many teachers have word walls and anchor charts covering their walls. But unless you are actually USING these during instruction throughout the year, they can become just another wall decoration.
That's what I LOVE Whole Brain Teaching Power Pix.
On one large bulletin board I have a grid set up with A-G down the left hand side, and 1-6 across the top. I used simple dye cuts to make the letter and numbers, and this is how many would fit in my space. Inside this coordinate I put up Power Pix as the year goes on.
A Power Pix is a vocabulary word or concept that student should know all year long. Since I teach science, all of my Power Pix have a green border. ELA are usually blue, math are usually green.
Here is a Periscope that I did on Power Pix. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions!
What are Power Pix?
Power Pix are posters that are used to help teach specific vocabulary words. Each Power Pix includes a question, answer, word, picture, and gesture. The border color of a Power Pix tells the content area: red for math, blue for language arts, green for science. Each pix shows the Common Core or Next Generation Science standard to which it is linked, but those can be edited to match each teachers' individual state standard as necessary.
How do you use Power Pix?
Power Pix are either taught before a lesson, during a lesson, or after a lesson, depending on the need and age of the students. Sometimes the Power Pix may be the focus of the entire lesson. For example, a lesson on "main idea" can revolve entirely around a Power Pix. Here's what that lesson might look like:
Teacher asks the question. Students do a teach okay to ask the question over and over.
Teacher gives the answer with gesture. Teacher repeats the answer with gesture using mirror words. Students to a teach okay to say the answer with gesture over and over.
An explore activity helps students to dig deeper into the concept.
Students respond to 10 T/F questions in a Quick Test, showing a thumbs up for true or thumbs down for false. Teacher takes note of any incorrect responses to either review as a whole class or with individual students as necessary.
Students complete a critical thinking activity using brain toys, writing triple whammy essays, or completing a problem solving activity.
Other times, the Power Pix word is a necessary vocabulary word for understanding a larger concept. In this case, the five steps above can be shortened, and used before or after the main lesson.
Where can I find Power Pix?
If you are an elementary teacher, there are hundreds of pre-made Power Pix ready for you to download on the main WBT website. Once you are logged in, go to "Free ebooks" and search the the multitude of free resources.You will see many eBooks dedicated to Power Pix. Language Arts and Math pix are currently being organized into a website so that you can search, download, and edit Power Pix that are relevant to your grade level.
There is also a Pinterest Board set up just for Power Pix. You can find that board HERE.
Wow - Two posts in two days! I know, you're super impressed, right? Ha! I figured I would take a moment to show off my PowerPix wall and blog about it.
For me, the Power Pix are the central factor that connect WBT with core curriculum. Most of the other core ideas help to provide spectacular classroom management so that content can be taught without distraction. The Power Pix are a way to infuse brain research right into the content. The strategy revolutionizes fact memorization.
Since I teach 6th grade, I have had to create my own Power Pix. So far this year I have created 9. Three for the metric system, three for variables, and three for Earth processes. Our science standards are in flux right now due to the awaited release of the Next Generation Science Standards. Even though they are not finalized, I am using these to direct both my instruction and my creation of Power Pix.
Creating these on my own has really helped me to focus in on the core concepts that I want my kids to learn. Doing this allows me to cut out some of the extra "fluff" and add in time for more critical thinking. Learning basic concepts and getting kids to understand them at a higher level, to me, is much more important that covering a large number of topics. Creating gestures for each Power Pix also helps me to set up my five step lesson plan. In the "answer" section (step 2) I introduce the power pix gesture, then we can expand on that during step 3.
My first unit, "Becoming a Scientist", includes information about lab safety, the metric system, and conducting a test (which aluminum boat can hold the most pennies) while learning about variables. I made up five Power Pix to go with this unit. Four are connected to the New Generation Science Standards (the second public draft of these are supposed to be available in the fall) and one is from the common core math standards. You can download them for free from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. My entire unit is also available on TpT . if you are interested. These power pix are free, since the amazing WBT is a free teachers movement! Since I'm a newbie to WBT, I would love any feedback you have about these power pix!
My plan for using these in class includes having two copies of each pic, one full size and one half size. During the specific lesson, the full size Power Pic will be posted on the front wall of my classroom. Students will practice the gesture and phrase that explain each fact multiple times during that lesson. Each consecutive day after the lesson, class will begin by reviewing all of the Power Pix on the front wall. Once the unit is completed, all of the Power Pix posted on my front wall will be removed, and the half size versions will posted on my power pix wall.
To get all "science-y" on you for a second, I love what Chris Biffle says in his e-book about using power pix.: "A significant quantity of modern brain research demonstrates that we learn best by seeing, saying, hearing and doing. When we see information, we employ the visual cortex near the rear of the brain; when we say and hear information, the language centers, Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area in the brain’s left hemisphere are active. When we engage in a physical learning activity we employ the motor cortex, our most reliable memory storage area, located in a band across the top, center of the brain. " (Third Grade Power Pix Language Arts, copyright 2009, Chris Biffle and Jay Vanderfin) It makes complete sense to me, and I can think of a hundred examples in my own life where I have remembered something for a long period of time because I could connect it to sounds, images, and/or body movements. I can still remember the dance routine that I did as a cheerleader at my senior homecoming pep assembly (15+ YEARS AGO!) ! I can only do the routine if I sing the song, though! I can't wait to see how this activity positively impacts my students.
I have a wall ready for my power pix (below on the right side), although this is what I am most worried about. Since there aren't any pix developed for middle school science (not that I have been able to find anyway) I will be creating my own as I go through the year. I love the idea of power pix and hope I am able (and creative enough) to put them together for each unit ahead of time. If you're not familiar with Power Pix, check out WBT or Mrs. Stoltenberg's 2nd grade class blog (she does a great job of explaining what they are all about, thanks Nancy!).
I also have my Super Improvers Wall set up (above on the left). It is going to be a challenge to keep up with the 100+ students that I will see in a day, but I think that the effort will be well worth it. I have cut construction paper into 2"x3" rectangles, and will attach address labels with printed student names as soon as I get my class list. Students will receive stars for making improvements, 10 stars equals a new colored rectangle. I have the color levels on the far left side of the board. If you aren't familiar with the Super Improvers Wall, Rachelle at Teacher on the Loose has a great explanation of how it, or of course you can go to the WBT too learn more.
I got this idea from pinterest. I put my two file cabinets back to back, and made a magnetic bulletin board. I am going to use this for posting student work. Love this!
This is on the large wall outside of my door, another idea from pinterest. I have three dry erase markers hanging down on the right (there's a random hook in the wall so I put it to good use!). I cut and laminated sentence strips for student to "tweet" answers to a posted question. My room is located in a hallway where 6th, 7th, and 8th graders walk past, so I'm going to let anyone "tweet". I am really going to try and be in the hallway during passing time just to make sure that no sweetheart writes something inappropriate. Plus we have cameras in the hallway, so that will be helpful! :)
This is my last interactive bulletin board. Using this one for students to post descriptions about scientists using colored circles of construction paper.
