ o an -LL learner%
+ttendee ,0: I think any one o these strate$ies that you have here in this ;D packet
would #e helpul. &he student and teacher may come to reali'e that
one speci(c strate$y does, in act, work #etter than others #ut it is
important to continue to try out di8erent strate$ies and or students to
#e active participant in their education.
:aun$ &ha 0ho
!urmese.American, :ale
@inesthetic7 Jisual7 :usical
Le)ile 5an$e:
"D #acilitator: Weve looked at the students as individuals #ut we also need to look at
them as a $roup. What o#servations can we make a#out this $roup%
+ttendee ,1: I noticed that this was de(nitely a culturally diverse $roup. I also
noticed that the ratio o #oys to $irls was pretty even. &here are also
have a wide ran$e o readers.
+ttendee ,(/: Ieah. !ut I still cant $et over how you could have such a wide ran$e
o readers in on classroom. I dont think I would #e a#le to address the
needs o all o my students i I had such a ran$e in my "cience class.
"D #acilitator: Iouve ,ust #een shown that when you properly assess your students=
not only academically=#ut also personally, you can come up with a
personal plan to help that learner to meet their $oals. 5ather than
ocusin$ on the low readin$ scores or their $ender or culture, you could
address all o these issues #y ocusin$ on disposition and schema. I
you can tap into their personal schema and help them to make
connections #etween when they already know and what they are tryin$
to learn, you are chan$in$ their disposition towards learnin$. &hat is
what the theories o Al#ert !andura 1sel.eQcacy4, Kean ;ia$et
1schema7 activatin$ prior knowled$e4, 2oward ?ardner 1:ultiple
Intelli$ences4, and others su$$est.

"tudent DL:
I really en,oyed readin$ your !io ;oem and I learned a lot a#out you rom lookin$
at your :ultiple Intelli$ence test and :A; scores. !ased on this inormation, I can tell
that you are a stron$ student who can #ene(t rom learnin$ in many di8erent ways.
@inesthetic learnin$ seems to #e your stron$ point. &hereore, I have listed a strate$y or
learnin$ that may help you to achieve your academic $oals. Also, keep in mind that it is
important or learnin$ to happen within the conte)t o culture as well. Iou should use
e)amples rom your own culture to create analo$ies that help you to understand7 make
connections as a learner.
2o
ca
bu
Magnet Summary
A Magnet Summary is a vocabulary comprehension strategy that can be used before,
during or after reading. Students identify the key term or concept, which is the magnet
word and identify important details related to that word throughout the passage. Once the
student has completed the passage and listed the important details, they use the words to
write one or two sentences that essentially etract the main idea from the passage.
!ventually, the sentences are combined into a summary paragraph. "he strategy can be
used individually or during cooperative learning.
Vocabulary Overview Guide
A #ocabulary Overview $uide uses a graphic organi%er that provides a clue and an
eplanation for each word as well as possible uses. "his vocabulary strategy is simple and
is designed to prevent students form forgetting what they&ve learned as is sometimes the
case with basic memori%ation without strategy. 't also encourages the utili%ation of the words
in the classroom using the clues to lead students to the eplanation as well as the proper
contet in which the word should be used.
Word Family Trees
A (ord )amily "ree is a graphic organi%er that helps students to study vocabulary at a much
more in*depth level as they make connections that will lead back to the word. "hey identify
a root word, relative words, a pronunciation key, words that are similar, and an eplanation.
Also, what makes this strategy uni+ue is that students also provide a clue to help trigger their
memory as well as a sentence where they found the word and three kinds of people who say
the word. "he implication of latter is that students will adopt the word into their own
vocabulary.
3r
iti
ng
'tr
at
eg
ies
RAFT
(Role/ Audience/ Format/ Toic!
A ,A)" is an acronym for a writing strategy in which the writer will be given or choose a
role and write for a specific audience in a given format on a given topic. "here are multiple
roles, audiences, formats and topics that could be used to design this writing prompt. ,A)"s
can be engaging and re+uires creativity and imagination. "he strategy also allows the
student to write from a uni+ue perspective and in a uni+ue format.
Argumentative Writing
"opics-
.. 's global climate change man*made/
0. 's the death penalty humane/
1. 's torture ever acceptable/
2. Should recreational mari3uana use be legal/
4. Should a parking lot be built in place of a park/
"#$%arts
An '*5hart6 'n+uiry 5hart is a writing strategy to prepare to write a ,esearch 7aper based
less on reiterating boring factual data and more on an intriguing dialogue between writer and
reader. Students will synthesi%e meaningful +uestions about a topic in the curriculum and
choose the most interesting +uestions, which are then listed at the top of the graphic
organi%er. Students then enter what they already know about each +uestion followed by a
list of the sources used in their research. Students are then ready to write a summary that
helps with the transition from in+uiry to writing.
4omprehensio
n 'trategies
"et 5oding6 SMA,"
"his is a great strategy for active reading that increases comprehension by encouraging
the reader to carry on an internal dialogue with the tet. "he student identifies +uestions,
what surprises them, what is interesting, emotional response, etc. "he strategy is followed
by a SMA," strategy for clarification and self*assessment.
5haracter 8uotes
Mind Mapping
'mage- http-66www.mind*mapping.co.uk6make*mind*map.htm
Mind Mapping is a strategy that outlines ideas from a passage into a map that organi%es
the main ideas and supporting concepts and their relationship to one another. "his provides
an image for students who are more visually intelligent and can be used as a during reading
or after reading strategy.
&oo's to S%are wit% (our Students
Science

0ole, 2. 1AFFE4. I Took A Walk. Hew Iork: ?reenwillow !ooks.
2elp your reader learn a#out the wonders o nature with this
inspirin$ #ook. I Took a Walk is a ollow.up to 2enry 0oles #ook
Jacks Garden, that takes the reader on a walk throu$h streams,
meadows and woods where the read can make o#servations a#out
the various or$anisms in nature. &his is an interactive #ook with
die.cut 6ap that old out or un e)ploration. 0hildren will learn
within the conte)t o a simulated nature walk in an attempt to
truly understand and take in nature.

4arle5 %6 7(.8/96 he iny 'eed6 &atick5 $+: "icture :ook
'tudio: Distributed in the ;'+ by +lphabet "ress6
&his #ook is a $reat way to en$a$e youn$ learners to e)plore the
(eld o ecolo$y in with a hands.on, pro,ect.#ased activity.
"tudents will eel as thou$h they are not even learnin$ while

'uggested echnology for your
classroom:
&ame of +pp Link Description ;tilization
&he -lements: A visual
-)ploration
https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap
p/elements-visual-
exploration/id364147847?mt=8
&his app contains all o the
inormation any student needs
a#out the ;eriodic &a#le and its
elements ri$ht at your (n$ertips.
Want to know a#out 0ar#on%
Well, simply click on it to reveal
an ima$e as well as its chemical
properties.
&his technolo$y ocuses
on kinesthetic as well as
visual learners.
0hemistry is an a#stract
su#,ect and students will
#ene(t rom the pictures
as well descriptions o
each element. &he ease
o access to relevant
inormation is also a plus.
It is easy to use and
allows students to create
their own compounds and
molecules usin$ their
understandin$ o the laws
o chemistry.
:iddle "chool "cience E
th
?rade https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap
p/middle-school-science-
8th/id50408157?mt=8
&his app provides a un way to
practice your middle school
science skills and prepares
students in E
th
$rade or
&his app ocuses on
makin$ standardi'ed test
prep un. &his would #e
$reat or reviewin$
standardi'ed science testR it is a
complete review o middle school
science curriculum. &he
animations will make students
or$et that they are learnin$.
material and also as a un
and educational activity
that can #e used #oth in
class to supplement
curriculum and durin$
down time. &he
interpretation o charts
and $raphs is an essential
skill. &his application
helps students to
stren$then their skills.
!id #cience: $h%sics
&xperiments
https:77itunes.apple.com7us
7app7kid.science.physics.
e)periments7idM>MMGGM>E%
mtSE
&his application provides several
tutorials or hands.on
e)periments that can #e
reproduced as a class. Tui''es
on the underlyin$ scienti(c
principles ollow each
e)periment.
&his particular application
can #e utili'ed in many
ways.
I this is #ein$ utili'ed as a
demonstration, then ater
viewin$ the video,
students will simply have
a #etter understandin$ o
what they are attemptin$
to replicate in their own
e)periment.
I this is #ein$ used as a
teachin$ tool, then they
can also make inerences
and create their own
e)periments.
"tudents can then apply
this understandin$ #y
analy'in$ the validity o
e)periment. Ater which,
they can create their own
hypotheses and modiy
each e)periment to test
these new hypotheses.
"cience B>F or i;ad https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap
p/science360-'or-
ipad/id43(8181?mt=8
&his App $ives teachers easy
access to pictures and videos to
help supplement science
curriculum. &he Hational "cience
Foundation 1H"F4 application also
provides access to #reakin$ news
in "cience. &he site keeps
teachers and students inormed
o the latest discoveries in
"cience.
"cience B>F can #e
utili'ed as a supplemental
tool that #oth teachers
and students can use to
stay up to date on the
latest discoveries in the
(eld o science. 0hildren
are very visual and this
would supplement the
lesson #y makin$ pictures
and videos easier to
access.
&eacher@it ps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/t
eacher)it/id38584618?mt=8
&his application really eels like a
virtual assistant. /sers are a#le
to or$ani'e classes, schedules,
$rades, take attendance and so
much more. It is easy to use and
can #e shared with a su#stitute
teacher or other collea$ues.
&he &eacher@it App would
allow teachers to com#ine
their seatin$ charts,
attendance sheets, $rade
#ooks, #ehavior charts
and much more, all in one
application that is easily
accessi#le at any time. I
eel that this is one app a
teacher cannot live
without. &his would
essentially put all o your
#inders, planners, $rade
#ooks, seatin$ charts,
#ehavior charts, class
lists, and everythin$ else
a teacher needs, at the tip
o your (n$ers. I cannot
even athom the amount
o time this will save.
!rain ;op https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap
p/*rainpop-'eatured-
movie/id3648435(?mt=8
I have used the re$ular internet
version o this site in my classes
#eore. &his site shows clips that
play out as cartoons, #ut teach
scienti(c concepts. &hey are
ollowed #y reviews and
assessments.
!rain ;op can #e used to
en$a$e students and to
peak their interest #eore
#e$innin$ a new concept
or chapter. It inspires
curiosity and thereore
en$a$es the students and
demands their ocus.
:ost importantly, its un.
;eriodic &a#le Tuick
0hecker
https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap
p/periodic-ta*le-+uic)-
teacher/id44(4(8663?mt=8
&his app is more than ,ust an
illustrated periodic ta#le. It will
help stren$then the students
understandin$ o su#atomic
particles. It <uickly and easily
calculates answers and can #e
used as a study tool. 3nce
students have $ained an
understandin$ o the laws o
chemistry, they can apply that
knowled$e usin$ the Tuick
0hecker tool.
;eriodic &a#le Tuick
0hecker could #e used to
<uickly evaluate the
students understandin$
o chemical principles
durin$ class as well as
durin$ study sessions.
&his also provides a visual
medium or students that
acilitates understandin$
o chemical calculations.
"plashtop C https:77itunes.apple.com7us
7app7splashtop.C.remote.
desktop7idBECNFGBAN%
mtSE
"plashtop is a remote desktop
that allows the user to access
their ;0 or :A0 rom the
convenience o their i;ad. /sers
can retrieve (les rom home or
anywhere else where they have
internet access. "plashtop C now
also allows the user to add notes
and mark any desktop screen.
&his app is especially
appealin$ to me
personally. I have a smart
#oard that is hard or me
to access as I am a petite
person. Also, this would
allow me to #e a#le to
move around the room
while accessin$ the smart
#oard at the same time.

BD 0ell "imulation and "tain
&ool
https:77itunes.apple.com7us
7app7Bd.cell.simulation.
stain.tool7idBEAACGMAB%
mtSE
&his application provides nice
visuals and interactive a#ilities
like rotate and 'oom. Learn
a#out structure and unction and
even stain your own cells. &he
latest version even allows you to
purchase your stains.
&his application can #e
used as a tool to help
students identiy cell
or$anelles, understand
how they unction as a
system, and create their
own virtual cells.
"tains that have #een
purchased can also #e
viewed under a
microscope.
?o"kyWatch ;lanetarium.
the astronomy star $uide
https:77itunes.apple.com7us
7app7$oskywatch.
planetarium.
astronomy7idCEMGEFEAC%
mtSE
&his is a un app that is very easy
to use. It allows the user to turn
their i;ad into a hi$h.tech
telescope. &he user can search
or a speci(c astronomical o#,ect
#ut searchin$ its name.
&he scale o the universe
is a diQcult concept or
youn$ minds to $rasp,
especially i they cannot
visuali'e the ma$nitude o
our own $ala)y. &his
application will acilitate
that understandin$ in a
way that will evoke awe
and e)citement a#out
astronomy.
2ey @ais,
:y teacher, :rs. Ahmad, recommended a ew strate$ies this
year to help me to understand voca#ulary words. &hey were much
more helpul than ,ust memori'in$ words out o a #ook. &hey
included strate$ies like :a$net "ummaries, Joca#ulary 3verview
?uides, and Word Family &rees. I will e)plain them to you so that
you can increase your own voca#ulary and learn new strate$ies or
makin$ voca#ulary more meanin$ul. &hat way, youll actually
remem#er what you learned the year #eore or even the week
#eore R.4.
&&IL
".A.
9ear :aila,
' spoke with ;ais the other day who told me that you were having trouble understanding what
you were reading. Sometimes, you may find yourself needing to read over a paragraph a
couple of times because you don&t know what you read the first time. ' used to have that
problem too until my teacher, gave me a few comprehension strategies to help me out. ' will
eplain some of them right here. ' am sure that they will be helpful for understanding the
readings in any class. :et me know what you think.
S.A.