sept 20
Dimensions, units, scale, scale maps for 61
More draw squad for 62
Friday, September 20, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
September 12
62 Science/
1991 number puzzle
Pepsi re-do of hypothesis lesson
61 prep/
Daily 5 first run. Went really well. Did Strategy games and vocabulary (based on the measurment in different contexts hand-out) and teacher table introduction to 3D 2D and 1D.
62/ Math
Daily 5 first run. Tech was there for the whole period.
Parent-teacher night.
62 Science/
1991 number puzzle
Pepsi re-do of hypothesis lesson
61 prep/
Daily 5 first run. Went really well. Did Strategy games and vocabulary (based on the measurment in different contexts hand-out) and teacher table introduction to 3D 2D and 1D.
62/ Math
Daily 5 first run. Tech was there for the whole period.
Parent-teacher night.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
September 11
61/
Lumber relocation from RV garage and wood saw training.
62/
A was arrested during this period and S and JH were at eachother's throats. The Pepsi demo failed because the mini-cans did not function as the big cans do. Also, a look at MEasurements in different contexts.
61/
Bloom's taxonomy activity.
Tomorrow each class will run a demo of the D5.
61/
Lumber relocation from RV garage and wood saw training.
62/
A was arrested during this period and S and JH were at eachother's throats. The Pepsi demo failed because the mini-cans did not function as the big cans do. Also, a look at MEasurements in different contexts.
61/
Bloom's taxonomy activity.
Tomorrow each class will run a demo of the D5.
Monday, September 9, 2013
September 9
62/
Prepared each students binders. Re-hashed the routine for math using the D5. Spent 20 minutes as a class on Frayer Vocabulary: Measurement, Estimate, Distance. Spent a few minutes on the Measure Mission hand-out.
Lit/
Introduced the news paper
61/
Grade level Assembly in the Auditorium. Binder organization.
62/
Science was in the schedule but we had a lot of unfinished business from math. I relented and let the class do math instead of science ... but it lacked the routine of math class and there were dissenters. Class broke apart and we were not as productive. It was the wrong call, lesson learned. Stick to the schedule.
We worked on the Measure Mission and then did some 3D drawing.
62/
Prepared each students binders. Re-hashed the routine for math using the D5. Spent 20 minutes as a class on Frayer Vocabulary: Measurement, Estimate, Distance. Spent a few minutes on the Measure Mission hand-out.
Lit/
Introduced the news paper
61/
Grade level Assembly in the Auditorium. Binder organization.
62/
Science was in the schedule but we had a lot of unfinished business from math. I relented and let the class do math instead of science ... but it lacked the routine of math class and there were dissenters. Class broke apart and we were not as productive. It was the wrong call, lesson learned. Stick to the schedule.
We worked on the Measure Mission and then did some 3D drawing.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
September 6
62/
Finished McLuhan/Illusion presentation as a model for math problem solving behaviour.
Water cup experiment. So-so investigation.
62/
Stage talk and math D5 routine discussion including map on the board of rotating math stations.
Draw Squad Mars House lesson. Well received. Related it to vocabulary, drawing, and math and the value of D5; not everyone will be good at everything and that doesn't matter because this is true of everything.
Alt BBQ
S decided to quit Alt and come back to the WOTP.
Alt is a very different energy than WOTP. I was not expecting anything so profound. It was well described by SS as being the difference between needy students and independent students. My students in WOTP are needy and crave a parental relationship due to their child-like mentality. Naturally A, S, and myself all fall into parental roles with them. We chase after them and we show them affection and make it clear that they are valued and heard. It makes my classroom more like an elementary classroom than any other high school classroom.
Alt is the opposite. The students want nothing to do with a parental relationship what-so-ever. Their class is more akin to a Cegep level class than any other high school classroom. The don't wear uniforms, they wear hats, they curse, they live adult lives socially speaking, and refer to their teachers by their first names. It has almost a Res atmosphere, or atleast a frat house to some degree. These students feel disdain for the school and for authority and crave only their own space. Working with them will be a very different experience from WOTP.
62/
Finished McLuhan/Illusion presentation as a model for math problem solving behaviour.
Water cup experiment. So-so investigation.
62/
Stage talk and math D5 routine discussion including map on the board of rotating math stations.
Draw Squad Mars House lesson. Well received. Related it to vocabulary, drawing, and math and the value of D5; not everyone will be good at everything and that doesn't matter because this is true of everything.
Alt BBQ
S decided to quit Alt and come back to the WOTP.
Alt is a very different energy than WOTP. I was not expecting anything so profound. It was well described by SS as being the difference between needy students and independent students. My students in WOTP are needy and crave a parental relationship due to their child-like mentality. Naturally A, S, and myself all fall into parental roles with them. We chase after them and we show them affection and make it clear that they are valued and heard. It makes my classroom more like an elementary classroom than any other high school classroom.
Alt is the opposite. The students want nothing to do with a parental relationship what-so-ever. Their class is more akin to a Cegep level class than any other high school classroom. The don't wear uniforms, they wear hats, they curse, they live adult lives socially speaking, and refer to their teachers by their first names. It has almost a Res atmosphere, or atleast a frat house to some degree. These students feel disdain for the school and for authority and crave only their own space. Working with them will be a very different experience from WOTP.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
September 5
61/
McLuhan presentation. Illusions and modeling good mathematician behaviour. Illusions took several minutes to decode and the class was very supportive. The revelation when the illusions became clear is the mental activity that is to be sought out when solving math problems.
62/
Stage talk
S and R disruption dur to R from last year. Tried to broker a peace.
McLuhan illusion presentation. Only got as far as the two women.
61/
Frayer Vocabulary: Context and Measurement. We also did the water drop race lab to drive home the point that different context equals different behaviour when using water. Context change also resulted in a different priority list when using the survival items for a plane crash versus a zombie apocalypse. We also discussed ideal context for math class.
61/
McLuhan presentation. Illusions and modeling good mathematician behaviour. Illusions took several minutes to decode and the class was very supportive. The revelation when the illusions became clear is the mental activity that is to be sought out when solving math problems.
62/
Stage talk
S and R disruption dur to R from last year. Tried to broker a peace.
McLuhan illusion presentation. Only got as far as the two women.
61/
Frayer Vocabulary: Context and Measurement. We also did the water drop race lab to drive home the point that different context equals different behaviour when using water. Context change also resulted in a different priority list when using the survival items for a plane crash versus a zombie apocalypse. We also discussed ideal context for math class.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
September 4
61/
More routine prep for D5
Frayer Vocabulary words: Counting, numbers, Billings
The Patti survival group activity with the zombie apocalypse context-shift
Zombie dice the game
61/
Draw Squad
Kicked T out for not participating, from now on it's get with the program or get out. I am no longer interested in tailoring this program to each student. I am a believer in the program, it isn't for everyone but it is for some. Hard line.
The water cup-paper inquiry lesson as a model for how to approach a math problem.
Jenga and Bataflash.
61/
More routine prep for D5
Frayer Vocabulary words: Counting, numbers, Billings
The Patti survival group activity with the zombie apocalypse context-shift
Zombie dice the game
61/
Draw Squad
Kicked T out for not participating, from now on it's get with the program or get out. I am no longer interested in tailoring this program to each student. I am a believer in the program, it isn't for everyone but it is for some. Hard line.
The water cup-paper inquiry lesson as a model for how to approach a math problem.
Jenga and Bataflash.
September 3, 2013
61/ Discussion about seating plans. Free choice right now but I reserved the right to relocate students. I would later do exactly that.
Used the post-it opening I found on r/teachers along with the tree-climbing comic to address accommodation.
Introduced the math routine of the Daily 5 (henceforth D5).
Developed objective seeking skills by dropping water drops on coins (predict how many will fit and then add water drops via pipette or dropper to coins, a real crowd pleaser).
Introduced the Frayer vocabulary model and used the words Life and Billings and Music as practice.
Discussed the WOTP program as a whole and the concept of stages.
62/ Same as above.
Lit/ Getting to know the students.
61/ Draw Squad alien house and stage talk.
61/ Discussion about seating plans. Free choice right now but I reserved the right to relocate students. I would later do exactly that.
Used the post-it opening I found on r/teachers along with the tree-climbing comic to address accommodation.
Introduced the math routine of the Daily 5 (henceforth D5).
Developed objective seeking skills by dropping water drops on coins (predict how many will fit and then add water drops via pipette or dropper to coins, a real crowd pleaser).
Introduced the Frayer vocabulary model and used the words Life and Billings and Music as practice.
Discussed the WOTP program as a whole and the concept of stages.
62/ Same as above.
Lit/ Getting to know the students.
61/ Draw Squad alien house and stage talk.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
June 9, 2013
The school year is over. Exams and grading are up next but there is nothing to worry about there.
So my personal review of the past school year.
I conducted to major inquiry projects, the black box tube project and the inquiry boxes project. Doing these were really important to me to test the merits of the entire inquiry approach. I am really happy that I tried them out and I am entirely happy with the way things went down. Each has minor tweeks in terms of presentation but they are excellent overall. 10/10 would teach again.
The class chess activity was another triumph as was the use of the daily 5 for science.
The blog will be invaluable this summer as a try to reorganize everything into a more coherent science class. It will be useful again next year as I experiment with the daily 5 for math. I did not keep up with it the whole way through but this alone represents my flagging energy levels.
I did not conduct enough feedback. the students need more indications of what is expected of them and whether or not they are meeting those expectations.
Overall a great first year filled with my own tests and explorations of teaching. I really feel that I made the most of the freedoms I had in class.
Goals for next year: Daily 5 for math and increased feedback for science class.
The school year is over. Exams and grading are up next but there is nothing to worry about there.
So my personal review of the past school year.
I conducted to major inquiry projects, the black box tube project and the inquiry boxes project. Doing these were really important to me to test the merits of the entire inquiry approach. I am really happy that I tried them out and I am entirely happy with the way things went down. Each has minor tweeks in terms of presentation but they are excellent overall. 10/10 would teach again.
The class chess activity was another triumph as was the use of the daily 5 for science.
The blog will be invaluable this summer as a try to reorganize everything into a more coherent science class. It will be useful again next year as I experiment with the daily 5 for math. I did not keep up with it the whole way through but this alone represents my flagging energy levels.
I did not conduct enough feedback. the students need more indications of what is expected of them and whether or not they are meeting those expectations.
Overall a great first year filled with my own tests and explorations of teaching. I really feel that I made the most of the freedoms I had in class.
Goals for next year: Daily 5 for math and increased feedback for science class.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
May 16
Modifications to Chess Simulation
5 minute turns are good but after orders have been submitted by one team the remaining team gets a 2 minute countdown ( a la Robo Rally) to reduce wait times.
As soon as an invalid move is submitted (if it is the slower of the orders) a new round begins.
I need to write down the turn order on the order slips in the event of confusion or double checking.
Modifications to Chess Simulation
5 minute turns are good but after orders have been submitted by one team the remaining team gets a 2 minute countdown ( a la Robo Rally) to reduce wait times.
As soon as an invalid move is submitted (if it is the slower of the orders) a new round begins.
I need to write down the turn order on the order slips in the event of confusion or double checking.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
March 14, Day 7
Group 61/ N fed the birds all on his own. I didn't need to lay out the steps and I didn't need to ask him. He even retrieved and returned the feed as I would have done. This really rewards and reinforces my idea that simply introducing regular year long routines would have all sorts of benefits. The routines had to be engaging and out of the classroom type routines. We also planted seeds and placed them in the greenhouse. This also returns us to the greenhouse routine. We discussed home gardening and food costs.
Lit Circle: After I read them The Hobbit (which they mostly slept through) we got into silent individual reading. By the end of February nobody was reading. It was like a silent in class mid-day detention. They mostly ate snacks. So this week we started watching TED talks. They liked Rebecca Saxe and the Cheese sandwich pirates and they also liked the Hole in the Wall Computer. They did not like Wade Davis and dying languages. That's okay. I didn't either. Today we watched a Vimeo video of a turntable DJ mixing it up.
Group 61/ Math review of the whole year and intro to algebra. Our examples were mostly
y = 23 oranges and 45 oranges and 1 apple
y = 68 oranges + 1 apple
y = 68 o + 1a
The costs of o and a were entered for total profits. They got it.
Group 62/ Big R crisis. Worked to a resolution with S and M. Played Talisman the board game.
Group 61/ N fed the birds all on his own. I didn't need to lay out the steps and I didn't need to ask him. He even retrieved and returned the feed as I would have done. This really rewards and reinforces my idea that simply introducing regular year long routines would have all sorts of benefits. The routines had to be engaging and out of the classroom type routines. We also planted seeds and placed them in the greenhouse. This also returns us to the greenhouse routine. We discussed home gardening and food costs.
Lit Circle: After I read them The Hobbit (which they mostly slept through) we got into silent individual reading. By the end of February nobody was reading. It was like a silent in class mid-day detention. They mostly ate snacks. So this week we started watching TED talks. They liked Rebecca Saxe and the Cheese sandwich pirates and they also liked the Hole in the Wall Computer. They did not like Wade Davis and dying languages. That's okay. I didn't either. Today we watched a Vimeo video of a turntable DJ mixing it up.
Group 61/ Math review of the whole year and intro to algebra. Our examples were mostly
y = 23 oranges and 45 oranges and 1 apple
y = 68 oranges + 1 apple
y = 68 o + 1a
The costs of o and a were entered for total profits. They got it.
Group 62/ Big R crisis. Worked to a resolution with S and M. Played Talisman the board game.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
February 13, Day 2
PW/ Utilized the "Daily 5" lesson format for vocabulary. Asked the students to write down the word life in the centre box. Then had them write a definition in box 1, the characteristics of a living thing in box 2, examples of living things in box 3, and examples of non-living things in box 4. We then worked backwards as a group to share and list the contents of all the boxes. Under characteristics of a living thing we generated a list of a dozen items and pared them down to
Breathing
Eating
Drinking
Moving
Growing (at some point in life)
Can be killed
This, then, became our definition of a living being.
PW/ Utilized the "Daily 5" lesson format for vocabulary. Asked the students to write down the word life in the centre box. Then had them write a definition in box 1, the characteristics of a living thing in box 2, examples of living things in box 3, and examples of non-living things in box 4. We then worked backwards as a group to share and list the contents of all the boxes. Under characteristics of a living thing we generated a list of a dozen items and pared them down to
Breathing
Eating
Drinking
Moving
Growing (at some point in life)
Can be killed
This, then, became our definition of a living being.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
January 16, Day 3
62/ Cartesian battleship. Tomorrow; cartesian bingo.
62/ Intro to molecules. Great lab from the American Chemistry Society. I made the following changes: After the water drop activity I showed the water balloon bursting video. More powerful this way. Then drew the various shapes on the board. Gave out more tasks verbally, did not use the lab write up as written by the ACS. Drop 5 drops on wax paper then observe shape and recall/redo the water drops on a nickel then draw the shape (curved versus straight edges) then cut the blob in half (requested the halves be equal in size) then cut those halves in half to give quarters and then remerge them and then tip the paper and observe the shape change as it races around then drag it around with the stick and then observe shapes and properties and then cut off the smallest drop possible and then the water drop race and then the unite the drops activity right away instead of as an extension. The kids were tripping out about water at this point. Focus disintegrated so I called it and went to clean up mode. When they get restless it means that it was a good lab. Tomorrow; atoms of water and hot and cold molecular movement and food dyes in water.
61/ Gym
62/ Cartesian battleship. Tomorrow; cartesian bingo.
62/ Intro to molecules. Great lab from the American Chemistry Society. I made the following changes: After the water drop activity I showed the water balloon bursting video. More powerful this way. Then drew the various shapes on the board. Gave out more tasks verbally, did not use the lab write up as written by the ACS. Drop 5 drops on wax paper then observe shape and recall/redo the water drops on a nickel then draw the shape (curved versus straight edges) then cut the blob in half (requested the halves be equal in size) then cut those halves in half to give quarters and then remerge them and then tip the paper and observe the shape change as it races around then drag it around with the stick and then observe shapes and properties and then cut off the smallest drop possible and then the water drop race and then the unite the drops activity right away instead of as an extension. The kids were tripping out about water at this point. Focus disintegrated so I called it and went to clean up mode. When they get restless it means that it was a good lab. Tomorrow; atoms of water and hot and cold molecular movement and food dyes in water.
61/ Gym
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
January 15, Day 2
61/ Continued the math separation experiment. The cafeteria group and the class group are starting to catch up to each other. Like in everything, some are starting to learn faster than others.
62/ Cartesian battleship lesson, but didn't have time to do the actual game. Defined "mammal" for them.
61/ Fire drill/more math. No one felt like building. They didn't really feel like doing math either though.
61/ Continued the math separation experiment. The cafeteria group and the class group are starting to catch up to each other. Like in everything, some are starting to learn faster than others.
62/ Cartesian battleship lesson, but didn't have time to do the actual game. Defined "mammal" for them.
61/ Fire drill/more math. No one felt like building. They didn't really feel like doing math either though.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
January 10, Day 10
62/ D covered for me while I met with CAGW and GT about the Yearbook. I let the kids watch a video.
61/ Day three of the reverse kick-out. N and J still struggle with math and the idea that they are so weak that they can't even work independently, like the others. This will either be a wake up call or a disaster! The rest worked well and liked the lesson I filmed for them. They watched it in the cafeteria while I worked with N and J in my class. I think that they are spent now though and we will take a break before hitting this again.
62/ D covered for me while I met with CAGW and GT about the Yearbook. I let the kids watch a video.
61/ Day three of the reverse kick-out. N and J still struggle with math and the idea that they are so weak that they can't even work independently, like the others. This will either be a wake up call or a disaster! The rest worked well and liked the lesson I filmed for them. They watched it in the cafeteria while I worked with N and J in my class. I think that they are spent now though and we will take a break before hitting this again.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
January 9, Day 8
PW/ World map images of uranium distribution, nuclear power plants, hydro electric plants in Canada, cost of fuel and so on all derived from r/mapporn!
WS/ Experiment with the flipped classroom theory. Students got grade 7,8,9 final exam questions all mixed in so that they didn't know which was which. Kicked out all the good students and let them take their work with them, kept the clowns with me. The others did great work. The clowns struggled and rpessured me to tell them if it was grade 7 level work. It was, I told them so.
WS/ As above, the one's I kicked out worked together on the problems collectively getting more than they would have alone. I promised to video tape answers. Tomorrow we will try Sit Probs.
PW/ Guest lecturer.
PW/ World map images of uranium distribution, nuclear power plants, hydro electric plants in Canada, cost of fuel and so on all derived from r/mapporn!
WS/ Experiment with the flipped classroom theory. Students got grade 7,8,9 final exam questions all mixed in so that they didn't know which was which. Kicked out all the good students and let them take their work with them, kept the clowns with me. The others did great work. The clowns struggled and rpessured me to tell them if it was grade 7 level work. It was, I told them so.
WS/ As above, the one's I kicked out worked together on the problems collectively getting more than they would have alone. I promised to video tape answers. Tomorrow we will try Sit Probs.
PW/ Guest lecturer.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
September 8, Day 7
61/ Goals and plans for the rest of the year were discussed. J and N bitched out again so I kicked them out. Greenhouse check.
61/ Cartesian Battleship lesson plan. J and N were into it as well. It remains a success every time. Great intuitive practice.
61/ First half of the year Taboo was played again since half the class skipped.
Covered detention for EK
61/ Goals and plans for the rest of the year were discussed. J and N bitched out again so I kicked them out. Greenhouse check.
61/ Cartesian Battleship lesson plan. J and N were into it as well. It remains a success every time. Great intuitive practice.
61/ First half of the year Taboo was played again since half the class skipped.
Covered detention for EK
Monday, January 7, 2013
January 7, Day 5
Lit Circle was spent catching up
PW/ Taboo based refresher. I created all the cards myself, about 80 of them, each with words associated to lessons, games, or activities from the firs half of the year.
PW/ Electricity. Light Switches, insulators, conductors, as well as calculating how much it cost to eat off paper plates for a year instead of doing dishes and eating out versus staying in. We also tested wood, wet wood, water, a cafeteria tray, and a wrench for their conductive properties by observing which ones allowed the light bulb to glow. We also discussed light bulbs.
Lit Circle was spent catching up
PW/ Taboo based refresher. I created all the cards myself, about 80 of them, each with words associated to lessons, games, or activities from the firs half of the year.
PW/ Electricity. Light Switches, insulators, conductors, as well as calculating how much it cost to eat off paper plates for a year instead of doing dishes and eating out versus staying in. We also tested wood, wet wood, water, a cafeteria tray, and a wrench for their conductive properties by observing which ones allowed the light bulb to glow. We also discussed light bulbs.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)