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Goal

To increase students confidence & excitement in learning content area material through motivational strategies, real live experiences, connections and word attack skills to limit resistance and hesitation in understanding new concepts and vocabulary.
I desire to enhance learning by lessening and eliminate learning barriers for all learners that are created by limited English, Limited confidence, limited root word understanding, limited experiences......
This will increase their academic achievement in science and all content areas.
Students will engage with new concepts and vocabulary using word attack using Scientific Root Words, Prefixes, And Suffixes, making connections, engaging in experiences while increasing their motivation to increase their learning and practice with new words.
These extra hands-on experiences, colorful depictions or words, and connections to previous words through intentional study of root words prefixes and suffixes will open opportunities for word attack in science to bring back their confidence in learning difficult scientific words. This will capture English Second language learners, students with disabilities, average and gifted students.
Incentives will encourage their participation and connect effort and attitude with success.
This Extrinsic gratification will initially bring them into the learning and will quickly transform into intrinsic motivation to succeed as they learn more and increase their learning the hard work turns into fun challenge!!
Hard work pays off every time!
 

Category

Learning Aids - Sunshine state book sets, robotics kits, puzzle boards, science models, engineering supplies, etc. 

What will be done with my students

Students will be introduced to new content and vocabulary in a multi level approach using word attack skills with the knowledge of scientific roots, visual aids to help learners understand the concepts that are often abstract in a middle school experiences, provide hands on connections when applicable with mini representations of concepts. Concepts and vocabulary will be presented in their home language alone side the English meanings to allow the concept to be built in primary language then be transferred to the English words.

Research shows that students learn new words best when they encounter them in meaningful contexts, such as stories, articles, or classroom discussions, life experience, and providing pictures related to the word to created connections

Students will gain confidence in their learning and show academic growth in science to engage in their school journey with positive work habits and awareness. I will incorporate the 7-C’s with learning content word attack skills to master new vocabulary and scientific concepts
Challenge - Personal and group competitions to break down words and discover meaning to words that would have previously made them nervous or they would have settled with “I don’t know”
Competition - Personal and classroom weekly challenges
Curiosity- students interest will increase as they participate in word attack knowledge they will challenge themselves and others in words they have found that contain similar roots and meanings. They will set up classroom challenges.
Controversy (healthy and safe)- the students find their voices and will need to come to agreement on meaning and understanding and cooperate in challenges.
Cooperation- they will cooperate with each other to reach their goals and set challenges.
Connections- As the students work together, they will form connections to help and encourage each other. They will also connect all academic areas as they discover the connection in words used everywhere.
Choice- this entire challenge is personal choice in effort, participation, setting goals, choosing rewards, and having fun.
Creativity - designing challenges and setting their goals and finding more opportunities to work on science concepts and connect them to all areas of academics. They will carry these skills throughout their day and homework time.

We will have classroom challenges with new concepts and individual goals will be set to show personal growth that they can track on their own and will turn into their motivation to continue. SUCCESS is motivation. Often we need to activate their success through motivation techniques, but in the end their success continues to drive them.
Students will be set personal and classroom goals.
My intention is to track the progress of 6 classrooms in science. All 6 classrooms have struggling learners, English second language speakers and the average and above average students. Many have begun to shut down due to feeling defeat in their learning progress.
I desire to take the fear out of learning by teaching them word attack skills and context skills to make meaning out of words and sentences, they would not have attempted previously.

I will work with them to set their academic goals and celebrate weekly for the completion. We will have weekly individual celebrations and monthly classroom challenge celebrations for students who are showing an increase in their use of vocabulary and word skills.

The classroom community celebrations each month for the class showing the most progress and participation.
There are tracking goal charts for each class and students will be able to track their individual progress each week.

Weekly individual progress will be monitored on Fridays to be immediately rewarded each Friday.
Quarter celebrations will be determined each quarter based on the highest academic priority. They will be monitored weekly, so the students stay motivated and on track.

Working with 8th grade I will collaborate with the science teachers to assure the rigor, and standards are met and celebrated. All competition will be positive and not used as a consequence or negative outcome.

Working alongside the classroom teachers we will differentiate and set individualized goals for students to assure they are all able to achieve their goals and have ability to participate in celebrations according to their learning goals and needs.

Students will vote on their Quarterly celebrations, and I will have them create a list of individual rewards that will be motivating such as; certificates, treats, school supplies, healthy vending foods, ect.

Vending items in the past have been the students favorite items. They earn a mini bag of chips, granola bars, candy items, fruits, all voted items.
Small items like jolly ranchers and dum-dum lollypops will be used as intermittent or spontaneous rewards to increase class participation and excitement.

Student recognition is key to maintain motivation and increase participation. Student will be a part of determining their excitement and end of year Trophies and certificated will be handed out to reinforce and recognize the students and their gains.

 

Benefits to my students

Gaining the knowledge of Scientific Root Words, Prefixes, And Suffixes will be a lifelong skill for the students. The confidence and skills they will gain will live with them as learners forever. Incorporating specific word attack confidence will increase their learning in all content areas. It is also very effecting in second language learners as they can often find similar roots in their home language specifically Spanish.
The incentives and treats reinforce and maintain excitement for the students. This increases classroom participation and homework practice to show what they know by the end of the week.
I completed a similar grant last year and the students gained a direct correlation to their effort and their classroom success. Their confidence increased and their weekly participation increases as the year progressed.
They recognized the time and effort put in became easier for them and the success in the classroom motivated them to work and exceed their goals.
This initial extrinsic motivation transferred to their intrinsic desire to do well in the classroom and feel prepared each day.

Last year all the students who participated in the ALEKS math grant rewards increased 1-3 levels in their learning and were in tears when they passed the FAST math test as they had never passed before. This recognition of effort and their success I hope will follow them in their journey to high school and as lifelong learners.
To connect the idea that putting in the effort and work does lead to success is a lesson and gift that will last a life time.

I hope to bring science to life and have similar excitement and gains for this group of students. I have started this already and the students are already excited. I have bought stickers, mints, cookies and they light up when they see them and the work in the room increases considerably. I can not maintain this on my own for the year with out the help of the community.
 

Budget Narrative

Goal awards are Items that will be purchased and set up on a cart to travel around the room, all items are individually wrapped and easy to select from the Victorious Vending cart. Students select options they would like to work for, and the items are purchased and interchanged to provide variety and excitement.
The class competition celebrations are typically ice-cream sandwiches, floats, cake, or cookies.
The incentives and treats reinforce and maintain excitement for the students. This increases classroom participation and homework practice to show what they know by the end of the week.
Stickers, small mints, candies are always a part of me and the kids never know what might come out of my bag and when. This keeps the work rewards spontaneous and exciting. They love any moment of recognition for the work and efforts they put into themselves.
 

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