March 2011 Blog Posts (55)

The success of last week's assignment made me realize that technology is not just a tool that makes learning easier for our kids ... technology works because it is their language! Now all languages in order for it to be effective has to have meaning,… Continue

 

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Hello all:

 

I want to propose a school-wide assessment system that informs decisions about ways to improve student learning in the classroom and prepares students for post-secondary admission tests.  The dilemma in my district is that many believe that teacher-developed assessments are realistic measurements of student progress, while others feel that a testing combination such as the PSAT and the SAT and the PLAN (ACT) provides appropriate data to track student progress. Is…

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I am a public school educator.

I am a Harlem mother.

I am a charter school parent.

I am a private school parent.

 

I am a result of the bounce of the lottery ball.

 

I am New York, NY.

 

January 2006 was the best time of my life. After a difficult pregnancy my daughter was brought into the world, healthy and beautiful. I was excited about being a mom.

 

I was also thinking about her future. Where would she go to…

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Today was one of those days! I had to take a deep breath, and exhale, "Woosah." (For those who don't know, I got that from the movie "Bad Boys" with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.) It works for me, because it stops me from saying something I have no business saying to someone else's child! My students were so crazy today with the level of "it's all about me". All the "this is what I want to do, and who cares what you say!" No, they didn't actually say those words, but the body language,…

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Over the past two years I have tried to make an effort to include more digital media into my classroom.  In the past month I realized just how far I have come in my learning.  During the first term in Language Arts we studied the novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and one of my students found some 'Book trailers' other students had down on the novel. This sparked my interest and I decided to try it as a wrap up to our Literature Circle during the second term.  Instead of booking the video cameras…

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I've learned through the BrainSMART program that one of the most powerful tools you can give your students is thinking skills. When you or I read (or do math, science, and even everyday life situations), we automatically make predictions, inferences, questions, schema, etc to help us understand and make decisions. Most of us weren’t explicitly taught these skills…we simply figured them out over time. Just imagine the… Continue

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Today was the biggest step of faith into the PBL for me, I let the groups out of the classroom and into the hallways to film their videos. I kept pacing up and down the hallway nervous they would disturb another class or break something but to my surprise they were on task! They were filming, interviewing… Continue

These words were spoken at the 2011 PLC Summit I attended in Arizona last week. “They didn’t choose their genetic pool”. “They couldn’t say I want two college-educated parents who love me, care for me, and make education my priority.”



I realized after hearing this statement, that many times, I get frustrated with my students about things over which they have no control. When they come to school without school supplies, their parent doesn’t sign a form,or misses a scheduled… Continue

Hafa Adai and Warm Greetings from Guam!

 

I'm assembling a binder for my career exploration class that I'd like my students to use as reference material and useful resources. 

 

Can anyone share reliable personal or career or skill assessments that I can add to the binder? 

 

Thank you!

 

Amanda

So...today was Day 2 of the CSAP.  As a Special Education teacher I am no longer responsible for an entire class, but I do still proctor the assessment for some students.  This year I just have one kiddo.  It's really pretty nice...relaxed and pressure-free.  No complaints from me.

 

Today, however, there was a little glitch.  We had just settled into our little…

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I have 'that one student.' You know, the one who you really, really try to reach. The one who you try all sorts of motivational techniques on. The one who you know is headed in a very bad direction if he doesn't shape up soon. The one who is sarcastic, rude and disrespectful, no matter how nicely you talk to him.

 

I have that student. And I am fresh out of ideas. 

 

I do not believe in giving up on a kid. Never have, never will. I guess my question,…

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Things went a lot smoother today, the students were on task and called on me for help with real questions. Although I still had  the following dialogue with a girl:

stud…

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Women's History… Continue