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....)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Classroom Management = Student Engagement
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
getting dressed
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.
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.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
reflecting on having students reflect
Having my students blog could be an awesome way for me progress-monitor all 34 of them!
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!
- 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!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Night and Day
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!)
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!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
