9th Grade - One freshmen class did not meet today, as there was a film for all freshmen in honor of Memorial Day.
The other freshmen class (7th period) that did meet got an extra day to begin the outlining process for the final Romeo and Juliet essay.
10th Grade - Many students needed to retake the last B.O.E. exam, but had not made progress with scheduling a time to do so with me. So I decided that this would just be required in class, and that is what many students did on the 27th.
The B.O.E. took up approximately 1/2 of the class period, and the rest of the class essentially had a work day. They could either read ahead in A Separate Peace through CH 5, which was homework for monday, or work on their S.S.R. project due before June 10th!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
May 26th Daily Plan
9th Grade - We finished the 1996 version of "Romeo to Juliet" to start, and had a brief discussion over some of the changes bade between the 1968 film and what the class just completed. There are scenes in each play that are eliminated, scenes that are extended, or events that play out slightly differently, which are at the director's discretion.
After watching the conclusion, students were assigned the final writing assignment for "Romeo and Juliet." The details of this assingment are under "ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECTS" on this blog (visible in the top right-hand quandrant of the main screen).
10th Grade - We started reading A Separate Peace in class, and read through Chapter 1 as a full group. The rationale behind this is that I want to make sure that all students are very clearly on the same page as we start the novel. I explained that many times the first few chapters in a book may not have a clear conflict, and are used to develop the setting and preliminary characterization (this is clearly the case with this novel).
After reading Chapter 1, we did a short activity based around descriptive writing and establishing a setting. Students had to write down a few sites in Jackson, WY, on a piece of scratch paper, which were then put into a hat. Each student would randomly pull out a site, and have to describe how to get there from the school without using any proper nouns, or describing the final destination (i.e. no street names, business names, etc). This activity requires that students think of a geographic area in terms of descriptive landmarks and detail.
Homework - Read Chapter 2.
After watching the conclusion, students were assigned the final writing assignment for "Romeo and Juliet." The details of this assingment are under "ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECTS" on this blog (visible in the top right-hand quandrant of the main screen).
10th Grade - We started reading A Separate Peace in class, and read through Chapter 1 as a full group. The rationale behind this is that I want to make sure that all students are very clearly on the same page as we start the novel. I explained that many times the first few chapters in a book may not have a clear conflict, and are used to develop the setting and preliminary characterization (this is clearly the case with this novel).
After reading Chapter 1, we did a short activity based around descriptive writing and establishing a setting. Students had to write down a few sites in Jackson, WY, on a piece of scratch paper, which were then put into a hat. Each student would randomly pull out a site, and have to describe how to get there from the school without using any proper nouns, or describing the final destination (i.e. no street names, business names, etc). This activity requires that students think of a geographic area in terms of descriptive landmarks and detail.
Homework - Read Chapter 2.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
May 23-24-25 Daily Plans
I decided to compress these all down into one post because of the scheduling for the week.
9th Grade - 5/23
We focused on finishing the character map assignment started last friday, and those will be posted on the walls this week to replace the Greek Gods Poster Projects that have been up this semester.
The rest of today's class was spent reading and translating Act 5 as a class; there are only three scenes, but as they conclude the play, it is very important that students understand the context and plot of these last few scenes. We made it to the final speeches in Act 5 Scene 3.
9th Grade - 5/24
We finished the play today, and had a short discussion reflecting on the story overall. One of the key point I made sure to return to is that this is a play - it is intended to be viewed, and viewed in one sitting. Reading it over a period of time and translating as we go along is a fairly inauthentic way of reading it, but necessary since the language structure is so different.
In terms of setting up for our final Romeo and Juliet assignment - students were asked to develop lists of tragic scenes in the play (along with the rationale for them being tragic). Students also had to list of personality traits for Romeo, Juliet, and any other characters they felt were vital and explain why these traits led to the tragic scenarios.
The final assignment will require students have a good base of evidence for both of the previous topics.
Finally, we began watching the 1996 theatrical version of the play - "Romeo + Juliet."
9th Grade - 5/25
Today was dedicated to watching the majority of the film in class. We will finish in the first half of tomorrow.
10th Grade - 5/23 and 5/24
Since I did not have all of my classes available this week due to the MAP test, we held off on officially starting our final unit on the novel A Separate Peace. Sophomores that were here received the final S.S.R. project assignment sheet - it is due anytime before June 10th, but will not be accepted after that!
We also used one of the two MAP testing days to watch part of a documentary on the Iraq war, which we will connect to A Separate Peace when we start reading it. When watching this documentary, students were also asked to think about the critical thinking unit we have just finished.
Specifically, I explained to the students that were here that any filmmaker will always have a bias, and in war documentaries, this can be much more apparent.
10th Grade - 5/25
We officially started our unit on A Separate Peace today. Students completed an opinionaire about several different topics that emerge in the story - several questions were about war, citizenship, and personal responsibility, and several questions were focused on ideas involving friendship and competition.
We used part of the class period to also review the last B.O.E. exam taken by the students. While the B.O.E. was low in terms of point value, the scores for these exams are heavily weighted and students that did not perform well should retake it to improve their grades.
9th Grade - 5/23
We focused on finishing the character map assignment started last friday, and those will be posted on the walls this week to replace the Greek Gods Poster Projects that have been up this semester.
The rest of today's class was spent reading and translating Act 5 as a class; there are only three scenes, but as they conclude the play, it is very important that students understand the context and plot of these last few scenes. We made it to the final speeches in Act 5 Scene 3.
9th Grade - 5/24
We finished the play today, and had a short discussion reflecting on the story overall. One of the key point I made sure to return to is that this is a play - it is intended to be viewed, and viewed in one sitting. Reading it over a period of time and translating as we go along is a fairly inauthentic way of reading it, but necessary since the language structure is so different.
In terms of setting up for our final Romeo and Juliet assignment - students were asked to develop lists of tragic scenes in the play (along with the rationale for them being tragic). Students also had to list of personality traits for Romeo, Juliet, and any other characters they felt were vital and explain why these traits led to the tragic scenarios.
The final assignment will require students have a good base of evidence for both of the previous topics.
Finally, we began watching the 1996 theatrical version of the play - "Romeo + Juliet."
9th Grade - 5/25
Today was dedicated to watching the majority of the film in class. We will finish in the first half of tomorrow.
10th Grade - 5/23 and 5/24
Since I did not have all of my classes available this week due to the MAP test, we held off on officially starting our final unit on the novel A Separate Peace. Sophomores that were here received the final S.S.R. project assignment sheet - it is due anytime before June 10th, but will not be accepted after that!
We also used one of the two MAP testing days to watch part of a documentary on the Iraq war, which we will connect to A Separate Peace when we start reading it. When watching this documentary, students were also asked to think about the critical thinking unit we have just finished.
Specifically, I explained to the students that were here that any filmmaker will always have a bias, and in war documentaries, this can be much more apparent.
10th Grade - 5/25
We officially started our unit on A Separate Peace today. Students completed an opinionaire about several different topics that emerge in the story - several questions were about war, citizenship, and personal responsibility, and several questions were focused on ideas involving friendship and competition.
We used part of the class period to also review the last B.O.E. exam taken by the students. While the B.O.E. was low in terms of point value, the scores for these exams are heavily weighted and students that did not perform well should retake it to improve their grades.
Friday, May 20, 2011
May 20th Daily Plan
9th Grade - Freshmen took a break from reading further into "Romeo and Juliet" to do a very small project related to characterization. Since we have spent so much of our time focused on reading through the play, it seemed appropriate to slow down for a day, let some of the ideas and developments settle, and continue with the conclusion on monday.
Character Map - For this assignment, students are asked to create a poster about a specific character from "Romeo and Juliet."
Poster Requirements -
1) Drawn Image of character chosen
2) 3 objects in the image that represent the character's personality (for example, a sword for Tybalt would represent his combative nature)
3) 2 Quotes from the play that are stereotypical for your character (the quotes each need an explanation as to WHY they were chosen).
4) A key that explains what each object is, and why it is representative for the given character.
10th Grade - Scheduling was also different this day for sophomores, due to absences for track, soccer, and a Biology field trip. In light of these events, today was a chance for students that WERE in class to catch up with missing assignments, read, and discuss the pros and cons of the Critical Thinking Unit.
Students who have not turned in their PORTFOLIOS or ESSAY - These are both major assignments; not getting credit for them will lower your grade for the semester by approximately 5%. Any student that has not turned these in needs to see me ASAP.
Character Map - For this assignment, students are asked to create a poster about a specific character from "Romeo and Juliet."
Poster Requirements -
1) Drawn Image of character chosen
2) 3 objects in the image that represent the character's personality (for example, a sword for Tybalt would represent his combative nature)
3) 2 Quotes from the play that are stereotypical for your character (the quotes each need an explanation as to WHY they were chosen).
4) A key that explains what each object is, and why it is representative for the given character.
10th Grade - Scheduling was also different this day for sophomores, due to absences for track, soccer, and a Biology field trip. In light of these events, today was a chance for students that WERE in class to catch up with missing assignments, read, and discuss the pros and cons of the Critical Thinking Unit.
Students who have not turned in their PORTFOLIOS or ESSAY - These are both major assignments; not getting credit for them will lower your grade for the semester by approximately 5%. Any student that has not turned these in needs to see me ASAP.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
May 19th Daily Plan
9th Grade - We used today primarily as a reading day to get further in "Romeo and Juliet," and should have the play finished either tomorrow or monday. Students read through Act 4 to its completion as a class, and we discussed the plans and complications which develop through these scenes.
We also watched the film version to reinforce what was read, but the majority of scenes in Act 4 are severely abridged in the film, and it essentially cuts the entire section in half.
Students were also asked to think about what character they would like to use for a mini-project tomorrow. We will be doing a body biography for characters in "Romeo and Juliet," where students need to draw a character, objects that personify them, and select quotes that represent their choice's personality.
10th Grade - Today was the final in-class workday for the final draft of the critical thinking essay. Students had the class period to continue to edit and read through their drafts.
What was turned in to me today -
1) Final Draft
2) Rough Draft - edited by me with track changes
3) Rough Draft - peer edited with editor's name.
All students were asked to check their essay again both the rough draft rubric and the final draft rubric. Each one is very clear about what needs to be in the essay for each letter grade, and I am grading these exactly to the rubric. Every student should have a strong idea of what grade they will receive before turning it in.
We also watched the film version to reinforce what was read, but the majority of scenes in Act 4 are severely abridged in the film, and it essentially cuts the entire section in half.
Students were also asked to think about what character they would like to use for a mini-project tomorrow. We will be doing a body biography for characters in "Romeo and Juliet," where students need to draw a character, objects that personify them, and select quotes that represent their choice's personality.
10th Grade - Today was the final in-class workday for the final draft of the critical thinking essay. Students had the class period to continue to edit and read through their drafts.
What was turned in to me today -
1) Final Draft
2) Rough Draft - edited by me with track changes
3) Rough Draft - peer edited with editor's name.
All students were asked to check their essay again both the rough draft rubric and the final draft rubric. Each one is very clear about what needs to be in the essay for each letter grade, and I am grading these exactly to the rubric. Every student should have a strong idea of what grade they will receive before turning it in.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
May 18th Daily Plan
9th Grade - First, we discussed what the next month of school will look like, since we are on the last 3.5 weeks of class for the year. Basically, I explained that we have the "Romeo and Juliet" unit to finish, and then we will have a short debate unit over several specific topics. Between the two units, this will about for 8-10% of students' total grades - so anyone who is on the cusp (i.e. an A- or a C+), what we are currently doing will have significant impact on your final grade.
We then continued on with reading the play in class, only going through Act 4 Scene 1, which sets up the final plan for the story. Students completed a worksheet where we looked at the plan and made predictions of potenially complications to the plan. Extra credit was given to the student with the most creative but believable plan.
10th Grade - Sophomores also discussed what the next month of school will look like. The final month will be similar in terms of credit to the way the 9th grader set-up is; approx 10% of the final grade for the class being based in on The Critical Thinking unit, and our next unit on the novel A Separate Peace.
Sophomores needed to turn in their Critical Thinking Portfolios today. What needs to be included is listed in last weeks blog posts.
I also returned the drafts I received last week, with corrections and suggestions for the Final Draft, which is due at the end of class tomorrow.
Common Criticisms -
Be clear! Many students still have vague vocabulary (i.e. "things") that can easily be interpreted differently by different readers.
Read it out loud! For grammar and punctuation errors, read your paper out loud making sure you match the punctuation you wrote - it will help find the natural and unnatural pauses.
Connect it to the idea of critical thinking! A necessary component of this essay is that you connect your ideas to why critical thinking is important.
Make sure to check the rubric before turning it in! The final draft should match all the criteria on the rough draft rubric AND the final draft rubric.
We then continued on with reading the play in class, only going through Act 4 Scene 1, which sets up the final plan for the story. Students completed a worksheet where we looked at the plan and made predictions of potenially complications to the plan. Extra credit was given to the student with the most creative but believable plan.
10th Grade - Sophomores also discussed what the next month of school will look like. The final month will be similar in terms of credit to the way the 9th grader set-up is; approx 10% of the final grade for the class being based in on The Critical Thinking unit, and our next unit on the novel A Separate Peace.
Sophomores needed to turn in their Critical Thinking Portfolios today. What needs to be included is listed in last weeks blog posts.
I also returned the drafts I received last week, with corrections and suggestions for the Final Draft, which is due at the end of class tomorrow.
Common Criticisms -
Be clear! Many students still have vague vocabulary (i.e. "things") that can easily be interpreted differently by different readers.
Read it out loud! For grammar and punctuation errors, read your paper out loud making sure you match the punctuation you wrote - it will help find the natural and unnatural pauses.
Connect it to the idea of critical thinking! A necessary component of this essay is that you connect your ideas to why critical thinking is important.
Make sure to check the rubric before turning it in! The final draft should match all the criteria on the rough draft rubric AND the final draft rubric.
Friday, May 13, 2011
May 11-12-13 Daily Plans
Sorry on the fact that some of these days were not posted on time; here is a rundown of this week's daily plans.
9th Grade - We have primarily been working through "Romeo and Juliet." We have completed Act 3 in the written version of the play and in the film. Freshmen had a quiz on Act 3 Scene 4 and 5 on Friday.
An important note for next week - Monday and Tuesday 9th graders are in MAP testing. This means 3rd period will NOT meet; make sure you know what room you are supposed to go to for testing!
10th Grade - Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were all days to work on the essay draft in class.
The most important thing to realize on this for students who were absent -
The rough draft of the essay was due at the end of the day on Friday. Every student needed to turn in a hard copy to the basket in class, and an electronic copy to my e-mail address. Students need to send this from THEIR school e-mail address or it will not get through to me. It is important because I will be out of town on monday, and since students will be working on their next draft, providing me with an electronic copy will allow me to edit and return their drafts to start more serious editing.
The Portfolio is also due next Wednesday.
9th Grade - We have primarily been working through "Romeo and Juliet." We have completed Act 3 in the written version of the play and in the film. Freshmen had a quiz on Act 3 Scene 4 and 5 on Friday.
An important note for next week - Monday and Tuesday 9th graders are in MAP testing. This means 3rd period will NOT meet; make sure you know what room you are supposed to go to for testing!
10th Grade - Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were all days to work on the essay draft in class.
The most important thing to realize on this for students who were absent -
The rough draft of the essay was due at the end of the day on Friday. Every student needed to turn in a hard copy to the basket in class, and an electronic copy to my e-mail address. Students need to send this from THEIR school e-mail address or it will not get through to me. It is important because I will be out of town on monday, and since students will be working on their next draft, providing me with an electronic copy will allow me to edit and return their drafts to start more serious editing.
The Portfolio is also due next Wednesday.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
May 12 Daily Plan
9th Grade - Freshmen watched most of Act 3 of "Romeo and Juliet" while reading along in the book. We paused a couple of times during this section so that I could ask students some questions about empathizing with the characters.
For example, at the beginning of the unit, I asked students whether it would be fair for you to kill someone as revenge for someone killing your best friend - and most students answered "no." However, when watching the scene in the movie, most students agreed that if you actually watched someone kill your best friend, not having a violent reaction would be incredibly difficult.
Students then had time to continue reading Act 3 Scene 4 and 5, and we will have a short quiz on this section tomorrow. Basically, this is to guage student understanding of the story when we are not working as a group, and allows me to see what aspects of this play are difficult for students.
Homework - Read Scenes 4 and 5, quiz tomorrow!
10th Grade - Today was another drafting day in class using the mobile lab. Students had the full period to work on their drafts, and I conferenced with students one at a time about their specific writing.
Some common criticisms for many student papers -
Defining terms - many students have essays that use language in a way that can be interpreted differently by different people (for example, asking whether the experience of traveling in a foreign country is an "authentic" experience requires a set definition of what is meant by "authentic."). Make sure you clarify HOW you are using terms before introducing new ideas.
Vagueness in examples - "You need to think critically about things, because otherwise you might not get it." The words "things" and "it" can be interpreted as potentially anything and/or nothing - similar to the need to define terms, examples need CLARITY to work well.
Tomorrow - Draft due at the end of class; one copy printed out and turned in to the basket, another copy sent to me via e-mail.
For example, at the beginning of the unit, I asked students whether it would be fair for you to kill someone as revenge for someone killing your best friend - and most students answered "no." However, when watching the scene in the movie, most students agreed that if you actually watched someone kill your best friend, not having a violent reaction would be incredibly difficult.
Students then had time to continue reading Act 3 Scene 4 and 5, and we will have a short quiz on this section tomorrow. Basically, this is to guage student understanding of the story when we are not working as a group, and allows me to see what aspects of this play are difficult for students.
Homework - Read Scenes 4 and 5, quiz tomorrow!
10th Grade - Today was another drafting day in class using the mobile lab. Students had the full period to work on their drafts, and I conferenced with students one at a time about their specific writing.
Some common criticisms for many student papers -
Defining terms - many students have essays that use language in a way that can be interpreted differently by different people (for example, asking whether the experience of traveling in a foreign country is an "authentic" experience requires a set definition of what is meant by "authentic."). Make sure you clarify HOW you are using terms before introducing new ideas.
Vagueness in examples - "You need to think critically about things, because otherwise you might not get it." The words "things" and "it" can be interpreted as potentially anything and/or nothing - similar to the need to define terms, examples need CLARITY to work well.
Tomorrow - Draft due at the end of class; one copy printed out and turned in to the basket, another copy sent to me via e-mail.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
May 11th Daily Plan
9th Grade - Classes are all back on track with working through Act 3 of "Romeo and Juliet" in class, and completed reading Scene 3 as a group.
We related the events of the last section of the story to our conversation in class yesterday - namely, does the class feel that Romeo is really threatening to kill himself, or is he being overdramatic? Along the same lines, does the class feel that Romeo and Juliet have any kind of healthy relationship, or is the entire connection between the two of them damaged?
Finally, we talked about how absurd of a story "Romeo and Juliet" is. A common perception students seem to have at times is that this story is somewhat boring, and difficult to interpret because of the Elizabethan-era English. But when broken down . . .
in approximately 72 hours, Romeo has fallen in and out of love, become heartbroken, fallen in love again, married the new girl in under 24 hours, had his best friend killed, killed his wife's cousin, and gets banished from his city.
Rather intense.
10th Grade - Today was dedicated entirely to working on rough drafts of the essay assignment in class. Students had access to the laptop cart and were given time to start typing and developing their ideas as an actual essay, beyond outlining.
Students who signed up for conferences during class today spoke with me. Every student is expected to have a five-minute conference with me about their writing topic, what evidence they plan on using, and how to best incorporate it. We will continue drafting tomorrow and friday, and the rough draft is due friday at the end of class.
We related the events of the last section of the story to our conversation in class yesterday - namely, does the class feel that Romeo is really threatening to kill himself, or is he being overdramatic? Along the same lines, does the class feel that Romeo and Juliet have any kind of healthy relationship, or is the entire connection between the two of them damaged?
Finally, we talked about how absurd of a story "Romeo and Juliet" is. A common perception students seem to have at times is that this story is somewhat boring, and difficult to interpret because of the Elizabethan-era English. But when broken down . . .
in approximately 72 hours, Romeo has fallen in and out of love, become heartbroken, fallen in love again, married the new girl in under 24 hours, had his best friend killed, killed his wife's cousin, and gets banished from his city.
Rather intense.
10th Grade - Today was dedicated entirely to working on rough drafts of the essay assignment in class. Students had access to the laptop cart and were given time to start typing and developing their ideas as an actual essay, beyond outlining.
Students who signed up for conferences during class today spoke with me. Every student is expected to have a five-minute conference with me about their writing topic, what evidence they plan on using, and how to best incorporate it. We will continue drafting tomorrow and friday, and the rough draft is due friday at the end of class.
May 10th Daily Plan
9th Grade - This class was overly focused on discussion, specifically over a few of the main topics that are found in Act 3 of "Romeo and Juliet."
First, students were provided a "would you rather" situation - would you rather break up with a boy/girlfriend if your parent's disapproved of him/her, or would you try to stay together, even if it meant getting kicked out of your home? This question is very similar to the scenario provided in the play, so having students think about their personal responses helps make the play more relatable.
We also discussed two major topics found in Act 3 - What defines a healthy relationship, and what makes someone attempt suicide? Students were asked to create a list of what makes a relationship "healthy," and then apply their standards to "Romeo and Juliet." As Romeo attempts suicide in Scene 3, students were asked to think about why people attempt suicide, and whether they think most attempts are legitimate, or cries for attention.
10th Grade - We began work on the Critical Thinking Unit Rough Draft. The grading for this unit was also explained -
Portfolio - 60 pts
Rough Draft - 30 pts
Final Draft - 30 pts
The reason it is laid out in this way is because the overall unit is more focused on process over product - I'd rather see that students were able to advance their thinking and writing skills over the course of the portfolio assignment into the rough draft, and then make significant changes and progress between the rough and final draft.
The class looked at the assignment sheet and rubric, worked on outlining ideas, and are working on typing their essays in class the rest of the week. Every student also had to schedule a 5 minute writing conference with me (either during class, during lunch, or after school) before Friday. I expect that every student knows what they are writing on and has talked to me to clarify strategies and understand what they should be working on; no student should be talking to me on Friday saying that they were unsure of what they were supposed to be writing.
First, students were provided a "would you rather" situation - would you rather break up with a boy/girlfriend if your parent's disapproved of him/her, or would you try to stay together, even if it meant getting kicked out of your home? This question is very similar to the scenario provided in the play, so having students think about their personal responses helps make the play more relatable.
We also discussed two major topics found in Act 3 - What defines a healthy relationship, and what makes someone attempt suicide? Students were asked to create a list of what makes a relationship "healthy," and then apply their standards to "Romeo and Juliet." As Romeo attempts suicide in Scene 3, students were asked to think about why people attempt suicide, and whether they think most attempts are legitimate, or cries for attention.
10th Grade - We began work on the Critical Thinking Unit Rough Draft. The grading for this unit was also explained -
Portfolio - 60 pts
Rough Draft - 30 pts
Final Draft - 30 pts
The reason it is laid out in this way is because the overall unit is more focused on process over product - I'd rather see that students were able to advance their thinking and writing skills over the course of the portfolio assignment into the rough draft, and then make significant changes and progress between the rough and final draft.
The class looked at the assignment sheet and rubric, worked on outlining ideas, and are working on typing their essays in class the rest of the week. Every student also had to schedule a 5 minute writing conference with me (either during class, during lunch, or after school) before Friday. I expect that every student knows what they are writing on and has talked to me to clarify strategies and understand what they should be working on; no student should be talking to me on Friday saying that they were unsure of what they were supposed to be writing.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Critical Thinking Unit - Essay Topics
What follows is a list of ideas, themes, and topics discussed during the last unit.
The list is a combination of two different periods, and each one took a slightly different direction. Any of these topics are fair game to write about - but we aware, many require tweaking to become very useful (i.e. they are too broad, too narrow, or may require information that students do not entirely possess).
How a place you have never been can have importance
Expectations vs. reality
Are your expectations realistic?
What is the point of life?
What is reality?
How people can manipulate the way you think
Who manipulates you (and why?)
Why do people join cults
How people see things differently
Long term vs. short term memory
How the different parts of the brain work with memory
teaching and learning styles - hands-on vs. verbal/listening
How to think independently
How to analyze things thoroughly
People's memories work differently
Fallacies (false arguments)
Birther arguments - why/purpose?
Was Osama assassination a conspiracy?
Was 9/11 a conspiracy?
You can give meaning to something that isn't intended
Difference between knowledge and skill
Osama Bin Laden news - critical thinking
How to become an expert/professional
Extracting knowledge - what is personally useful? Connecting the dots
Different interpretations on literature
Is there a "right" way to interpret a story?
Taking the wrong meaning from literature
Somatic Triangle - hearing to judgment
How the human brain makes meaning of words
How we dissect a poem to find meaning that might not be there
Do people blindly follow orders?Statements need to be correct or incorrect, based on what they are and who says it.
Role of Authority - does authority = correctness?
How teachers teach vs. how students learn
How do students perform based on the environment?
Teaching methods - what works for you?
Who has authority in learning?
What gives someone authority to teach?
Views that students have what they think is important.
How something is authentic? What makes something authentic?
How we are catered to by advertisement.
Do fallacies work? Why do fallacies work? Why do we listen to fallacies?
How things/places lose their "genuineness" because of expectations
Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Disneyland
Creating classes based on abilities and interests
Judgment of credibility of an author
Problem solving?
What defines "something"?
Who decides what students need to know?
Long term vs short term memory
How people perceive things - perconceived images
Deception and fallacies in advertisement
Deception and fallacies in life - what other aspects of life are misinterpreted or are genuine?
The list is a combination of two different periods, and each one took a slightly different direction. Any of these topics are fair game to write about - but we aware, many require tweaking to become very useful (i.e. they are too broad, too narrow, or may require information that students do not entirely possess).
How a place you have never been can have importance
Expectations vs. reality
Are your expectations realistic?
What is the point of life?
What is reality?
How people can manipulate the way you think
Who manipulates you (and why?)
Why do people join cults
How people see things differently
Long term vs. short term memory
How the different parts of the brain work with memory
teaching and learning styles - hands-on vs. verbal/listening
How to think independently
How to analyze things thoroughly
People's memories work differently
Fallacies (false arguments)
Birther arguments - why/purpose?
Was Osama assassination a conspiracy?
Was 9/11 a conspiracy?
You can give meaning to something that isn't intended
Difference between knowledge and skill
Osama Bin Laden news - critical thinking
How to become an expert/professional
Extracting knowledge - what is personally useful? Connecting the dots
Different interpretations on literature
Is there a "right" way to interpret a story?
Taking the wrong meaning from literature
Somatic Triangle - hearing to judgment
How the human brain makes meaning of words
How we dissect a poem to find meaning that might not be there
Do people blindly follow orders?Statements need to be correct or incorrect, based on what they are and who says it.
Role of Authority - does authority = correctness?
How teachers teach vs. how students learn
How do students perform based on the environment?
Teaching methods - what works for you?
Who has authority in learning?
What gives someone authority to teach?
Views that students have what they think is important.
How something is authentic? What makes something authentic?
How we are catered to by advertisement.
Do fallacies work? Why do fallacies work? Why do we listen to fallacies?
How things/places lose their "genuineness" because of expectations
Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Disneyland
Creating classes based on abilities and interests
Judgment of credibility of an author
Problem solving?
What defines "something"?
Who decides what students need to know?
Long term vs short term memory
How people perceive things - perconceived images
Deception and fallacies in advertisement
Deception and fallacies in life - what other aspects of life are misinterpreted or are genuine?
May 9th Daily Plan
9th Grade - Freshmen worked on a worksheet in class that compared the PLANNED actions of various characters to the COMPLICATIONS that occur in the plot that don't allow the plans to unfold.
We discussed that this is necessary for a plotline to move forward - if character's plans are easily completed, then there is no real conflict in the story and the plot does not move. This is increasingly complex because most stories will have many characters, each with their own plans and motivations.
To see how this plays out in "Romeo and Juliet," students broke into small groups to look at the plans and complications that each character faces in the story. To reinforce this, students also needed to find evidence from the story that proves their points.
10th Grade - Sophomores are shifting gears to start the final project for the Critical Thinking Unit. The way this assignment will work is that students will take a topic discussed in the last three weeks, and expand it into a full length essay. There is an incredibly wide range of topics discussed, and part of the goal is that students choose a topic that they have some personal interest in.
To help students work through figuring out what to write about, classes also broke into small groups to create lists of topics that we have discussed. The full list of potential writing subjects will be attached to this site as well.
Sophomores also looked at a list of common writing problems and we brainstormed solutions to them. Basically, when students start drafting tomorrow, I expect that everyone has an idea of what they want to write about, and the tools to start writing.
With participation credit for today - I explained to the class that they are working in groups to be able to help each other and come up with more ideas than they would have individually. However, if it is clear that group work is a distraction and students are not able to gain further understanding than they would individually, then it is not using our time efficiently and they will work on it individually.
We discussed that this is necessary for a plotline to move forward - if character's plans are easily completed, then there is no real conflict in the story and the plot does not move. This is increasingly complex because most stories will have many characters, each with their own plans and motivations.
To see how this plays out in "Romeo and Juliet," students broke into small groups to look at the plans and complications that each character faces in the story. To reinforce this, students also needed to find evidence from the story that proves their points.
10th Grade - Sophomores are shifting gears to start the final project for the Critical Thinking Unit. The way this assignment will work is that students will take a topic discussed in the last three weeks, and expand it into a full length essay. There is an incredibly wide range of topics discussed, and part of the goal is that students choose a topic that they have some personal interest in.
To help students work through figuring out what to write about, classes also broke into small groups to create lists of topics that we have discussed. The full list of potential writing subjects will be attached to this site as well.
Sophomores also looked at a list of common writing problems and we brainstormed solutions to them. Basically, when students start drafting tomorrow, I expect that everyone has an idea of what they want to write about, and the tools to start writing.
With participation credit for today - I explained to the class that they are working in groups to be able to help each other and come up with more ideas than they would have individually. However, if it is clear that group work is a distraction and students are not able to gain further understanding than they would individually, then it is not using our time efficiently and they will work on it individually.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
May 4th Daily Plan
9th Grade - Freshmen played a comprehension game to review the last several scenes read in "Romeo and Juliet." In small teams, I would give students a passage from the previous reading (for example, Act 2, Scene 3, lines 48-51). As a team, students had to be able to translate said passage into modern-day English. The team with the most clear translation (that did not cut out any information) would win the round, as well as an extra credit point.
We did this with several passages, and then began to read the rest of Act 2 in class.
Homework - Read Act 2 Scenes 5 and 6.
10th Grade - Sophomores shifted up to the next and final article for our Portfolio assignment - Walker Percys "The Loss of the Creature." The goal of this article is to bridge the gap between the psychological aspects of learning and memory that we discussed earlier in the week, and the general critical thinking unit.
This article discusses the idea of "authentic" vs "inauthentic" experience, especially in the natural world, but then connects the same principles to the school system and student learning. The overall goal is for students to find ways in which they can connect academic, classroom content to themselves in a way that is relevant and authentic. Essentially, this article is about strategies for developing instrinsic motivation, and what difficulties people may face in the process.
We read through about 1/2 of the article, and will finish in tomorrow.
What is expected in the Portfolios (due next week)
We did this with several passages, and then began to read the rest of Act 2 in class.
Homework - Read Act 2 Scenes 5 and 6.
10th Grade - Sophomores shifted up to the next and final article for our Portfolio assignment - Walker Percys "The Loss of the Creature." The goal of this article is to bridge the gap between the psychological aspects of learning and memory that we discussed earlier in the week, and the general critical thinking unit.
This article discusses the idea of "authentic" vs "inauthentic" experience, especially in the natural world, but then connects the same principles to the school system and student learning. The overall goal is for students to find ways in which they can connect academic, classroom content to themselves in a way that is relevant and authentic. Essentially, this article is about strategies for developing instrinsic motivation, and what difficulties people may face in the process.
We read through about 1/2 of the article, and will finish in tomorrow.
What is expected in the Portfolios (due next week)
- Reflective Writing - "How to Recognize a Poem"
- Reflective Writing - "Pedagogy of the Oppressed"
- Reflective Writing - "Loss of the Creature"
- In-Class Project - Fallacies in Advertisement
- In-Class Project - Design a Course Assignment
- Reflective Writing - Psychology Memory Test
May 3rd Daily Plan
9th Grade - We reversed the strategy used earlier in the week, in which we read and then watched the same scenes from the 1968 film version of "Romeo and Juliet." This time, students watched the film version of Act 2 Scene 3 and 4 to get a clearer idea of the plot before reading. Ideally, having seen some of the story before attempted to decipher the Shakespearean English provides students with a clearer image of what they should be able to pull from the story.
10th Grade - We discussed the results of the memory test that the students took yesterday, and looked at some questions involving memory - for example, students were asked to theorize as to why they scored better on some parts of the memory test that others.
We watched a short video about "Patient HM," an epilectic from the 1950s whose brain surgery (and subsequent memory damage) was the main basis for the study and understanding of human memory systems. The class them moved on from this to a few short articles on memory and learning, and we discussed how to apply these strategies to student's own learning.
10th Grade - We discussed the results of the memory test that the students took yesterday, and looked at some questions involving memory - for example, students were asked to theorize as to why they scored better on some parts of the memory test that others.
We watched a short video about "Patient HM," an epilectic from the 1950s whose brain surgery (and subsequent memory damage) was the main basis for the study and understanding of human memory systems. The class them moved on from this to a few short articles on memory and learning, and we discussed how to apply these strategies to student's own learning.
Monday, May 2, 2011
May 2nd Daily Plan
9th Grade - We started back up in reading "Romeo and Juliet" in class, focusing on Act 2 Scene 1+2. We read through both scenes as a class, and while I aided students in understanding the plot in Scene 1, students had to fill out a summary sheet for Scene 2.
This is in part to make students work on translating this story more independently, rather than relying on myself and the class to help them along. I am not grading the summary sheet on accuracy, but more on effort - I want to be able to guage how students are comprehending the story, and what strategies they are using to try to interpret the Shakespearean English. Students who finished in class turned the summary sheet in.
Homework - Finish summary sheet and list off lines that are particularly confusing.
10th Grade - Sophomores moved on to another section of our "Critical Thinking" unit, looking at the psychology of learning and memory. We briefly reviewed what we have done thus far in this unit, looking at -
1) "How to Recognize a Poem" - the purpose of this reading is to identify how much a given situation and context contribute to meaning. In this example, the poem I made up was absolute nonsense, but students all developed themes and meaning for it. This does not mean that their meanings are incorrect, but the fact that they were expecting to find meaning created it. We discussed how in a class this would work with a poem, but this happens in life in many different scenarios.
2) "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" - the purpose of these reading is to compare the goals of individual students with that of the entire education system, and to realize that both do not always have goals that line up.
Today - we started looking at the psychology of learning by looking at a very simple memory experiment online. We will discuss the results of this tomorrow.
Homework - Write a short reflection on the psych experiments we discussed. The main question - do you agree with the results of the tests that you took? Why/why not?
This is in part to make students work on translating this story more independently, rather than relying on myself and the class to help them along. I am not grading the summary sheet on accuracy, but more on effort - I want to be able to guage how students are comprehending the story, and what strategies they are using to try to interpret the Shakespearean English. Students who finished in class turned the summary sheet in.
Homework - Finish summary sheet and list off lines that are particularly confusing.
10th Grade - Sophomores moved on to another section of our "Critical Thinking" unit, looking at the psychology of learning and memory. We briefly reviewed what we have done thus far in this unit, looking at -
1) "How to Recognize a Poem" - the purpose of this reading is to identify how much a given situation and context contribute to meaning. In this example, the poem I made up was absolute nonsense, but students all developed themes and meaning for it. This does not mean that their meanings are incorrect, but the fact that they were expecting to find meaning created it. We discussed how in a class this would work with a poem, but this happens in life in many different scenarios.
2) "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" - the purpose of these reading is to compare the goals of individual students with that of the entire education system, and to realize that both do not always have goals that line up.
Today - we started looking at the psychology of learning by looking at a very simple memory experiment online. We will discuss the results of this tomorrow.
Homework - Write a short reflection on the psych experiments we discussed. The main question - do you agree with the results of the tests that you took? Why/why not?
10th Grade - Psychology Memory Tests
For our little psych experiment day . . .
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/index_surveys.shtml
Tests that you HAVE to take -
"Explore Your Memory" - 2nd down on the list
"Memory Training" - 11th down on the list.
If you complete both and still have time, choose a 3rd test that interests you.
Take down notes on all three tests about how you scored, and your reaction.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/index_surveys.shtml
Tests that you HAVE to take -
"Explore Your Memory" - 2nd down on the list
"Memory Training" - 11th down on the list.
If you complete both and still have time, choose a 3rd test that interests you.
Take down notes on all three tests about how you scored, and your reaction.
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