Collaborate Module Design Project Update

For the Design Project, Elizabeth Ferry and I decided to work together.  We were really interested in working together because we are both Mathematics teachers, but she teaches eighth grade and I teach ninth grade.  We were both really interested in the "lapse" of information that happens between the summer of the eighth and ninth grade year.

In my district, we require that students entering Accelerated (Honors) Algebra 1, complete a Mathematics Packet. Incoming Freshmen Summer Packet However, for the Academic Algebra 1, we do not.  

In any case, Elizabeth and I really wanted to develop modules (sort of like a MOOC for students!!) that gave students in both our districts a chance to practice their math facts over the summer so they could be prepared for ninth grade.  As a ninth grade teacher, the first thing I notice is the lack of communication between eighth and ninth grade teachers in my district as well as the lack of students being prepared for their freshmen year of high school.  We thought that these modules would be a great way to help with that rough transition that students have.

We plan to collect data on what the students understand.  I have been looking up different websites to use as well as worksheets to incorporate in these modules.  Elizabeth has been creating a Google Form where the students will go after they have practiced these facts.  In the Google Form, they will complete a few short questions that "tests" them on the particular module.  We will use this form to collect data on the students and what was understood or not understood.

We are still tinkering with what the modules will be.  We think fractions are very important as well as decimals and percents.  We are thinking about somehow merging the three.  However, we have not come to a decision on what we want to focus on for the modules.

There are still some things that we need to talk about and get done. 

• What are the best resources for the students to use? (We will need to differentiate for a variety of learners and hopefully will be able to utilize this across multiple districts.)  
• How do we present this to the students?  
• How do we collect the data?
• How do we know the students were learning?
• Will all students have access to this if it is online?

ED 722-Week 8 Differentiating for a Group of Students

When I began teaching, we had three main levels in my school.

• C Level - Also known as honors- very rigorous
• B Level - College prep level
• A Level - Basic level

About three years ago, under a state initiative, they collapsed the levels into two.

• Academic - college prep
• Accelerated - honors

When they collapsed the levels, we were told to teach the Academic level as a college prep level and the Accelerated level as an honors level.  This soon became an issue as there was a huge mix of students in the Academic level.  In the Academic level you had a mix of special education students, students from the "A level" and some from the "B level".  This led fro an extreme amount of differentiation. As the years progressed, I found myself teaching the class at a lower level which led to some students being bored because they were true "B-level' students.

It is now very interesting to try to differentiate in a class with students of so many learning abilities, but I try to make it work every day.  I try to incorporate group work, peer work, and projects.  All of this while I try to continually express concerns for those students who may be falling behind.  As much as I try to differentiate, what else can I do for those who still fall behind?

I really was interested in this week's DLMOOC as it hit home with the differentiation and how we need to teach to such a wide range of learners.  It is a huge issue in education and I feel it can become bigger and bigger as years progress.

Here is my storify on differentiation:
                      Week 8 Storify-Differentiation

ED 722 Week 7-Student Voice

      As I walked into my professional development on February 6, 2014, I saw two of my colleagues up in front with a large screen behind them that said Student Voice.  As I found my department and picked up the information, I began browsing through and said to myself, this would be something really interesting to talk about in class.  To my surprise, it was the topic for the DLMOOC in the following week.

      In my PD, we were all asked to define student voice.  Many of us were unsure of what we thought student voice was supposed to be.  Was it choice?  Was it being a part of the process?  After reading the assignments this week and watching the videos, I feel as though I have a better understanding of what student voice might be all about.

I found Dave Burgess' talk to be interesting.  He talked a lot about teaching students in a way that they would find interesting.  You want to draw students in by what they are into.  Some might think that this would take a lot of time to plan out, but it is not.  He tries to bring out the creativity of the students which is something I know I try to do at a few points in my classes.  I want to try to do this more often because many of the students are artistic and creative and this brings out a whole new set of interests with them.

All in all, I believe it is important for students to have a voice in the classroom and I really enjoyed learning some new information about it this week.

Here is a link to my storify:
Week 7-Storify- Student Voice

Week 6: Cloud Based Learning

      As I read through much of the reading for this week, I felt very different.  All this time we have been learning about keeping all of our work in the cloud, but here we are talking about how the cloud can be so risky.  I definitely see the risks with students, and I am uneasy about introducing it to high school students (depending on how they may treat it).

      This year we introduced the new BYOD initiative into our district.  I was excited at first, considering I was taking all of these technology courses I thought "Wow, I can really use this to benefit my students!".  Unfortunately, BYOD to teachers and BYOD to students tends to mean very different things.  Students have trouble putting the devices away in class when we are not using them.  They have to check texts constantly or be on facebook, twitter, intsagram, or the newest social media.  They do not understand the consequences of putting information on the internet.  We have had speakers come to our school, but still, students are constantly on the internet posting selfies.  What can we do to help them understand that what goes in the cloud stays there forever, good or bad?

      In my storify, I speak to cloud based learning and some advantages as well as the disadvantages.  I also tied this into student internships.  Cloud based learning is so versatile, it can be used for internships as well as personal learning experiences.

Here is my Storify, hope you enjoy:
Cloud Based Learning Storify

ED 722- Week 5 - The Cognitive Impact of Online Learning

While reading the assignments this week and viewing the videos, I shocked to find out much of the information could be transferred into my teaching.  Many of the articles that I read really expressed how the curriculum in many schools is changing because of the new 21st century goals that have been set forth.  This was something that I found very interesting.  I also read about how we should not be teaching these students information for them to spit back at use, but things that they can process and use in real life situations.

Once article that I really enjoyed reading was about learning styles.  I use a learning style lesson in my advisory class.  To find that many of these "learning styles" are myths, was shocking to me.  It is not actually a style that students learn from, but their interests.  If you can find something that a student is excited about, then that is how we can gain their interest.

With that being said, here is my storify for the week:

Cognitive Impact of Online Learning Storify


As Grant Wiggins stated in his video, "You can be a bad teacher with a good plan.  You have to be ready for those teachable moments."