Tell Me, I Forget,Show Me, I Remember,

Involve Me, I UnderstandChinese Proverb

Preface• Four Principles for Academic Excellence.• Learning Through Inquiry.• Communication Defined. • Four Forms of Communication.• Examples of Communication.• Literacy – Writing To Learn.• Why Write?• Benefits To Students.• A Writing Assignment.• From Thoughts To Words – Incipient Communication.• Comprehension & Understanding.• From Concept, To Vocabulary, To Analysis.• Summary.

• Develop Listening Skills.

• Develop Writing Skills.

• Learn To Follow Instructions (Oral & Written).

• Develop Self-discipline & Take Responsibility.

Four Principles For Academic Excellence

(Vaughn)

Listening Skills Writing Skills

Self-discipline

Responsibility

Following

Instructions

Learning through a Method of Inquiry

Curiosity is initiated by sensory experiences, e.g. sight, smell, touch, sound, & taste. Questions are formulated based upon these sensory observations & experiences. Raw Data is collected, organized, & when rendered useful, it becomes Information. An Analysis results in Understanding which by extension is useful Knowledge. Knowledge aids in Decision Support & Problem solving.

Communication –

A means by which thoughts, ideas, beliefs, & other

abstractions are mentally developed, manipulated, analyzed,

& ultimately expressed.

FORMS OFCOMMUNICATION

LITERATE(Written)

ARTICULATE(Spoken)

GRAPHICAL(Symbols)

NUMERACY(Numbers)

Articulate - Oral communication through language. • To express vocally. • Combining coherent sounds. • Forming a systematic set of meaningful utterances. • Called spoken language.

Yo-o-o Mama. Was-s-s Happenin’?

● Is this vocalizing?● Are they coherent sounds?● Are they meaningful utterances?● Is it spoken language?

Articulate (Speak)

Good morning, Mrs. Springflower. How are you today?

● Is this vocalizing?● Are they coherent sounds?● Are they meaningful utterances?● Is it spoken language?

Relate to their ‘hood’ before you attempt to teach them how to speak.

Graphical - Drawings, paintings, graphs, tables, charts, maps, & other diagrams.

• Perhaps the most illuminating form of communication.

• Provides a visual means of identifying spatial (real) & abstract objects.

• Humans tend to assimilate spatial objects with complex thought.

Numeracy - symbolizing relationships among numbers, sets, magnitudes, & other quantitative abstractions.

c2 = a2 + b2

C = √ a2 + b2

Rise (y) over Run (x)A change in height with respect to a change in horizontal distance.y/x or Tan

a

b c

Pythagorean Theorem Slopex

y

The Cartesian Coordinate

System

a

b

• An example of an application of the Cartesian grid to establish location, distance, gradient, & direction.

• An ordered pair to establish a location.

• Pythagorean Theorem tocompute distance.

• Slope to compute gradient or a change in elevation & direction.

•

Latitude

Latitude

49º N. LatitudeAn angle 49º N.of the “x” axis.

Longitude

60º E. Longitude (Meridian)An angle 60º E of the “y” axis.

Literate - A written exchange of language.

• By extension, thoughts & vocal utterances are assigned symbols.

• Termed an alphabet.

• Form the basic elements of any written language.

• These alphabetic symbols combine to form words, phrases, sentences, & paragraphs.

Literacy (Writing) To Learn• One should read & write – to think, & understand.

• A writer must learn to express in their voice, i.e. their thoughts, opinions, & personal commentary.

• Writing enhances higher order, more coherent, abstract thinking.

• It follows, those that write may be more inclined to effectively communicate through each of the other three forms.

Writing• Writing may be thought of as a constant search to more clearly document what one cannot adequately vocalize.• It follows, writing is thinking put down on paper.• Writing begins with a search, & ends with discovery.

When We Write We –

• Discover connections.• Raise questions.• Describe processes.• Express understanding.• Find answers, & conclusions.

• The clarity of writing is predicated by what the writer intends vs. what the reader interprets.

Learning Through A MethodOf Inquiry

• Provides a student with a one-on-one experience to write.

• Enables a student to share a part of their inner feelings through what they write.

• Builds an element of communication, confidence, trust, motivation, & rapport.

Benefits of Writing for the Student

A Writing Assignment:• Write a one page paper discussing why you think education is important. • Include reasons for your decision to attend NUAMES, as opposed to a more traditional high school. • Answer the question, What do I hope to gain from my high school experience at NUAMES?

What do I learn from the student’s essay?• Writing style, vocabulary, use of words, sentence structure, & their ability to develop a coherent set of written thoughts.• How they value education. • Whether they have begun to develop goals.

From Thoughts to Words: A formula for Communication

• We facilitate learning by providing direction, not by dictating.

• Explain a concept using analogies from a student’s world.

• Have students read a piece, & identify words that they do not recognize.

• Have students build a lexicon, & reinforce the words through multiple word associations.

• Have students use a dictionary & thesaurus.

Comprehension & Understanding• Word competence must next be demonstrated by using the words in a written example.

• Ask: What do you already know? & What do you want to know?

• Identify a means for clarifying or adding meaning to a word or concept.

• Semantic mapping exercise:• List words.• Organize & classify the words by

topic.• Map words & additional words by

topical classification.• Develop distinctions between

classes.

Concept or Principle: PrecipitationDefinition: Moisture falling within the atmosphere.Other associated words: Water Vapor, Clouds, Rain, Virga,

Fallstreaks, Drizzle, Shower, Freezing Rain, Freezing Drizzle, Sleet, Hail, Snow, Snow Grains, Snow Pellets (Graupel), Flurries, Snow Squall, Blizzard.

Classified (Forms of Precipitation):Gas Liquid SolidWater Vapor Rain SnowClouds Clouds Clouds

Virga FallstreaksSleet Sleet

Snow GrainsSnow Pellets

From Concept to Vocabulary to Analysis

Analysis• Discuss the physical processes involved in the development of these forms of precipitation. • Ask them to develop an understanding through associations of temperature, altitude, & humidity.• Cite specific conditions in which they each occur. • Relate to human & environmental impact.

Written Assignment:• Write a one page summary discussing the atmospheric processes involved in 3 different forms of precipitation. • Include an example of each of the three physical states of water. • Provide one example of the impact of a single precipitation event on humans & their environment.

Summary• The four principles for academic excellence must be mastered.

• Learning requires a method inquiry, & writing promotes it.

• Reading promotes thinking, while writing solidifies understanding.

• Writing enhances communication, builds confidence, trust, motivation, & rapport.

• Develop threads connecting word definitions to application, & ultimately link them to concepts for understanding.

• Effective communication requires a mastery of all four forms.

• The end result of our efforts must be that students understand.