Noteworthy: Foldables

Teachers use Foldables to enhance the study of concepts in their classrooms. After learners have been introduced to a concept, the teacher facilitates the construction and application of these three-dimensional organizers. As with all strategies, the creation process must be modeled.

Matchbook Foldable, Layered Book Foldable, Three- Tab Foldable

Learners use Foldables to create tangible containers for their new learning in a useable and hands-on format. Of course, the strategy does not end with the construction. The Foldable must be used in some format to show application.

Four-Door Foldable, Pyramid Foldable, Shutter Foldable

Foldables...
...quickly organize, display and arrange data making it easier for students to grasp concepts, theories, processes, facts, and ideas, or to sequence events as outlined in the content standards.
...result in student-made study guides that are compiled as students listen for main ideas, read for main ideas, or conduct research.
...provide a multitude of creative formats in which students can present projects, research, experiment results, and inquiry based reports instead of typical poster board or science fair formats.
...replace teacher-generated writing or photocopied sheets with student-generated print.
...incorporate such skills as comparing and contrasting, cause and effect, and similarities and differences into daily work and long-term projects. For example, these graphic organizers can be used to compare and contrast student explanations of inquiry based questions to explanations currently accepted by scientists.
...continue to "immerse" students in previously learned vocabulary, concepts, generalizations, ideas, theories, etc. providing them with a strong foundation upon which they can build with newly learned knowledge, observations, and concepts.
...can be used by students or teachers to easily communicate data through graphics, tables, charts, diagrams, models and Venn diagrams.
...allow students to make their own journals for recording qualitative and quantitative observations.
... can be used as alternative assessment tools by teachers to evaluate student progress or by students to evaluate their own progress.
...integrate language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. Note: Dinah has developed a publishing center that encourages the use of time lines,maps, graphs, tables, charts and measurement tools (such as beakers, rain gauges, and thermometers) to be incorporated into student communication--written, oral and research based computer projects.
...provide a sense of student "ownership" or investiture in the curriculum.

Dinah Zike is known for designing these hands-on manipulatives that are used nationally and internationally by teachers, parents, and educational publishing companies. Dinah Zike has a partnership with Macmillan-McGraw-Hill and her Foldables are found in all of our programs.

On January 19, 2010, I traveled to Morton, Illinois to observe my co-worker Tina Hyatt conduct an after school Foldable workshop for area teachers. Tina is a dynamic presenter and I learned a lot from her. I was amazed at how excited the teachers got when they were making the various types of Foldables! When Tina asked if they'd like to make another one they cheered as if they were on Oprah and had just been told that they were going home with Oprah's favorite things! I could tell that conducting a Foldables workshop was going to be a lot of fun. And after participating in Tina's workshop I was ready to make my own.

Tina shows off the Foldables she made.

On Monday, January 25, 2010, my mom and dad came over to my house and we made Foladbles for 6 hours! After making Foldables all day I felt like an expert and was confident that I had the knowledge to conduct my own Foladables workshop. Two days later, on January 27, I conducted my first Foldables workshop in East Peoria, Illinois. I had a group of 18 teachers to work with. I began having them make a Sentence Strip Holder Foldable to use as their name tag and I messed up the directions as I was making this first Foldable with them! We had a good laugh and I assured them that this was the most difficult Foladable we would make today, and it was. The rest of the one hour workshop went very well and everyone was excited to leave the session with new ideas to take back to their classroom. Holly, the Central Illinois sale rep, was there for extra support and I really appreciated her encouragement. Holly arranged for this Foldables workshop to be held at a local pizza restaurant and everyone went home with Foldables and a large one topping pizza! Holly and I are taking our Foldable act on the road and will be giving another Foldable workshop in her territory on February 23.