As teachers, part of our formal evaluation for the current academic year will be based on student surveys. Among my teacher friends, it is not necessarily a popular viewpoint to be in support of including this component in our evaluations. However, I have always been of the opinion that student evaluations could serve as a useful tool for improving instruction. Student evaluation forms are also used at the college-level, and isn't that our ultimate goal - to prepare students for college? I think that student evaluations could prove to be very useful for teachers. But, if it is to work, positive feedback trends and suggestions for improvement should be compiled at the administrative level and provided to teachers during the early summer. This will allow teachers an appropriate amount to time to reflect on their practice and implement adjustments where necessary.
I have been piloting the Moodle Learning Management System with my design technology students, and I have asked them to provide formal feedback and evaluations of the Moodle interface (and the 5 E's framework). So far, the feedback from students has been incredibly insightful. As a facilitator, I have provided some meaningful learning activities that have been very successful, and I have encountered pitfalls and roadblocks (the students were quick to let me know when these happened). Students (with initial support from me) were able to navigate the Moodle interface and communicate in meaningful discussion forums. I have found uses for the Moodle blog feature, and I have been able to weigh the benefits and drawback of the Moodle quiz feature vs. other quiz/survey tools on the web.
As teachers (both in traditional classrooms and in virtual learning spaces), it is our job to provide instruction that works for students. The students are our clients, and if we are unable to gauge how they perceive their learning, then we will also be lacking in the ability to improve the effectiveness of our teaching. We need to be sure that we are serving our clients to the best of our ability. I have found that making lessons that are as interactive as possible is, more often than not, the right path for science instruction. Still, there is a lot of room for improvement in my pedagogical practices, and these reflections definitely help to push me in the right direction.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
The Learning Cycle (The 5 E's of Science Education)
The 5 E's (a great way for students to acquire and process science learning):
- Engage
- Explore
- Explain/Communicate
- Elaborate
- Evaluate
Well, so far in my career, I think that I have done pretty well in providing my students with concrete, hands-on learning experiences whenever they were appropriate. But actually using the learning cycle to explicitly facilitate inquiry-based learning? Admittedly I have been lacking there. It seems that the timing is now right to develop my hand with the Learning Cycle. For one thing, the shift to the virtual classroom will eliminate much of the opportunities for "hands-on" experiences, so I should replace those experiences with as much inquiry as possible. Secondly, the learning cycle (http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/science/LearningCyclePlanInst11.05.pdf) offers a consistent framework that is meaningful and easy to follow, which will serve me well in organizing my distance learning lessons. It will also allow for a logical learning progression for all students, providing support for those who need it, as they progress through increasingly challenging tasks. The learning cycle approach provided ample opportunities for students to choose how they complete a task or direct their learning. Therefore, it will also help me to meet the requests of school administrators that asking us to achieve higher levels of differentiated instruction in our classrooms. The upshot is that I feel like I'm killing a lot of birds with one stone here.
I am so excited to really begin implementing the learning cycle with students that I have decided to pilot the process with one my classes this month. More on that as it progresses.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
This is a Personality Test
I recently completed the Keirsey Temperament survey: http://www.keirsey.com/aboutkts2.aspx
If you scroll down to the bottom of the Keirsey website, you can see a brief synopsis of each personality type. You can also click on the "four temperaments" tab at the top to read longer and more detailed narratives about the various personality types, including situational examples.
The sorter tells me that my temperament is that of the Guardian-Provider and, after reading through the description, I cannot argue with the classification. I like to entertain and I am outgoing. I am observant and friendly. But I am also slightly obsessive-compulsive about order and organization, and I tend to have a hard time digesting criticism from others (which might help to explain my adverse feelings toward the Danielson model of teacher evaluation). I have compassion for others, but I am also sensitive and take most things personally (for better or for worse). I enjoy participating in social activities and cooperating with others. In fact, part of the reason why I left my previous job with an engineering company in exchange for a career in education was that I felt I needed a job that would allow for more human interaction (as opposed to 'crunching numbers' on a computer all day). The only aspect of the temperament that I can take issue with is that I am supposed to be at ease and confident with public speaking. While it is true that I kind of enjoy public speaking during and after the fact, it is also typical that I feel quite a bit of anxiety leading up to the event. This is most likely related to my "attention to the details of furnishing goods and services". Essentially, I stress out about making things as good as possible, which can be difficult to come to terms with as a teacher - the job is never done and there is always more work to do.
I am excited to use this temperament sorter with my students. It will be a good metacognitive exercise for them as learners, and it also help me to get to know them better as individuals. I can also use the personality 'data' to inform my selection of cooperative groups for various learning activities. I have often wondered if everyone thinks that they have the "best" personality, at least most fitting for their temperament. If I did not think that I was doing the best I could, then I would want to improve. I have been recommending that everyone take Keirsey's temperament sorter. For me it was informative and provided a framework for introspection (I think I "feel" too much, but I am okay with that). At the very least, the temperament sorter is fun. So the Guardian Provider in me is asking that you go back to the top of this post, copy the link into your web browser, and take the KTS-II right now.
If you scroll down to the bottom of the Keirsey website, you can see a brief synopsis of each personality type. You can also click on the "four temperaments" tab at the top to read longer and more detailed narratives about the various personality types, including situational examples.
The sorter tells me that my temperament is that of the Guardian-Provider and, after reading through the description, I cannot argue with the classification. I like to entertain and I am outgoing. I am observant and friendly. But I am also slightly obsessive-compulsive about order and organization, and I tend to have a hard time digesting criticism from others (which might help to explain my adverse feelings toward the Danielson model of teacher evaluation). I have compassion for others, but I am also sensitive and take most things personally (for better or for worse). I enjoy participating in social activities and cooperating with others. In fact, part of the reason why I left my previous job with an engineering company in exchange for a career in education was that I felt I needed a job that would allow for more human interaction (as opposed to 'crunching numbers' on a computer all day). The only aspect of the temperament that I can take issue with is that I am supposed to be at ease and confident with public speaking. While it is true that I kind of enjoy public speaking during and after the fact, it is also typical that I feel quite a bit of anxiety leading up to the event. This is most likely related to my "attention to the details of furnishing goods and services". Essentially, I stress out about making things as good as possible, which can be difficult to come to terms with as a teacher - the job is never done and there is always more work to do.
I am excited to use this temperament sorter with my students. It will be a good metacognitive exercise for them as learners, and it also help me to get to know them better as individuals. I can also use the personality 'data' to inform my selection of cooperative groups for various learning activities. I have often wondered if everyone thinks that they have the "best" personality, at least most fitting for their temperament. If I did not think that I was doing the best I could, then I would want to improve. I have been recommending that everyone take Keirsey's temperament sorter. For me it was informative and provided a framework for introspection (I think I "feel" too much, but I am okay with that). At the very least, the temperament sorter is fun. So the Guardian Provider in me is asking that you go back to the top of this post, copy the link into your web browser, and take the KTS-II right now.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Establishing Rapport
We do have rapport with one another. I'm sorry, but we don't. At least not in the context of this blog. By definition, rapport is a mutual relationship between two or more participants. Blogs tend to be a much more one-way form of dissemination. As the author of this blog, I make an effort to communicate to you, the reader. You, on the other hand, take in my writing without providing feedback (with a few exceptions). It is one-sided, but this is not your fault, its mine. I do not use my blog as a forum for eliciting responses and discussion. But maybe I should. I should work harder to engage my readers and provide them with opportunities to contribute/participate. It would strengthen my reflections, and probably provide all of us with a better experience with The Young Scientists.
I have spent some time thinking about the rapport I build with my students. The rapport is never exactly the same from year to year, from class to class, or even from student to student. So many variables come into play here. For one thing, I evolve a little as a teacher (and as a human) each year. One of the reason I like to keep this reflective blog is so that I will one day be able to trace my personal changes over time. Also, each year brings with it new students and new personalities. Rapport permeates the classroom in all directions. It is not just between teacher and class, but also between teacher and student, and between student and student. Some students (or groups of students) pose more challenges for establishing rapport than others. But that is the nature of the job. For me, this ever-changing dynamic is part of what makes science education such a compelling career.
Building relationships and rapport among students in a distance learning setting will pose its own unique set of challenges. For example, in the physical classroom I periodically adjust seating charts throughout the year to ensure "educational harmony" for my students. How will I know that the student groups in each of the five high schools have established a good rapport with one another? I will need to constantly collect feedback (i.e. in the form of student surveys) to identify areas where rapport needs to be strengthened.
Humor is essential for teacher/student rapport. Learning needs to be fun at least some of the time. However, I think that it can sometimes be difficult to be funny or "fun" in text. And some of the funnier things that a teacher might say may not be appropriate for typing (i.e. if its not documents we can always deny that we ever said it). There is also the risk that a humorous tone could be misinterpreted in text (in the absence of body language and vocal intonations). I think that web 2.0 tools can be very useful for injecting fun/humor into the virtual classroom.
Finally, as mentioned at the beginning of this post, rapport must be mutual. I think that distance learning really lends itself to students getting to know each other. All students (even the traditionally shy ones) can read about one and other and share about themselves. However, any group of students will include some individuals less apt to participate than others. Its easy to recognize and try to include these students in the physical classroom. But how do you coax these students to participate in the virtual classroom? For this reason, I think that it will be especially important to establish an open and supportive tone at the beginning of the year while making expectations clear for everyone.
I have had better rapport with some groups of students than others, but I have never failed to establish rapport altogether. And I don't plan to start failing at it now that I will be teaching in an on-line classroom.
I have spent some time thinking about the rapport I build with my students. The rapport is never exactly the same from year to year, from class to class, or even from student to student. So many variables come into play here. For one thing, I evolve a little as a teacher (and as a human) each year. One of the reason I like to keep this reflective blog is so that I will one day be able to trace my personal changes over time. Also, each year brings with it new students and new personalities. Rapport permeates the classroom in all directions. It is not just between teacher and class, but also between teacher and student, and between student and student. Some students (or groups of students) pose more challenges for establishing rapport than others. But that is the nature of the job. For me, this ever-changing dynamic is part of what makes science education such a compelling career.
Building relationships and rapport among students in a distance learning setting will pose its own unique set of challenges. For example, in the physical classroom I periodically adjust seating charts throughout the year to ensure "educational harmony" for my students. How will I know that the student groups in each of the five high schools have established a good rapport with one another? I will need to constantly collect feedback (i.e. in the form of student surveys) to identify areas where rapport needs to be strengthened.
Humor is essential for teacher/student rapport. Learning needs to be fun at least some of the time. However, I think that it can sometimes be difficult to be funny or "fun" in text. And some of the funnier things that a teacher might say may not be appropriate for typing (i.e. if its not documents we can always deny that we ever said it). There is also the risk that a humorous tone could be misinterpreted in text (in the absence of body language and vocal intonations). I think that web 2.0 tools can be very useful for injecting fun/humor into the virtual classroom.
Finally, as mentioned at the beginning of this post, rapport must be mutual. I think that distance learning really lends itself to students getting to know each other. All students (even the traditionally shy ones) can read about one and other and share about themselves. However, any group of students will include some individuals less apt to participate than others. Its easy to recognize and try to include these students in the physical classroom. But how do you coax these students to participate in the virtual classroom? For this reason, I think that it will be especially important to establish an open and supportive tone at the beginning of the year while making expectations clear for everyone.
I have had better rapport with some groups of students than others, but I have never failed to establish rapport altogether. And I don't plan to start failing at it now that I will be teaching in an on-line classroom.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Planning Ahead
As a form of stress management, I try to live in the "here-and-now" as much as possible. I am often not very good at doing this, but I am trying to get better. Anyway, with a career as an educator, it will never be possible to live strictly in the here-and now. Our responsibilities require that we plan far ahead, and maintain a vision for the objectives we need our students to achieve as we scaffold and build toward our instructional goals. Teachers are also constantly making efforts to improve their practices. In order to do this, we reflect back on previous lessons and try to build on things that went well, and modify or eliminate components that didn't work. We incorporate all of these things in our lesson/unit plans for the school year.
There is a quote by Dwight Eisenhower: "plans are useless, but planning is indispensable". Eisenhower was discussing preparations for battle, but I think that the same philosophy holds true for educational practices. Good teaching can still often be done "in the moment", but good planning will strengthen these moments and improve their structure and frequency. Some of my best moments as a teacher have stemmed from on-the-spot improvisations. My confidence as a teacher is highest when I feel that I am balancing all of the conflicting demands that come with the profession. For example, the need to be prepared with lessons that have been "thought through" vs. the need to be flexible enough to alter plans when necessary (another example of educators' conflicting dichotomies: using strict classroom management techniques vs. making learning fun and engaging for students).
As I prepare to teach The Global Environment via distance learning, the task of planning has taken on even greater importance. It is imperative that I work with the Syracuse City School District's educational technology experts to master the implementation of the Moodle interface this year. As a pilot program for distance learning, it is expected that we will all encounter "growing pains". As the instructor for the course, it is important that I have gone through all of the difficulties that my students will inevitably encounter so as to be better able to teach and assist them. As a participant in the "We Learn" distance learning grant, I want to see the program succeed and the district build upon these courses in the future. When the course goes online next September, it is likely that we will encounter an entirely new suite of issues and problems. Therefore, it is essential that we have our units and lessons completely planned out and detailed so that we can better focus on the delivery of the content. If our planning is complete then we will be better able to overcome any pitfalls with the technology.
The upshot is that it is February, and I am already planning a course for September (while still planning for and teaching my course load for the current school year). It feels a little strange to plan so far ahead, but there is no doubt that it will improve my instruction and give me more time to fine tune and tweak various components of my lessons. I will also maintain the flexibility required by all teachers, and continue to search for "teachable moments" where ever I can find them.
There is a quote by Dwight Eisenhower: "plans are useless, but planning is indispensable". Eisenhower was discussing preparations for battle, but I think that the same philosophy holds true for educational practices. Good teaching can still often be done "in the moment", but good planning will strengthen these moments and improve their structure and frequency. Some of my best moments as a teacher have stemmed from on-the-spot improvisations. My confidence as a teacher is highest when I feel that I am balancing all of the conflicting demands that come with the profession. For example, the need to be prepared with lessons that have been "thought through" vs. the need to be flexible enough to alter plans when necessary (another example of educators' conflicting dichotomies: using strict classroom management techniques vs. making learning fun and engaging for students).
As I prepare to teach The Global Environment via distance learning, the task of planning has taken on even greater importance. It is imperative that I work with the Syracuse City School District's educational technology experts to master the implementation of the Moodle interface this year. As a pilot program for distance learning, it is expected that we will all encounter "growing pains". As the instructor for the course, it is important that I have gone through all of the difficulties that my students will inevitably encounter so as to be better able to teach and assist them. As a participant in the "We Learn" distance learning grant, I want to see the program succeed and the district build upon these courses in the future. When the course goes online next September, it is likely that we will encounter an entirely new suite of issues and problems. Therefore, it is essential that we have our units and lessons completely planned out and detailed so that we can better focus on the delivery of the content. If our planning is complete then we will be better able to overcome any pitfalls with the technology.
The upshot is that it is February, and I am already planning a course for September (while still planning for and teaching my course load for the current school year). It feels a little strange to plan so far ahead, but there is no doubt that it will improve my instruction and give me more time to fine tune and tweak various components of my lessons. I will also maintain the flexibility required by all teachers, and continue to search for "teachable moments" where ever I can find them.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Reading List
I read somewhere recently that art is basically any human creation that, after experiencing it, impacts the way one views the world around them. I realize that www.goodreads.com has already established a website dedicated to this kind of stuff, but I want to post this here even if it is not entirely the appropriate venue for such a post.
As I begin to put together a reading list for the Global Environment syllabus (I plan to start the class off with "The Lorax", by Dr. Suess), I have been thinking about the novels that have left a lasting impression on me. Each one of these books has engaged, inspired or influenced me in its own unique ways. In the following list I will try to stay as chronological as possible and annotate the entries.
1) "My Teacher is an Alien", by Bruce Coville. This book introduced me to absurdism. It made me realize that you can write about whatever you want, and triggered an early interest in science fiction. In my later years, I bought a house three blocks away from the author's home in Syracuse.
2) "The Catcher in the Rye", by J.D. Salinger. Can there be a better book for male teenager to read?
3) "The Grapes of Wrath", by John Steinbeck. My literary introduction to corporate exploitation of man and nature. For a long time, I called this the best book I have ever read, and that may still be true.
4) "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", by Ken Kesey. I have already alluded to this book in a previous post. The narration and character development in this book are excellent, and another great book for a teenage to read as they start to rebel against the establishment.
5) "Catch-22", by Joseph Heller. You are insane if you don't like this book. Hilarious. This book holds the for the fastest I have ever read a book. I am usually a pretty slow reader (I like to take time to reflect), but I think I covered this in under 5 days.
6) "The Great Gatsby", by F. Scot Fitzgerald. The author actually spent some of his childhood growing up in Syracuse.
7) "The Metamorphosis", and "The Breast", by Franz Kafka and Phillip Roth, respectively. I read these books one right after the other. Metaphors for alienation.
8) "Eucalyptus", by Murray Bail. I did not like this book the first time I read it. Then, I had a professor ask me to re-read it and ask myself one question: Is our life just a collection of the stories that we tell? I haven't stopped thinking about that question ever since.
9) "A Confederacy of Dunces", by John Kennedy Toole. Laugh-out-loud funny. Also triggered an obsession with New Orleans that, like the characters in this book, will never leave me. I often cite this as my favorite book.
10) "On the Road", by Jack Kerouac. Mostly just because I read it while traveling across the county as a young man.
11) "Lolita", by Vladimir Nabokov. The transformative power of words and laguage.
12) "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", by Robert Pirsig. How to approach problems with the scientific method. Also good primers for various philosophical ideas, and a good story line.
13) "Never Cry Wolf", by Farley Mowat. More explicitly about the scientific method, and a good nature/adventure tale.
14) "Raising Holy Hell", by Bruce Olds. This is historical fiction about John Brown. It really got me thinking about the strength of one's convictions. John Brown is an inspirational figure in American history. But to be sure, he was a fanatic.
15) "Under the Banner of Heaven", by John Krakauer. I recognize that none of these last three entries are novels, but they all read like one, as do the other Krakauer books I have read ("Where Men Win Glory", "Into Thin Air", and "Into the Wild"). I enjoy all of Krakauer's work, but "Under the Banner of Heaven" seems like the most "no stone left unturned" kind of thing that I have ever read. The history and the story here are blended flawlessly.
16) "Sometimes a Great Notion", by Ken Kesey and "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. These are largely the same story, just a different cast of characters and Kesey should be credited with probably the best character development I have ever encountered in a book. Kesey replaces Dostoevsky's Russian monasteries of the mid 19th century with Oregon's logger unions of the mid 20th century. There are many other differences as well, but these are still books about family tensions, and how all people come at the world with their own unique perspectives. BK is probably the best book I have ever read, strike that, its definitely the best book I have ever read.
17) "The Witches of Eastwick", by John Updike. Maybe magic is possible through human will?
18) "Slaughterhouse 5", by Kurt Vonnegut. For me this book felt like it had some universal truth in it. Also, very funny.
19) "Oil", by Upton Sinclair. Inspiration for the movie "There Will Be Blood".
20) "Invisible Man", by Ralph Ellison. This book was really important for me.
21) "The Moviegoer", by Walker Percy. Life is about unlocking the underlying mystery and defeating any tendencies toward general malaise.
22) "Freedom" and "The Corrections", by Jonathan Franzen. These books can be very depressing, which I usually don't like. I was glued to these books even though, at time, I didn't want to be.
23) "The Mezzanine", by Nicholson Baker. It is the minutia of everyday life that give us profound experiences and the most meaningful connections to the world. Also, great use of detailed footnotes. While reading this book, I was struck by the feeling that Baker was writing about exact thoughts and/or experienced that I had before, like we were the same person in some strange way.
24) "A People's History of the United States", by Howard Zinn. Okay, I am done trying to make this list exclusively about novels. There is a lot of non-fiction that has inspired and even transformed my perspectives, and this book is most important among them. Beware of the two party system, and don't be afraid the stand up for ideals.
25) "Hope and Despair in the American School System", by Gerald Grant. Why do there need to be such inequities between suburban and inner city schools? This book isn't great about revealing the history behind the problems in education, but does offer some refreshing potential solutions.
26) "Guns, Germs, and Steel", by Jared Diamond. Social science, laid out almost like a scientific paper in long-form. This really helped me to understand the history of human civilization, and I will definitely be using it with my class next year.
27) "A Walk in the Woods", by Bill Bryson. I also enjoyed "A Brief History of Nearly Everything", and "In a Sunburned Country". But Bryson's travelogue of the Appalachian Trail actually prompted me to start brainstorming my thru-hiker name.
28) "Two Americans: Truman, Eisenhower, and a Dangerous World", by William Lee Miller. I don't often read straight historical biographies. But this one was really well written, and these were too very interesting presidents during very interesting times in American history. I learned a lot while reading this book.
29) "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy", by Nick Hornby. Okay, so I am not even trying to list books in chronological order any more. "About a Boy" was good, but "High Fidelity" articulated a lot about manhood and music. Also, best use of lists I have seen in any novel
30) "Dude, Where's my Country?", by Michael Moore. The hijackers on September 11th were Saudi Arabian citizens. Why did we go to war with Iraq and Afghanistan?
31) "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt", by Chris Hedges. I can never eat a tomato withouth thinking of the migrant workers in Florida again. There is a lot of true despair depicted in this book, but it is also a natural offshoot from Howard Zinn. People are resilient, and there is still hope for humans, but we need to stop ignoring the deep problems that we face. I think Hedges is brilliant, and I also got a lot from "War is a Force that Gives us Meaning", and "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle".
Thirty-one books seems like a good place to stop (1 great, influential book for every year that I have been living - not bad). All of these books (and a number of plays as well) have helped me to reflect on myself and on the human experience in general. I look forward to my continued reading and my continued adding to this list. Strangely though, I realize now that I have left off one of the most important books of my life, "The Giving Tree", by Shel Silverstein. My mother used to read this book to me (maybe that's why I neglected to include it, because it was initially read to me rather than by me), and now I have read it to my children. Reading this book today still provokes a strong emotional response in me. I feel guilt -- like I am a taker from my parents and from the resources of the world. My hope is that as I go through life that I can eventually come to be terms with this guilt and be at peace with Shel Silverstein (another brilliant writer). Ideally, I would like to feel that I have given back and nurtured people to a degree equal with all that I have taken and been given. That would be a good sense of balane and peace.
Honorable Mention (AKA these books are just as important to me as the ones above, but I forgot to mention them as I was writing the list. Note the shorter annotations):
A. "Civilization and Its Discontents", by Sigfund Freud. What an orgininal!
B. "Parsons's Pleasure", By Roald Dahl. Irony!
C. "The Sound and the Fury", by William Faulker. Another one about varying perspectives and seeing experiences through the eyes of others.
D. "The Pearl", by John Steinbeck. More money, more problems.
E. "The Rum Diaries", by Hunter S. Thompson. The film version over politicized this story. This book made me want to travel and meet people, and helped me to refine my sense of adventure. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was more ground-breaking, but "The Rum Diaries" remains a more important book for me.
F. "Beloved", by Toni Morrison. Another author who spent time living in Syracuse. Transcendent!
G. "Freakanomics", by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Incentives. Note: this is the only co-authored book to make the list.
H. "A Civil Action", by Jonathan Harr. The #1 reason I didn't go to Law School.
I. "1984" and "Animal Farm", by George Orwell. My parents gave me these books in a double volume for Christmas one year. More than any other books, these provided me with a framework for thinking critically about power, corruption, and greed in government. Very timely in the current era of Super PACs.
J. "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley and "The Time Machine", by H.G. Wells. Great books for thinking about the hierarchies within social classes, and the inherent implications.
K. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius", by Dave Eggers. If you read one memoir this year, make it this one.
L. "The Clan of the Cave Bear", by Jean M. Auel. Recommended to me by my mom -- fascinating interpretation of early humans, gender roles, social order, etc.
M. "Interview with the Vampire", by Anne Rice. Would eternal life turn anyone into a vampire? How could one possibly cope with experiencing all the changes throughout history (both revolutionary and gradual)
N. "Cheap: The High Cost Of Discount Culture", by Ellen Ruppel Shell. This book really got me thinking about the good that I consume. It refers to Wegmans as a "love letter to capitalism" which "identifies with the local food movement" in a chapter that contrasts the Wegmans grocery store chain with that of the "behemoth" Whole Foods. An analogy in the furniture retail world would be Dunk & Bright vs. IKEA.
O. "Don Quixote", by Cervantes. One of the funniest and poignant books I have ever read. Everyone comes through the universe with their own unique perspective, so try not to judge them.
As I begin to put together a reading list for the Global Environment syllabus (I plan to start the class off with "The Lorax", by Dr. Suess), I have been thinking about the novels that have left a lasting impression on me. Each one of these books has engaged, inspired or influenced me in its own unique ways. In the following list I will try to stay as chronological as possible and annotate the entries.
1) "My Teacher is an Alien", by Bruce Coville. This book introduced me to absurdism. It made me realize that you can write about whatever you want, and triggered an early interest in science fiction. In my later years, I bought a house three blocks away from the author's home in Syracuse.
2) "The Catcher in the Rye", by J.D. Salinger. Can there be a better book for male teenager to read?
3) "The Grapes of Wrath", by John Steinbeck. My literary introduction to corporate exploitation of man and nature. For a long time, I called this the best book I have ever read, and that may still be true.
4) "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", by Ken Kesey. I have already alluded to this book in a previous post. The narration and character development in this book are excellent, and another great book for a teenage to read as they start to rebel against the establishment.
5) "Catch-22", by Joseph Heller. You are insane if you don't like this book. Hilarious. This book holds the for the fastest I have ever read a book. I am usually a pretty slow reader (I like to take time to reflect), but I think I covered this in under 5 days.
6) "The Great Gatsby", by F. Scot Fitzgerald. The author actually spent some of his childhood growing up in Syracuse.
7) "The Metamorphosis", and "The Breast", by Franz Kafka and Phillip Roth, respectively. I read these books one right after the other. Metaphors for alienation.
8) "Eucalyptus", by Murray Bail. I did not like this book the first time I read it. Then, I had a professor ask me to re-read it and ask myself one question: Is our life just a collection of the stories that we tell? I haven't stopped thinking about that question ever since.
9) "A Confederacy of Dunces", by John Kennedy Toole. Laugh-out-loud funny. Also triggered an obsession with New Orleans that, like the characters in this book, will never leave me. I often cite this as my favorite book.
10) "On the Road", by Jack Kerouac. Mostly just because I read it while traveling across the county as a young man.
11) "Lolita", by Vladimir Nabokov. The transformative power of words and laguage.
12) "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", by Robert Pirsig. How to approach problems with the scientific method. Also good primers for various philosophical ideas, and a good story line.
13) "Never Cry Wolf", by Farley Mowat. More explicitly about the scientific method, and a good nature/adventure tale.
14) "Raising Holy Hell", by Bruce Olds. This is historical fiction about John Brown. It really got me thinking about the strength of one's convictions. John Brown is an inspirational figure in American history. But to be sure, he was a fanatic.
15) "Under the Banner of Heaven", by John Krakauer. I recognize that none of these last three entries are novels, but they all read like one, as do the other Krakauer books I have read ("Where Men Win Glory", "Into Thin Air", and "Into the Wild"). I enjoy all of Krakauer's work, but "Under the Banner of Heaven" seems like the most "no stone left unturned" kind of thing that I have ever read. The history and the story here are blended flawlessly.
16) "Sometimes a Great Notion", by Ken Kesey and "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. These are largely the same story, just a different cast of characters and Kesey should be credited with probably the best character development I have ever encountered in a book. Kesey replaces Dostoevsky's Russian monasteries of the mid 19th century with Oregon's logger unions of the mid 20th century. There are many other differences as well, but these are still books about family tensions, and how all people come at the world with their own unique perspectives. BK is probably the best book I have ever read, strike that, its definitely the best book I have ever read.
17) "The Witches of Eastwick", by John Updike. Maybe magic is possible through human will?
18) "Slaughterhouse 5", by Kurt Vonnegut. For me this book felt like it had some universal truth in it. Also, very funny.
19) "Oil", by Upton Sinclair. Inspiration for the movie "There Will Be Blood".
20) "Invisible Man", by Ralph Ellison. This book was really important for me.
21) "The Moviegoer", by Walker Percy. Life is about unlocking the underlying mystery and defeating any tendencies toward general malaise.
22) "Freedom" and "The Corrections", by Jonathan Franzen. These books can be very depressing, which I usually don't like. I was glued to these books even though, at time, I didn't want to be.
23) "The Mezzanine", by Nicholson Baker. It is the minutia of everyday life that give us profound experiences and the most meaningful connections to the world. Also, great use of detailed footnotes. While reading this book, I was struck by the feeling that Baker was writing about exact thoughts and/or experienced that I had before, like we were the same person in some strange way.
24) "A People's History of the United States", by Howard Zinn. Okay, I am done trying to make this list exclusively about novels. There is a lot of non-fiction that has inspired and even transformed my perspectives, and this book is most important among them. Beware of the two party system, and don't be afraid the stand up for ideals.
25) "Hope and Despair in the American School System", by Gerald Grant. Why do there need to be such inequities between suburban and inner city schools? This book isn't great about revealing the history behind the problems in education, but does offer some refreshing potential solutions.
26) "Guns, Germs, and Steel", by Jared Diamond. Social science, laid out almost like a scientific paper in long-form. This really helped me to understand the history of human civilization, and I will definitely be using it with my class next year.
27) "A Walk in the Woods", by Bill Bryson. I also enjoyed "A Brief History of Nearly Everything", and "In a Sunburned Country". But Bryson's travelogue of the Appalachian Trail actually prompted me to start brainstorming my thru-hiker name.
28) "Two Americans: Truman, Eisenhower, and a Dangerous World", by William Lee Miller. I don't often read straight historical biographies. But this one was really well written, and these were too very interesting presidents during very interesting times in American history. I learned a lot while reading this book.
29) "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy", by Nick Hornby. Okay, so I am not even trying to list books in chronological order any more. "About a Boy" was good, but "High Fidelity" articulated a lot about manhood and music. Also, best use of lists I have seen in any novel
30) "Dude, Where's my Country?", by Michael Moore. The hijackers on September 11th were Saudi Arabian citizens. Why did we go to war with Iraq and Afghanistan?
31) "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt", by Chris Hedges. I can never eat a tomato withouth thinking of the migrant workers in Florida again. There is a lot of true despair depicted in this book, but it is also a natural offshoot from Howard Zinn. People are resilient, and there is still hope for humans, but we need to stop ignoring the deep problems that we face. I think Hedges is brilliant, and I also got a lot from "War is a Force that Gives us Meaning", and "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle".
Thirty-one books seems like a good place to stop (1 great, influential book for every year that I have been living - not bad). All of these books (and a number of plays as well) have helped me to reflect on myself and on the human experience in general. I look forward to my continued reading and my continued adding to this list. Strangely though, I realize now that I have left off one of the most important books of my life, "The Giving Tree", by Shel Silverstein. My mother used to read this book to me (maybe that's why I neglected to include it, because it was initially read to me rather than by me), and now I have read it to my children. Reading this book today still provokes a strong emotional response in me. I feel guilt -- like I am a taker from my parents and from the resources of the world. My hope is that as I go through life that I can eventually come to be terms with this guilt and be at peace with Shel Silverstein (another brilliant writer). Ideally, I would like to feel that I have given back and nurtured people to a degree equal with all that I have taken and been given. That would be a good sense of balane and peace.
Honorable Mention (AKA these books are just as important to me as the ones above, but I forgot to mention them as I was writing the list. Note the shorter annotations):
A. "Civilization and Its Discontents", by Sigfund Freud. What an orgininal!
B. "Parsons's Pleasure", By Roald Dahl. Irony!
C. "The Sound and the Fury", by William Faulker. Another one about varying perspectives and seeing experiences through the eyes of others.
D. "The Pearl", by John Steinbeck. More money, more problems.
E. "The Rum Diaries", by Hunter S. Thompson. The film version over politicized this story. This book made me want to travel and meet people, and helped me to refine my sense of adventure. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was more ground-breaking, but "The Rum Diaries" remains a more important book for me.
F. "Beloved", by Toni Morrison. Another author who spent time living in Syracuse. Transcendent!
G. "Freakanomics", by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Incentives. Note: this is the only co-authored book to make the list.
H. "A Civil Action", by Jonathan Harr. The #1 reason I didn't go to Law School.
I. "1984" and "Animal Farm", by George Orwell. My parents gave me these books in a double volume for Christmas one year. More than any other books, these provided me with a framework for thinking critically about power, corruption, and greed in government. Very timely in the current era of Super PACs.
J. "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley and "The Time Machine", by H.G. Wells. Great books for thinking about the hierarchies within social classes, and the inherent implications.
K. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius", by Dave Eggers. If you read one memoir this year, make it this one.
L. "The Clan of the Cave Bear", by Jean M. Auel. Recommended to me by my mom -- fascinating interpretation of early humans, gender roles, social order, etc.
M. "Interview with the Vampire", by Anne Rice. Would eternal life turn anyone into a vampire? How could one possibly cope with experiencing all the changes throughout history (both revolutionary and gradual)
N. "Cheap: The High Cost Of Discount Culture", by Ellen Ruppel Shell. This book really got me thinking about the good that I consume. It refers to Wegmans as a "love letter to capitalism" which "identifies with the local food movement" in a chapter that contrasts the Wegmans grocery store chain with that of the "behemoth" Whole Foods. An analogy in the furniture retail world would be Dunk & Bright vs. IKEA.
O. "Don Quixote", by Cervantes. One of the funniest and poignant books I have ever read. Everyone comes through the universe with their own unique perspective, so try not to judge them.
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Return of The Global Environment
The Syracuse City School District was recently awarded a grant for piloting a distance learning program. The grant specifies that five courses (French 1, Spanish 4/5, pre-calculus, ESF: The Global Environment, and ESF Writing) will be offered to Syracuse students via Moodle, the district's distance learning interface. In a collaborative effort, one teacher from each of the city's five high schools will be responsible for planning, creating, and delivering one of these courses online as a substitution for one of the traditional courses in their normal class loads. As a participant in this grant, I will be teaching the ESF Global Environment in the distance learning format.
Here is how it works, supposedly. Each high school dedicates a single classroom to the distance learning initiative. Small groups (about 5-8 students) at each of the high schools will be in the room during each of the five periods when one of the courses mentioned above is being taught. Each class will be a different group of 5-8 students (it will not be the case that the same students are all taking each of the five distance learning courses). Each high school will be assigned as the "home base" for one of the distance learning classes (for example, Corcorcan will be the home base for the Global Environment). So, say Global Environment will offered during period 3. That means I will meet in the distance learning room during 3rd period with the 6 or 7 Corcoran students enrolled in the course. There will be a video camera on me as I teach and the video image (and audio) of my instruction will be projected onto the smartboards in the distance learning classrooms of the other high schools. I will also have the ability to see video feeds from each of the high schools as viewed on Corcoran's smartboard as picture-in-picture (PIP) images. Students from all of the other high schools will be able to interact with me (or any other student in the class) in real-time. Sound futuristic? Its really not, but it is relatively new for high schools to implement this type of technology (virtual classrooms are becoming much more common at the college level). The Jetson Family could now feel comfortable sending their kids to the Syracuse City School District.
I have taught EFB 120: The Global Environment (Energy, Adaptation, and the Exploitation of Resources) once before during the 2010-2011 academic year. I really enjoyed teaching this course in a traditional classroom setting, and I now look forward to the unique opportunity of teaching this course in a "virtual classroom". At many of the high schools, there have not been enough students enrolling to justify offering the course. Now, interested students will be given the opportunity to take this unique college credit course virtually, whereas it would not even be offered otherwise. This is a great example of a win-win situation. However, I am not without my reservations.
The opportunity to teach The Global Environment via distance learning was really an offer I couldn't refuse. I find teaching this course intellectually and personally fulfilling, and I believe the students get a lot more out of it than just college credits. I think that it changes their perspective of the world around them. However, the students have to be motivated and generally interested in the course content. Distance learning presents the added challenge of selecting/recruiting a roster that will be well suited for this course from student populations that I have never met. How will I know that these are the "right" students for the distance learning version of The Global Environment?
I admit that the anxieties do not stop there. I guess this would be as good a time as any to confront a deep-seated personal issue: I am a technophobe. I do not own (in fact, refuse to own) a smartphone. I was initially resistant to cellular telephone ownership and only signed my first phone contract in the summer of 2003 because I needed a contact number to list on my resume as I searched for employment in the Pacific Northwest. I suppose I will also succumb to the allure of smart phones eventually, but not until encountering some unforeseen necessity (maybe I will one day need one to effectively facilitate distance learning with my students?). However, I dread the idea of incessant proximity to the internet. On a related note, I also have great difficulty soliciting friends to watch Syracuse basketball games at my home. The reason for this is my lack of a flat screen, high definition television set. There is nothing wrong with my traditional 32" CRT television. It is only ten years old and it works fine. There is no need to buy a new TV, and my reasoning for this is probably best articulated by "The Story of Stuff". My technophobia extends further to such phenomena as GPS systems (will humans lose the ability to interpret maps on their own?), to eReaders (why should books need electricity), and to Google itself (are people losing the initiative and drive to pursue information in creative ways when Google can easily just do it for them)?
These technology issues are mine to resolve, and it will likely be a life-long struggle. But for now the question is how will the technophobe fare as a distance learning instructor? As a technophobe, and as member of the New York State Teachers Union, I am happy that my roster for The Global Environment will not and CANNOT exceed 30 students. I love the idea of distance learning expanding learning opportunities for students in schools who would not otherwise have these opportunities. I legitimately fear a scenario in which virtual classrooms replace living, breathing teachers. I fear a fully automated, robotic society devoid of old-fashioned, real human interaction and creativity (as opposed to the virtual kind). This is part of the reason for my eagerness to participate in this grant. On one hand, it is great opportunity for me as a professional educator and for the learners who will partake. On the other hand, if I discover that virtual distance learning is evil (or as Ken Kesey would say, part of the "Combine") then I will at least be well-positioned to destroy it from the inside (let me very clear here, I do not anticipate this second scenario, but I am first and foremost a teacher and will do whatever is necessary to protect the institution of public education). I mean look at this way: who will need teachers when everyone has Google Goggles? They will be the same people who need drivers' licenses when everyone has Google Cars.
My main point here is that it is a 'brave new world', and we are all people in it. One of the reasons that The Global Environment is so compelling to teach is that it helps students establish a context and an understanding for our modern world. I am very fortunate to be teaching this course again next year. However, I recognize that distance learning will come with a substantial learning curve. There is a lot of work to be done in preparation for this endeavor, and its time to get started.
Here is how it works, supposedly. Each high school dedicates a single classroom to the distance learning initiative. Small groups (about 5-8 students) at each of the high schools will be in the room during each of the five periods when one of the courses mentioned above is being taught. Each class will be a different group of 5-8 students (it will not be the case that the same students are all taking each of the five distance learning courses). Each high school will be assigned as the "home base" for one of the distance learning classes (for example, Corcorcan will be the home base for the Global Environment). So, say Global Environment will offered during period 3. That means I will meet in the distance learning room during 3rd period with the 6 or 7 Corcoran students enrolled in the course. There will be a video camera on me as I teach and the video image (and audio) of my instruction will be projected onto the smartboards in the distance learning classrooms of the other high schools. I will also have the ability to see video feeds from each of the high schools as viewed on Corcoran's smartboard as picture-in-picture (PIP) images. Students from all of the other high schools will be able to interact with me (or any other student in the class) in real-time. Sound futuristic? Its really not, but it is relatively new for high schools to implement this type of technology (virtual classrooms are becoming much more common at the college level). The Jetson Family could now feel comfortable sending their kids to the Syracuse City School District.
I have taught EFB 120: The Global Environment (Energy, Adaptation, and the Exploitation of Resources) once before during the 2010-2011 academic year. I really enjoyed teaching this course in a traditional classroom setting, and I now look forward to the unique opportunity of teaching this course in a "virtual classroom". At many of the high schools, there have not been enough students enrolling to justify offering the course. Now, interested students will be given the opportunity to take this unique college credit course virtually, whereas it would not even be offered otherwise. This is a great example of a win-win situation. However, I am not without my reservations.
The opportunity to teach The Global Environment via distance learning was really an offer I couldn't refuse. I find teaching this course intellectually and personally fulfilling, and I believe the students get a lot more out of it than just college credits. I think that it changes their perspective of the world around them. However, the students have to be motivated and generally interested in the course content. Distance learning presents the added challenge of selecting/recruiting a roster that will be well suited for this course from student populations that I have never met. How will I know that these are the "right" students for the distance learning version of The Global Environment?
I admit that the anxieties do not stop there. I guess this would be as good a time as any to confront a deep-seated personal issue: I am a technophobe. I do not own (in fact, refuse to own) a smartphone. I was initially resistant to cellular telephone ownership and only signed my first phone contract in the summer of 2003 because I needed a contact number to list on my resume as I searched for employment in the Pacific Northwest. I suppose I will also succumb to the allure of smart phones eventually, but not until encountering some unforeseen necessity (maybe I will one day need one to effectively facilitate distance learning with my students?). However, I dread the idea of incessant proximity to the internet. On a related note, I also have great difficulty soliciting friends to watch Syracuse basketball games at my home. The reason for this is my lack of a flat screen, high definition television set. There is nothing wrong with my traditional 32" CRT television. It is only ten years old and it works fine. There is no need to buy a new TV, and my reasoning for this is probably best articulated by "The Story of Stuff". My technophobia extends further to such phenomena as GPS systems (will humans lose the ability to interpret maps on their own?), to eReaders (why should books need electricity), and to Google itself (are people losing the initiative and drive to pursue information in creative ways when Google can easily just do it for them)?
These technology issues are mine to resolve, and it will likely be a life-long struggle. But for now the question is how will the technophobe fare as a distance learning instructor? As a technophobe, and as member of the New York State Teachers Union, I am happy that my roster for The Global Environment will not and CANNOT exceed 30 students. I love the idea of distance learning expanding learning opportunities for students in schools who would not otherwise have these opportunities. I legitimately fear a scenario in which virtual classrooms replace living, breathing teachers. I fear a fully automated, robotic society devoid of old-fashioned, real human interaction and creativity (as opposed to the virtual kind). This is part of the reason for my eagerness to participate in this grant. On one hand, it is great opportunity for me as a professional educator and for the learners who will partake. On the other hand, if I discover that virtual distance learning is evil (or as Ken Kesey would say, part of the "Combine") then I will at least be well-positioned to destroy it from the inside (let me very clear here, I do not anticipate this second scenario, but I am first and foremost a teacher and will do whatever is necessary to protect the institution of public education). I mean look at this way: who will need teachers when everyone has Google Goggles? They will be the same people who need drivers' licenses when everyone has Google Cars.
My main point here is that it is a 'brave new world', and we are all people in it. One of the reasons that The Global Environment is so compelling to teach is that it helps students establish a context and an understanding for our modern world. I am very fortunate to be teaching this course again next year. However, I recognize that distance learning will come with a substantial learning curve. There is a lot of work to be done in preparation for this endeavor, and its time to get started.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Reflection 20: End of Year comments (6/05/11)
1) The end of the year is always bittersweet. On one hand, I am looking forward to the summer (fun with family/friends, and time to research, refine, and prepare my instructional practices). On the other hand, I am parting ways with 90 great kids with who I shared a year of teaching/learning science. There is also an underlying anxiety regarding the upcoming standardized exam. I am confident that all of my students have developed an understanding of Earth Science this year. They know more about the world around them, and they can prove it in casual discussions and writing assignments. However, the Regents exam requires logical thinking for several multi-step questions. We are using the last week of class to study logical problem-solving skills in the context of Regents questions, and using cooperative learning strategies and flash cards to review content. It is my responsibility to prepare the students as much as possible for success on the exam. However, the downfall of my situation is that the end of the year coincides with waning student motivation and lack of attendance. This is a great source of frustration.
Earth Science students are also taking the lab practical exam on Wednesday.
2) Students have been working on Earth Science flash cards, and I also provided them a list of essential figures/diagrams. They finished their final lab for the year on Tuesday (using M&M's to simulate radioactive decay of the Carbon-14 isotope). Successful completion of the lab required students to calculate, graph, and analyzed class data totals. The document camera was invaluable for this lab activity as it allowed me to project student data.
3) I have assigned a practice regents exam as homework on castlelearning. The downfall of these homework assignments is that only about 20% of my students complete them. I am still trying to brainstorm ways to improve homework completion rates. For next year, I plan to develop a more formalized homework policy. I am going to alternate between traditional homework and castlelearning assignments. I am going to print out and distribute a schedule of these assignments at the beginning of each marking period (i.e. a homework syllabus). Homework will be worth 20% of students' grades. It is critical for students to realize the relationship between their success and their individual effort (i.e. independent practice outside of the classroom). It looks like our school will also be working on an overarching homework policy.
4) My sister gave birth to a baby boy (Owen) last week, making me uncle Mr. Williams. I forgot how small and fragile little babies are, and I forgot about my fear of holding non-bundled babies less than 1 month old. So another exciting part of this summer will be watching the development of my nephew.
5) "This is a roller" - Mr. Williams (in reference to the Chopin playing on his computer speakers during the construction of flash cards). For reference, a "roller" is any song/track that one might listen to while "rolling" down the street in one's vehicle.
Earth Science students are also taking the lab practical exam on Wednesday.
2) Students have been working on Earth Science flash cards, and I also provided them a list of essential figures/diagrams. They finished their final lab for the year on Tuesday (using M&M's to simulate radioactive decay of the Carbon-14 isotope). Successful completion of the lab required students to calculate, graph, and analyzed class data totals. The document camera was invaluable for this lab activity as it allowed me to project student data.
3) I have assigned a practice regents exam as homework on castlelearning. The downfall of these homework assignments is that only about 20% of my students complete them. I am still trying to brainstorm ways to improve homework completion rates. For next year, I plan to develop a more formalized homework policy. I am going to alternate between traditional homework and castlelearning assignments. I am going to print out and distribute a schedule of these assignments at the beginning of each marking period (i.e. a homework syllabus). Homework will be worth 20% of students' grades. It is critical for students to realize the relationship between their success and their individual effort (i.e. independent practice outside of the classroom). It looks like our school will also be working on an overarching homework policy.
4) My sister gave birth to a baby boy (Owen) last week, making me uncle Mr. Williams. I forgot how small and fragile little babies are, and I forgot about my fear of holding non-bundled babies less than 1 month old. So another exciting part of this summer will be watching the development of my nephew.
5) "This is a roller" - Mr. Williams (in reference to the Chopin playing on his computer speakers during the construction of flash cards). For reference, a "roller" is any song/track that one might listen to while "rolling" down the street in one's vehicle.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Reflection 19: Deep Geologic Time (5/15/11)
1) Earth Science Students took the weathering and erosion exam this week. As review, I set up three stations: a) 30 Regents Review Questions (in plastic sleeves), b) Review Jeopardy and a quick Powerpoint Review presentation with me and the Smartboard, and c) An interactive vocab crossword puzzle/Regents questions on the classroom computers. We also began the final unit of the year: Geologic Time and Earth's History. We began the unit by defining the necessary vocabulary, and then reviewing the history of the Universe (i.e. The Big Bang, red-shift, etc.). We then spend the next two class periods working through the Geologic Timeline on page 8-9 of the Earth Science Reference Tables. I provide Powerpoint notes, and use the document camera to project an image of the timeline chart from the reference tables. A lot has happened on Earth, and therefore the chart contain a lot of information. One of my goals for the unit is for students to develop an appreciation of 'deep' geologic time and an understanding of the amount of time that has elapsed in the formation of Earth's surface features and the evolution of its lifeforms. We talk about Hutton's principle of uniformitarianism (the idea that Earth processes happening today have been occurring in pretty much the same way throughout Earth's history. Mass extinctions are another key idea for the unit, and I have written them down as "permanent notes" on the chalkboard in bright colored chalk. Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago as a result of a meteor impact and then global cooling. Many of the first amphibian and other land animals went extinct 251 million years ago (K-T extinction) as a result of Pangaea and a warmer/dryer climate on the supercontinent. I think my students are getting it. I think. I hope. What do you think? Any other ideas for things that I can do. They need to know that for the first 2 billion years of Earth's history the atmosphere was largely made up of carbon dioxide, methane, and other volcanic masses being released by volcanoes and cooling lava. I also need to stress the importance of the first photosynthetic organisms (stromatolites, algae). Photosynthesis eventually added oxygen to our atmosphere, and this was a real game-changer for the kinds of life that could exist on our terrestrial planet. It allowed for the development of cellular respiration and led to the evolution of sexually-reproducing organisms. I told my students "you can't have sex without oxygen". Perhaps this was a crude way to present the information, but also memorable, I hope. I think.
2. ESF students went outside to sample Furnace Brook (the creek that runs through Elmwood Park). We took samples for chemical analysis, measured stream flow/discharge, and classified the macroinvertebrates inhabiting the stream's subsurface. This activity was done in conjunction with Mat Webber from Project Watershed/Cornell Cooperative Extension. The opportunity has also arisen to work in conjunction with an Elmwood Elementary or Roberts Elementary school teacher to develop an extracurricular activity in which my students would teach these same sampling techniques to younger students. Then, as a culminating event, we would invite parents, community members, and students to Elmwood Park for the first Saturday in June to participate in restoration efforts of the creek (including the removal of invasive species). This should be a very cool opportunity, but we have to start organizing things very quickly.
3. On Thursday (our first 80+ degree day), attendance was very poor for my third block earth science class. This was the class in which I introduced geologic time, and the chart from the reference tables. On Friday, attendance had been restored, and it worked out in such a way that I was able to split the students into pairs, 1 who had been absent, and 1 who had been present for the previous class. I had them work on the same document-based worksheet from Thursday's class. I told them that the worksheet would have to be done in the 'absent' student's hand-writing, but that the student who had been present would need to teach how to use the chart. Kagan would likely consider this a variation of the "sage/scribe" structure, but I did not give it any kind of name. I would like to implement this strategy as a regular structure in my classroom (especially where attendance problems are a recurring issue). I do not wish to condone class absences in any way, but in this case all students were intellectually engaged during Friday's class and benefited from the circumstances. The concepts were effectively re-taught, and all I had to do was float around the classroom to monitor progress.
4. I began after school review for the upcoming regents exam on Thursday, after school. Attendance was disappointing (another likely casualty of the 80 degree temperature). I hope that attendance approves this Thursday. Be there. A-305. 3:15-4:15. Its fun, informative, and refreshing. It's Earth Science review!
5. One of my students will be out of school for the rest of year, as she is soon expecting a child. I will be her homebound mentor. My responsibilities will include collecting work from her teachers, delivering the work to her home, and teaching her the key ideas necessary to complete the assignments. We will also review for the three regents exams that she will need to take in June. She is very bright, and I have no doubt that she will rise to success as a parent and a young adult. She will need to work hard, but she will make the best of the situation.
A quick message to ALL young men: DO NOT engage in unprotected sex unless you are prepared to be a fully responsible parent and adult. The End.
2. ESF students went outside to sample Furnace Brook (the creek that runs through Elmwood Park). We took samples for chemical analysis, measured stream flow/discharge, and classified the macroinvertebrates inhabiting the stream's subsurface. This activity was done in conjunction with Mat Webber from Project Watershed/Cornell Cooperative Extension. The opportunity has also arisen to work in conjunction with an Elmwood Elementary or Roberts Elementary school teacher to develop an extracurricular activity in which my students would teach these same sampling techniques to younger students. Then, as a culminating event, we would invite parents, community members, and students to Elmwood Park for the first Saturday in June to participate in restoration efforts of the creek (including the removal of invasive species). This should be a very cool opportunity, but we have to start organizing things very quickly.
3. On Thursday (our first 80+ degree day), attendance was very poor for my third block earth science class. This was the class in which I introduced geologic time, and the chart from the reference tables. On Friday, attendance had been restored, and it worked out in such a way that I was able to split the students into pairs, 1 who had been absent, and 1 who had been present for the previous class. I had them work on the same document-based worksheet from Thursday's class. I told them that the worksheet would have to be done in the 'absent' student's hand-writing, but that the student who had been present would need to teach how to use the chart. Kagan would likely consider this a variation of the "sage/scribe" structure, but I did not give it any kind of name. I would like to implement this strategy as a regular structure in my classroom (especially where attendance problems are a recurring issue). I do not wish to condone class absences in any way, but in this case all students were intellectually engaged during Friday's class and benefited from the circumstances. The concepts were effectively re-taught, and all I had to do was float around the classroom to monitor progress.
4. I began after school review for the upcoming regents exam on Thursday, after school. Attendance was disappointing (another likely casualty of the 80 degree temperature). I hope that attendance approves this Thursday. Be there. A-305. 3:15-4:15. Its fun, informative, and refreshing. It's Earth Science review!
5. One of my students will be out of school for the rest of year, as she is soon expecting a child. I will be her homebound mentor. My responsibilities will include collecting work from her teachers, delivering the work to her home, and teaching her the key ideas necessary to complete the assignments. We will also review for the three regents exams that she will need to take in June. She is very bright, and I have no doubt that she will rise to success as a parent and a young adult. She will need to work hard, but she will make the best of the situation.
A quick message to ALL young men: DO NOT engage in unprotected sex unless you are prepared to be a fully responsible parent and adult. The End.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Reflection 18: Responses (5/8/11)
Quote of the Week: "the light that we see from distant galaxies left them millions of years ago, and in the case of the most distant object that we have seen, the light left some eight billion years ago. Thus, when we look at the universe, we are seeing it as it was in the past" - Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time
I would like to open by welcoming all of my students. Read through the information below, and then leave a comment at the end. Some things to consider: Do you agree with my analysis of the week's lessons? What did you like about classes this week? What could have been done differently in class to improve learning.
Earth Science: I put together a field trip lab in which we went outside to examine the erosional and depositional features around Corcoran's campus. We sketched the unsorted/unstratified sediment of a glacial moraine, and observed a possible glacial erratic (transported boulder). We also observed several stream meanders, and sketched a delta (where Furnace Brook enters the pond, slows down, and deposits sediment). The class also saw several examples of mechanical and physical weathering, including some underlying shale that is crumbling back into clay-sized particles. Finally, we discovered a mini mud boil in the back parking lot. Where silt saturated with water (quick sand) had become pressurized during the recent rain event, and forced itself up through the pavement.
We also used class time to takes notes on glacial erosion, and students successfully completed a quiz on glaciers. Students used ice cubes (with embedded sand grains) to create models of glacial striations by pushing their "glaciers" across a flattened clay surface. In review for the upcoming exam (weathering, erosion, deposition), stations were set up for students: 1) practice regents questions; 2) jeopardy (facilitated by me with the smartboard); 3) interactive vocab crossword puzzle (on the computers). The practice regents questions (depending on how many were answered correctly) will determine how many bonus points each student will receive on the exam.
Students were assigned a castlelearning assignment (25 questions) for homework. Sadly, as has been the case all year, only 20-25% of my students completed the assignment. I welcome any recommendations for how I can encourage more students to complete these homework assignments. I remind them that homework is 15% of their grade, and I give them a full week to complete the assignment, with frequent reminders. What should I do differently? This is your chance to give me some input, so please, help become a better teacher and help me improve my students' results (including yours). Homework is necessary. It's not enough, just to sit through class. You also have to think about and work with the concepts on your own time. That is the only way to really learn something.
ESF Global Environment: Tuesday was kind of a wash because of the IB English exam (only had 3 students in class). On Thursday, we started a lab on phosphorous loading. Students were assigned roles (recorder, researcher, cartographer) in groups of threes. They were given a large print-out map of the Lake Greenville Watershed, and provided with background information about the region's phosphorous problems (including Phase I - Phase 3 summaries). Then, their task was to develop a detailed plan to address the "non-point" sources of phosphorous inputs. The cartographer had to become an expert on the map as well as all local conditions described in the background information. The researchers and recorders had to work together on the classroom computers. The researcher determined ways that phosphorous enters the environment and why it is a problem. The recorder compiled a list of organizations and agencies that regulate phosphorous and may provide funding for mitigation. We have a guest speaker next Monday (how to construct rain gardens), so students will present their phosphorous mitigation proposals on Wednesday. Did you like the way this lab was formatted? Were the three role appropriate for distributing the necessary group tasks? How could this assignment be improved?
Thank you for reading. Now it is time for you to share. I am depending on your input to help improve my instruction. Please be thoughtful in your response. Provide at least three sentences that reflect on what you learned this week. What could have been done differently to improve your learning?
After you have posted your comment, feel free to scroll through some of my older posts from past weeks to view my personal take on the how the school year has progressed.
I would like to open by welcoming all of my students. Read through the information below, and then leave a comment at the end. Some things to consider: Do you agree with my analysis of the week's lessons? What did you like about classes this week? What could have been done differently in class to improve learning.
Earth Science: I put together a field trip lab in which we went outside to examine the erosional and depositional features around Corcoran's campus. We sketched the unsorted/unstratified sediment of a glacial moraine, and observed a possible glacial erratic (transported boulder). We also observed several stream meanders, and sketched a delta (where Furnace Brook enters the pond, slows down, and deposits sediment). The class also saw several examples of mechanical and physical weathering, including some underlying shale that is crumbling back into clay-sized particles. Finally, we discovered a mini mud boil in the back parking lot. Where silt saturated with water (quick sand) had become pressurized during the recent rain event, and forced itself up through the pavement.
We also used class time to takes notes on glacial erosion, and students successfully completed a quiz on glaciers. Students used ice cubes (with embedded sand grains) to create models of glacial striations by pushing their "glaciers" across a flattened clay surface. In review for the upcoming exam (weathering, erosion, deposition), stations were set up for students: 1) practice regents questions; 2) jeopardy (facilitated by me with the smartboard); 3) interactive vocab crossword puzzle (on the computers). The practice regents questions (depending on how many were answered correctly) will determine how many bonus points each student will receive on the exam.
Students were assigned a castlelearning assignment (25 questions) for homework. Sadly, as has been the case all year, only 20-25% of my students completed the assignment. I welcome any recommendations for how I can encourage more students to complete these homework assignments. I remind them that homework is 15% of their grade, and I give them a full week to complete the assignment, with frequent reminders. What should I do differently? This is your chance to give me some input, so please, help become a better teacher and help me improve my students' results (including yours). Homework is necessary. It's not enough, just to sit through class. You also have to think about and work with the concepts on your own time. That is the only way to really learn something.
ESF Global Environment: Tuesday was kind of a wash because of the IB English exam (only had 3 students in class). On Thursday, we started a lab on phosphorous loading. Students were assigned roles (recorder, researcher, cartographer) in groups of threes. They were given a large print-out map of the Lake Greenville Watershed, and provided with background information about the region's phosphorous problems (including Phase I - Phase 3 summaries). Then, their task was to develop a detailed plan to address the "non-point" sources of phosphorous inputs. The cartographer had to become an expert on the map as well as all local conditions described in the background information. The researchers and recorders had to work together on the classroom computers. The researcher determined ways that phosphorous enters the environment and why it is a problem. The recorder compiled a list of organizations and agencies that regulate phosphorous and may provide funding for mitigation. We have a guest speaker next Monday (how to construct rain gardens), so students will present their phosphorous mitigation proposals on Wednesday. Did you like the way this lab was formatted? Were the three role appropriate for distributing the necessary group tasks? How could this assignment be improved?
Thank you for reading. Now it is time for you to share. I am depending on your input to help improve my instruction. Please be thoughtful in your response. Provide at least three sentences that reflect on what you learned this week. What could have been done differently to improve your learning?
After you have posted your comment, feel free to scroll through some of my older posts from past weeks to view my personal take on the how the school year has progressed.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Reflection 17: Beuhler? (4/17/11)
1) Attendance has started to go downhill for my Earth Science students. Given, we had a half-day and it was the week before Spring Break, but I can't afford to waste any instructional time. We have to keep moving forward with the essential content of the course. The challenge has become teaching new information to the class, while simultaneously catching-up the students who have been absent. This is no easy task, but I am trying to establish an atmosphere in which all students present on that particular day can be successful. The constructive use of the activity period has become critical for this approach. The problem is that students are often absent from activity period (i.e. they leave school after 4th block), which undermines the system.
The Corcoran staff spent the afternoon of the half-day becoming familiar with the basics of RTI (Response to Intervention). This is an initiative that the state is requiring to be implemented in all public schools. It is a 3-tiered approach, which basically means that students are divided into three groups (kind of like educational triage). Students are either flagged for additional educational services or instructional time (tier 1), are provided with diversified instructional opportunities in the classroom (tier 2), or are deemed good to go "as is" (tier 3). This approach can help lead to the success of all students, and can help me to more equitably and efficiently focus my instruction. It can also provide a framework for me to address this group of students who are currently "lacking" regular attendance. I plan to spend the remainder of the year "intervening" with the tier 1 and tier 2 students, and then subsequently responding to (and reflecting upon) these interventions.
2) My Earth Science students have become quite accustomed to the castle learning structure, and this is providing them valuable practice with multiple choice Regents questions. Castle learning assignment are either assigned as homework or executed as a "station" on the classroom computers.
ESF students used the computer lab to research specific environmental issues with the tourism industry in the Caribbean. Students prepared powerpoint presentations on these issues and presented them in class.
3) I have implemented a new classroom procedure called the "QOD" or Questions of the Day. This is a slight variation to the 1-question "on-time quiz" that I used previously. Students have the first 8 minutes of each class to answer 3-4 questions that I have created based on the textbook material. The question either addresses content that will be discussed in class that day, or content that was learned during the previous class.
These questions are projected on the Smartboard as students walk into the classroom. I recognize that this is not a very innovative use for the Smartboard, but it does serve a purpose. The QODS help to "warm-up" the students with content, reinforce scientific literacy, and provide an incentive for students to be on time to class. I collect the QODs each day (and grade them immediately). Students have been very responsive. The OTQ's had been collected every two weeks. The OTQ's failed due to their lack of immediacy.
4) I have organized a recreational basketball "semi-league" at Higher Onondaga Park. Friends (and friends of friends) meet every Sunday afternoon for pick-up basketball. The turn-outs have been very good. It is good fun and great exercise. It's always good to get outside when there isn't snow on the ground.
5) Some kid in the hallway on Friday warned me to "get out of his face" when I asked him what class he was going to. He then briskly walked away down the hall. I had an administrator help identify the student, wrote-up a referral, and had the student suspended for three days (vacation extension). This type of disrespectful behavior toward adults (or anyone for that matter) cannot and will not be tolerated in our schools.
The Corcoran staff spent the afternoon of the half-day becoming familiar with the basics of RTI (Response to Intervention). This is an initiative that the state is requiring to be implemented in all public schools. It is a 3-tiered approach, which basically means that students are divided into three groups (kind of like educational triage). Students are either flagged for additional educational services or instructional time (tier 1), are provided with diversified instructional opportunities in the classroom (tier 2), or are deemed good to go "as is" (tier 3). This approach can help lead to the success of all students, and can help me to more equitably and efficiently focus my instruction. It can also provide a framework for me to address this group of students who are currently "lacking" regular attendance. I plan to spend the remainder of the year "intervening" with the tier 1 and tier 2 students, and then subsequently responding to (and reflecting upon) these interventions.
2) My Earth Science students have become quite accustomed to the castle learning structure, and this is providing them valuable practice with multiple choice Regents questions. Castle learning assignment are either assigned as homework or executed as a "station" on the classroom computers.
ESF students used the computer lab to research specific environmental issues with the tourism industry in the Caribbean. Students prepared powerpoint presentations on these issues and presented them in class.
3) I have implemented a new classroom procedure called the "QOD" or Questions of the Day. This is a slight variation to the 1-question "on-time quiz" that I used previously. Students have the first 8 minutes of each class to answer 3-4 questions that I have created based on the textbook material. The question either addresses content that will be discussed in class that day, or content that was learned during the previous class.
These questions are projected on the Smartboard as students walk into the classroom. I recognize that this is not a very innovative use for the Smartboard, but it does serve a purpose. The QODS help to "warm-up" the students with content, reinforce scientific literacy, and provide an incentive for students to be on time to class. I collect the QODs each day (and grade them immediately). Students have been very responsive. The OTQ's had been collected every two weeks. The OTQ's failed due to their lack of immediacy.
4) I have organized a recreational basketball "semi-league" at Higher Onondaga Park. Friends (and friends of friends) meet every Sunday afternoon for pick-up basketball. The turn-outs have been very good. It is good fun and great exercise. It's always good to get outside when there isn't snow on the ground.
5) Some kid in the hallway on Friday warned me to "get out of his face" when I asked him what class he was going to. He then briskly walked away down the hall. I had an administrator help identify the student, wrote-up a referral, and had the student suspended for three days (vacation extension). This type of disrespectful behavior toward adults (or anyone for that matter) cannot and will not be tolerated in our schools.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Reflection 16: The Science Fair (4/2/11)
1) My ESF students completed their research projects by the deadline, and nine of the students entered the GSSSF (Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair). One project (on Onondaga Lake's pH levels and fish populations) won the top prize in the environmental science category. Another student won an award from Syracuse University (a $5000/yr scholarship for four years). It was a very positive experience for my students, and the use of excel really helped to bring their projects to the next level. Personally, I have become more confident in my skills to help students with the newer version of excel. Upon arrival at the science fair I was recruited to judge the 5th grade projects. Some highlights:
"Help, I want to make pumpkin bread, but I don't have any baking powder, what do I do?": The student explored various pumkin bread recipes utilizing several alternatives to baking powder.
"Homemade Telephone": showed that empty yogurt containers and fishing line will allow for telephonic communication up to distances of 150 meters.
"London Bridges": Determined that graphite reinforcement on steel bridge components will accelerate corrosion. This seems a little advanced for such a young student, but he was incredibly well-spoken. In this case, I was NOT smarter than a 5th grader.
Earth Science students have been modeling the Earth's layers (both graphically and by manipulating food items such as peanut M&M's and Milky Way bars. They have also successfully learned how to locate an epicenter using 3 seismograms, a map, a compass, and page 11 of the Earth Science Reference Tables. I cannot really imagine teaching this skill without a document camera and a projector. Smart Notebook allowed me to add colored lines to illustrate examples on page 11 from the reference tables.
2) Earth Science students seemed to enjoy drawing scale models of the Earth's Interior, and I think it really helped them to conceptualize the difference between layers (density, etc.). The model were constructed on receipt paper, and are now decorating the walls in my classroom.
The ESF students have been very interested to learn about the historic nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl (25 years ago). It is also timely, as we have been making connections to Japan's current nuclear crisis. We are learning about all of this within the context of energy use.
3) I assigned a lab that included a map of NYS, and students were required to plot New York's historic earthquakes on this map (to show the relationship between quake locations and bedrock fractures). The map didn't print out darkly enough, and the longitude and latitude were difficult to read. I need to recreate this map for the next time I assign this lab.
4) We are watching some final four basketball. Butler just defeated VCU. That Butler team plays well. I hope they win the championship.
My wife just said "did you hear that they are marketing mini-giraffes that fit in the palm of your hands in Russia". I did not hear about that. But it sounds intriguing and disturbing, I need to look into this. Apparently over 5,000 people are on the waiting list for these mini-giraffes that fit in the palm of your hands. Maybe I can come up with a lesson out of this.
5) One of my top students of all time was injured from a hit and run on Friday evening. She is a good, strong, bright kid, and I am hoping for a speedy and full recovery. There should be good things to come in her future.
"Help, I want to make pumpkin bread, but I don't have any baking powder, what do I do?": The student explored various pumkin bread recipes utilizing several alternatives to baking powder.
"Homemade Telephone": showed that empty yogurt containers and fishing line will allow for telephonic communication up to distances of 150 meters.
"London Bridges": Determined that graphite reinforcement on steel bridge components will accelerate corrosion. This seems a little advanced for such a young student, but he was incredibly well-spoken. In this case, I was NOT smarter than a 5th grader.
Earth Science students have been modeling the Earth's layers (both graphically and by manipulating food items such as peanut M&M's and Milky Way bars. They have also successfully learned how to locate an epicenter using 3 seismograms, a map, a compass, and page 11 of the Earth Science Reference Tables. I cannot really imagine teaching this skill without a document camera and a projector. Smart Notebook allowed me to add colored lines to illustrate examples on page 11 from the reference tables.
2) Earth Science students seemed to enjoy drawing scale models of the Earth's Interior, and I think it really helped them to conceptualize the difference between layers (density, etc.). The model were constructed on receipt paper, and are now decorating the walls in my classroom.
The ESF students have been very interested to learn about the historic nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl (25 years ago). It is also timely, as we have been making connections to Japan's current nuclear crisis. We are learning about all of this within the context of energy use.
3) I assigned a lab that included a map of NYS, and students were required to plot New York's historic earthquakes on this map (to show the relationship between quake locations and bedrock fractures). The map didn't print out darkly enough, and the longitude and latitude were difficult to read. I need to recreate this map for the next time I assign this lab.
4) We are watching some final four basketball. Butler just defeated VCU. That Butler team plays well. I hope they win the championship.
My wife just said "did you hear that they are marketing mini-giraffes that fit in the palm of your hands in Russia". I did not hear about that. But it sounds intriguing and disturbing, I need to look into this. Apparently over 5,000 people are on the waiting list for these mini-giraffes that fit in the palm of your hands. Maybe I can come up with a lesson out of this.
5) One of my top students of all time was injured from a hit and run on Friday evening. She is a good, strong, bright kid, and I am hoping for a speedy and full recovery. There should be good things to come in her future.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Reflection 15: Full Moon Perigee (3/19/11)
1) Earth Science students are learning about the Earth's interior. I created a voki to introduce the topic (http://www.voki.com/mywebsite.php). Xtranormal is better because you can actually create a conversation, and the program is very user friendly. Xtranormal's downfall is that you are only given enough "points" to create one video (although this video can be very long). A Voki account allows the user to make unlimited videos. However, the voki only allows for monologues, which are not as natural as 'socratic' conversations. Also the Voki avatars tend to read through text too quickly, and there is a limit to the number of characters you can use. But, in the end, you cannot beat Voki's price. I plan to create an additional Xtranormal account and use Voki more throughout the remainder of the school year.
On March 10th, there was an earthquake off the northern coast of Japan. The quake generated a massive tsunami that washed away entire cities and caused significant damage to several nuclear reactors. Dangerous amounts of radiation were potentially released within a 20 mile radius from one of the reactors. Fortunately, a complete meltdown of Chernobyl proportions has been avoided. The utter destruction and loss of life for the Japanese people places one's own personal stresses in stark perspective. Current economic conditions threaten (in very real ways) to undermine the educational experiences offered by our schools. But at least our schools and our students are still standing. Our problems pale in comparison.
2. Earth Science students are beginning their unit on "The Dynamic Crust". Obviously I have used the events in Japan as a 'teachable moment'. I used several video clips from National Geographic, BBC News, and CNN to frame our discussion of earthquakes. Students had already completed the vocab for the unit, and these video clips helped to connect the vocabulary to the real world. Students asked several good questions about the earthquake and tsunami. These before and after photos worked really well with the Smartboard: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html
3. ESF students have been busy preparing their independent research projects. Many of my students will be participating in the GSSSF (Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair) at Solvay High School next Sunday. I think that the lesson I learned here is to provide more guidance with independent research. Students picked their topics in October, and I reminded them periodically to make sure they were keeping up with the research, and also required students to reflect on their progress. Next year I will provide much more rigid guidelines in terms of due dates and expectations. I will also factor in more time for peer critiques of progress (as would be done in a college research seminar).
For me personally, there has been a significant learning curve with the use of the new Windows 7 Excel program. It takes some getting used to, but young scientists can actually do more with it, and it is somewhat user friendly after completing a lot of trials and errors.
4. Spring arrived in Syracuse this week (March is finally converting itself into lamb form). It was 60 degrees in Syracuse on St. Patrick's Day, which made for nice conditions during Syracuse's annual city/county-wide party. The participation level of Syracuse residents on this holiday is impressive, albeit perhaps a bit excessive.
Be sure to check out the moon tonight (March 19), its going to be a clear night. The moon is at its perigee (closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit). This happens once a month but rarely coincides with a full moon like tonight.
5. Student 1: "Oh, you have coffee, I always wanted to taste coffee. Is it good?"
Student 2: "It not like really good, but its good to drink...its a good thing to drink with like toast".
Student 1: "Do you like Dunkin Donuts coffee?"
Student 2: "No, its too sweet".
Student 1: "That's why people like it. My grandma be tearin' up some Dunkin' Donuts coffee".
On March 10th, there was an earthquake off the northern coast of Japan. The quake generated a massive tsunami that washed away entire cities and caused significant damage to several nuclear reactors. Dangerous amounts of radiation were potentially released within a 20 mile radius from one of the reactors. Fortunately, a complete meltdown of Chernobyl proportions has been avoided. The utter destruction and loss of life for the Japanese people places one's own personal stresses in stark perspective. Current economic conditions threaten (in very real ways) to undermine the educational experiences offered by our schools. But at least our schools and our students are still standing. Our problems pale in comparison.
2. Earth Science students are beginning their unit on "The Dynamic Crust". Obviously I have used the events in Japan as a 'teachable moment'. I used several video clips from National Geographic, BBC News, and CNN to frame our discussion of earthquakes. Students had already completed the vocab for the unit, and these video clips helped to connect the vocabulary to the real world. Students asked several good questions about the earthquake and tsunami. These before and after photos worked really well with the Smartboard: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html
3. ESF students have been busy preparing their independent research projects. Many of my students will be participating in the GSSSF (Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair) at Solvay High School next Sunday. I think that the lesson I learned here is to provide more guidance with independent research. Students picked their topics in October, and I reminded them periodically to make sure they were keeping up with the research, and also required students to reflect on their progress. Next year I will provide much more rigid guidelines in terms of due dates and expectations. I will also factor in more time for peer critiques of progress (as would be done in a college research seminar).
For me personally, there has been a significant learning curve with the use of the new Windows 7 Excel program. It takes some getting used to, but young scientists can actually do more with it, and it is somewhat user friendly after completing a lot of trials and errors.
4. Spring arrived in Syracuse this week (March is finally converting itself into lamb form). It was 60 degrees in Syracuse on St. Patrick's Day, which made for nice conditions during Syracuse's annual city/county-wide party. The participation level of Syracuse residents on this holiday is impressive, albeit perhaps a bit excessive.
Be sure to check out the moon tonight (March 19), its going to be a clear night. The moon is at its perigee (closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit). This happens once a month but rarely coincides with a full moon like tonight.
5. Student 1: "Oh, you have coffee, I always wanted to taste coffee. Is it good?"
Student 2: "It not like really good, but its good to drink...its a good thing to drink with like toast".
Student 1: "Do you like Dunkin Donuts coffee?"
Student 2: "No, its too sweet".
Student 1: "That's why people like it. My grandma be tearin' up some Dunkin' Donuts coffee".
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Reflection 14: Return of the Teacher (3/12/11)
1) It feels like much time has elapsed since I last contributed. If you check my website, you will see that I added a link in the sidebar to a few examples of xtranormal videos that my students made (inspired by Jim Ciciarelli). Here is an exemplar: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11374652/
It was set up as one 15 minute station in a review activity for the upcoming exam on rocks and minerals. Xtranormal is a cool site, but you can only make one video for free. I still need to figure out if you can delete a movie, and then make another for free, I'm not sure that you can. I really want to use this site again in a more substantial assignment. You can really get going with a Socratic dialogue in these videos.
The ESF students have been progressing with their research projects and worked on creating charts and graphs this week (they will analyze and evaluate next week). My goal is to have everyone participate in the Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair (GSSSF). As a teacher, I have had some difficulty with these projects. There is a delicate balance between giving students too much guidance and ensuring they claim authentic ownership of their research projects. The students should be using their own ideas - not mine, and that should make these projects exciting. I am currently participating in an on-line training seminar that discusses this same conflict with regards to student projects. In the future, I plan to give students mini-projects with more guidance at the beginning of the year, and gradually wean them. Then, by mid-year, when it is time to begin the research project, they will be able to approach the problem/question more independently and with more ownership.
2. Students were really into the xtranormal videos. Even though it was just one station, it promoted engagement throughout the entire lesson as students were anticipating their opportunity to make a video. The rock identification labs were also a success. I think that students are really going to do well on the rocks/minerals exam next week, despite the homework disappointment...
3. Students were assigned 30 multiple choice questions on www.castlelearning.com, and were given 8 days to complete the assignment. Only 20 out of 70 students completed the assignment, despite daily reminders from me, and having the assignment posted on the blackboard. What can I do to increase my homework completion rate?
4. Monday is my 30th birthday. Looking forward to a night out at Dino BBQ with the family.
5. A student walked into my room yesterday and said "Mr. Williams, a girl in my class said that your 40th birthday is coming up! I thought you were only in, like, your early 30's". Perhaps I will shave off my beard in celebration of the upcoming spring (vernal) equinox.
It was set up as one 15 minute station in a review activity for the upcoming exam on rocks and minerals. Xtranormal is a cool site, but you can only make one video for free. I still need to figure out if you can delete a movie, and then make another for free, I'm not sure that you can. I really want to use this site again in a more substantial assignment. You can really get going with a Socratic dialogue in these videos.
The ESF students have been progressing with their research projects and worked on creating charts and graphs this week (they will analyze and evaluate next week). My goal is to have everyone participate in the Greater Syracuse Scholastic Science Fair (GSSSF). As a teacher, I have had some difficulty with these projects. There is a delicate balance between giving students too much guidance and ensuring they claim authentic ownership of their research projects. The students should be using their own ideas - not mine, and that should make these projects exciting. I am currently participating in an on-line training seminar that discusses this same conflict with regards to student projects. In the future, I plan to give students mini-projects with more guidance at the beginning of the year, and gradually wean them. Then, by mid-year, when it is time to begin the research project, they will be able to approach the problem/question more independently and with more ownership.
2. Students were really into the xtranormal videos. Even though it was just one station, it promoted engagement throughout the entire lesson as students were anticipating their opportunity to make a video. The rock identification labs were also a success. I think that students are really going to do well on the rocks/minerals exam next week, despite the homework disappointment...
3. Students were assigned 30 multiple choice questions on www.castlelearning.com, and were given 8 days to complete the assignment. Only 20 out of 70 students completed the assignment, despite daily reminders from me, and having the assignment posted on the blackboard. What can I do to increase my homework completion rate?
4. Monday is my 30th birthday. Looking forward to a night out at Dino BBQ with the family.
5. A student walked into my room yesterday and said "Mr. Williams, a girl in my class said that your 40th birthday is coming up! I thought you were only in, like, your early 30's". Perhaps I will shave off my beard in celebration of the upcoming spring (vernal) equinox.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Reflection 13: Enter the Technology/Wikispaces (2/14/11)
1) The technology has arrived in the classroom: 5 desktop computers, a lenovo ideapad, and a smartboard! It is impossible not to be excited about this, and I am excited to integrate this equipment into my unit plans. The computers will fit into station activities (a good way to touch on multiple learning modalities within a lesson). The Earth Science students worked on a mineral webquest that required them to collect information about mineral properties, and use a flowchart to identify multiple mineral samples that I provided.
The Global Environment class will be partaking in an energy debate in class on Friday. In order to receive instructions, and prepare their arguments (many are working in pairs), they are required to edit the debate's wikispace. This lesson was adapted and modified from material provided by Rob Woolery (Fowler HS), and the outreach program at SUNY ESF. Check out the energy debate wikispace that my students have using to collaborate with each other: http://willyscienceintro.wikispaces.com/
2. Earth Science students did a lab on mineral hardness. Minerals were located at 8 different stations around the room, students had 2-3 minutes at each station to perform the 4 hardness tests (fingernail, penny, steel nail, and glass plate). There were at least two samples at each station which ensured that all students were able to manipulate the objects throughout the lab. The lab was a success, but two classes needed to finish the questions at the beginning of the following class. For future reference, the lab takes 50 minutes, not 40.
The Global Environment class went to the computer lab to construct excel graphs dealing with carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and average global temperatures. This was great experience for the students as they gear up to prepare their final research projects. All students were able to successfully create charts and graphs with Excel.
3. The mineral notes for Earth Science were long (about 35 minutes in total), and had to be split into portions of two separate class periods. Also, the mineral rap assignment did not generate nearly as much interest as past years. This year I cut out playing the element rap by Blackalicious as an example of science rap in the interest of time. If time allows, I will revisit this idea of art/science and play "chemical calisthenics" for my students. I will definitely include the song in future lesson plans as an anticipatory set and to generate more enthusiastic engagement from students.
I played a Colbert Report clip on coal mining for the Global Environment unit on fossil fuels (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/261997/january-18-2010/coal-comfort---margaret-palmer). Most students did not find it very humorous, but they did understand how it addressed the concept of external costs for the environment. I knew that this video clip would be a combination of education and entertainment, I just thought it would be more entertaining than educational. That turned out to be reversed.
4. There will not be a reflection next two weeks, as we are taking a family vacation to Aruba. I will be taking a full week-long vacation from technology (no cell phone, no laptop, no nothing). Technology is a great tool, but it can also be very liberating to free yourself from it periodically. In fact, I think that cutting yourself off from technology a few times a year is essential for the maintenance of mental and perhaps physical health. It helps to keep yourself grounded and connected to the natural world. So, until March, keep on keeping on everyone.
5. "Mr. Williams, we are learning about the heliocentric and geocentric models of the universe in global studies, too!" --several students exclaiming about their discovery of a concept that crosses curricula. They learned about these models (and other science experiments) in Ms. Satalin's global studies class.
The Global Environment class will be partaking in an energy debate in class on Friday. In order to receive instructions, and prepare their arguments (many are working in pairs), they are required to edit the debate's wikispace. This lesson was adapted and modified from material provided by Rob Woolery (Fowler HS), and the outreach program at SUNY ESF. Check out the energy debate wikispace that my students have using to collaborate with each other: http://willyscienceintro.wikispaces.com/
2. Earth Science students did a lab on mineral hardness. Minerals were located at 8 different stations around the room, students had 2-3 minutes at each station to perform the 4 hardness tests (fingernail, penny, steel nail, and glass plate). There were at least two samples at each station which ensured that all students were able to manipulate the objects throughout the lab. The lab was a success, but two classes needed to finish the questions at the beginning of the following class. For future reference, the lab takes 50 minutes, not 40.
The Global Environment class went to the computer lab to construct excel graphs dealing with carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and average global temperatures. This was great experience for the students as they gear up to prepare their final research projects. All students were able to successfully create charts and graphs with Excel.
3. The mineral notes for Earth Science were long (about 35 minutes in total), and had to be split into portions of two separate class periods. Also, the mineral rap assignment did not generate nearly as much interest as past years. This year I cut out playing the element rap by Blackalicious as an example of science rap in the interest of time. If time allows, I will revisit this idea of art/science and play "chemical calisthenics" for my students. I will definitely include the song in future lesson plans as an anticipatory set and to generate more enthusiastic engagement from students.
I played a Colbert Report clip on coal mining for the Global Environment unit on fossil fuels (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/261997/january-18-2010/coal-comfort---margaret-palmer). Most students did not find it very humorous, but they did understand how it addressed the concept of external costs for the environment. I knew that this video clip would be a combination of education and entertainment, I just thought it would be more entertaining than educational. That turned out to be reversed.
4. There will not be a reflection next two weeks, as we are taking a family vacation to Aruba. I will be taking a full week-long vacation from technology (no cell phone, no laptop, no nothing). Technology is a great tool, but it can also be very liberating to free yourself from it periodically. In fact, I think that cutting yourself off from technology a few times a year is essential for the maintenance of mental and perhaps physical health. It helps to keep yourself grounded and connected to the natural world. So, until March, keep on keeping on everyone.
5. "Mr. Williams, we are learning about the heliocentric and geocentric models of the universe in global studies, too!" --several students exclaiming about their discovery of a concept that crosses curricula. They learned about these models (and other science experiments) in Ms. Satalin's global studies class.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Reflection 12: Some Links Included (2/5/11)
1) Earth Science students went to the library this week and completed some on-line review activities for the astronomy exam. They competed in this basketball review game: http://sciencereviewgames.com/srg/subjects/games.php?id=52, and they completed this crossword puzzle: http://www.reviewearthscience.com/subjects/es/review/crossword/Ast_Cross.htm. They also worked in partners to answer multiple choice Regents questions: http://www.reviewearthscience.com/subjects/es/review/topic-spec/chapt3and4.pdf. To start, I posted the directions to all of the assignments on my website: https://sites.google.com/site/corcoranscience/earthscience/homework-readings-1, and I passed out refresher instructions for finding my website. Students were engaged with the review activities for the entire block, and completed the work with purpose. One of the steps was to complete a 10-question on-line quiz, which I used as a formative assessment. Students seemed to have a good grasp of the content, and felt like this assignment was good practice for the exam.
Thus far, this post has included a perhaps excessive amount of URL links, but it is sometimes better to show "stuff" than to write about it. With that said, I want to provide one more link. This is just one example of a way in which my ESF (Global Environment) students have approached their first reflection assignment: https://sites.google.com/site/amandaaliviaeportfolio/science
2. As a form of differentiated instruction, Earth Science students took control of their own learning for two consecutive blocks last week. This was essentially a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Students were given a "tic-tac-toe" board with 8 options for astronomy projects and a free space. Each student was responsible for creating three separate products (3 in a row). For the free space, I provided 5 examples for students to choose from, but also gave them the option of developing their own project idea. Students took genuine ownership of their projects, and some of the more 'distractable' students reached unprecedented levels of focus. The two Shaqs produced exemplary products. I was impressed by the quality and creativity of many of the projects. In the gradebook, they were marked as a quiz grade.
3. I passed out a different part C astronomy regents question to each pair of Earth Science students. The students comleted the questions, and then used the document camera to present their answers and their processes to the class. I had only budgeted 25 minutes for this activity, and it felt rushed. It should have been alloted 40 minutes to allow for more thorough student presentations.
Unfortunately, some of the downfalls of facebook were exposed at Corcoran High School this week. Facebook has been a useful academic tool for me as an instructor (especially for sharing links and giving students reminders). I am friends with 70% of my students, which allows them to ask me questions about homework or catch up with work if they miss class. However, the distractions of facebook were illustrated with clarity this week. Several of my female students were involved in a verbal fued on facebook. This fued culminated with a physical altercation at the end of the school day, and resulted in several suspensions.
It is important for students to understand the appropriate ways to use technology (such as the internet and cell phones), and this should become a formal component of our curriculum. Maybe it could be implemented in a middle school or freshmen skills course? Students need to know that anything they put onto the internet can stick with them for the rest of their lives. It doesn't just disappear, and it can impact your adult life at any time. They also need to know that success is not achieved by portraying yourself as 'tough'. It is achieved by hard work. And obviously acts of violence are foolish and intolerable.
I plan to gradually transition facebook activities to my website.
4. We're having some family over for lasagna tonight. I'm getting hungry, and I have to help get everything ready, so I will end it here.
5. "Dear President Obamba,
We should establish a space colony on Neptune. It is the farthest planet in our solar system, and be a good place to launch missions farther into our galaxy..."
-excerpt from one Earth Science student's project (write a 3-paragraph letter to the president that proposes we use one of the planets for human settlement)
Thus far, this post has included a perhaps excessive amount of URL links, but it is sometimes better to show "stuff" than to write about it. With that said, I want to provide one more link. This is just one example of a way in which my ESF (Global Environment) students have approached their first reflection assignment: https://sites.google.com/site/amandaaliviaeportfolio/science
2. As a form of differentiated instruction, Earth Science students took control of their own learning for two consecutive blocks last week. This was essentially a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Students were given a "tic-tac-toe" board with 8 options for astronomy projects and a free space. Each student was responsible for creating three separate products (3 in a row). For the free space, I provided 5 examples for students to choose from, but also gave them the option of developing their own project idea. Students took genuine ownership of their projects, and some of the more 'distractable' students reached unprecedented levels of focus. The two Shaqs produced exemplary products. I was impressed by the quality and creativity of many of the projects. In the gradebook, they were marked as a quiz grade.
3. I passed out a different part C astronomy regents question to each pair of Earth Science students. The students comleted the questions, and then used the document camera to present their answers and their processes to the class. I had only budgeted 25 minutes for this activity, and it felt rushed. It should have been alloted 40 minutes to allow for more thorough student presentations.
Unfortunately, some of the downfalls of facebook were exposed at Corcoran High School this week. Facebook has been a useful academic tool for me as an instructor (especially for sharing links and giving students reminders). I am friends with 70% of my students, which allows them to ask me questions about homework or catch up with work if they miss class. However, the distractions of facebook were illustrated with clarity this week. Several of my female students were involved in a verbal fued on facebook. This fued culminated with a physical altercation at the end of the school day, and resulted in several suspensions.
It is important for students to understand the appropriate ways to use technology (such as the internet and cell phones), and this should become a formal component of our curriculum. Maybe it could be implemented in a middle school or freshmen skills course? Students need to know that anything they put onto the internet can stick with them for the rest of their lives. It doesn't just disappear, and it can impact your adult life at any time. They also need to know that success is not achieved by portraying yourself as 'tough'. It is achieved by hard work. And obviously acts of violence are foolish and intolerable.
I plan to gradually transition facebook activities to my website.
4. We're having some family over for lasagna tonight. I'm getting hungry, and I have to help get everything ready, so I will end it here.
5. "Dear President Obamba,
We should establish a space colony on Neptune. It is the farthest planet in our solar system, and be a good place to launch missions farther into our galaxy..."
-excerpt from one Earth Science student's project (write a 3-paragraph letter to the president that proposes we use one of the planets for human settlement)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Reflection 11 (1/22/11): Lil' Waning (moon phases)
1) Students will be adding their first reflection this week to their eportfolios. They will be selecting one assignment that they have completed this year, creating a response about what they gained from the assignment, and then writing about what could be done to improve/revise the piece. Students will then create a final draft that incorporates their ideas for improvement. These three documents will be posted to their website, and they will receive their first homework grade for the 3rd marking period.
Some students have asked "why are we creating these" or said "I don't know why we are doing this". I have described the eportfolios to them as more professional alternatives to Facebook. I have also invited students to think of them as a sort of virtual resume - a way to show themselves to the world (including potential employers and universities). It is a place for them to display and reflect upon the things of which they are proud (i.e. activities, achievements, and assignments). I believe that the students are going to experience real educational and personal gains through the use of their eportfolios. It will also be a way for them to share the data that they collect as part of their research projects.
Earth Science students are working on a 25-question multiple choice homework assignment on www.castlelearning.com (all past regents questions). The due date is Tuesday 1/25, and the topic is astronomy and the universe. I am friends with 48/71 Earth Science students on facebook, and I invited them all to the homework assignment as an "event". Maybe that will impact the homework completion rate?
2. I used the Oreo cookie method to teach moon phases to the Earth Science students. I used the document camera to review the 8 phases of the moon diagram. Then each group was given 8 oreo cookies, a plastic untensil, and a a paper plate. They then had to twist open the oreos, and scrape off the cream filling to create the 8 phases, and then place them in the correct sequence on their paper plates. This was a good concrete learning experience for my students. I have also been using a toy constellation projector to remind students that polaris tends to stay in about the same spot in the sky, while the other stars apear to move in circular paths around it. Maybe they just like having the lights off, but the students seem to enjoy the classroom as 'planetarium' experience.
There is a popular rap artist by the name of Lil' Wayne. During the moon phase lessons, I made constant reference to Lil' Wayne. When the light is on the left, the moon is getting little (waning). The moon is little wayneing. 99% of my students will remember this.
3. The Oreo mooon phase lab took a little bit longer that I had anticipated, and two classes did not finish answering the analysis questions. Students spent a lot of time getting the phases exactly correct, and often had to go back to their 'reservoirs' of scraped cream to make repairs to their moons. It was actually a good thing though that students made mistakes, and then corrected them - it facilitated a real learning process for them and gave them a sense of self-efficacy by the end.
4. I went ice-fishing for the first time last weekend. We set tip-ups for northern pikes, and jigged for perch. I caught about 10 small perch, but returned them all to the lake. My big catch was a 29-inch long pike. My neighbor grew up near Oneida Lake, and has a lot of experience ice-fishing. He helped me fillet the fish, and then we fried up the fillets for dinner last night. It tasted great, and it gave me a sense of self-efficacy to provide a nutritious meal for my family with my "own bare hands".
5. "That word foci is so cute" - student in reference to the vocab word meaning the two central points of an ellipse. My classes refer to this as the "f-word".
Some students have asked "why are we creating these" or said "I don't know why we are doing this". I have described the eportfolios to them as more professional alternatives to Facebook. I have also invited students to think of them as a sort of virtual resume - a way to show themselves to the world (including potential employers and universities). It is a place for them to display and reflect upon the things of which they are proud (i.e. activities, achievements, and assignments). I believe that the students are going to experience real educational and personal gains through the use of their eportfolios. It will also be a way for them to share the data that they collect as part of their research projects.
Earth Science students are working on a 25-question multiple choice homework assignment on www.castlelearning.com (all past regents questions). The due date is Tuesday 1/25, and the topic is astronomy and the universe. I am friends with 48/71 Earth Science students on facebook, and I invited them all to the homework assignment as an "event". Maybe that will impact the homework completion rate?
2. I used the Oreo cookie method to teach moon phases to the Earth Science students. I used the document camera to review the 8 phases of the moon diagram. Then each group was given 8 oreo cookies, a plastic untensil, and a a paper plate. They then had to twist open the oreos, and scrape off the cream filling to create the 8 phases, and then place them in the correct sequence on their paper plates. This was a good concrete learning experience for my students. I have also been using a toy constellation projector to remind students that polaris tends to stay in about the same spot in the sky, while the other stars apear to move in circular paths around it. Maybe they just like having the lights off, but the students seem to enjoy the classroom as 'planetarium' experience.
There is a popular rap artist by the name of Lil' Wayne. During the moon phase lessons, I made constant reference to Lil' Wayne. When the light is on the left, the moon is getting little (waning). The moon is little wayneing. 99% of my students will remember this.
3. The Oreo mooon phase lab took a little bit longer that I had anticipated, and two classes did not finish answering the analysis questions. Students spent a lot of time getting the phases exactly correct, and often had to go back to their 'reservoirs' of scraped cream to make repairs to their moons. It was actually a good thing though that students made mistakes, and then corrected them - it facilitated a real learning process for them and gave them a sense of self-efficacy by the end.
4. I went ice-fishing for the first time last weekend. We set tip-ups for northern pikes, and jigged for perch. I caught about 10 small perch, but returned them all to the lake. My big catch was a 29-inch long pike. My neighbor grew up near Oneida Lake, and has a lot of experience ice-fishing. He helped me fillet the fish, and then we fried up the fillets for dinner last night. It tasted great, and it gave me a sense of self-efficacy to provide a nutritious meal for my family with my "own bare hands".
5. "That word foci is so cute" - student in reference to the vocab word meaning the two central points of an ellipse. My classes refer to this as the "f-word".
Monday, January 17, 2011
Reflection 10 (1/17/11)
1) Seventeen of my students have created their own eportfolios. If you visit my website, you will see that I have added a navigation to the eportfolios in the sidebar. So far, the students have only created a skeleton (photo, introduction, and hypothesis for their research project). Next week, they will add their first reflection and document to their portfolios. Some students were wondering "why are we doing this". I said that it was kind of like a more professional alternative to facebook, and a place for them to display work and achievements of which they are proud (i.e. something to include on a resume).
2) Earth Science is working through the astronomy unit. My son has a toy turtle, that lights up and projects constellations on the ceiling. This toy is desiged for 2-6 year olds, but it is actually somewhat representative of the night sky, and my students loved it. The laser pointer was key here. We compared the projection to Google sky projected from my computer. Students were excited to see their "astrological" constellation. Students also completed the Sun's path lab, and before the lab, I pulled up a Sun's path simulator online to show how the path of the sun changes throughout the year and with latitude. Students also successfully completed the ellipse lab.
3) In the instruction for the sun's path lab, I need to provide more clear instructions on how to use the proctractor to determine the sun's zenith (altitude at solar noon). I should also provide tape for students to use to tape the dome to the "compass" paper.
4) I woke to use the bathroom in the middle of the night a few days ago, and the light was on in Evan's room. I opened the door, and he had every book in his room pulled off the shelf, and opened to the first page sitting on his floor. When he saw me, he ran and hid in his closet. Then slowly, he poked his head around the corner with a hilarious smile on his face.
Today, I am going ice-fishing for the first time. I am looking forward to a new experience, and bringing dinner home for my family.
5) Two girls in my third block class are verbally fighting over a male student in the class. Several other female students in the classroom have been instigating it. This immaturity and childish behavior are the root of frustrations for a high school teacher. Students should be learning, not bickering and worrying about who said what, blah, blah, blah. I realize that these are kids with a lot of things on their minds. My goal as a teacher is to have them care enough about Earth Science to have that on their minds as well.
2) Earth Science is working through the astronomy unit. My son has a toy turtle, that lights up and projects constellations on the ceiling. This toy is desiged for 2-6 year olds, but it is actually somewhat representative of the night sky, and my students loved it. The laser pointer was key here. We compared the projection to Google sky projected from my computer. Students were excited to see their "astrological" constellation. Students also completed the Sun's path lab, and before the lab, I pulled up a Sun's path simulator online to show how the path of the sun changes throughout the year and with latitude. Students also successfully completed the ellipse lab.
3) In the instruction for the sun's path lab, I need to provide more clear instructions on how to use the proctractor to determine the sun's zenith (altitude at solar noon). I should also provide tape for students to use to tape the dome to the "compass" paper.
4) I woke to use the bathroom in the middle of the night a few days ago, and the light was on in Evan's room. I opened the door, and he had every book in his room pulled off the shelf, and opened to the first page sitting on his floor. When he saw me, he ran and hid in his closet. Then slowly, he poked his head around the corner with a hilarious smile on his face.
Today, I am going ice-fishing for the first time. I am looking forward to a new experience, and bringing dinner home for my family.
5) Two girls in my third block class are verbally fighting over a male student in the class. Several other female students in the classroom have been instigating it. This immaturity and childish behavior are the root of frustrations for a high school teacher. Students should be learning, not bickering and worrying about who said what, blah, blah, blah. I realize that these are kids with a lot of things on their minds. My goal as a teacher is to have them care enough about Earth Science to have that on their minds as well.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Reflection 9 (01/09/11)
1) The Earth Science students have a break through with using facebook. Several students used the vocab list that was posted on facebook to study for the astronomy vocab quiz, and the average score on the quiz was passing. The classmarker quiz was not a success - not enough students took the quiz. The success rate with the castle learning homework assignment was better but not stellar. Castle learning uses the same login and password as district computers, which I think makes it more user-friendly for students. I have also asked that students change their profile picture to their favorite planet for extra credit. In the classroom, we have used the LCD projector to view videos on the expanding universe and images of the planets of our solar system. Astronomy is not something that students can "touch", so I think the video supplements were very important.
2) The Big Bang Theory is quite, well, theoretical, and it is not really possible for students to fully grasp the concept by just talking or reading about it. The "Expanding Universe" video provided some exciting images to illustrate the theory of how the universe originated. I paused the video frequently to discuss the material, and pointed out that for all the complexity of the theory, the supportive evidence is simple, namely, Hubble's "red shift" evidence for an ever-expanding Universe. Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" and "Cosmos" really informed my understanding and teaching of these concepts.
3) The introductory notes (powerpoint with graphic organizer) were too long. After teaching it to my first block class, I decided to break the notes into two class periods, and inserted vocab activities and video clips in order to provide the lessons with variability.
4) A virus has made its way through my entire family the last few weeks (on the bright side, we now possess herd immunity). I was the last to get it, and had to take the first sick day of my career on Thursday. The ESF students were studying the Tragedy of the Commons, and looked at an Onondaga Lake article as a case study. Earth Science students completed a graphing lab about sunspots and solar activity. We've had some lake effect snow, and Evan has enjoyed playing in it. Marty is four months old, and is starting to show his personality. He laughs almost constantly - could not have asked for a better baby. The kids really enjoy visiting their grandparents, and their grandparents enjoy having them. As a bonus, Laura and I get some time to just be.
Laura has committed to consuming meats that are local and/or free range. I have always enjoyed the meals she cooks, and now they are even better. For example, I ate the best bacon of my entire life this morning (nitrate-free!).
We watched I Heart Huckabees yesterday, which is relevant because it addresses our interconnected existence with regard to the universe. Also, I am reading Chris Hedge's "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle".
5) "You are a genius" -student's flattering exclamation in response to my verbal introduction to the universe.
2) The Big Bang Theory is quite, well, theoretical, and it is not really possible for students to fully grasp the concept by just talking or reading about it. The "Expanding Universe" video provided some exciting images to illustrate the theory of how the universe originated. I paused the video frequently to discuss the material, and pointed out that for all the complexity of the theory, the supportive evidence is simple, namely, Hubble's "red shift" evidence for an ever-expanding Universe. Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" and "Cosmos" really informed my understanding and teaching of these concepts.
3) The introductory notes (powerpoint with graphic organizer) were too long. After teaching it to my first block class, I decided to break the notes into two class periods, and inserted vocab activities and video clips in order to provide the lessons with variability.
4) A virus has made its way through my entire family the last few weeks (on the bright side, we now possess herd immunity). I was the last to get it, and had to take the first sick day of my career on Thursday. The ESF students were studying the Tragedy of the Commons, and looked at an Onondaga Lake article as a case study. Earth Science students completed a graphing lab about sunspots and solar activity. We've had some lake effect snow, and Evan has enjoyed playing in it. Marty is four months old, and is starting to show his personality. He laughs almost constantly - could not have asked for a better baby. The kids really enjoy visiting their grandparents, and their grandparents enjoy having them. As a bonus, Laura and I get some time to just be.
Laura has committed to consuming meats that are local and/or free range. I have always enjoyed the meals she cooks, and now they are even better. For example, I ate the best bacon of my entire life this morning (nitrate-free!).
We watched I Heart Huckabees yesterday, which is relevant because it addresses our interconnected existence with regard to the universe. Also, I am reading Chris Hedge's "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle".
5) "You are a genius" -student's flattering exclamation in response to my verbal introduction to the universe.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Reflection 8 (12/20/10)
1) We are approaching the winter solstice (for the northern hemisphere). Perfect timing in light of the Energy/Insolation exam that my students will be taking tomorrow. We completed a higher-than-average number of hands-on lab activities during this unit, and we used a lot of "old school technologies": heat lamps, ring stands, thermometers, insulated cups, protractors, etc. All students seemed to understand the concepts. It will be interesting to see how that translates on the test. I also set up a practice test on-line at www.castlelearning.com. It consists of 33 practice questsions that deal with energy/insolation from past Regents exams. I brought six students to the library during 5th block to work on the assignment. In general, they seemed frustrated at first, but then after realizing that a) the questions were just reworkings of activities/concepts that they confronted in lab, and b) they have two chances to answer each question, I observed increased confidence and the students flowed through the assignment.
2. The ESF class and the Earth Science classes all worked on poster projects to present information from their textbooks this week. Some students used powerpoint to present the information. The results were pretty good. I discussed this activity with some other teachers. We generally agreed that it a) requires students to think more about the content when they will have to present it to the class and b) helps the students to hear information from other students and get a break from the teacher talking. I required that students take notes during their classmates' presentations to ensure that everyone was getting the most from the experience.
3. For future presentations, I will review the rubric the day before the project begins, and again on the day of the poster project. Some students are still just reading from their posters, or just using ideas directly from the book. The objective of the rubric is to show students that they will lose points if they cannot verbally demonstrate that they understand their topic. That means they can discuss the concepts without looking at what they wrote on their poster. I really need them to understand my expectation that they take 'ownership' of the information.
The Earth Science students also completed a lab on 'angle of insolation'. The results and the graphs turned out really well. However, the temperatures peaked at about 7 minutes, and then flattened out. I am going to shorten the experiment length from 15 to 7.5 minutes, and have students take temperature readings every 30 seconds (instead of every minute). This should provide a more dramatic illustration of how a 90 degree angle of insolation will heat up more quickly than lower angles (angled away from the sun). I also taped thermometers to a globe to show how the angle decreases as latitude increases. I am going to revisit that model again today and before the exam tomorrow.
4. Some students lit off a few firecrackers in the cafeteria on Thursday (and some copycat students popped a plastic bag on Friday). This is a serious offence, and the students deserved their punishment, however the local media blew the incident way out of proportion. I can't tell you how many people from the greater Syracuse area (and beyond) have contaced me this weekend to ask about the fireworks display that had been detonated in my school.
Well...tis the season. I am looking forward to hanging with family and friends this week. Some friends and I are going to the YMCA on Friday morning for some Christmas Eve hoops. My dad's side of the family got together yesteday, and treated me to a meal 5 times larger and more buttery than what I would typically eat (delicious). Happy holidays everyone!
5. "This is a good school...this school should not be on an improvement list" -- Jim Violla, Joint Intervention Team officer for the New York State Department of Education
2. The ESF class and the Earth Science classes all worked on poster projects to present information from their textbooks this week. Some students used powerpoint to present the information. The results were pretty good. I discussed this activity with some other teachers. We generally agreed that it a) requires students to think more about the content when they will have to present it to the class and b) helps the students to hear information from other students and get a break from the teacher talking. I required that students take notes during their classmates' presentations to ensure that everyone was getting the most from the experience.
3. For future presentations, I will review the rubric the day before the project begins, and again on the day of the poster project. Some students are still just reading from their posters, or just using ideas directly from the book. The objective of the rubric is to show students that they will lose points if they cannot verbally demonstrate that they understand their topic. That means they can discuss the concepts without looking at what they wrote on their poster. I really need them to understand my expectation that they take 'ownership' of the information.
The Earth Science students also completed a lab on 'angle of insolation'. The results and the graphs turned out really well. However, the temperatures peaked at about 7 minutes, and then flattened out. I am going to shorten the experiment length from 15 to 7.5 minutes, and have students take temperature readings every 30 seconds (instead of every minute). This should provide a more dramatic illustration of how a 90 degree angle of insolation will heat up more quickly than lower angles (angled away from the sun). I also taped thermometers to a globe to show how the angle decreases as latitude increases. I am going to revisit that model again today and before the exam tomorrow.
4. Some students lit off a few firecrackers in the cafeteria on Thursday (and some copycat students popped a plastic bag on Friday). This is a serious offence, and the students deserved their punishment, however the local media blew the incident way out of proportion. I can't tell you how many people from the greater Syracuse area (and beyond) have contaced me this weekend to ask about the fireworks display that had been detonated in my school.
Well...tis the season. I am looking forward to hanging with family and friends this week. Some friends and I are going to the YMCA on Friday morning for some Christmas Eve hoops. My dad's side of the family got together yesteday, and treated me to a meal 5 times larger and more buttery than what I would typically eat (delicious). Happy holidays everyone!
5. "This is a good school...this school should not be on an improvement list" -- Jim Violla, Joint Intervention Team officer for the New York State Department of Education
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)