• How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?
My actions thus far have been successful. I have been renewed as well by my job being restored. I do not know how yet. Perhaps I will find out how, perhaps not? As I prepare for the coming year, I have been and continue to be switching my lessons over to the format we have used in this and the previous class. All I have to do now is find enough topics to inspire student learning in a self-directed fashion.
• What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
I have learned that students learn best when they are provided a starting point and ending point, but are allowed to find their own way there. Students who are forced to do a particular thing may be coming up short because they are either not interested or they may have a better way to express what they have learned.
• What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
I still need to find a way in my crazy schedule to meet with teachers and include their discipline into technology. Both as I am doing with my own classes, and as they will do when I am not in the classroom. Here is a question: should I concentrate on the technical skills and acquired knowledge of my students, or on the learned material of the entire lesson? I believe it must be a balance of both, but I have been told to make class “fun” or inspiring. Students in my 7th and 8th grade classes get to choose between six or seven exploratory classes.
• How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?
I will attempt to include homeroom teachers and their material in my classroom. In a further attempt to do this, I will use technology to assist me. Everything from email to live chats to video conferences, and I may even open up a blog or wiki to allow teachers to post assignments at their convenience.
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Steve,
ReplyDeleteI agree that students need to know what the starting and ending point is in any project or assignment. I find my students seem to do better if they know what is exactly expected of them and how it is going to be graded. Do you find your students asking you how many points the assignment is going to be worth a lot? I seem to find this more at the end of a semester when grades are due, but I wish they understood that grades are cumulative throughout a semester!
Finding time to meet with other teachers is a struggle that I have as well. An idea that you may want to use is to set up a blog/wiki page that you all can access and post ideas on at a time that is good for you. Maybe you need to wait until you get home to post and others can post on their conference, as long as you are collaborating it should not matter.
I hope that the ideas help!
Darcey Kondel
Steve,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I am glad to hear your job has been restored for the fall. I am in a similar position, so I can relate to what you were feeling.
I think it is important to be clear with a start and end point, but I know from teaching special ed students that you also need to keep in mind that some students need a road map to meet the final outcome. This would be a good accommodation for student's that may need it.
Good Point. I will have a rubric for the projects, but it simply will not be strict in nature. As long as they get the work done, I will be happy.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your endeavors.
Thanks Darcey,
ReplyDeleteI have not decided yet, but I am leaning toward a blog cause then the teachers can post anonymously.
They can follow or login with their GMail accounts.
All of these are great little ideas. I cannot wait to introduce them to the staff. Especially when I have students running and communicating through their own blogs.