Goolge Docs Lesson Plans

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}

do-overs

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!

exhaustion sets in

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