Skillful Use of a Word Splash

Cindy Riedl
Jun 21, 2010

Word Splash is used as a technique to build relationships between words and key concepts as an Activating Strategy, but it has been proven to be an excellent assessment strategy as well. Debbie Pfotzer, an English teacher at William Penn High School in New Castle, Delaware shared the following experience with us:

"I created a Word Splash on Romantic Literature instead of giving the traditional selection test at the end of the unit. I asked the students to do the following: use all the words in the Word Splash and create a story about Romantic Literature. They just couldn't say 'The hero went on a quest and displayed chivalry.' They had to use the word and show meaning. My students worked up to the end of the class period and some even asked to complete the assignment at home. When the students brought back the assignment, they presented me with a four page story that was so incredible it took my breath away. These students actually were able to show evidence of learning in the truest form. I will use Word Splash as an assessment strategy in the future."

After reading what Debbie wrote, I contacted her immediately to encourage her and learn more about using Word Splash as an assessment. She has confirmed my belief that exemplary strategies, when used thoughtfully and purposefully, will have tremendous impact on student engagement and therefore, student achievement.

After a LEARNING-FOCUSED workshop, I leave wondering how much of the content and strategies will be transformed by teachers into lessons that actually improve student performance. Although I want to believe that there are many teachers out there like Debbie Pfotzer, it is rare that we hear from them. As a former teacher, after a workshop, I could not wait to try out some of the strategies I had learned, but discovered quickly that it takes thoughtful planning to use these new ideas effectively - which is why the power of having a framework like LEARNING-FOCUSED is so effective. Also, I needed to share my ideas with other teachers, who in turn helped me improve my implementation.

At the beginning of our workshops, every presenter previews the page in the book that relates to ‘Getting the Most from this Workshop and Notebook'. The major goal is to grow professionally, to search for idea treasures that can be used immediately during the planning of lessons. For the most part, it looks easy when the presenter demonstrates the strategy but it may be a different story when actually trying a new technique or strategy with students. Transfer requires a deeper understanding of a strategy than what most participants receive during a single workshop. The workshop's notebook is meant to be used to provide a deeper understanding with additional examples after the day is over. It does not happen through osmosis! Like anything worthwhile, it takes the investment of time to rethink the strategy and plan how it will be adapted or adopted for effective implementation in the classroom with diverse students.

Also required is reflection after implementation, such as why did it work well, or how could it be improved? Remember, the presenter gave you their contact number and email address. Every trainer at LEARNING-FOCUSED is committed to the success of the teachers who have participated in any of our workshops - 24/7! Take advantage of their expertise! If one does not have the answer to your question or dilemma, another one will. We work as a collaborative team and we all are life-long learners!

After the workshop, there are several things you should do immediately. Find a partner or team to collaboratively explore the strategies and practices introduced in the workshop. Agree to work together during the planning stage and then after implementation to reflect on what works and what does not. Heads Together works for kids! It will make a huge difference when it is professionals working together towards a common goal - raising student achievement. Internal support is so important but so is praise for a good job done. Profession collaboration is nothing new, yet it is often not supported by administrations because when time is provided, it has been not used for its intended purpose.
Think about ways you can make a difference after a workshop. Have a plan! Do not wait until the administration gets involved. This is what professionals do - continuous improvement. Would you go to a dentist, mechanic or surgeon who had not remained current with the latest skills and practices? Why should we in the educational field be any different? Share your ideas and experiences with us. We listen!