Dry Erase Boards are one of my favorite classroom tools for a number of reasons. Although I am not a fan of the drill & kill method, sometimes it has to be done. Having students write and display their answers on dry erase boards gives me a good sense of who gets it and who doesn't without having to wait until I have time to look at their written work. It also tells me what exact mistakes my students are making or what they are misunderstanding. This informs my future instruction and allows me to tweak future lessons so that I am zeroing in on those weak points.
In addition to the feedback I get from these types of activities, the students get immediate and specific feedback as well. They too can begin reconstructing their understanding immediately and ask questions.
My typical Dry Erase Board Activity looks one of a few ways.
1. Vocabulary recognition - I give a word and students draw pictures that represent the meaning of the word. I can quickly see which words are causing them trouble and use them more in class.
2. Vocabulary Production - I display a picture, they write the Spanish word. I scan the room and remind about common spelling errors.
3. Grammar Application - I display sentences with a verb that needs to be conjugated. The students change the verb accordingly. I scan the room for errors and give both individual feedback and whole class reminders.
Here is a link to some Dry Erase Board Activities that are available in my TpT store:
Preterite Tense Dry Erase Board Activity Pack
What's that? You don't have individual dry erase boards for your students? You don't feel like spending $30 for a set of 10 boards? $90 for a class set?
One of my colleagues moonlighted as a Home Depot employee many years back and told me that melamine sheets actually work just like a dry erase board and is MUCH cheaper. I went the very next day and purchased a huge sheet of melamine for around $30. I paid $5 to have it cut into 32 one square foot dry erase boards and "voila" - a class set for $35 instead of the close to $100 that I would have paid retail. I have been using the same boards for 8 years and they are only now getting to the point where I am thinking about replacing them.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial that shows you how to make your own boards:
How To Make Your Own White Board
In addition to the feedback I get from these types of activities, the students get immediate and specific feedback as well. They too can begin reconstructing their understanding immediately and ask questions.
My typical Dry Erase Board Activity looks one of a few ways.
1. Vocabulary recognition - I give a word and students draw pictures that represent the meaning of the word. I can quickly see which words are causing them trouble and use them more in class.
2. Vocabulary Production - I display a picture, they write the Spanish word. I scan the room and remind about common spelling errors.
3. Grammar Application - I display sentences with a verb that needs to be conjugated. The students change the verb accordingly. I scan the room for errors and give both individual feedback and whole class reminders.
Here is a link to some Dry Erase Board Activities that are available in my TpT store:
Preterite Tense Dry Erase Board Activity Pack
What's that? You don't have individual dry erase boards for your students? You don't feel like spending $30 for a set of 10 boards? $90 for a class set?
One of my colleagues moonlighted as a Home Depot employee many years back and told me that melamine sheets actually work just like a dry erase board and is MUCH cheaper. I went the very next day and purchased a huge sheet of melamine for around $30. I paid $5 to have it cut into 32 one square foot dry erase boards and "voila" - a class set for $35 instead of the close to $100 that I would have paid retail. I have been using the same boards for 8 years and they are only now getting to the point where I am thinking about replacing them.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial that shows you how to make your own boards:
How To Make Your Own White Board
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