For Week 2 of my Book Study, I decided to read and learn more about lesson planning the PEAK way! I heard my coworkers talking about Cloud, Sprinkle, Shower, Soak, and Drips but I only heard the surface. Since I have a long weekend, I was hoping to finish my lesson plans for the rest of the school year (6-weeks worth!) thus calling for the need to read this chapter.
OK, so let's get on with the explanation! The PEAKsters uses the metaphor of a rain shower to describe the theory and process of planning and teaching. Most teachers teach what is on the scope and sequence when it is scheduled to be taught for the district. However, PEAK masterminds believe people, especially children, can learn multiple things at one time. When a teacher present new information and only teaches a certain objective, they compare it to a Flash Flood! Flash Floods are dangerous, destructive, and distressing to the land. Just as FLOODs of information puts students in danger of becoming frustrated, give up, and maybe even quit altogether. So by filtering in information slowly, students are prepared and ready to learn new information.
The levels of planning/exposure are Cloud, Sprinkle, Shower, Soak, and drip, Drip, DRIP. I'll explain one level at a time.
Clouds: Posters, pictures, vocabulary words, etc. hung in a certain spot in a classroom to present the "Biggest Idea" of each upcoming unit. Normally hung 2-4 weeks prior to the actual unit, students are able to observe and dwell on the information. Don't bring special attention necessarily to them, just let the students be sponges and absorb any thoughts or information presented.
Sprinkle: Just as it begins to sprinkle before a good rain, a "sprinkle" of the Biggest Ideas present by the Clouds are briefly mentioned and discussed between students. These activities should last 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Very brief, food for thought type deal. Some examples of activities for sprinkling provided from the book are:
1. Work in groups to observe everything they notice about the "clouds."
2. Choral Repetition
3. Generate list of information of what the THINK they know about the topic.
4.What might this idea be used for?
5. Look at a Word Splash (I have no idea what this is, but it's in Chapter 9, may be my next choice of study.
This week I'm going to focus and "Plan with the end in mind!" So I'll work on deciding what the objectives are for the last few weeks of school and creating posters for them.
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