Wednesday, October 24, 2007
What about this online stuff?
Mixed feelings. I like the classroom because I learn so much more. The time in there is like common planning. We discuss problems, solutions and I gain so much from everyone's stories. But the online gives me information in a different way. I am very visual so I love the method but I miss the discussion that would follow. I can cook dinner, do wash and help my kids with homework during the online time. One downfall, I have a very old computer (son in college...no chance of buying a new one) and don't have the capacity or programs to do the fun things out there. I don't mind coming in or online. I think the mix of both is a perfect combination. I would not want it totally on line though. I really would miss the class discussions.
UbD Lesson in school
I am currently in the middle of this unit described. The only part that I changed with my students was that I wrote the questions on the board before they came in. When they sat down (all 4 of them) I read the "students will know, understand etc and the questions. The essential question is brought up at the beginning of the unit and referred to many times. It started the students in conversation immediately. We are at the point where we are researching the kings and queens and the students started to discuss their findings. So I actually had to stop them and go back to the lesson where they would give their mini lesson educating us on the people. At the end of their mini lessons we discussed the questions on the board and how my plan for them that day was laid out for them to see. They liked the idea of the questions and students will be able to...because they knew what the hour was going to be about. I feel they also knew what to look for in the lesson that day. Gifted kids tend to not like the unknown as much as we think!
It didn't take long to create this lesson in this format. My gifted team uses this idea when we design our units. Since we meet at the end of the units with our 6 schools we start with the essential questions and then the variety of products. We leave the lesson up to the individual teacher and even the product/assessment is usually student decided. I didn't use a template and would love to find it and use it. My computer is not working well and I cant open many windows at the same time or the whole thing freezes so I used the video and print out as my guide (hope it is right). The only difficulty would be that I would have to buy a binder to put my lesson plans in or that I would need to figure out a layout that would make it easy for me to glance over my plans for the day or week. Management of paper would be the only downfall.
It didn't take long to create this lesson in this format. My gifted team uses this idea when we design our units. Since we meet at the end of the units with our 6 schools we start with the essential questions and then the variety of products. We leave the lesson up to the individual teacher and even the product/assessment is usually student decided. I didn't use a template and would love to find it and use it. My computer is not working well and I cant open many windows at the same time or the whole thing freezes so I used the video and print out as my guide (hope it is right). The only difficulty would be that I would have to buy a binder to put my lesson plans in or that I would need to figure out a layout that would make it easy for me to glance over my plans for the day or week. Management of paper would be the only downfall.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
UbD Lesson Plan
5Th Grade Gifted 8 week Pull-out Egyptian Theme (8 meetings)
Stage One
Essential Questions: How does one's behavior define their self?
How do we define good? What is good?
Why and how do others define the concepts that determine what type of person you are?
How are past cultures remembered and why?
How do we define ourselves?
Students will understand how Egyptians defined their life on Earth and the afterlife.
Students will know how to reflect for deeper meaning.
Students will be able to reflect, define, inquire and listen in a group setting.
Students will be able to write reflectively.
Stage Two (Assessment)
Students will create a tomb with objects and pictures of what they would be needing in the afterlife, if we were still following Egyptian funerary, burial and afterlife rituals. Students will write a reflective piece explaining why they would deserve a good afterlife if we still believed in the Egyptian rituals. Writing piece will show how student reflected and defined concepts, answered how their behavior now determines the type of person they are and what items are important to them (items in tomb) and why.
Stage Three
Using artifacts,(plastic Egyptian artifact toys) research the purpose of the artifacts and share them in the group as to the meaning of the item. Then discuss our artifacts and their meanings.
Begin reading the book "The Golden Goblet". Use first half of 3 classes to discuss what the characters are like, the life of the times and their rituals.
Do research on a prince or princess, king or queen of Ancient Egypt. Have each student give a mini lesson to educate us on this person.
Using philosophical inquiry define what good meant for the Egyptians. Define what good means for each of us. Did we learn "good"? Were we born or raised "good" ? Can you turn good? Is good a way of thought or a unconscious behavior?
Students will bring in a shoe box and create a tomb like the Egyptians. It will contain items necessary for their own version of an afterlife.
Students will write a reflective writing piece that will explain the items and their importance, their definition of "good", how they came to that definition and the reason they would deserve a good afterlife.
Stage One
Essential Questions: How does one's behavior define their self?
How do we define good? What is good?
Why and how do others define the concepts that determine what type of person you are?
How are past cultures remembered and why?
How do we define ourselves?
Students will understand how Egyptians defined their life on Earth and the afterlife.
Students will know how to reflect for deeper meaning.
Students will be able to reflect, define, inquire and listen in a group setting.
Students will be able to write reflectively.
Stage Two (Assessment)
Students will create a tomb with objects and pictures of what they would be needing in the afterlife, if we were still following Egyptian funerary, burial and afterlife rituals. Students will write a reflective piece explaining why they would deserve a good afterlife if we still believed in the Egyptian rituals. Writing piece will show how student reflected and defined concepts, answered how their behavior now determines the type of person they are and what items are important to them (items in tomb) and why.
Stage Three
Using artifacts,(plastic Egyptian artifact toys) research the purpose of the artifacts and share them in the group as to the meaning of the item. Then discuss our artifacts and their meanings.
Begin reading the book "The Golden Goblet". Use first half of 3 classes to discuss what the characters are like, the life of the times and their rituals.
Do research on a prince or princess, king or queen of Ancient Egypt. Have each student give a mini lesson to educate us on this person.
Using philosophical inquiry define what good meant for the Egyptians. Define what good means for each of us. Did we learn "good"? Were we born or raised "good" ? Can you turn good? Is good a way of thought or a unconscious behavior?
Students will bring in a shoe box and create a tomb like the Egyptians. It will contain items necessary for their own version of an afterlife.
Students will write a reflective writing piece that will explain the items and their importance, their definition of "good", how they came to that definition and the reason they would deserve a good afterlife.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Schmoker
I enjoyed this article for it's clear cut objectives. I also was thrilled to see that so much of what my school does is in good practice according to this article. I actually shared the article with my principal today and he agreed that our lessons need a better strategy in their delivery. I didnt have the nerve to ask him how he was planning on doing that!
I started teaching again, after an 11 year break, and found myself in an old school. Old in it's teaching style, it's curriculum, and it's management. I was a part of a gifted team that served 6 schools. We, as a team, were innovative and shared every week our curriculum ideas. Luckily, after two years of teaching and never being observed....our principal retired. In walked my savior. He moved all the teachers to new grades and began his schedule changes to accomodate 2-5 periods a week of common planning. He has weekly meetings with grade level teachers and is contantly present in the classrooms and hallways. We follow our curriculum guides to make sure we cover what is expected but we are given freedom to cover them how we see fit.
Our school has retired in the last 3 years seven teachers. We are now filled with vibrant, creative educators. But I feel this is where we are lacking. Our lessons are all over the place. I see that our lessons dont have a clear cut objective ( I started to revert back to my Madeline Hunter after this article). My principal said he felt we dont close our lessons well enough and I feel as though we need to incorporate time for children to work together.
The biggest down fall of my school is that we have all the components in place but we are at the point of staying quiet. My administration needs to work on it's role as leader. As Schmoker said "No one can lead effectively where constructive feedback is regarded as an invasion of privacy, an affront to professionalism". When we start giving feedback, accepting the feedback as a learning tool, I believe my school will become the best school in New Jersey.
I started teaching again, after an 11 year break, and found myself in an old school. Old in it's teaching style, it's curriculum, and it's management. I was a part of a gifted team that served 6 schools. We, as a team, were innovative and shared every week our curriculum ideas. Luckily, after two years of teaching and never being observed....our principal retired. In walked my savior. He moved all the teachers to new grades and began his schedule changes to accomodate 2-5 periods a week of common planning. He has weekly meetings with grade level teachers and is contantly present in the classrooms and hallways. We follow our curriculum guides to make sure we cover what is expected but we are given freedom to cover them how we see fit.
Our school has retired in the last 3 years seven teachers. We are now filled with vibrant, creative educators. But I feel this is where we are lacking. Our lessons are all over the place. I see that our lessons dont have a clear cut objective ( I started to revert back to my Madeline Hunter after this article). My principal said he felt we dont close our lessons well enough and I feel as though we need to incorporate time for children to work together.
The biggest down fall of my school is that we have all the components in place but we are at the point of staying quiet. My administration needs to work on it's role as leader. As Schmoker said "No one can lead effectively where constructive feedback is regarded as an invasion of privacy, an affront to professionalism". When we start giving feedback, accepting the feedback as a learning tool, I believe my school will become the best school in New Jersey.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Did You Know
The video hit me hardest when they said that a college freshman will not need the info he learns by his junior year. I am sending my first child to school and he is a freshman. Please don't tell me that check I wrote out and sweating saving for is a bust? I hope they are teaching him how to keep up more than anything!
One question I wanted to respond to was the question about what skills do we need to strive and thrive. First, how will I strive and thrive? I believe technology is a huge component to our teaching and learning. I know that I use it to give my students information that is exciting and organized. I recently started a unit for my 4th graders on The Great Depression and used a phenomenal YouTube clip. My students were mesmerized by the photos used and the information that was given. I could never have gotten all of that together as nicely. We also use it to search and creatively write. I also have a brilliant CP student that manipulates interactive sites so I usually teach a lesson where he can interact with us using his computer. I think I have so much more to experiment with but I do use it. As for our students I believe that there are two major components to striving and thriving. One is staying up to date with technology. It is the future and it is changing so quickly they will have to stay on top of it in a successful business world. The other is critical thinking. That cannot be done with a computer. To teach critical thinking and problem solving to be used with peers is an asset for our children's future. Students need to know the process of brainstorming problems and creatively solving those challenges. This is done in a classroom that gives time for students to work through multi-faceted, multi-level problems in groups. Even with technology we will need to solve problems together.
Is it possible to be an excellent teacher with out using technology? No. That is like saying "Did the Beatles put out a new album?" We need to move with the times. I didn't say be comfortable with the times, but move with them. Technology offers us so much to add to our curriculum in the way of up to date information, colorful informative video presentations, and stimulating means of presenting projects. I feel it is impossible to teach without technology.
One question I wanted to respond to was the question about what skills do we need to strive and thrive. First, how will I strive and thrive? I believe technology is a huge component to our teaching and learning. I know that I use it to give my students information that is exciting and organized. I recently started a unit for my 4th graders on The Great Depression and used a phenomenal YouTube clip. My students were mesmerized by the photos used and the information that was given. I could never have gotten all of that together as nicely. We also use it to search and creatively write. I also have a brilliant CP student that manipulates interactive sites so I usually teach a lesson where he can interact with us using his computer. I think I have so much more to experiment with but I do use it. As for our students I believe that there are two major components to striving and thriving. One is staying up to date with technology. It is the future and it is changing so quickly they will have to stay on top of it in a successful business world. The other is critical thinking. That cannot be done with a computer. To teach critical thinking and problem solving to be used with peers is an asset for our children's future. Students need to know the process of brainstorming problems and creatively solving those challenges. This is done in a classroom that gives time for students to work through multi-faceted, multi-level problems in groups. Even with technology we will need to solve problems together.
Is it possible to be an excellent teacher with out using technology? No. That is like saying "Did the Beatles put out a new album?" We need to move with the times. I didn't say be comfortable with the times, but move with them. Technology offers us so much to add to our curriculum in the way of up to date information, colorful informative video presentations, and stimulating means of presenting projects. I feel it is impossible to teach without technology.
FLOW
Isn't flow our dream? Didn't we all go to college and dream of our first teaching job, our first classroom being a big room full of flow? I know I did. And even through a job in a catholic school, and job in East Orange, (a stint while having kids) teaching Montessori, my goal was to create flow. We can bring flow into our rooms if we believe in the concept and are truly, truly driven. In the article "Reading dont fix no Chevys", the kids talk about what a great experience it is to be totally engaged. The children at the Key School have flow down. Kids saying it should be proof alone we need to step away from the chalkboard. I am not that naive, I know that we must stand up in the room sometimes and give a lesson but if we take a serious amount of time and determination to change our teaching style to have the children be responsible for the learning by putting the activities in their hands, we will create much flow. A skill is a skill.......it is the way we teach it that can bring boredom or flow.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Dear Congressman......
Dear Bill Pascrell,
I am writing to voice my concern over the continuation of the No Child Left Behind Act. This act has served so few and so little in the areas of critical thinking. All of our students are being ignored in favor of skill drill lessons and proficiency exams, with the most damage to the gifted students.
First the matter of proficiency. The focus of the NCLB is to drill grade level skills into children so that they can pass grade level tests and become proficient in their grade. What happened to the child who already is proficient? We are neglecting our advanced proficient.
Our curriculum is lacking in creativity because teachers fear working in student's interest. Blooms taxonomy states that the higher level thinking comes with analysis, synthesis and evaluation. These areas are never touched in the NCLB curriculum. There is lack of original and creative thinking for students because preparing for bubble filling is more important. All students deserve stimulation and challenging work. But the gifted child is receiving nothing in advanced work instead it is bored with work that this child already knows. We leave little time for the teachers to differentiate for all students when we mandate a program for one purpose.....test taking and passing.
Our goal should not be to make all students one passing clump. It should be to individualize the students to make them reach their maximum potential. Their individual maximum potential. When we work with each student toward their goal we will not leave any child behind.....they all will move forward on their own path not one narrow boring path the government has established.
I am asking that we do not renew the No Child Left Behind Act. Let's move forward in rewarding schools for innovative, creative, child centered programs that push children towards their potential. We must stop punishing the schools, teachers and mostly the children with this Act. Let's think of the child that we keep leaving out.
Traci Thiele
Glen Ridge
Teacher of the Gifted Fair Lawn Schools
I am writing to voice my concern over the continuation of the No Child Left Behind Act. This act has served so few and so little in the areas of critical thinking. All of our students are being ignored in favor of skill drill lessons and proficiency exams, with the most damage to the gifted students.
First the matter of proficiency. The focus of the NCLB is to drill grade level skills into children so that they can pass grade level tests and become proficient in their grade. What happened to the child who already is proficient? We are neglecting our advanced proficient.
Our curriculum is lacking in creativity because teachers fear working in student's interest. Blooms taxonomy states that the higher level thinking comes with analysis, synthesis and evaluation. These areas are never touched in the NCLB curriculum. There is lack of original and creative thinking for students because preparing for bubble filling is more important. All students deserve stimulation and challenging work. But the gifted child is receiving nothing in advanced work instead it is bored with work that this child already knows. We leave little time for the teachers to differentiate for all students when we mandate a program for one purpose.....test taking and passing.
Our goal should not be to make all students one passing clump. It should be to individualize the students to make them reach their maximum potential. Their individual maximum potential. When we work with each student toward their goal we will not leave any child behind.....they all will move forward on their own path not one narrow boring path the government has established.
I am asking that we do not renew the No Child Left Behind Act. Let's move forward in rewarding schools for innovative, creative, child centered programs that push children towards their potential. We must stop punishing the schools, teachers and mostly the children with this Act. Let's think of the child that we keep leaving out.
Traci Thiele
Glen Ridge
Teacher of the Gifted Fair Lawn Schools
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