Teaching to Learn-Learning to Teach

Language Povery and 21st Century Tools

2009-09-13T19:00:00.003-06:00

Language Poverty students need specific scaffolding and strategies in order to access the required content. At the secondary level, content is accessed through language: reading, writing, speaking and listening. English Language Learners (ELL) require more focused attention on listening and speaking than native speakers. However, children who live in poverty have had less access and exposure to literature and rich vocabulary. Therefore, students who live in poverty and students who do not natively speak English enter school with a deficit of language. In order to access the content presented them in the secondary classroom, these students require additional support.

I believe the greatest support these students of "Language Poverty" require is through vocabulary instruction. This vocabulary instruction must be contextual. It cannot be separated from the content. Students must experience a concept: hear, see, taste, touch, smell, and manipulate it. As children, when we learned a new word/concept it was through our experiences. We did not take notes on a word! In addition, we compared the word to concepts we already possessed.

My nephew, for example, upon being presented with a grape for the first time called it a, "berry." He CATEGORIZED it as being sweet, small and red, therefore it must be a berry. His mother responded, "No Kia, its a grape. Can you say, grape?"

To learn a new concept we compare it to what we already know, our SCHEMA, to truly grasp the concept so that we can use it.

How can secondary teachers offer meaningful experiences to students inorder for students to access the content THROUGH the concept? How can we do this through the medium of 21st Century Tools?

Tonia tried her hand at Vlogging (also known as TloGging)

2009-06-20T10:30:00.001-06:00

I have been meaning to get back to blogging for the past year....when you stop doing it, you get so much you want to share, you don't know where to start. So, I vlogged....although I prefer to call it a tlog. Hopefully, I can once again become reflective about my practice....

The Roof -- The Roof -- The Roof is on FIRE

2008-10-17T17:51:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that it has been less than a month since my last blog post. How quickly change happens in education.

About a week ago I had a dream that one of my students started a fire in the classroom across the hall. I saw the flames and sent a student to pull the fire alarm....there were adults and students in my room.....in a panic I started screaming for everyone to leave the room....the adults carried on their conversations as students lost control and began running across tables and doing crazy things. The adults continued to talk despite my pleas to leave the building. My dream ended with my classroom filling with smoke...

This dream has come at a time of great transition in my professional life. I have been appointed as the Science and Technology Coordinator and have handed my classroom off to a VERY CAPABLE student teacher. I was doing both jobs for about two weeks and have transitioned almost completely. And now, I am wandering around in a daze trying to figure out how to have the academy ready to drive learning in less than TEN months.

The crazy thing is that I have gotten less done in my full time capacity as I did doing it part time. I have literally been in meetings! I'm still teaching first block and there is about 1 hour of lunch supervision. Its CRAZY.

I'm very excited about the possibilities of having an academy full of teachers focused on integrating technology into their instruction. I just don't know where to start.

I think that the teachers think we have this secret plan about the transition that they are unaware of. If they only knew that I was just as confused as they are!!!

Hopefully in the coming WEEKS (not months) I will be able to develop a clearer picture that is transparent and supportive of teacher needs so that they can develop great instruction so that our students develop into amazing learners.

I hope to set up a google group or NING group that will fascilitate collaboration, provide book studies to help teachers focus on their practice, develop academy policies and practices, develop an idea of the picture of our learner, introduce teachers to the expectations of technology, and begin to paint a clearer picture of the S&T academy. I think all of this will be supported by the collaborative tools that Web 2.0 has.

One of the cool tools I'm excited about is through acrobat.com. This adobe veture uses a Java platform to provide document creation, PDF creation, collaboration space where desktops can be shared. It is still in BETA and has a few kinks, but the document creation is a little cleaner than Google Docs and the super bonus is the PDF creation application.

course management

2008-09-21T19:41:00.002-06:00

I have created an "online" course experience for my students who are "retreads."

Those who have taken the class before and do not need language support are doing a self-paced version. I posted all of their learning activities on a wiki and am having them post them on their Goolge site.

I'm pretty excited. I've been playing with the idea of a course management system, namely sakai, but I may be able to do most things through a wiki.

the are blogging on a "reflection" page, doing notes and activities directly on their site.

its kinda cool....

I'm going to observe them this week, it is the first full week and see if they are more on task and completing more activities than before.

I am also excited that I can rescue my monolingual students and start emphasizing language through content!!

how to move from great to good

2008-09-09T07:41:00.002-06:00

I don't know how "PC" this blog post will be....this is a warning.....I'm going to use this post to vent because I find that by venting I find clarification and ultimately new direction and resolve.
I love to teach, but sometimes I feel like the cliche: babysitter. I plan, sometimes to a fault and all I end up doing in a day is chasing students around the room, asking them to get on task and then pretending not to have my feelings hurt when the call me a name (the latest is McAsshole)!

I want each of my students to feel cared for and know that I expect them to excel. I wonder how clearly I have been able to voice this message over the past two weeks?!

My biggest headache comes from my 3rd and 4th block Social Studies classes. I thought they were supposed to be "ELA", but our school has such a high course failure rate, that half of the students are what Jennings lovingly refers to as "retreads." (Retreading works for my tires.....for a time, but isn't helping these students learn to learn or live. ) So, I have half of my students learning language, and the other half retaking the class. I can't really teach language....I attempt to teach content to students who have no idea what I'm saying and chasing the other half of my class around the room with threats and plees to "do thier work." Looking at my gradebook, I see that noone is passing ----- noone is completeing thier work.

I have often told myself: "I am a good teacher, good teachers handle all situations with grace and agility and make all students learn."

Last night I was reading a book for my Evaluation class for my principal's license. In summary it said, the job of a supervisor is to fascilitate growth among teachers so that students get the best education possible. It also said that supervisors must be aware of the teacher's experience, maturity, life obsticles, and setting ----what they have to deal with inside the 4 walls of their classroom. Supervisors should give teachers, especially young teachers, opportunities to grow and that means making sure their setting is manageable.

I keep comparing myself to Jennings. However, eve with 30 years teaching I won't be as great as she is nor will I command as much respect. Yet, here I am, a teacher with only three years experience expecting the results of a teacher with thirty. And, I feel that my administration expects the same.....wouldn't my class load be different if they did?

My question: how do I move from being a good teacher to a great teacher in my current setting?

And when did I become the teacher that blames my failures on my administration(/counseling center)?

I need to differetiate....everyone says so, but none can explain to me the steps to do it. It seems that differentiation can be explained in theory by textbooks, peers and administrators but, it takes experience and intuition to do it....and do it well.

By looking at my classes, I need to differentiate and create three - four lesson plans for each class. --- Thats my next step to figure out how to do this efficiently.

I also need to make sure I acknowlege my students who are on task....

I need to plan activities that are kinesthetic and allow for movement.....maybe I won't have to chase these kids around so much...

SWEET

2008-09-02T20:05:00.002-06:00

Woe, there is so much to do when school starts I don't know where to begin. I keep giving myself other tasks to do too....but they are so much fun!

First Area of Distraction
Dave Tarwater and I spent my plan today attempting to put Sakai onto one of the computers in my classroom. Our limited understanding of networks thinks that we can use one of the computers as a small server. Some where we did something wrong and it didn't work. I was hoping that it would be much easier to use than moodle. However, downloading and installing was way more than we could muscle today. I think there is something wrong with where our directory is pointed. I'm going to try the download from rSmart tomorrow. From playing around I really like the cleanness of Sakai, it doesn't seem as fumbly as moodle. It also offers blogs and eportfolios....I'm very excited about this. We're hoping to replace the e-courses that the school currenlty pays for with Sakai.

Second Area of Distraction
The ILT is planning on defining the new academies that our school will be moving into next year. We will be presenting the vision during after school PD sessions over 2 days. However, we had to throw in an overview session with the whole staff given by our principal. I did the math. Getting 80 teachers to leave one area of the school after the initial presentations to go to another part of school to get the overview of each acaademy seemed like a waste of time. We only have 45 mintues after school each day. SOO......I thought it would be cool if the teachers broke into their session and watched a streaming video of the principal at the same time. SWEET!! However, UStream does not work in-district(?) and whiziq only offers a small video with the larger white board....not what I was looking for. So, Joe pointed me to Mogulus, which is pretty sweet. It sets up like a news channel with scrolling text and everything. Also, your viewers don't need an account, you just point them to your page (www.mogulus.com/ACHS). You can even embed in a webpage or a blog!!! It has a chat feature ....which would be cool, but it doesn't work in district...

I've enjoyed being distracted, but I have some cool stuff going on in my classes too....but its late, I'll share more tomorrow!

2008-08-21T07:03:00.001-06:00

Summer Break is over.....now I have to think

2008-08-18T18:28:00.003-06:00

The greatest growth I’ve experienced as a teacher came last year. This was the year I began to blog about my experiences in my classroom I found that I was able to work my way through most of my issues and really REFLECT on what worked and what didn’t. The greatest impact came from comments that colleagues made on my blog. These questions and thoughts led me into deeper thought. I became a researcher in my own classroom. I watched what was going on, made predictions, tested hypothesis and continually changed what I was doing to match the impact in my classroom. I believe that this is a very constructivist way to teach. I didn’t just settle for a copy of someone’s lesson plan and leave in that day. I didn’t rely on textbooks (my students can’t read them any way). I relied on what I was experiencing, what I was learning from my colleagues, and what I could find from research. As log as we are talking about cognition and learning, we might as well talk about Vygotsky. Through my blogging I made my own learning about teaching social. Vygosky writes: "Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals" (Vygotsky 1978).

This is the understanding that I have constructed from the experiences that I have had.

While reading The Case for the Constructivist Classroom I experienced a paradigm shift. Piaget is very focused on the individual and their cognitive structures…I didn’t see him making connections to the social experiences that students may be having. “The growth of knowledge is the result of individual constructions made by the learner” (Brooks & Brooks 25).

I reorganized my understanding of creating understanding.

While I made these connections by communicating with others in a social setting (by blogging), the change in my teaching came from the individual level. I may have discussed and researched changing a practice, but the change was individual. I had to take these pieces from conversations and my own experience to create new meaning. I thought blogging only worked because it was social. But, I missed the fact that we construct ideas and socialize with them thus making an individual change. I think that Kant would agree according to The Case for the Constructivist Classroom, analysis of actions lead to new knowledge just as experience generates new knowledge (23).

TIE 2008

2008-06-25T01:02:00.000-06:00

short post....'cause its been too long

2008-05-22T08:32:00.002-06:00

I haven't had a blog post in a looonnngg time. I feel so horrible for not having the time to reflect on what happened at the end of this year. School ended a month early and so the end of term/year activities took place in only a couple of weeks. (I only made it to yoga 3 times last month).

I am currently working with my colleagues in creating a plan for our new academies in our new high school. I hope to reflect on the process in the next couple of weeks....Pretty exciting.

Right now I guess I'm pretending to live blog but there's too much discussion to keep up with....

I'm enjoying the process of discussion and collaboration with my colleagues....despite the topic! However, the topic is very exciting; we are creating philosophies of eduction and THEN trying to figure out how to see them through

Research Results

2008-04-15T09:28:00.005-06:00

Yesterday's post was a brief presentation to my research class on the results of my research on blogging with my classes. I will be presenting the full (20 minute) presentation on Tuesday, April 8th at the Action Research Conference at Jefferson County's Administration building.

I'm very excited with the results. I my study looked at how blogging impacted community, writing and retention of content in my ELA Social Studies classroom.

After the study
...80% of the students felt like they were part of a classroom community.
...80% of the students improved their attitudes towards their classmates, their school and their classroom
...All students reached partially-proficient on the writing rubric
...80% of the students moved an average of 4 points on the rubric
...60% of the students improved their writing organization
...100% of students improved the content in their writing
...students were able to discuss what they knew and didn't know
...the word "learned" was used 50 times in their blogs
...Students used classroom vocabulary in their blog entries

I WISH
...Students cross-posted more often
...Students regularly commented on their classmate's blogs
...I posted/commented more often on the student blogs

2008-04-14T17:09:00.002-06:00

2008-04-06T09:58:00.001-06:00

Pre-Spring Break Blues

2008-03-26T08:08:00.003-06:00

On the Civil War unit. Its going pretty well. My students worked for two days researching a civil war and putting a video together on the war. It really wasn't supposed to be that hard or indepth...however few of them got the work done. So, yesterday they were to present and the students who did present had awful presentations. On top of that....I was being observed.
If I were on American Teaching Idol....Simon would have done me in!

Today they are presenting whether or not they have their videos done.

This week I have discovered Google Sites. Its a ton like wetpaint. I need to figure out the protections on it though, because it looks like anyone in the district can edit a student's page. I'm treating them as their unit portfolios, to keep track of thoughts and assignments. They will put their video(if they have one ) on their site and they will put their final toondoon on their site.

Despite my awful observation, I feel like I am moving forward with the unit and that at the end the students will know what they are supposed to know.

Civil War Unit

2008-03-17T14:25:00.002-06:00

I've put together my lesson plans addressing the Essential Questions:

What effect does civil war have on people? What is the definition for civil war?

The first task is for students to research a current day civil war and describe it to the class. Then they will create a voicethread or a video to describe what a civil war is. Finally, they will use toondoo to compare and contrast these current day civil wars to the American Civil War.
--All over the course of a week and a half! --

I'm very excited about this unit and believe that it is something that my students can get into.
Please browse the plans and let me know if you have any feedback!

Unit Plan

Day 1

Day 2, 3, 4

Day 5

Day 6, 7

Blogging Research Tag Cloud

2008-03-14T21:46:00.001-06:00

Essential Questions

2008-03-14T07:19:00.004-06:00

I've been thinking about how to use Essential Questions to make American History more appealing to students who are not from the United States. I'm planning a unit on the Civil War. I'm bored by the Civil War. I became a Social Studies teacher because I enjoy looking at people....not dates or battle fields. This unit in our curriculum is all about the Civil War and wants the emancipation proclamation and a battlefield described. I've put off creating this lesson because I'm bored by just thinking about it.

I began thinking about the bigger issue.....what is the thing that is timeless about the Civil War? ...not the causes....the actual war itself.

I did what I do best, I had a conversation....several conversations about what this essential question(s) could be. I sat down with one of my assistant principals, Kevin Greeley, asking if I could have a conversation with him about "instruction." We discussed that dates may not be that important for my students....but the ability to connect the material to their lives is important. I have students from Egypt, China, Somalia, and Mexico. All of these countries are closer to Civil War than I have ever been.

I took the things we talked about and talked with Joe Miller. For spending the first part of his career outside of education, he has amazing insights. He is our director of Assessment and the Global Learner Guru of Technology.

Through these conversations, I've finally narrowed the questions down:

What effect does civil war have on people?
What is the definition of civil war?

image from: http://ginisty.typepad.com/weblog/images/question.jpg

Essential Questions

2008-03-11T17:49:00.003-06:00

I am wrapping up my unit on the causes of the civil war and wondering how I make it more broad and meaningful for my ELA students. How do I pose a question that we would like answered to day, and answer it by looking at the Civil War. I know its doable and I feel like I can do it and I'm touching on it....but what does it look like? How different would the class look? How would I still cover those (few) things that the curriculum is asking me to cover?

After CSAP Regina and I are going to plan our our "tearing down the walls" unit. It will be within our school. It will involve 10th grade IB Alegbra students and 11th grade ELA Social Studies. I think that if we get that Essential question down and figure out how to hold conversations and virtual projects between theses classes I will be half way to figuring out how answer these questions.

Also, looking at framing the umbrella Essential Questions that will frame the lens for the Science/Technology academy!

I'm beginning to see the importance and usefulness of Essential Questions. The Edge textbook by Hampton Brown/National Geographic does an amazing job of Essential Questions! I'm going to study it and find ways to do it on my own and make it feel organic!

2008-03-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Live Blogging

2008-03-06T14:31:00.002-07:00

Below is my first at liveblog with my students I'm following a lesson plan that I posted in my Scribd.com.

I began class showing the students my blog and having them ask and answer questions. They were really engaged, looking over their resources to find the information. All of them!

Then I asked them to form groups to lead their own conversation tomorrow...they fell apart. I asked them to think of 3 points they wanted to make and what questions they want answered. Their goal was to "develop deeper understanding of what would cause a country to go to war against itself."

I need to think of another scaffold I should add...so that tomorrow's presentations don't go wacko!

Live Blog --- American History

2008-03-06T11:45:00.001-07:00

weekend!

2008-03-02T19:56:00.004-07:00

What a weekend! I didn't do much work, I just prepared a few clicker questions to go along with a CSAP training presentation. However, today we managed to put in a new sink, garbage disposal and dishwasher. Really just wanted the dishwasher, but I guess it doesn't work like that!

I will admit that it feels a little weird to be so excited about kitchen appliances at 24, but hey whatever makes me happy ... right?

This week I plan to get alot of my data from my blog research analyzed. I think the biggest thing I'll find is that I needed more time to actually show any change in student performance. I will be able to say that blogs, just like any new tool has learning curve and must be taught to be effective. I teach textbook reading strategies, so why not teach blogging?

CSAP training tomorrow, hopefully the teachers won't be too mean to me! It is annoying to sit through the same presentation every year...hopefully free markers will make them a little nicer... and heck the clickers will make it interesting!

Goolge Docs Lesson Plans

2008-02-28T20:20:00.004-07:00

I've created some lesson plans using Google Docs to get students to think more critically and collaborate.

Civil War and Google Docs 2

Civil War and Google Docs 1

I used www.scribd.com, a resourced that I heard from Sharon Peters. I'm really excited to find a place to upload lessons and that can be interactive. Visitors can view my lesson plans and add comments and questions. On a side note my student teacher said she had to pay for a service through CUD that allowed her to put in her lesson plans and papers for grading and feedback! After I showed her this service she was a little upset that she was spending money on something that was harder to use. I love Web 2.0, especially when its FREE!!!!

I used the SIOP lesson plan template, which helped me reflect on my lessons from the lens of an ELA Teacher--which I should have been doing. However, the last few weeks I have been so consumed by getting my students to think critically that I've over looked the language barrier. I need to take a step back and make sure they have received good comprehensible input before I get them to think and do things with the information.

I've been thinking alot about essential questions lately, I'd like to think some more about how to use the Essential Questions to create language targets and to allow students to apply and use their background knowledge -- even if they have no understanding of American History.

{this post is cross posted with the Global Learner website}

Thoughts on Science and Technology Academy

2008-02-27T14:33:00.002-07:00

This is a tag cloud of a chat between Joe Miller, Bud The Teacher, Regina Stewart and myself. We are discussing what a Science and Technology academy would look like.

google and thinking strategies

2008-02-27T08:40:00.002-07:00

Returned from a day off to chaos...don't really know what I was expecting.
I've been working this week on having students do "double entry diaries" on Google Docs. Tomorrow, they will share them and do them collaboratively under the guidance of Kristen, my student teacher. However, I still have ten students who don't remember their google password! Maybe I'll just have them make a new one!

I've been getting some great feed back from people on what they want to see in a Science and Technology Academy. I still need more feedback though!

If I were in charge of the world...

2008-02-26T14:10:00.004-07:00

...education would look SO much different. But, what if they let us edu techo peeps plan the instruction at a school...
I believe that great learning is collaborative, problem solving, communicative.....all the things that "Web 2.0" provides.....

With these tools....what pedagogy and infrastructure would there need to be? Regina Stewart and I put together a VoiceThread look for your help!

Please take a look at our prompts and tell us, if you were in charge of the world...what would a 21st century education program look like.....please browse comment and doodle

Blogging for reflection

2008-02-26T14:02:00.003-07:00

Okay...so its been a month since my last post. February is a crazy month. I don't know if its crazy like this for everyone or just educators? I think I want to begin micro-blogging -- doing small entries more often.
The reflective practice of blogging is very meditative and relaxing. I Need to really do it more--to keep myself even and constantly learning and adapting.
After reading Who Moved My Cheese for a seminar for grad school I connected the book to blogging:

I like how our hero who finally decided to move and find new cheese recorded his journey on the walls. Reflection and documenting the journey is the biggest key to growth. I have found the past year while reflecting on my blog, I have found the biggest growth through my educational pursuits. Reflecting has cemented the progress that I have made and has made the things that I have learned real and has moved me into the next level of my profession. As a teacher, there is always something to work on and change in my classroom. Keeping track of the things that I am changing and how that change progresses is the greatest gift I have given myself. The ability to reflect on what works, what doesn’t work and why gives me the opportunity to grow into my profession.

Assignment Protocol

2008-01-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today was an eyeopening experience. We began by taking an assignment and dissecting it to figure out what proficiency would look like, what skills students needed to gain proficiency, and finally what instruction would need to look like.

The activity provided opportunities for discussion surrounding proficiency and how our expectations played into proficiency. The greatest impact that this activity had was the discussion on what instruction would have to look like in order to reach proficiency.

In essence, what we are really focusing on is presenting "e" (the activity that requires the highest level of thinking) to students and then directing instruction so students can reach our highest expectation.

I think that we all understand that we need to design our lessons backwards, but this activity really demonstrated how to get into the task to make sure its measuring what we want and that we have directed instruction that way. I think most of the groups created assessments, so we created focal points for an entire period of instruction. Doing this makes instruction focused and meaningful

The most powerful thing that I walked away was the idea that the assessment or task should be presented to students before instruction so that they have an idea of what they are expected to do.

(this post is cross-posted on the ILT blog: achsilt.blogspot.com)

thoughts

2008-01-28T21:17:00.001-07:00

I'm still digesting the thoughts from this weekend. While I don't fully have them developed and am too tired to start running through them, I'm going to quickly run through the connections I have made and then return to flush them out in the next few days

As Global Learners we began with the tools, but the process quickly and instantaneously flushed itself out through professional and personal development which intern became a reflection on learning how to guide learning.

EduCon was a conference for and by those in the EdTech frame of mind. The focus of the conference was learning, the technology was secondary.

Has the concept of web 2.0 given us the voice and means to transform education? Under the tenants of web 2.0 we encourage critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and collaboration. These are also/now the tenants that we try to change education. Has web 2.o influenced school 2.0 or merely given us the voice and means for change?

EDU CON

2008-01-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

I was exhausted the during the three long days that we were in Philly. I didn't get to update as often as I'd like.

I came away with two "aha's"

learning comes before tools

pick 1 thing that you will rock at

The entire conference was focused on sound instruction and what that looks like....the great sessions addressed learning and stayed clear from tools. I am a teacher first and then a teacher who uses technology. Has anyone really ever said that they were a textbook teacher? Is it necessary to say I'm a edtech person? While touring the school this fact became obvious all of the teachers were amazing. The amazing instruction was apparent when watching a classroom with little student engagement. It was clear the these really are normal kids who lose focus just like my students. How a teacher manages and directs the class is more important than what technology they use. Bad teaching gets worse when technology is introduced in the equation.

Next month some of my Global Learner colleagues and I are presenting on professional and personal development. I think that it is necessary for us to remember to stay away from the tools. We need to focus on what good professional/personal development is and how to create real change.

I'm still working on my thing...but as a team we began brainstorming the skills and strengths that we want our students to possess. The vision would be to create a statement: Adams City High School students are ______________. Then, we decide what this means with a few added statements. Finally we hope to pull this vision into instruction, and decide how are we addressing these goals. As this vision becomes ironed out I can guarantee that I will follow and address this vision

EDUCON day one

2008-01-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted I just finished the pre-conferenced day for the educon. We toured the Science Leadership Academy today, the lesson or keystone that I'm taking away from today is that technology is only a tool an with it presents new management strategies. Even with the best laid lesson plans, without student-focused instruction (even with technology) you still can't have engagement. Just because each student has a computer doesn't mean that they are going to be smarter or learn more....it takes a well balanced teacher to make this happen.

I am going to look for insight into classroom management and low-achieving kids tomorrow.

I don't know which sessions I want to go through, I need to take a few more minutes to see what is really relevant to me. Jen, my principal said that I need to pick one or two things to be really great at. I can know a lot about a lot of things, but I should be focus on becoming expert on one or two at a time, maybe that starts tomorrow!

AM Pre-Flight

2008-01-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

My thought this morning.....
Teaching is a weird and wonderful experience. Each day is filled with both types of encounters. Talking to veteran teachers I have come to realize that teaching is not something that you get used to. Teachers that do go on auto-pilot do so at the expense of their diverse-ever-changing students.
Not to say you don't form routine, or build a pattern into what you do....you still experience the weird and wacky.

This morning is extra wonderful....as a professional...I am preparing for Philly!!! The conference is going to be amazing....and I can't wait to be exposed to new ideas and ways to help my students experience their learning-selves.

However, I am a little tired. I was awakened this morning by breaking glass. I sent my boyfriend out to try to find the burglar. He found nothing and chocked my experience up to the meeting we had earlier with ADT sales man who guaranteed us that in our neighborhood we were in danger.

But....this morning when I let Gizmo out to the backyard through my sun porch I discovered broken glass. The Diet Coke in novelty bottles had frozen and the bottles exploded.

so this is what I'm thinking...if its this cold in Denver...how cold is it in Philly?

finally a post

2008-01-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

I took a computer hiatus during Christmas vacation. It has taken me a week and a half since being back to muster the energy and time to begin blogging again.

If anyone questions the legitimacy of students blogging, they must understand how exhausting it is!

I began my research project on ELL blogging. So far so good. They have blogged five or six times in the past week. Their first step was to create a blog of their own. They have now been posting reflection on daily learning on their blog. As a teacher it makes it very clear who's getting the content and who's not.

One frustration however is that 3 or 4 students out of every class forget their log in information. I don't understand this because they can remember their yahoo and myspace information. I think that the expectation of them being responsible for the posting will impact that!

Next week I want them to begin commenting and cross-posting on their classmates' bog.

In the next few days I'm trying to set up an aggregator with all their blogs on it.

I need to get back to "quantitating data"

Reflections

2007-12-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

It is the final day before Christmas break and then end of the first calendar year of being a Global Learner. It has been three months since I began to integrate technology into my classroom. It has been six months since I began my training.The idea and way I instruct and see instruction has changed so much its hard to see where I started.

its overwhelming to try to calculate all of the changes and new experiences my students and I have.

I'm exhausted and can't quite wrap my brain around the changes in my management and use of technology. Hopefully in the next two weeks I can begin to put into words how much has changed and come up with a plan for the future!

Words as Collaboration tools

2007-12-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book called Choice Words by Peter H. Johnston for my MAE mentoring group. The book is about using what we say to student to get them to see themselves as learners. The whole book has brought me full circle to back to collaboration and the Web 2.0 tools that I use in my classroom.

The chapter I just finished, "An Evolutionary, Democratic Learning Community," really brought this concept home and can lend itself well to my research on blogging. The main topic of this chapter is: "children grow into the intellectual life around them," which is primarily social (65).

Teaching students how to react and use other students in the class is one of the greatest gift we can give them. They can use this knowledge outside of our class to create their own learning communities. Students need to understand that learning happens when we are working together toward a common goal and seeing commonalities and differences in opinion.

THIS IS WEB 2.0!

If we can teach our students to use Web 2.0 tools to collaborate and build learning communities, we are teaching them to learn forever.

This collaboration and learning community should not stop at our students, this is how we foster our own growth as learners. The Global Learner project (knowing or unknowingly?) has fostered this collaboration and is harnessing the power of Web 2.0 to create a teacher's learning community.

abbreviation

2007-12-11T14:35:00.001-07:00

interesting conversation with a student today. I'm teaching them how to take notes out of a text book. So we did the backwards book walk. While taking my notes I abbreviate words. For example people becomes ppl. My teachers always stopped to make sure we understood abbreviations when I was in school and so I did the same.

Cecilia answered: "duh Miss"
So I responded: "Oh good, you understand abbreviations."
(Thinking: some fabulous teacher has already taught this)
Cecilia: "we do that when we text"

RIGHT

at least I know they have the ability to take short hand in college!

teaching like I learn

2007-12-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

The concept has occurred to me before: I should teach students to read by reading and sharing my thoughts with them. This concept is not new and is often the greatest teaching tool we can use.

For example, if my teacher asks me to read the chapter and then answer the questions at the back of the chapter, what will I do?
I will read the questions and then go on a search and destroy mission for the rest of the information! How can I expect my students to do any differently? Especially my ELLs. They can barely read the text, and so they intuitively find key words and copy sentences from the text to answer the question. Did they learn anything? NO!

I teach my NHS students how to code and take notes from their text to prepare them for college, hoping they won't have an experience like me.

Today, it dawned on me that my language students need the same kind of support. They need it more. In order for them to process and understand the text, they must find a way to access it. Copying sentences won't do that!

Today I'm going to try a sort of book walk that I learned from my ELA Coach Barbara Remund. The students and I will go through the section we will be reading and, using three columns copy the headings, the subheading in the second column, and finally the bold vocabulary and graphics in the third column. We will leave room for notes and such.

Then, we will read the text together and note our thoughts or summaries under the appropriate heading. I think that some of the students will get this right away, but it will take some a few attempts.

This is a skill they can take to other classes to create meaning from their text. I hope that they will find it engaging and challenging, but will be successful in the end!

student resistance to change.

2007-12-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

It looks like I'm averaging one post a week. That may be more manageable than once a day. I guess I'm losing the excitement that the beginning of the year and am becoming bogged down with all that comes in the middle of the year--progress grades, student behavior intervention, student academic intervention, final papers for grad school, NHS projects, meetings, and scoring the Eagle Basketball team.

This post I want to think about students' resistance to using technology. They come into class early to get onto YouTube to watch some anime, but ask them to sign up for a mindmeister account or post on the blog and they suddenly become very digitally illiterate..."which button do I push?"..."what do I do now?".....You would think that they left their brains in their lockers. They have signed up for myspace and youtube and countless other programs....but they can't remember their password for their school email or get through the process of setting up a blog.

How much am I expected to scaffold this?

Its still early in the semester and they are very used to teacher centered classrooms. I've had them request lectures (not that they actually sit through them). They are more afraid of technology than my hall-neighbor who is retiring next year. I think part of it is that they don't want to look dumb and they don't want to work or think to hard.....and using technology requires some brain activity...unlike copying passages out of a text book (which they excel at).

I'll provide more opportunities for practice and to just "play" with the technology so its not so scary.....

Wiki work

2007-11-26T08:55:00.001-07:00

i'm cross-posting between my blog and Global Learner blog. I wanted my colleagues to see what my classes are up to, but also wanted to document that on our own site!

I'm attempting to use my wiki in a "blackboard" sort of way. My students are posting their work to the wiki....this is as far as I've gotten so far! I feel good to have gotten this concept across to my language learners but please check it out! Today they will be posting paragraphs on pages they create themselves! I have small classes so I'm not too worried about stealing or manipulating other students' work....I don't think they have it completely figured out to be able to sabotage their classmates....hopefully it won't get to that!

check out our wiki and see what we're up to!

There is a link to American History Three and we are currently at causes of WWI! I would appreciate input and ideas! Feedback is awesome!

2007-11-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Commerce City's new skate park (which is down the street from my house) was on the news this week....finally positive press!

See if you can tell who the local celebrity is being intervied

CC Video

Research Proposal

2007-11-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I presented my research proposal...hopefully I won't have to change anything!
my question is: "what happens when English Language Learners are taught to blog?"
my sub questions ask:

Will writing achievement be affected?
will students see them selves as part of the classroom community?
Will students be more reflective about the content?

All of my students are ELL who are facing "double the work." According to Short and Fitzimmons (2007), the country is attempting to find solutions to trying to teach content, literacy and language to students at the same time. High-Stakes testing has created an environment where language learners must perform on tests in their second language. They must learn to read and write as adolescents in their second language at a time when they should be using reading and writing as a learning tool. On top of that, they must learn the content provided by the state and district standards.

My plan is to teach them to blog. I will slowly implement blogging as a reflective tool in my social studies classroom. My hope is that by the end of my research they will not only respond to teacher questions but, summarize, reflect, and internalize the course content. I also hope that they visit the blogs of other students to comment and connect.

Blogs and technology are an important tool and resource for our students to learn. Due to technological advances jobs and expectations of employees are rapidly changing. According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley, I am preparing my students for jobs that do not exist yet.

Okay, small "trailer" of my research. I'm hoping to being to quantify what we all know: technology makes a difference in the engagement and achievement of our students. After watching Darren and other educators successfuly integrate blogs I am excited to capture this process in my research. I believe that blogging creates an atmosphere of collaboration where, as Darren puts it, students become the experts!

LOCATION, location, location....

2007-11-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

finding the time to blog is like finding the time to run...I've noticed myself slipping into a mild blogging routine. From watching my reader, it seems that a lot of people are finding it hard to get their ideas out....

I've wanted to, but I've put it off knowing that I would have to actually reflect and think and set goals....then the procrastination set in knowing I would have a lot to write about....it could take a while to get it all out!

Last week I had my students write mission statements...I told them that I was working on mine and that its important to know what you believe, who you want to become and how you will get there. I told them I was still working on mine but I know its something like this:

I believe that ACHS students are as capable as any high school student in Colorado. To live out this belief I will give them opportunities to share what they know, give them access to a rigorous curriculum and will give them access to technology.

They all began to write and wrote something about passing a class or graduating....I stopped them and told them that I believed that they all could go to college. (Of course there are legal and political debates about MY students going to college...but whatever.)

They looked at me like they had never heard that before....its sad...they haven't been "groomed" for college like students who attend more prominent or affluent high schools. Maybe its a little late! They're Juniors and Seniors. Its devastating to me that location can make such a big difference is someone's future. had these students been born or raised in another area they would be expected to go to college, not expected to enter a trade. I understand that not everyone is made to go to college some people are very well equipped to enter a trade....but why is this mostly determined by your zip code? My students are smart, hell they process their entire day in two languages...I barely get by in one!

The point is that no one expected them to go to college....some of them were never really expected to graduate from high school. I think that is what made the most difference for me (coming from this zip code): my parents made it very clear from elementary school that 1. I could do anything I wanted and 2. I was going to college.....

Its painful to look at them and see their potential, their hope, and yet understand where they'll end up....I am tired of ordering food from former students...

Maybe Hillary Clinton is right...it takes a Village....
if for every year of a child's life someone told them they were special and that they could go to college....what kind of difference would that make, despite zip code?

Final Exams Global Learner Style!!

2007-11-03T09:30:00.000-06:00

I decided today to practice what I preach! Instead of a final exam my students will present a social/political movement through a multi-media platform. I banned powerpoint for this experience and am having them use a web 2.0 tool!
they have the choice of:

www.onetruemedia.com
www.pbwiki.com
www.animoto.com
www.mindmeister.com

I had about 100% engagement (even students who are poor attenders and then don't do much any way couldn't help but get involved.)

I was impressed by the way they began exploring and manipulating their media. At the beginning of the year I couldn't get them to be creative, they just wanted to copy and get it over with. I feel that now, they are expressing themselves and competing to "the best."
I gave them their assignment on Thursday, Friday I showed them the media. They began working and exploring (and no laptops were stolen!)

It was a great teaching day! they were learning, having fun and expressing themselves.
It was really fun to watch them work. I can't wait until they present their presentation. I think I'll skype it with my webcam. Hopefully, Joe and/or Dave can be available to watch and comment.

Fun times @ E105!

balance and blogging

2007-10-22T19:20:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting in my research class completely overwhelmed. I thought I was almost finished with my research proposal and now I'm not!
One conversation with my professor and my ego is blown....I don't really know how to pick up the pieces of my proposal and have it ready to go next Monday.
I thought that my proposal was focused, but now its unfocused and my focus has changed...

So, since I'm stepping back to rewrite by proposal I'm thinking about my questions and my treatment:

does blogging impact student voice
does blogging make my student more reflective about content
does blogging increase writing proficiency
does blogging help students feel part of a classroom community

This is good, I'm just used to being the top of my class, with everything done before everyone else...better than everyone else....for the first time I am not as secure and I don't like it!

Okay, I'm going to step away and try to get it together tomorrow....
ahh tomorrow, I have NHS inductions and Wednesday I have a Read-180 meeting....thursday and Friday I teach at KMS. ....Maybe I can't do it all this week....

New Teacher Training Web 2.0

2007-10-20T07:50:00.001-06:00

Welcome New teachers to my blog...

A blog is a a place where you can reflect on experiences and knowledge. The unique part of blogging is it is available for the whole world.

To begin your experience, take a look at some of the blogs that I'm reading in my shared blackboard.

I use an aggregator from google reader.google.com to gather all of my favorite blogs in one place. If there is a post that I really like I share it and it shows up on my shared blackboard.

Take a look at one or two and comment on them...
if you feel comfortable comment on the blog directly, if you'd rather go ahead and post a comment to this post about what you read about!!

Happy Blogging!!

ideas for change

2007-10-14T15:51:00.001-06:00

In a comment to my blog a few weeks ago, Terry Freedman encouraged me to use technology as a way to differentiate my instruction. The over-all product and duration could act as tools of differentiation. I've been thinking about that and struggling with it.

This week I signed up for a free on-line course on teaching with primary resources that runs on blackboard...

Last week I read a pbwiki blog post by a college instructor who moved away from blackboard to a more collaborative setting and utilized their blog post....

Today I began setting up an ESL history course that is completely moderated through my pbwiki. From here, students could collaborate, read, and create products to meet our goals and objectives...
I'm thinking that at the beginning of the week I give them a video, an article and other resources on the wiki....then they create something to prove to me they understand the content.

Another thought...talking to Joe Miller yesterday at the homecoming parade (go Eagles). I realized I'm not utilizing the iPods AT ALL....big bummer. I quickly made an excuse that my classes were too bid and that I don't trust my students....

My language learners could really bennefit from having the visual and audio reinforcement....

so today...I went to the iTunes "store" and looked for some history podcasts....I couldn't find anything that would accommodate my students...

So, I think I will make my own video podcast for each week that will reinforce the vocabulary and concepts that we are studying...

I'll put the podcast on the wiki and students can access it when they need...

I have 5 weeks until term II when I can test this out...so I really need to get moving and get some input...
if anyone has anything... I'd appreciate the collaboration!!

Sandbox

2007-10-11T16:56:00.000-06:00

My evening Adult ESL classes are where I tryout the things I'd like to use in my classroom with my students. The classes are very small and I can test out my tools. For the past few weeks we have been working on using FLICKR and photostory to creat videos relating to the part of speech or skill the students are working on.

here is an example of a video:

Email to Friend

Today I found some really cool tools on one of the links from the K12 Online that gives 50 tools for presentations conference that I want to try out in the next few weeks. The problem I face however, is that the videos and such don't show up through the district filters and firewalls. Rockyou.com ...well...rocks, but the video it creates won't show up in-district. I hope to try out the tools on this site to create some rockin' stuff with them in the next few weeks. Hopefully, I'll pilot them with my adults and have my students use them next semester. (My History classes are still baneed from laptops since two have come up missing!

Tag K12 ONLINE

2007-10-11T08:52:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've been tagged by Regina Stewart. I can't wait for K12Online for the following reasons:

I'm excited about having the videos load as podcasts and watching them while I walk the dog!
I'm excited by the pre-keynote that I watched yesterday and the idea of preparing our students for jobs that don't exist yet
Connecting with new people who share my passion.

I will tag non-Global Learners:
Jenn Skrobella
Nadja Tizer
Suzie Philson
L-D Jennings



Technorati Tags:

k12online07

Sunday/Monday to do list

2007-10-07T08:58:00.000-06:00

I decided to use bullets because I'm not quite awake enough to assign importance to any task.

wash the dog
dishes
grade papers for AM HIS 3
Begin drafting unit plan for Vietnam
finish work for grad school research class:

Final purpose
Data collection narrative and chart
Tools - draft
benefit and risk section
confidentiality section
Parent and child consent forms.

Hopefully I can do some laundry
shop for/plant bulbs
Maybe some dusting?
work on New Teacher training presentation: Web 2.0
Read my new book: Suite Francaise

NHS officer meeting agenda

clean my desk

Black text = done

test

2007-10-06T21:15:00.001-06:00

test
Originally uploaded by aatoniajohnson

This is a test. Evidently I can post a picture to my blog via Flickr.com by
sending an email. That sorda' rocks

MISSION: Create a society that can...

2007-10-04T08:12:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about the discipline post that I ran across yesterday. Especially after I had a run-in with a notorious student. I had a bit of a wake-up call....or a remembrance.

I decided to teach at this school because I was tired of people feeling sorry for these students. Compassion, Empathy, and Understanding are essential characteristics of educators however, as with everything in education, they need to be handled with balance.

Students are given many chances because we feel sorry for them, because we are aware of their background. I appreciate this sensitivity. However, at some point these students learn to be dependent on their extra chances. They stop being grateful because they are always given a "free lunch." It works well for us here, but then they leave here and go to a world that, frankly, doesn't give a s@#$. What life are we teaching them to live if we don't expect them to step up to the plate, and they'll be given a third and fourth chance if they don't?

What if we expected them to use their diversity to become strong people who knew how to help themselves?

What if we expected that they could handle the little extra pressure, because they already are used to carrying an extra load?

Then, would we create students that were leaders?
Then, would we create students who could think and handle tough situations with ease?
Then, would we really be doing our jobs?

If we don't take student behavior serious enough...and laugh it off too many times...I believe that we are setting the student up for failure.

Yeah, we can be nice. We can be friendly...but we need to do it in such a way the the student understands the seriousness of his/her actions.

On the other side of the same coin, we can be tough...but we need to do it in such a way that discipline is a learning experience and that we do it because we care about the student.

In the long-run, my job is to make adults and productive members of society out of my teens. I can do this by making sure they understand that, as a society, we have norms and values that everyone follows.

"The law, for all its failings, has a noble goal - to make the little bit of life that people can actually control more just. We can't end disease or natural disasters, but we can devise rules for our dealings with one another that fairly weigh the rights and needs of everyone, and which, therefore, reflect our best vision of ourselves."
--Scott Turow, Author of Presumed Innocent and Limitations (from my Starbucks coffee cup)

do you suffer from leadership deficiency disorder?

2007-10-03T11:23:00.000-06:00

I found this on the Throughlines blog
Discipline seems to be a consistent "hot topic" for educators. Even with the best intentions and amazing lesson plans, student behavior can get the best of us. I enjoyed reading this clip and wanted to share it!

"This passage appeared as a column by John Rosemond in today's Honolulu Advertiser. Tough to find anything to argue with here." -- Bruce Schauble, author of Throughlines

I've said it before, but it cannot be said often enough: The discipline of a child is not accomplished by manipulating reward and punishment. Yes, a child needs to understand that behavior results in consequences, but that understanding alone is not sufficient to grow a well-behaved, well-mannered child.

Besides, whereas proper consequences will virtually guarantee proper behavior in a dog, proper consequences do not guarantee proper behavior in a child (or human of any other age). If they did, no criminal would spend more than one, maybe two, stints in jail.

Discipline is the process by which parents transform a child into a disciple, a little person who will look up to them, follow their lead, and subscribe to their values. This is accomplished through proper leadership, not through the manipulation of consequences. The principles that define proper leadership do not change from one leadership context to another. Therefore, if one understands leadership in, say, a business environment, then one understands how to lead children.

The most important of all leadership qualities is decisiveness. All effective leaders act like they know what they are doing. They act like they believe sincerely in the rightness of their decisions. In parenting, this translates to standing behind one's instructions to a child, enforcing rules dispassionately, and proving that "no" means nothing other than "no."

I have taken to challenging parents in my most recent audiences to assess their leadership using this simple standard. "Raise your hand," I ask, "if your children know, without a shadow of doubt, that when you give an instruction, you are going to make sure it is carried out, that when you state a rule, you are going to enforce it, and that when you say 'no,' you mean nothing less than 'no.' " In a recent audience of some 200 parents, only five responded affirmatively.

I then ask, "Now raise your hand if as a child you knew, beyond a shadow of doubt!, that your parents were going to enforce their instructions and rules and that when they said 'no,' they meant 'no,' period." In that same audience, I estimated that 150 hands were in the air. The relative proportion has been approximately the same in 50 other audiences, bigger and smaller, across America.

This exercise tells why today's children come to school considerably less disciplined than children of even 20 years ago (I've never heard an experienced teacher testify to the contrary). This tells why today's parents are having so many more problems in the area of discipline than did their parents, and certainly their grandparents. It is not because they are not manipulating consequences as skillfully; rather, it is because they are not demonstrating to their children that when they speak, they mean exactly what they say.

Yesteryear's parents were apt to simply tell their children to pick up their toys. Today's parents are apt to ask their children if they will please pick up their toys, "OK?" Today's parents, in the face of their children's emotional dramatics, are likely to demonstrate to their children that sufficient displays of emotional dramatics on their parts will result in "no" changing to "oh, all right!"

The du-jour explanation for a child who will not take no for an answer, who tests every instruction and every rule with the full might of his or her free will, is that an inherited chemical imbalance causes knee-jerk resistance to authority. Concrete verification of this proposition is lacking, but as recent audiences of mine have demonstrated, proof abounds that many if not most of today's parents are suffering from leadership deficiency disorder.

As educators, we should take these comments seriously. The way we "discipline" students molds their identity and their future decisions. Discipline is best accomplished by leadership.

wiki mishaps

2007-10-03T09:14:00.001-06:00

my goal in my literacy class today was to have students use my new wiki to describe the reading strategy planning and monitoring and begin adding vocabulary for our story. However, if one student was editing the rest of the students had to wait. And somehow student could "steal" editing privileges, so students would get kicked out of editing. When these students regained control and clicked "save" they accidently erased what everyone else had done!

So, I need to think of a procedure for using wikis. I think that next week I'll try google docs....I think we can all edit and collaborate at the same time.

I'm glad I tried this with my 15 student literacy class and not my 36 student American History class...ouch...I may not have recovered from that...I see my literacy classes as my technology sand box. I figure out the procedures and needs there...and then transfer them to my other classes.

What would a day teaching be without learning...

the big 5

2007-09-27T20:19:00.000-06:00

"The five, key 21st century skills, says Brenda Musilli, president of the Intel Foundation, are: problem solving, collaboration, communications, digital literacy and creative thinking. "

This quote came in an article written today about Intel's Teacher training program and the One Lap Top program.

This is an amazing statement. If this is what our children will need in the future, why are we not teaching to this? Why are we still teaching a set of skills that will be irrelevant in ten years?

By teaching our (mostly poor students) the basics and avoiding these skills we are continuing the cycle of poverty and ignorance. If however, we push for these skills, our students will be ready for the jobs they will need to fill in the future.

I'm not saying that the core subjects will not facilitate these skills or are not necessary. I'm simply saying that those skills will get covered by making these skills a priority.

We should be more concerned with how well our children will fare in the careers of tomorrow over how they will fare on the next round of government mandated tests...

but all teachers know this....I wish those with the power really understood what they were creating. By pushing so hard for the core subjects that are tested, schools are forced to put aside what is seen as the peripherals. Thereby repeating the cycle; students are not competing with other students around the world and are not prepared for jobs...the cycle is perpetuated by what is seen as the cure: mandated tests.

2007-09-27T14:00:00.000-06:00

A blog comment by a fellow global learner said something to the effect of "if these kids are digital natives, why is it so hard to get them to participate."

Every second I'm not monitoring them they are using proxies to access myspace or looking at Youtube. But, having them set up a google doc document or comment on our bog is excruciating.

Part of my theory, when beginning this program, was that by using technology we would meet kids where they are to create a learning environment that is accessible and meaningful to them.

But they don't seem to get it. (Are we for once ahead of them?)

How long does it take for students to warm-up to blogs or other Web 2.0 things that we are offering them?
How long will it take for them to see it as useful...not a gimmick?
What is the ideal class size for teaching blogging and web 2.0 literacy?

ACMS to ACHS Transitions

2007-09-24T15:16:00.000-06:00

new literacy

2007-09-21T19:27:00.000-06:00

I just read a really great post on REMOTE ACCESS on blogging and how that could change how we teach....maybe we should teach students how to read and use blogs as a resource.

I'm thinking that by doing this and teaching them to do this through an aggregator...we can teach them to think.

They would have to look at a subject from multiple blogs or perspectives and create their own ideas and thoughts...

Teach them to navigate blogs and we teach them to synthesize and make connections to what they read....

In essence we teach them to read and write for a variety of purposes....

This should be the new literacy...and I think by teaching literacy this way, we could enhance the "old" literacy of textbooks and novels

(please don't misunderstand me. I love textbooks and novels....but imagine how they could be enhanced by reading and navigating blogs about the same topics....)

Classroom Management = Student Engagement

2007-09-21T12:25:00.000-06:00

I believe that student engagement begins with a well planned lesson. Lessons and activities should be meaningful to students and keep them engaged.

I've heard teachers talk about teachers at other schools who get to have professional conversations about content and instruction rather than behavior.

But what if we began having that content and instruction conversation first....would that cure most of the behavior issues?

I'm proud to say that my colleagues, spurred by an amazing AP, have begun to have such conversations. I am even prouder to say that when we listed the things we want discuss and change this year...we never mentioned behavior...not until our facilitator brought it up.

I think that if the focused switched from behavior issues to meaningful exposures to content, then, students would be fully engaged and have less behavior problem.

It won't cure all student issues...but it will go a long way to helping!

Dr. Lange told me last year that his wife was assigned a "tough" 6th grade class for the upcoming year. Luckily, he said, she had taken her dog to training the summer before. She learned a valuable lesson: control their environment.

The first step in successful classroom management (besides an engaging lesson) is controlling the environment. Don't give them opportunities to get themselves in trouble! My students are opportunists....but hopefully with the right control and nurturing, they will use this skill in a positive way....and not an annoying one!

This week I experienced a few 100% days: 100% engagement from 100% of my students 100% of the time....It wasn't because I threatened or had them all facing front...they were up, discussing, moving around: they couldn't help but be engaged. I controlled their environment. Hopefully, as I hone my teaching skills and polish my teaching art, I will experience more and more of these days....

These are days when its great to be a teacher.

getting dressed

2007-09-19T08:59:00.000-06:00

I haven't had a real post in a while...I'm getting a little sick of my whining about how hard it is to teach my classes, so I'm going to stop! Usually when I hear teachers whining I think to myself: "duh." So I'm giving myself a silent "duh" and moving away from behavior issues (we all have them.) And while I'd like to spend some time discussing content and how to present it and how students accesses and prove they understand the content...I'm going to move into a rant.

I work in a high school...and unfortunately that means that teachers think that they can come to work in flip-flops and hoodies. No wonder people don't take us seriously as professionals. I think that how I present myself is a very important part of my day. I don't want my students to see me as a peer or friend (we both have all the friends we need.) I want my students to see me as a role-model, mentor, content guidance-counselor. If I allow them to see me as a peer, my credibility is shot, especially when I'm in front off the room and want them to end their conversations.

Granted, some teachers have earned their right to Hawaiian shirts and khakis....they are a symbol at the high school...they have been here more than 5 years...family members have taken their courses....their prestige comes from their experience... (still none of them wear flip-flops).

my favorite are the science teachers who wear science t-shirts, or the english teacher who dressed up like a ship-wrecked youth when her classes read lord of the flies.

These teachers use themselves as teaching tools. I respect them and I thank them for making our profession professional.

I look like I'm 17. I am young....I don't want my students to think we can be friends.

However, there are a few teachers who think that a hoodie and flip-flops will do. 'Cmon we may not get payed much, but we get back from our students the attitudes that we put out there...and I think that starts somewhere around 6 am when we are getting dressed.

Qualitative Research

2007-09-17T16:35:00.001-06:00

reflecting on having students reflect

2007-09-15T15:09:00.001-06:00

Having my students blog could be an awesome way for me progress-monitor all 34 of them!

How can I do this so I'm not overwhelmed and my students feel confident in their endeavors?
How can I make this type of reflection meaningful to my students?
How can I scaffold this instructional practice so my students feel successful
Does research support the use of reflections as an insructional tool?

What practices does research support?

Do different types of learners need to reflect in different forms?

What is supported by research?

I'm grading and checking on student progress and despite an entire day devoted to having students post a blog, I have very few posts. My classes are huge with a wide range of needs. I'm struggling with how to make it meaningful to them so that its not like pulling teeth.

I think its so important to have them blogging, because I don't have the time to get to a deep check-in with each student during the day. I have maybe 3 or 4 quick "how ya' doin" stops...

Having my student reflect like this would help me with summative assessment and could guide instruction...but how to make 34 students blog in a day? Maybe thats just too ambitious. I was going for the "week in review thing" but perhaps, I need to focus on getting one table of 8 students to blog at a time....I do have 8 desk top computers.....hmmm....this could be good.

In an ideal world, each of my students would complete their work on a laptop everyday and blog at the end of class...instead of handing in a exit-slip. But, I only have 11 laptops shared with my team and 3 laptop carts that I have to share with the school. 84 teachers....3 lap top carts....you do the math. I don't want to be greedy either....but until someone says something I think I'll reserve every-other-day with the laptop carts. .

So, I'll have each table create a blog post once a week....for a minimum grade. Students will have to comment later in the week for an "A".

I think this sounds do-able.

Also, I started making them do reflections at the end of class last week. But, as the week went on I forgot. I think this is so important, but I forget to watch the time...I need to set a timer.

Last night I had my Adult ESL students set up email addresses and email me what they had learned in their session....it was very positive....maybe I'll set up a blog for them....I mentioned that and i got blank-confused looks.....baby steps!

Presentation for Grad school research class

2007-09-13T21:23:00.000-06:00

Night and Day

2007-09-13T11:20:00.000-06:00

Today I ability grouped my students into different tables and gave them assignment that depended on that group. It was great. I Had them all read and as the class was reading I circulated giving instructions to each group.

Of course in the middle of my restructuring day I was observed....oh well...I feel great and can see some behavior and academic progress with my students!

Now to tackle technology....how do I ability group this? Some of my students are very dependent on me I'm not sure how to differentiate this (ironically one of my core beliefs is that technology is the great differentiator!)

I'm 24 and have grey hair...ummm?

2007-09-12T17:45:00.000-06:00

I am so frustrated....I thought about not blogging and just going to sleep! the behavior in one of my classes is making it impossible for me to do anything BUT worksheets.
This class of 32 had 75% ELL 25% native speakers. most of the Native speakers have taken and failed this class. I have one student who has passed a total of 4 classes in his entire two years (six semesters). He can't not talk. Which is fine...but I need to give comprehensible instructions to my students who barely understand English.....

I tried having my students to Excel maps with the hidden comments feature....3 students were so out of control that me leading my class through this was unbearable...
Every 20 seconds I'd have to say "excuse me, I need everyone's attention so that you don't have to ask me what's going going on.." my poor ELL need my attention, but the students who have given up have commanded it
I don't know what to do...one of my students who has transfered from a Boulder S.D school, commented to me on the behavior as he was leaving class....
I feel like I have to have no groups...silent work...if anyone is to learn anything
I feel like I've lost my momentum that I had just yesterday....I feel like I have to put incorporating technology on the back burner because theses students are so immature they can't handle it...
If you can't tell...this is a class of juniors and seniors!!
what am i supposed to do? I feel like the worst teacher at my school...
How do I make sure the other 30 students get the education they deserve?
My theory was that technology would be so engaging they couldn't help but pay attention...only they weren't paying attention in the first place....got behind and just started making my life miserable! My theories and beliefs are crumbling

Okay its out....a little cathartic...I'm going for a run and then hopefully can come up with some solutions for tomorrow...will repost later tonight

And I was runnin....and I have perspective and its just one student....and I can make a difference for all of my students....have new ideas and plan for tomorrow

Hello Students

2007-09-10T08:37:00.000-06:00

I've invited you to my blog so that you can get a feel for what blogging is all about! On the Right I have a list of blogs that are currently on my reader. I'd like you to read through them.

As a learner, I find it easier to "learn" when I've reflected on what I've learned. This means I've attempted to sort everything out....what I know, what I don't know, things that remind me of things I've already learned, etc. When I've made these connections and have gotten everything out, its a lot easier for me "understand."

I'm not looking for you to be able to recall dates or facts, just to be able to think for yourself. This means we don't copy worksheets in here! In this class I want you to have a basic understanding of how we've gotten to this point in time. I want to you see yourselves a part of a greater picture.

You assignment:
1. Look at the posts on the "black board" on the right
2. Pick one that you want to comment about (come back to this page)
3. Find your class' blog on the right (log-in)
4. Post a response to that blog on your class blog

Your title should be your name and the title of the blog you're responding to
You need to link to the blog from your post
Check your spelling and grammar...be professional.

The blogs you link to can come back and find you!

Good Luck! --- Learning is a process, a journey that is never truly finished!

Ms. Johnson

do-overs

2007-09-08T11:38:00.001-06:00

The thing with teaching that can be both good and bad is the number of do-overs we all are allowed. Students get do-overs with new classes, teachers, semesters, years and even days....teachers get do-overs with about the same frequency.

The hard part is balancing these do-overs with consistency. As long as standards and expectations are high, they can be flexible with how they are measured and achieved. I can change my mind with how things are run to fit the situation, this happens as each second passes. --Sometimes I feel sorry with for my para-professional; I give her an outline of class but, everyday things have to change depending on the mood of my students, my mood, the content, and random events throughout the day!

The great thing with education is that I can change things until they work for me and my students....I don't know very many other "jobs" that this can be said for!

This week I start a new unit-- and have a few "do-overs"
My Social Studies class just finished their first unit and assessment. I am always amazed that students work on projects for about a week and then have nothing to turn in when the project is due? AMAZING!

They created a Newspaper using an edclass template describing the causes of the Civil War

My thoughts and reflection on what will change in the future and what worked:

Students changed their assigned groups

Students who stayed in their assigned groups had something (good) to turn in
Absences made the groupings hard
For the next few projects, students will work independently

Students changed and stole other students' work that we saved on the network

work for the next few assignments will be in google docs
use classroom money or mini-grant to purchase each student thumb-drive

Students copied and pasted from internet

Explicitly discuss what is appropriate to take and how to site it
discuss

For this unit I'm going to give them all of the objective rubrics in advance in a folder and have all of their work be done in google docs. The folders will stay in class and will be used in our weekly conferences.

I have been rethinking blogging as well, so maybe I can get it off the ground now!

Reflecting on Reflecting

2007-09-07T08:42:00.000-06:00

M finally returned to class today! I found myself unusually kind to him. Considering the fact that he didn't have a notebook, nothing to turn in and was 45 minutes late.

I think my blogging about him really made a differnce!

Reflecting on how I was feeling about the situation, instead of having a bitch session with a colleague, was more rewarding.
I
can pretend to be "at peace" with a student, but unless I truly feel like I have some sort of plan, I'm really not!

Having the opportunity to blog about him and the situation made a real difference and I think he felt the that I was truly happy to see him, instead of just concentrating on his socks. By reflecting and "concentrating on his socks" I was able to make good of a situation that has been irritating me for over a year!

what release

Reflection Day 5 --- Kill 'em with kindness

2007-09-05T19:37:00.000-06:00

Old technology was my foe today! It took half of the period for my students to access their work on the network. For a split second I imagined how quiet my class would be if I just had them copying out of their textbooks! But, things finally were resolved and for fifteen minutes high schoolers worked in peace with a partner creating a newspaper that cited the causes of the American Civil War.

Poor kids I separated them....they had segregated themselves....language learners and native speakers. So, those language learners who could manage were paired with native speakers. I hope everyone learned a lot more than history!

I had a language learner breakthrough...I was catching myself saying small phrases or words in Spanish to give my students directions. I don't know if I was practicing my own Spanish, or if I wanted them to know I knew (somewhat) how to speak their language. However, I realized that these short conversations would help them in the long-run if I spoke to them in English. They are in mainstream classes the rest of the day, so they need to pick these small things up.

My literacy classes created captions for Civil Rights pictures based on what they were reading. I put the slide show together on Rockyou.com and then had them work on the captions. I typed them in during class....very quickly, I just found mistakes....this allowed them to read, write, speak and listen... It was a short activity, but I think it was very meaningful. Then, I had them comment on it in their blog. their comments were short, but had a lot more heart than they have previously had.

I am totally frustrated with a student that I have in literacy. This is my second year with him-sort of. He has major attendance issues, so much so that if I am late with attendance an attendance liason is calling 20 minutes into class. The worst part is, he has missed so much school he really doesn't know how to do school. So, he comes in and just sits there. I ask him to go ahead and open a book and he doesn't really realize he's supposed to read it. He just sits there until another student lets him copy. when the para asks if he needs help he says: "no 'cause she'll think I'm copying." It makes me want to scream I'm like "'c'mon M prove to me you're not lazy and you can do it." Praise doesn't work, sarcasm doesn't work. AGHHH I want him to get it and be successful but I don't know how between the attendance liason calling me twice a day to check attendance and this kids swaggering in late I've had it....for a teacher I have a short-fuse and this kid's shenanigans have got me going! What to do??? On a positive note, this year he brings paper to class....no pencil....but he has paper.

I read something somewhere that said, "you can't like every kid, so sometimes you just have to focus on the color of their socks! 'hey those are great socks!'" I guess that I'm gonna have to pull a Dottie on him and like him so much ..... he'll want to work....

**Dottie is my mom. She used to manage the DQ in Commerce City and now she decorates cakes at the King Soopers. People lover her caring disposition so much, they show up at King Soopers just to visit with her! When I meet people they say: "your mom is the dairy queen lady, she's amazing!" Its probably from putting up with alcoholic parents, and my work-aholic dad her whole life.....maybe one day I'll truly learn how to "kill 'em with kindness" as she puts it. But, for now I'm gonna have to pay really close attention to their socks.

blogging to learn/ Reflection Day 4

2007-09-04T18:38:00.000-06:00

I love it when I stumble across an answer to a question as I'm reading the blog-post of another educator. Today Dave Cormier posted about a blogging conference/seminar he presented and one of my favorite blog authors posted a response to his blog.

This week I have been struggling with the idea of "how" to blog with my students in a meaningful way. I am interested in how blogs can improve student achievement especially for language learners. Originally, I had expected all students to blog 4 times a week. However, I'm beginning to think that this is too much for them to do. I find that the blog posts become repetitive and thoughtless. I have some really great posts from my freshmen, some that will no doubt be useful to show growth. However, I don't think they have the concept of a blog down. Quite frankly, neither did I before I dove in head first and began reading, studying and writing my own.

Through grad school at Regis, I have found my experience to be rewarding and have seen growth in my thought and process because I can reflect and react on teachings and learnings with professors and colleagues. I believe that the foundation to truly understanding and learning is through the metacognative-reflective process. (I think that this topic was one of my first blog posts.) I want my students to experience this type of learning experience because it is s0 meaningful to me.

I don't know how to help them see it as a learning tool. I think that for now, blogging once a day is not working, at all. In the future, I will have them reflect (the old fashioned way) daily, and then have one person post a "week in review" at the end of the week. Then, I will have the other students comment on the "week in review" on Monday. My students are not great self-starters and are not that great at starting something new. So, I think for this first half of the semester I will help them out by scaffolding the process a little better: show them blogs, have them reflect or comment on blogs. My hope is that they create a sense of creativity and ownership of their own thoughts and see themselves as an "expert," as Darren K. put it. I will continue to post class notes daily or every other day, as is necessary, and help my students get into the habit of looking at their class blog and using it as a resource.

Possible rubric (4pt scale)

4 in addition to 3 shows in-depth details, suggestions or resources

3 Completely summarizes the weeks learning experiences AND reflects on personal growth, knowledge, confusion, learning and connections

2 Completely summarizes the learning experiences may show some reflection

1 attempts to summarize or summarizes inaccurately does not show complete thought

I'm thinking of also adding a rubric on audience(professionalism) and grammar...perhaps I'll borrow from the district short response rubric

on a side note
I had a little technical fiasco today that turned my face red....I know, my mom's Irish, its not hard to turn my face red!

First, while I was gone on Friday I had 2 laptops from our dept. set stolen Huge bummer, not because of the equipment but because I think my teacher-student relationship with these students is shot! Also, I have this panging feeling in my gut that I should be taking better care of my stuff and this incident prompted me to get organized fast!

Second, I checked out a lap-top cart from the library for my blocks 3-4. Another teacher (who checked it out for 5-6) came in with 25 minutes to go in block 4 (this is my split block and these kids just came back from lunch) and demanded the cart. I was planning on cleaning up in a few minutes and having my student assistant get the cart to her before class was over, but I think the system is flawed...with out much hope for a solution. In an effort to let everyone possible use the technology, you can sign up for them for blocks and not simply the entire day. The technology, if you're not used to it can be intimidating and hard to set up, but who has priority: The students currently using the computers or the teacher waiting to set it up for her students? Maybe the library can get a student assistant in charge of rounding-up equipment and setting it up for teacher.....what ever happened to the AV CLUB? (ie:Freaks and Geeks)

Sorry, this post was so long, thanks for hanging in there!! Long Day

Constructing learning experiences that push students into new levels of learning

2007-09-01T11:15:00.000-06:00

I have a couple of things that I have been thinking about off and on for the past week that I wanted to get out, reflect on and maybe get some feedback

I am a constructivist...duh...I don't think it would be possible to expect students to use technology on all levels and stagesof learning and not be a constructivist! I believe learning is a process. I love my students to do projects as a learning tool and I like those to be meaningful to them. The problem I am running into is that student have forgotten how to be creative by the time I get them. So, I ask them to do a project and leave it pretty open and they just sit there....and complain that they want to know what it will look like. So I kept a few student examples of projects that my students did last year to show these students but, I threw them away!

In my experience working as a "camp counselor" at the Rec. Center I have found that when we did crafts the teens would look at my example and copy it! I don't see anything fun in that. Yeah they had fun doing it, but they lacked the spark and excitement of coming up with something that was truly theirs. So, I began only giving them general instructions and materials. The end results were way better than any example I could have given them. I've transfered this idea into my class projects and they don't like it! They want to know what the time line or poster or powepoint should look like. I always tell them "what ever works for you, what will help you learn this better?"

They hate it! But I believe that real learning comes from creating something that is important and meaningful to the learner....no matter what shape the teacher likes a time line to be.
However in the future I plan to do the following to make the transition into creativity easier for my students:

1. Be very clear about the learning result I expect at the end
2. Be very clear about the time they have available to them
3. Spend a day at the beginning of the semester making sure all students are aware of their learning and personality style so they can fit these projects closer to them

This article
from The Journal discuss the inherent need for education to move to constructivism with the advent and prevalent use of technology EVERYWHERE. It discusses the use of technology in language learning classroom. I find it easier to learn a language when I converse in it, not just working in a workbook and writing phrases that are outdated an no one will see? What about having our students write for real purposes, in real language---then would we increase their proficiency? I guess I'll see at the end of this year after my students have spent the semester blogging about their learning experiences. They are pretty rough now, but they are taking them seriously.

Adult ESL ROCKS

2007-08-30T21:35:00.001-06:00

I learned so much today. It was my first day teaching ESL at the ILC for "adults." Its interesting that I don't have to worry so much about engagement as I do meaningful!

They are intrinsically motivated and are hanging on my every-word. I didn't have to do anything to capture their attention, learning is already doing that!

However, I was careful to make what I taught them meaningful. They want to learn NOW and need things that will be useful for them.

I'm exhausted and can't possible comment on everything that happened, I was there for 4 hours.

However, I was surprised in the middle of my second class with 2 brand-new students. The second class is designed for intermediate students and I was working with "G" on comparatives. I quickly had to engage them into a quick phonics lesson. I did not have any resources or books, so I had to make it up as I went along. It was fantastic!

They were two 17 year old young men who work construction and, from what I gather, didn't have much high school because they were always in trouble. But they were so anxious to learn. I'm not kidding when I say that they were literally on the edge of their seats, hanging on every word. I felt like a real teacher.

I'm glad I had to walk home (Josh had a class tonight) I needed to expend the energy I felt after teaching the past four hours. Can you imagine teaching for four hours strait, and needed to "walk it off" and not go strait to bed?

I'm sure in a few weeks that trek will be long, but man its a great feeling when you've known that what you've done while "teaching" is to actually teach!

ho-hum day

2007-08-30T14:37:00.001-06:00

I need to spend the afternoon planning for a sub. I have everything but the instructions typed for them. My computer turns off every time I put in a thumbdrive -- which is not helping!

In literacy today the students began our recipe project. They are to interview a family member about a special recipe and then write out the recipe and ingrediants with a little antecdote about why the recipe is so important to them. When they get finished next week, we'll bind them and have a parent pot-luck.

In history my students continued to do their webquest. They finished today. After talking to them and looking at what they've done, I really think they're at least getting the basic concept. Tomorrow I have them reading from a textbook and taking assisted notes. I also have a concept activity for my low ELL where they group the basic differences between the North and the South in a pictoral way. I will have all of them do a cloze activity with the main vocabulary.

Behavior was pretty okay today my third block had a lot of tardies and then they sat and talked. I had to raise my voice and get "angry" but they were really good for the rest of class. My 4th block has a ton of tardies and I held a few of them for most of thier lunch for it!

I'm exhaused and teaching at the ILC tonight!! Yipee ..... ESL I can't wait but at this point I'm so tired and sick I don't know how it will go!!

Reflection Day 2

2007-08-29T14:19:00.001-06:00

Literacy:
Today we worked again on the sound "sh" and brainstormed all of the words that have that sound. Then, we put them into categories based on their spellings. We had sh, tion, ssion, and random ways to spell. I read again to them from The Jumping Tree and then they worked on their glossaries on powerpoint.

History:
The students worked again on their webquest. They seemed fairly engaged and worked hard for most of the block. I've begun to do exit slips or daily quizzes to keep the accountable for their work. One of my tough guys refused to do it however and returned to the second half of class late. I had to talk with him and encourage him about being smart and not lazy and that my main goal was for him to think. He got to work and worked for about the last 10 minutes of class. They seemed really engaged with the webquest.
I heard them making comments when they learned something new. Their exit slip was to write something new they had learned. I'm thinking about presenting what they wrote to the whole class.

Thoughts:

I didn't have major discipline or behavior issues today and enjoyed all of my classes...yes there are days when I don't enjoy my classes. By the time I got my second round of freshmen at the end of the day I wasn't really ready for their energy...but they were awesome.

My students are beginning to engage more on the blog, I hope that they get used to the process and it become a more meaningful means of engagement.

I've been sick for two days and am exhausted. Its hard to be on your feet all day when you don't feel well. But, the students are usually really good to me and play nice on those days. Usually during the year when I'm sick I can back off a little more because the kids know the routines and are really more self directed.

I planned a little this morning during my plan and I think I should be OK for tomorrow. I finally got textbooks so, I may use half of the history block tomorrow to brainstorm creative, functional, and useful ways to read a textbook. I have a few textbooks in Spanish, the head of the Social Studies department gave them to me, but I don't think that many of my Spanish speakers can read in Spanish either?! I'm going to do some more graphic and cloze activities with them tomorrow to make sure that they got what they were supposed to the past few days.

well deserved lunch

2007-08-28T11:16:00.000-06:00

While I'm digesting my delicious hummus and turkey sandwich I wanted to digest what happened so far today. I have had 1 literacy class and 1.5 American History classes.
I had 3 new students today in my History classes.

In literacy, first block I have few behavior problems. This week we worked on the sound "sh" and how that sound is said and spelled. I also read to them to work on fluency. They created vocabulary glossaries on powerpoint for the words in our current reading on Revolutions

My history classes are still daunting. I am trying to balance the fact that I have half ESL students with native speakers. I tried sheltering readings for them and that worked, but I fear I'm working my para overtime.

I assigned a webquest today on the civil war but, with all the pictures and recordings, I fear it is still language heavy.

I did an exit slip today and it looks like, at least, most students are getting the basic causes of the civil war.

I began using a 4 point rubric for my objectives. I conferenced a little with students today, they seemed eager to try to get a 4. I told them that a 3 was all I expected and if they wanted a 4 they'd have to go a little farther. They stayed in the room when the bell rang working for a 4 on their exit slip. It was pretty amazing.

I know I'm expecting a lot out of my ELA students and I hope they're just frustrated enough to get moving...I hope I don't over power them! And I hope I don't lose my native speakers.

I observed one of my tough boys working with a para today and proudly giving me his completed work...wow. If he had access, he really wants to learn. So we set up a folder in class for him because he didn't want to lose his work.

I spoke with another one of my tough guys about college and careers. He seemed a little more willing work harder.

I wonder though...did I start too early on group work? Should I have started the year with textbook and individual work? Did I give them too much group freedom all at once? I don't even have textbooks! My class has a structure, but they're already working on projects. And while the majority of them are on-task there seems to be a few that cannot handle it.

On a side note....I'm contemplating opening a cell phone store! I have acquired a lot of really nice ones the past few days!

Action Research

2007-08-27T20:26:00.000-06:00

To complete my MAE I have to undergo a year-long research project. I love research. I'm a bit of a nerd I guess, but I love looking at what works, with which kids, and why. I'm particularly interested in the why! There is no magic formula in education to make all kids love learning and learn every day...but if we look at why we uncover a whole bunch of truths. Why brings us as close to that magic formula as we will ever get...for our own kids any way!
I need to pick a topic for my action research project. I've thought of a few topics:

the use of blogs to increase achievement for low-language students
phonemic awareness for adolescents
improving literacy for adolescent language learners
balancing a secondary classroom with both language learners and low language students
countering "mochismo" to create a learning environmet

My assignment requires me to journal for the next week and look for patterns in what I am noticing and annoyed by in my classroom. My subject can be either me or my classes. So, for the next two weeks I will blog ...of course...to come up with the focus of my research.

So, please if you are reading this and you notice patterns or have ideas please leave me comments. I really want to do something that will be worthwhile for me, my students and my school. Hopefully, this can be something I use later on down the line when I go on for my doctorate degree.

exhaustion sets in

2007-08-23T20:05:00.000-06:00

Today felt good...it felt like it all came together: the past two years, the ELA classes, my technology training....my students were amazing!

I freaked a little this morning when I realized that I had 38 students on my roster. This posed a problem because number one, I had only 24 seats. However, that became trivial when I took into account who these students were. Many were ELA students who were all over the language continuum. Some were receiving special needs services and the rest just didn't get American History III the first time around.

But man were they awesome --- and eager ---. Aside from the normal 2 in every class that don't really ever give in...they were Rock Stars!!

We had an introduction on the Civil War today...we talked a little about what we already knew, covered the unit vocabulary and then created a list of questions we thought we needed to ask in order to better understand why the Civil War began. They all took part...Then we watched a few video clips trying to answer those questions.

I am very lucky!! They are ready to learn...I need to keep my fire burning now so I can keep them engaged...

They are so on top of things...every student met our class goals to day in some way or another!

they're making their mommas proud! -- don't worry I'm already in the process of sending home "good news" cards so they know.

I just hope that I don't let them down...they're excited about our blog and accessing the content...I hope I don't let things fall by the wayside!

Now for some rest...I've been working at break-neck speed all day -- in heels no less!
And now, to plan on how I will get the 2 that got away today!

This is the work that my block 4 did today

for the mommas

2007-08-22T11:32:00.000-06:00

On my way to school this morning I saw several mothers walking their big high schoolers to the bus stop. It took my breath away. No matter how they act, they are still just kids.
they have mommas who woke them up this morning and dressed them with the best clothes they could. Their mommas gave them the best school supplies they could and walked them to the bus hoping their child would get the best education they can.

What pressure

These students, who try to push every button I have and try to appear like they don't care, have mommas at home hoping for the very best for their child...because these mommas have only ever given these children their very best. ... And thats all they can offer: hopes for the very best.

Don't Hold Your Breath

2007-08-21T18:40:00.000-06:00

Its amazing how sweet and innocent Freshmen can be on the first day of school! They almost make you want to like them! I set up the smartboard and wowed them...and watched a "cheesy" video (please, don't tell Wes). We then talked about the idiom "Cheesy" and set some goals. Pretty laid back...we only had 20 minutes, it wasn't really meant as a full on class...

I overwhelmed them...it was awesome. I already have them wondering how they will make arrangements to blog as homework. I can't believe freshman even said the word "homework." I guess I need to thank the teachers at KMS for instilling that expectation. It was the first time in three years that any of my students have asked that?!

This was also my first day with the title "ELA." All of my students were supposed to be LAU B...but the difference in the levels was amazing...I had students leading the class and a few that had no idea what was going on. I definitely found that I was talking way too fast. Poor mijos! I can't wait to see them grow.

According to Meyer's-Briggs, I'm an INTJ and like to put theory into practical means...but I lack follow through. I feel like I understand the theory and the concepts, but don't have the experience in trying out my theories!

I can't wait. I'm very apprehensive though. I imagine though that the moment I'm not apprehensive, I should probably find a new profession

Welcome back to school Video

2007-08-18T14:57:00.001-06:00

I think I'm going to use this video on the first day of school! I love the cheese!

What If?

2007-08-17T19:57:00.000-06:00

I've spent the last two days back at school. I'm so overwhelmed by everything. Not only did I get a new classroom, but I have new toys. The past two days I've been spending time setting up my projection cart and my SmartBoard. If you enter my classroom you will enter a room full of technology...my students have access to the world!!!

Watch out world...Ms. Johnson's class is online....and we have the world at a touch of a button.

I'm still overwhelmed with procedural routines. Like how I expect my students to reflect in a blog daily about what we are learning...is this too ambitious....how much time do I need to set aside...

I think this, like all things in education, will depend on my students...trial and error.

But I'm excited and ready and wondering ..."WHAT IF?"

Our speaker at the district Welcome Back rally said that we should be fueled by our "What ifs" greatness and great change is only attainable by those who question: "What if"....

Here we are on the brink...

What if I offer my low-level students technology that is usually reserved for upper-level courses?

What if I expect my students to learn in a global environment?

What if I offer my students experiences so rich they can't help but learn?

What if I believe they cannot fail?

Durff's Blog: Pesky Pre-conceived notions

2007-08-14T14:57:00.000-06:00

Durff's Blog: Pesky Pre-conceived notions

This post serves 2 purposes:

1 I am still trying to figure out all of the really cool stuff that I can do in this amazing world of blogging. I have just linked to Durff's Blog. (which is pretty cool)
this is an amazing thought on pre-conceived notions that I wanted to make sure gets shared!

As a literacy teacher, I use these preconceived notions as schema or background knowledge, I use them to help students connect to the text and make connections with what they are reading.

Marzano describes Piaget's work on schema theory as either assimilation where a learner "gradually integrate[s] new knowledge into a learner's existing knowledge base," or as accomodation, where "interaction with content must challenge existing perceptions. (2007, 59)

As a Social Studies teacher I find myself trying to challenge students' preconceived notions to trade one perspective or way of thinking for another!

The idea that "Preconceived notions are necessary. It is our capacity to relinquish and learn something new that is vital" is important for us to acknowledge as we push to reach a new understanding.

SmartBoard lessons

2007-08-14T12:10:00.000-06:00

I am hoping that I can load class discussions and presentations on my class blogs throughout the year as a resource for students! So I'm testing it out here with a lesson that previews and provides background knowledge for The Lost Boys

getting started...again

2007-08-13T08:56:00.000-06:00

I have new classes this year and new expectations surrounding how information is received and used (through technology). This is the first time I working with a team that needs to enforce the same rules and procedures. I'm bucking that a little :) I guess I'm used to (as all teacher do) doing things MY way!! Its not really that big of a deal though!
I need to begin thinking Social Studies again! I have been thinking content all summer, but I think the procedures part of a Social Studies class is different than those in literacy?! The classes will definitely be set up differently!
Maybe they are not as different as they seem?? I don't really know where to begin to make sure that my procedures are down -- especially if I want my students blogging, those things have to be set right a way...Atleast that's what I'm expecting!!
How will I set up the walls in my room for two different subjects? And my board?
Now I'm overwhelmed!

I make a difference!!

2007-08-10T19:01:00.000-06:00

I need to watch this every morning!

slowing down to gear up

2007-08-10T18:24:00.001-06:00

This was my final day in sessions with Darren. I am so inspired by watching amazing teachers do their thing. He finally brought everything full circle for me: connecting our content, pedagogy, and the technology. Seeing how he used technology to spark interest, to see the content in real life experiences and finally as a tool for students to present their learning!

It would be easy to get stuck in using technology for its surface level qualities. But, Darren has used to engage and motivate student learning.

This was an amazing experience for me and I am going to spend the weekend doing nothing with it! Hey-- we all have to have boundaries!! -- I need for this information to finish seeping in, and then on Monday or Tuesday I'm going to add to my Technology Personal Action Plan and find some way to make sure I'm not stuck at the surface level of all this!

Metacognative Experiences

2007-08-09T14:17:00.000-06:00

I've just finished a work shop with Darren Kurpatowa. After reading the first two chapters of Marzano's new book: The Art and Science of Teaching, I've seen the merit and need for educational experiences or "chunks." Using technology to create those experiences has opened up new doors for me!

I would also like to explore making blogging with my students as a "metacognative" tool. I have reflections, but I would like to set up a process where each day there is an opportunity for them to summarize, reflect and add information to what we have covered in class. I am so scared about their immaturity though. However, based on my (little) experience if I give them opportunities to be mature and handle their education with maturity they usually amaze me!