by Kara Parker | Oct 17, 2017 | Units, Vocabulary Building
Thought I’d share two simple ways I changed vocabulary lists as I transitioned to a more learner-centered class. Read on for the download and some tips to use them! “How do you create a vocabulary list when each student pulls different words and... 
by Kara Parker | May 2, 2016 | 1 Planning, Vocabulary Building
Recently I was in China and I was reminded what it was like to be a novice language learner. I tried doing some apps and lists to help me get a small set of words before I left. I was frustrated because these apps have predetermined what I needed to know. Do I really... 
by Kara Parker | Oct 29, 2015 | Games, Vocabulary Building, What's New
The flyswatter game has always been a student favorite, and a great activity to add to the lesson plan on those hyper days – oh you know, like pep rally days, full moon days or the day before a break. However, the original game is based on translating words or... 
by Kara Parker | Oct 22, 2015 | 1 Planning, Vocabulary Building, What's New
As I moved away from making and giving vocabulary lists, I had to focus on the function vocabulary instead of the seemingly endless detail vocabulary. Here’s how I looked at the unit goals to decide what vocabulary they really needed to accomplish those goals... 
by Kara Parker | Aug 4, 2015 | Class Decor, Vocabulary Building, What's New
A past principal asked us to have a word wall up for each unit. My mind was racing. Isn’t that an elementary thing? Do you know how long it takes to make a bulletin board?? And now for each unit! We learn SO much vocabulary, so which words do I pick? How will I... 
by Megan Smith | Mar 5, 2015 | 1 Planning, Reading, Vocabulary Building
Having generic forms has been a major timesaver when working with authentic resources. I used to rack my brain to come up with questions for each article or infographic I found… not anymore! I save my specific questions for our discussions AFTER reading. These...
