Next week is the CRT's for our school. We have to teach a years worth of material in 5 months. I know their is very little I can do to reach the kids now but how can whole brain teaching be used to prepare strategies for constructed response questions? Any ideas would be appreciated.

Dear Educator --

When having students complete constructed responses -- I would think this way --

1. What skills/strategies are needed to answer the question at a high level?
For example -- citing text for support

2. Once you identify a strategy -- like "citing text" -- develop a mini-lesson -- introduce the skill and a WBT gesture -- model how to use the skill using a common text --you could certainly use gestures to "retell" the story (see Crazy Professor Game) -- be animated and enthusiastic! (All oral)

3. With a partner -- have them retell a story or portion of a text and identify text that could be cited in a constructed response (All oral) -- again emphasize enthusism and excitment!

4. Next lesson (or when you feel the class is ready) move to having students work with a partner -- complete all steps and then add a writing component reinforcing the concept of "citing" text -- review gestures etc... let students work with a partner

Initiatlly I would have students write responses on large sheets of newsprint so you can post and share -- use magic markers etc ... to increase enthusism for the topic

5. Add more mini-lessons to teach further strategies/gestures

6. Move toward independence --

Keep in mind -- keep it fun but hard -- teach kids their "brains have to sweat" everyday for learning to occur -- keep passion and rigor in all lessons!!

Good luck! Hope this helps!!!

State mandated testing is NOT going away -- we must embrace it and find ways to make it work for our kids -- it cannot dominate our teaching but we must prepare kids for it and make it a "painless" as we can!

Just to add to the list.

Take your state standards and turn them into questions.

Ex. In 5th grade science (CA), students are expected to know elements, atoms, protons, nuetrons, electrons, etc....

Take this standard and break it up into questions: What are elements? What are protons?

It makes standards less threatening and puts them into a more kid friendly verbage.

To go all the way WBT: give each standard question a complete sentence answer, visual picture, and gesture to go along with it. Then you have hit EVERY STATE STANDARD and by using TEACH/OKAY taught it to four different learning styles at one moment.

We are working like dogs to do this for you (making pictures, gestures, and verbage for the main state standards that cross over from state to state). In due time my dear friends....your teaching lives will change forever.

For now, come up with your own!