tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61368418285774579992024-03-13T11:38:46.722-07:00Leap Worth TakingJennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-10196378036384037982016-08-23T06:08:00.002-07:002016-08-23T06:08:58.490-07:00Teaching Seniors to Think About Their Finances Now and Beyond When I was working with one of my intervention students last year, we had a conversation about why we don't teach students in school what they really need before living in the world. He said that we teach higher levels of math and english, but we don't really teach them how to manage their life so they can be successful in whatever they do. They have skills to elevate their work life, but what happens when they bounce checks, get foreclosed on their mortgage, have unbearable credit card debt and find themselves working until they are 75 years old with no money saved.<br />
This year I will be teaching a Career and Financial Exploration course. I wrote about students finding their passion and researching and developing a TED Talk about how they will explore their passion in their life in my last post. Using this piece of the puzzle will be a tool that we will use to build a financial and career exploration from. I want students to engage in researching and understanding the careers that students can pursue based on their passion. I think that giving students that base will lead to legitimate conversation on realistic expectations for salaries for the careers that students will be pursuing. Students need to research salaries in the area they believe they will live and not the national average for a career that has a large hub in another part f the country. Say a student is looking at computer programming in Detroit, will the salary expectations be the same if they were living in Silicon Valley?<br />
My students need to look at things like college or trade school. Does everyone really need to go to college? There are many trade school jobs that offer higher salaries than some of the "college" jobs that students may pursue. With that, students need to look at the cost of education and the potential earnings for the career they are looking at pursuing. If a student spends $200,000 on a college education and finance most of that tuition, should they be honestly looking at a career that will pay $40,000 a year? How long will it take to pay off those loans. Would it be a better choice to take courses at a community college and then transferring to a 4 year college than going off to a 4 year college and ringing up debt.<br />
We will be bringing in Financial planners, mortgage brokers, car loan officers, professionals in students areas of interest, college reps, etc. to give students contacts and experience with areas of the world that they will need to understand. If students know what is expected from them when they go in to get a car loan and they have talked with someone in that role, they should be more comfortable when it is time to buy a car. That goes for the other types of professionals we will bring in.to our class.<br />
I hope that students will have a better understanding of navigating the world around them and making future impacting decisions with am educated background. Having students make decisions in their lives based on experience and not based on what they read in a pamphlet, what their friends are doing or what their parents have been pushing will make the preparation for this year worth while!Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-79530899995666498802016-08-21T21:04:00.001-07:002016-08-21T21:29:53.274-07:00TED Ed Club with My Seniors I just applied to be a TED Ed Club leader at my school. My goal is to bring it into my Senior Financial Literacy class. We will start off the year working on finding out what we are passionate about or as Sir Ken Robinson refers to it - our "Element".<br />
I want students to think about what they want in life and out of life. But...I want them to think about how cultivating that passion can positively effect those around them even more. They need to think beyond what will give them the most money because we all know that that doesn't equate to a happy life. There needs to be some sense of fulfillment that we get out of our life's work. It will manifest itself in many forms. Each specific to those that pursue it. The bigger pay off comes from pouring into another without expecting anything out of it and seeing them succeed. I want my students to experience the internal reward that comes from paying it forward.<br />
In the 2004 Olympic Games, Michael Phelps swam in the qualifying 4x100 medley relay. When it came to swimming in the finals Michael had the fastest time and was automatically in the relay, but he stepped aside for a fellow swimmer to swim in his place. Ian Crocker had been sick during the week and did not perform as well as he could have. Phelps gave up his place in the relay to allow Ian to redeem himself and have a shot at the Gold Medal. The relay ended up winning Gold with a World Record time. Phelps still received a Gold Medal, since he was on the qualifying team, but so did Crocker. Many times in life the time and effort it takes us to extend a hand or chance to others seems like a set back at the time, but it often works out better for all involved in the end.<br />
Student's need to understand that sometimes the path that leads us to where we need to be may not be the path that they believe they were meant to take. Each experience prepares us for the next path on our journey. Sometimes there is a path that we did not anticipate that comes before us that may be better or worse than the path that we envisioned. That may not be all bad, since just over the hill is path that is beyond their their wildest dreams.<br />
In this world of immediacy that we live in, I hope to help my students see that some things are worth the wait, relationships with others are building blocks to success and our life may end up being different than we dreamed. And...Life is definitely more fulfilling, if we pursue our passions while living it.<br />
In the spring, I want to host a TEDx Youth event to shine a spotlight on some of our students passions.Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-48860645540264837572016-08-20T22:28:00.000-07:002016-08-20T22:28:01.859-07:00Computer Science in Algebra this Year I have used pieces of the curriculum from <a href="http://www.bootstrapworld.org/">www.bootstrapworld.org</a> for the last couple years. It has allowed me to make sure that students have a better understanding of how expressions and functions are evaluated using Circles of Evaluation. I have, also, used them for composition of functions to give students another way to look at the math. It has helped my students understand graphing better and how to write equations/functions and how that is different from evaluating a function.<br />
This year I was using <a href="http://www.code.org/">www.code.org</a> in my classroom for their Accelerated Course to give my students a chance to learn some coding. While we were using this course and some other courses I noticed that there was a course called Computer Science in Algebra and then a course called Computer Science in Algebra: Course A. The later was the first half of the Bootstrap World course 1. I was excited to see this, since it has the same feel as the other code.org course that we had been working in earlier. I thought that the visual approach to the material would be good for my students and it had videos and validation so my students could work and check their results.<br />
I implemented Course A in my summer school course and received very positive feedback from my students. They said that it really helped them understand evaluation and and generating functions better.<br />
I am teaching a couple sections of Algebra 2 this year and am looking forward to using this course to make sure that my students have a strong understanding of generating functions and evaluating them before we continue with generating equations for other types of functions. Many times, my students think that they have to take in all the information from the story problem and "get an answer" right away. Even though the question has multiple parts to it with one asking them to 1st - write the function first and 2nd - evaluate that function with the given information.<br />
I think this will be a helpful beginning of the year and will give them a strong refresher to start the year.Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-70861196646394252352016-08-19T07:00:00.002-07:002016-08-19T07:17:13.927-07:00AP Computer Science Principles training in Chicago I just spent a week in Chicago with teachers from all over the United States. We were all there to learn about teaching the new AP Computer Science Principles Course using the curriculum at <a href="http://code.org/">code.org</a>. The first time the test will be given and scored for college credit is in the 2016-2017 school year. <br />
<br />
TeacherCon was an amazing experience. The team from code.org were invested in our learning and put in a lot of time and effort to make our experience positive, engaging and informative. The chance to experience the inquiry and discovery components of the course was invaluable, since the course is set up to be hands on discovery by the students. Letting students discover how technologies were developed will have a lasting effect on students. When they are developing their own ideas they will have something tangible to refer back to instead of just memorizing how the previous solutions were developed.<br />
<br />
At this time, my school does not teach any AP courses. This will be the first in what I hope to be a long line of APs that will available for my students. AP CSP is an intro CS course that anyone should take in high school. The curriculum does something for our students that not many others do and that is inquiry, discovery and creation of things that already exist, so that they can understand how these technologies and protocols came into being. This will give my students a solid foundation in understanding of the current technology so that they will be able to improve those technologies or create new. <br />
<br />
I am truly looking forward to implementing this curriculum and opening up possibilities that may not have existed before this course. This course can give my students a glimpse into how computers are used everywhere in their life and how having a basic understanding can help them in the future.<br />
<br />
A unique opportunity of this AP exam is that students will submit 2 Performance Tasks before they take the 75 question multiple choice test. The first Performance Task will challenge my students to explore a technology and write about it's impact on the world. The second Performance Task will have the students create a program and write about their experience creating it and how a section of the code works. This will e great practice for their other classes, since reflection is a large part of the learning process in the course. Later they will take those reflections and use them in their writing for the Performance Task. This practice in writing will be helpful in my students being able to formulate an idea or stance and be able to support it through writing.<br />
<br />
I can't wait to get started!Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-78275551674056543492016-07-21T12:12:00.001-07:002016-07-21T12:12:06.015-07:00Tech Tip #2 - Teacher Use of Google Hangouts (Free App within Google Apps for Education - GAFE)<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="line-height: normal;">
We want our students to connect with people outside of our school. They need to see what it is like in other areas of the United States and beyond. When you only see the little square of land that is your neighborhood, you don't know what your life could be like elsewhere. You can't see the opportunities that may be just beyond the edge of the neighborhood. We don't want our students to be limited in their dreams and goals for the future.</div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
_________________________________________________________________________________</div>
<h2>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tech Tip #2 - Teacher Use of Google Hangouts (Free App within Google Apps for Education - GAFE)</span></h2>
</div>
Hello ...,<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google Apps for Education allows Teachers to connect with their students, parent and other classrooms worldwide. Why would we want to do this? </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teachers want their students to see the world around them but logistics limit this ability in many cases. Through Google Hangouts, teachers can</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the Global Read Aloud (October 3rd - November 11th, 2016)</span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://theglobalreadaloud.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://theglobalreadaloud.com/</span></a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During this time teachers can set up a Google Hangout with another classroom in Michigan or beyond to read one of the chosen books to both classes. During this time, students would be able to talk with the other class about the book. ( I am currently putting together a list of grade level teachers across the US to connect with our teachers that wish to take advantage of this opportunity)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During Mystery “Skypes” (we would use Google Hangouts instead of Skype)</span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://education.microsoft.com/connectwithothers/playmysteryskype" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://education.microsoft.com/connectwithothers/playmysteryskype</span></a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teachers set up Mystery Skypes with individual teachers based on their schedule and needs for their class.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This activity allows teachers to do pre-work with their students on questioning strategies, narrowing down search criteria, map reading, etc.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This activity, also, gives students the opportunity to meet and learn about other classrooms and cultures outside of Pontiac.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They practice soft skills when working with the other class.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parent communications</span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For parents that aren’t available to come in for Conferences, teachers can use a Google Hangout to connect in a virtual face to face environment. (Parents are not required to have a Google account to participate)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experts</span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bringing in experts in a particular field is generally difficult to do, but many will work with Teachers to do a 10-30 minute Google Hangout.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe Authors of Children’s books will talk with a class for 10-15 minutes without the speaking fees normally charged when coming into the classroom or charge a small fee.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Professional Development</span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many teachers use Google Hangouts to connect to their PLN (Professional Learning Network) or other experts to learn, show, teach how to use a particular app, strategy or brainstorm ways to tackle a learning area of growth.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
_________________________________________________________________________________</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm hoping to bring many of the teachers that I have talked with about these opportunities along for the ride. I know my superintendent is very excited about the possibilities that these opportunities provide our students.</div>
Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-20266929029027180422016-07-20T14:00:00.002-07:002016-07-21T12:04:07.508-07:00Tech Tip #1 - Administrative Use of Google Classroom (Free App within Google Apps for Education - GAFE)I have started to document some of the cool features of being a Google Apps for Education (GAFE) School for my Superintendent and Curriculum Director in the form of Tech Tip emails. As I send them out to my Administration, I will post the email contents here as a reminder of the extension to our classrooms that using GAFE provides.<br />
<br />
<br />
_________________________________________________________________________________<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: , "segoe ui light" , "segoe wp light" , "segoe ui" , "segoe wp" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 28px;">Tech Tip #1 - Administrative Use of Google Classroom (Free App within Google Apps for Education - GAFE)</span><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hello ...,
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google Apps for Education allows Administrators to maintain a class within Google Classroom with Teachers as the students. Why would we want to do this? </span></div>
<br style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This would allow a class to be set up with Ms. Williams, Ms. Jones and Ms. Janell as the co-teachers. Teachers would be students in this class. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="x_kix-line-break" />
</span></div>
<ul style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surveys, forms, articles, training, flyers, etc. that are normally sent out through email would be assigned as an assignment in Classroom with a due date. </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="x_kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What this alleviates:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teachers searching their email to find the survey, form, etc. to fill out.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teachers not knowing or being able to find the due date.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Admins sending multiple email reminders to teachers before and after due dates.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Admins searching their email for responses from teachers. (Responses can be recorded, uploaded, etc directly into one location - Google Classroom).</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14.6667px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Attaching actual files to emails. (Files can be linked directly from Google Drive to the assignment in Google Classroom. No more multiple version of files that untraceable. Can force the creation of an individual file for each teacher from a template document to each teacher’s account, if individual copies are needed.)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<br style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" />
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
If you have any questions, please let me know.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Kindest regards,</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
_________________________________________________________________________________</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
As I document these exciting opportunities for teachers and administrators, I am also talking with teachers and administrators, documenting their needs and concerns, contacting experts in these areas, and creating training for them to easily implement these tools into their classrooms for the benefit of our students.</div>
Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-47527858742906626892015-03-16T17:42:00.001-07:002015-03-16T17:59:31.447-07:00Flash Blog - Balancing workloadI implemented a new structure for my flipped mastery classroom a couple weeks ago. Students are still getting used to the structure and mastery pieces, so we have not implemented many activities in this unit. We have brought in quizzes almost every day on 2 concepts at a time. This Unit I am allowing students to retake quizzes as many times as it takes to get them correct before the test in a week and a half. <div>In talking with students, we have decided to move quizzes that normally happen on Mondays to Tuesday or Wednesday. We meet every other day. We also decided to move the quizzes to the last 10 minutes of class instead of the first 10 minutes. That allows students to ask questions throughout the class period. </div><div>As we move into our next unit, I will be adding in more activities and less practice problems. That will allow them a chance to make a connection to the material other than rote practice. My goal is to not give 50 practice problems and an activity, but to narrow the focus of the practice problems and use the activity to solidify the learning. </div><div>So balancing the practice, activities and quizzes will encourage learning and limit stress. Instead of trying to give students full sets of everything in the time allowed in class. Sometimes less is more. </div>Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-24131008944463625362015-01-26T17:48:00.001-08:002015-01-26T17:54:23.594-08:00Flashblog - Homework grading a new wayI have been teaching Algebra 2 for over 10 years and have been through various methods of HW checks. When I started, I checked homework everyday for correctness and entered the grades accordingly. The policy was no late work, so students who didn't turn in work could do it for the learning but not for credit. Of course students did not go back and do the work for no points. The students that did the work, hand it in and received comments on their work didn't correct their work either. This was a loss of learning possibilities, so I started requiring students to make corrections to their incorrect problems and handed back in to be checked. Students were continuously handing work back in for a recheck. This became extremely overwhelming for so many students and I had to keep going back to old solution keys and was grading all the time after school.<br />
<br />
I tried just giving students credit for turning it in completed with work. I didn't check the actual work, just counted up the problems that were completed fully. Most students would turn in work for the lesson, but some would try to pass off an old assignment for credit fir the new assignment. When it got to be time for the test. Surprise! Students who had done work and not checked it or copied their friends or turned in an old assignment performed poorly on the assessment. So conferences went something like this..."Billy is doing great on his homework, but when he gets to the test he freezes and does poorly. Billy is just not a good test taker."...and then I would have to reiterate that homework is not checked for correctness but for completeness. I told them that their child needed to check the answers and correct their mistakes on their own before turning it in. That didn't seem to work very well.<br />
<br />
I wanted to be able to assess student learning without having students continually turn in their homework so I could grade their papers every night. Students work better in my classroom when they get to work with peers of their choosing and ask me questions when they are stuck. So my policy now is that students are to work in teams of 3 that they get to choose. The team is responsible for helping its members learn the material and ask me if they have questions. In order to receive credit for their work, each student needs to complete a one questions quiz on the material individually with me. They will have 1.5-2 minutes to complete the problem. If they get it wrong, we will talk about what went wrong and then they are sent back to relearn the material. They are not allowed to quiz on the next material until the previous quiz has been passed.<br />
<br />
This allows me to work with students individually, get to know what they need and allow students to learn responsibility for their learning and not just a piece of paper to hand in.Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-22631591772192726602015-01-19T17:44:00.002-08:002015-01-19T17:45:41.861-08:00What is Working in Class TodayLooking back at this past semester and forward to the next semester that starts on Tuesday, Schoology has started to work. Using Schoology to trigger the assignments has helped me keep track of where students are in their progression through the Unit, as well as, help students recognize where they stand with the material. The Unit is currently set up to open each folder and assignment in a linear progression. It starts with the first folder and the first video assignment. Once students post pictures of their note packet filled in, then the WSQ opens and they can fill in their summary and questions. Once that is submitted, the assignment opens. Students submit pictures of their classwork and then the next folder opens for the next topic. <br />
<br />
I need to use the information I gain from the WSQ more strategically in class. At first I was responding to the questions individually, but I would like to take a group review approach in class the next day for common questions. That way I can clarify and get more feedback on what isn't understood through the video notes.<br />
<br />
I, also, use Interactive Notebooks to review the concept at the beginning of class. It gives students one page of procedures and examples to put into a bound notebook that they can use as they progress through my class, then PreCalc and on to Calculus. For students who have used the notebook, it has been useful. I am still working to get students to understand that you cannot just remember or ask for every procedure to be explained each time you need it. You have to refer back to something. That is the biggest struggle I have with students and notes. They need to use the notes and not just check it off as an exercise in writing things down and then just set them aside.<br />
<br />
This coming term, I will be allowing students to fast forward past material that they already understand and move on based on quiz results. If students do not pass out of the material, they will detour into video notes and practice for those topics. I need to find a way to structure this in Schoology along with allowing students to choose the application problem that they are going to complete next in teams.<br />
<br />
Lots to think about!Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-59887688836045903492014-12-01T04:20:00.003-08:002014-12-01T04:20:51.970-08:00ACT PreparationWorking in a school that values ACT scores that will allow students to be accepted to top universities has pushed me to think about ways to prepare students for these high stakes tests. In my old school, we would give students practice problems to complete and then go over the answers as a class. Many students did not pay attention to the explanation and did not get better on the same type of question if it were given later.<br />
<br />
I want to work toward a more personal approach to the thinking of individual students. The tests are written so that there are a variety of ways to solve each question, so I want to leverage the thought processes that each student already has about math. That means that students may solve a problem in multiple ways in my class, but as long as they can solve the problem we have a basis for getting the question correct. Based on the students background and understanding, I can work with them to find more efficient ways to solve the problem based on their own understanding. Without knowing where they are starting with the problem, I can't steer them appropriately.<br />
<br />
If I direct all students to use the same process or algorithm, then I may have students that are missing an important component and they will not be able to follow the process. I know that students who are in Algebra 2 should have a base understanding to build on, but the fact is that they could pass their previous class with a 70% and have holes of understanding that are critical to moving forward with a particular method. Sometimes you have to go old school and just create a chart and find the answer or skip the problem and come back to guess.<br />
<br />
In class, we use ClassKick to complete ACT Prep Warm Up questions. The app allows me to give students individual feedback on their solution. Students then go back and correct their answer. If the answer still isn't correct, I give more feedback and the process continues until the questions are correct. <br />
<br />
My hope is that each student will get the help that will propel them forward and earn a respectable score on the ACT.Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-45986140509580782502014-11-30T20:28:00.000-08:002014-11-30T20:28:06.892-08:00Using Coding in the Algebra 2 ClassroomMaking connections between Algebra and the real world is important. Coding is one way to both show students mathematical thinking, since it needs to be fairly explicit when writing code, and show how what they do daily is actually Algebraic thinking and modeling.<br />
<br />
I started using bootstrapworld.org to get my students practice in setting up code for evaluating numeric expressions. This practice reinforced the use of function notation. After students were comfortable with numeric expressions, we moved on to using function calls to generate shapes that were either outlined or solid in multiple colors. The next phase is to have students write contracts (function declarations) for functions that are or will be defined. While working on these contracts, student will being to understand the format of arguments coming into the function as well as coming out of the function. We can tie these contracts with the actual functions we use in Algebra.<br />
<br />
Once students have this general understanding, they will start using their knowledge of transformations and coding and create code that will move a shape around the screen and change it's characteristics. This will be the transition to coding from the Algebraic background. Students will have the opportunity to import an image of their choosing and then create a game that will move the image based on a known function.<br />
<br />
The opportunity to make the Algebra come to life, so to speak, will hopefully make students more engaged in their learning and increase their understanding.<br />
<br />
<br />Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-67478973768174386632014-11-29T10:12:00.001-08:002014-11-29T10:12:14.040-08:00Making a Game of ItA traditional Algebra 2 classroom is composed of a Warm Up, Review of the Warm Up, Review of the Homework from the previous night, a Lecture and a possibility of starting homework problems before the end of the class. The next day is much the same. My goal this year is to empower students. That is why I am going to start gamifying my classroom with my next Unit.<br />
<br />
Students have already chosen their teams of 3 that they will work with through January Mid-Terms. Students will be expected to work on Missions, Quests and Challenges together. Each team will work to ensure that each team member is successful in their learning. Tracking of the teams points will be done in ClassCraft.com. Students will choose their team names next week. I have a week and a half to set up the missions in ClassCraft and adjust the Missions, Quests and Challenges in Schoology.<br />
<br />
I will need to talk with some gamifiers to find out how to set up the scenario that will drive the Missions, Quests and Challenges. Somehow I need to learn how to weave a story throughout each Unit, so that the flow of the class is seamless. Making it easy for students to follow the flow of their assignments, while learning and engaging in the Algebraic concepts.<br />
<br />
It is important for me to set the stage for students, so there isn't confusion on what is expected from each student and each team. I hope that making the math more engaging and allow for learning.Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-33602356523471947342014-11-28T05:14:00.002-08:002014-11-28T05:14:38.460-08:00Give them an Authentic AudienceI remember when I would have to write a paper or research project and I didn't truly understand the purpose and audience for whom I was writing. So every paper probably sounded the same and was written for my teacher to read. Then I got a job and had to write different types of materials for different groups of people. It was an adjustment to think about my audience and write accordingly. If I had learned that earlier in school, it would have been easier. It wasn't that no one had tried to teach me. I just didn't get it at the time. It definitely wasn't for lack of trying on others part. I remember late nights at the typewriter with my Mom trying to revise a paper that my Mom had taken the time to comment on and I didn't want to listen. Yes, I did say typewriter.<br />
<br />
I want my student to experience what I did in my first job, now. Not have to wait until their livelihood is at stake to learn what speaking to an appropriate audience looks and feels like. I want them to know that citing a reference is important because it is an actual person or group of people that came up with that idea or research and they should get credit for it. Just as my students want to receive credit for what they do, others want the same respect.<br />
<br />
Writing and presenting appropriately to a group is important so that students don't talk over their audiences heads or be seen as condescending to their audience. If someone has taken the time to listen to my students then they need to be aware of how to engage them and deliver the information at the correctly level and depth.<br />
<br />
That is why I am in contact with Tricia Shelton. Tricia has a class of AP Anatomy and Physiology students that will be commenting on our blog posts with our research about bacteria and viruses. This will give my students a chance to create research that other students want to view and at a level that would be easy to write for, since they are peers. It, also, gives them a chance to practice citing their sources and looking at the claims in the Next Generation Science Standards.<br />
<br />
I will, also, be working with Adam Taylor. Adam is very involved in bringing scientists into classrooms. I am going to use this opportunity to let my students wonder about what scientists do and how they do it. Then they will get a chance to ask them and gain an understanding of what science really is and how it has changed the world in the last 20 years.<br />
<br />
Both Tricia and Adam are trying to get students involved in Social Media for academic use. They have a twitter chat on Thursday nights for students to connect with scientists. This will give my students a chance to engage in social media in a positive way and leave a digital footprint that they should be proud to share with colleges. <br />
<br />
We, as educators, need to show students the value in things that they take for fun. Keeping in mind that their voice and the audience they are speaking to can change the tone of whatever environment they are in. Twitter is usually to communicate daily life, but what if the audience were someone other than friends and family. Then could it be a tool for learning? Blog posts usually talk about the daily life of someone who rides their bike and hangs with friends, but what if the audience were shifted to other learners that were interested in the same things you were interested. We need to show students that it is not the took, whatever it may be, but how you frame it for your audience.Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-14662030252615786332014-11-27T12:30:00.003-08:002014-11-27T12:30:40.229-08:00Grading Unit Tests Using a RubricIn an attempt to give my students useful feedback on their Unit 2 Test, I decided to use a rubric for the main concepts. Given multiple problems to assess 8 concepts, students received scores of 1-4 on each concept and then the ratings were weighted based on their importance to the unit understanding. That way the score added up to the 100 point test of Unit 1. I can't switch to Standards Based Grading in the middle of the semester so I am doing what I can. Students were given a copy of the rubric with their test along with a contract to retake the test if they wanted. In the contract students made a commitment to create and complete their own study guide. Students could use the rubric to study for the concepts they struggled with and not waste time studying concepts they scored well on the test.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Going forward, I am going to give students the rubric for the test with the review packet. That way they know how they will be graded and not worry so much about where they will lose points. It will give them a focused way to study. Students can use the rubric to drive the conversations we have in our one on one sessions in class or their help sessions during study hall. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I would like to develop skills for my student's in how to study efficiently and effectively for their tests. Allowing them to know whether they will do well on the test because they understand the expectations. They will also understand where their weaknesses lie and set goals to improve in those areas. Instead of just completing the assignments and hoping for the best.<br />
<br />
My goal is to try and help students be as informed about their own learning as possible.</div>
Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-50572385478295933932014-11-26T14:57:00.001-08:002014-11-26T14:57:02.189-08:00Interactive Notebooks in Algebra 2I started having my Algbebra 2 students keep an Interactive Notebook for our Unit 3. I know I started a bit late, but I am flipping my classroom and the note packet for Unit 1 had too much extra information. The videos for Unit 1 were too long for my liking. In Unit 2, I started going in a different direction from the traditional textbook. Units are now based in concept development instead of topic development. So, I grouped all solving in one unit. All factoring is in another unit. Transforming parent functions are another unit. In this way, I can show the connections to all forms of functions and not expect the connection to be made by students as we hit each topic (quadratics, polynomials, conics, etc. ). It, also allows me to focus on a concept for all function types and then tie in a previous concept and not have to reteach for a particular function type. I can say, solve this equation regardless of parent function and have students graph the solutions (x-intercepts) and write The equation as a function and then graph the related vertex/inflection point and 2 surrounding points based on vertical and horizontal stretch, y-intercept or other facets of the function. <div><br></div><div>Since my teaching has gone off textbook and the way it is presented and developed through practice and application is quite different, I needed a way to group the notes so they were accessible and wouldn't be lost in students binders. The Interactive Notebook allows me to be concise and students have a place to go that is ordered and bound together. The concepts are on foldable and colorful sheets which allow students brains to associate a color with a concept and make it easier to visualize the information versus having all notes on white paper with black ink and writing in pencil or pen. That consistency doesn't allow one concept to look different from the others. The table of Contents and Unit sheets allow students to find the concepts in the INB (Interactive Notebook). The color of the page helps students to flip through the notebook and find that particular note sheet by color, as well. </div><div><br></div><div>As we move forward in the year, we will be backfilling concepts in the INB, since we started on page 34 with Unit 3. My hope is that the INB will be helpful for students during their time in algebra 2 and be a valuable resource for them in PreCalc and Calculus, too. Time will tell. </div>Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-48422400646465892732014-08-06T04:51:00.001-07:002014-08-06T20:33:09.698-07:00Goals for the coming year are all wrapped in one word - EmpowerMy goals for this school year can be wrapped up in a package with a bow and a card that says "Empower". <br>
<br>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VEvg2zBYWtU" width="560"></iframe>
<br>
<br>
I was watching the TEDxYouth video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEvg2zBYWtU">Why Kids Hate School</a> featuring <a href="http://nikhilgoyal.me/about/">Nikhil Goyal</a> and it hit me. Everything I want to do with and for my students this year revolves around the word "Empower". Empowering them to learn and engage in their own learning like they haven't in the past. I don't want them to mark time until they get out at the end of the day or, heaven forbid, wait until they graduate to find joy in learning. I want to spark that inquisitiveness that they have when playing with a new app. What if...? What is ...? How does...? Where did...? Can I...?<br>
<br>
Empowering students "to learn" in a way that connects with them is my goal this year. I'm not saying that class will be a free for all with students running around doing whatever they want. I mean that the classroom will be a place where students are presented with information to learn, but in a way that they can connect with at different levels and in different ways. Let's face it, students don't just walk in our room at the same level, same life experiences and interests. Teaching would be simple if they did, but they don't. So we need to engage them in a way that makes sense to them. Is it always the teachers responsibility to come up with the individual projects that will engage each student or can one project be engaging to multiple students in different ways? Can that one project be presented to students in the same way and, yet, be completed in ways that make sense to the student, have the same learning outcomes and look completely different in the end? I believe that it is possible. It happens in business everyday. <br>
<br>
This year, I want my students to feel empowered to own their learning. To feel that learning is something they do and not wait until it is done to them. Let's face it. Students won't learn unless they learn. It isn't a matter of, "Oh, I've seen this before. Show me how to do it, again." That's not learning, but students believe that it is learning. Somewhere they have learned that just being presented with information, seeing it before and handing in the worksheet equates to learning. If that happened with riding a bike, where would we be? Having to continuously teach our children how to ride a bike. Learning is deeper than just seeing it. Just like riding a bike, it becomes part of you and you know it or can trigger a way to get to it. We have done our students a disservice by allowing them to think they have learned, when all they have done is see and mimic. I want them to be empowered to actually take ownership and pride in internalizing and actually learning in my classroom.<br>
<br>
The ideas I have for class this year revolve around giving students back that ownership and allowing them to be more involved in their learning. There are so many apps and resources out there for teachers to use. I have been trying to keep myself focused on what is truly going to get me to that point of "Empowering" my students and weed out the things that don't contribute to that goal. Many times, the possibilities that exist are overwhelming. I wonder if I will be able to keep myself focused, knowing that less is more.<br>
<br>
That is where my PLN will come into play, as the year progresses. Keeping in contact with them and having them keep me accountable to my goal and my students. I know they are there to lend a suggestion or a hand when needed. I wouldn't be able to make this journey without them!<br>
<br>
<br>Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-58070217872635217162014-07-09T14:21:00.001-07:002014-07-09T14:21:22.285-07:00Perfect, is it worth the wait?I can honestly say from personal experience that opposites do attract. My husband came home from work yesterday with the results of a personality test. I have to say that it fit him perfectly. As he read the paragraph descriptions for his top five descriptors, we laughed at how it described him like no other "personality test" ever has. It said that he was structured, rigid, has to have a checklist formulated before he gets out of bed and check things off everyday before he goes to bed, it doesn't have to be perfect-it just has to be done, frames interactions as a story teller, and seen as an expert at what he does, does a good job of blowing holes in other peoples ideas and feels a sense of pride when he "shows" others how their thinking is wrong. His bottom five had to do with: shows empathy, visionary, comfortable with instability or new situations, patience and able to see a solution to a problem not seen before.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Funny thing is, I am those things that he is not. I feel others pain, which leads to letting it affect my feeling of worth (even though I know I have insightful ideas), want things to be perfect and have a hard time getting things completed because I want them to be perfect (not just right). I can see where I want to go but have a hard time getting there because there are so many choices of paths to take. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Being a math and biology teacher has shown me that math teachers are much more like my husband and bio teachers are more like me. Is that because math has a structure already created for us and we just have to pass it on to students? Old way to teach math was procedural. Bio teachers are by nature inquisitive about the world around them and want to pass on that wonderment to their students. Life isn't always set out before us, sometimes you have to inquire why something happens like it does and then go about proving what you thought was true, contrary to others beliefs. It takes a brave soul to go against the norm. Look at the great scientists of the past. They were thrown in prison, ostracized, and ridiculed for their beliefs.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I wonder, after all these years of trying to be perfect, I should just let go and just get it done. There are far less obstacles to overcome, if you just get it done and don't worry about being perfect. People readily accept you. If you try to do something different and want it to be perfect, it may never get done perfectly. I still want to change the world, but maybe small imperfect steps would be a better option than large perfect ones. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am one of those people that need to see the whole picture. How one thing fits in with another and work from there. I'm not a GPS follower. Some people get out their GPS and just follow the directions. I need to actually see my position on the map to see where I'm headed, in case a detour pops up, and I can reroute myself without waiting for the GPS to recalculate. It's like that with teaching. I want to see where my piece fits into the grand scheme, so that my students are on the correct path and avoid being rerouted (retaught) if possible.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Can i do both, just get it done (not perfect) and still contemplate the best route possible (perfect) for my students?</div>
Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136841828577457999.post-54983383713942055252014-07-01T06:11:00.001-07:002014-07-03T12:17:12.861-07:00Just trying to learn!I have to say that Twitter is one of the best things to come along in education for me. I started my Ed classes after my 3rd child was born. I had a degree and was working in the IT world. My husband told me that we were at a point in our lives that we could handle paying for college and a career change. So I jumped at the opportunity to pursue a passion of mine. <div><br></div><div>I want to inspire kids to find something in their life that ignites their fire and pursue it! That is where they will make the biggest impact in this world. I don't want them to go through the motions of the every day grind. Waking up at 70 and wondering what happened to all those great things they were going to accomplish. I believe there is something to be said about doing what you are supposed to do, but does it have to be dreaded? Forcing yourself to get out of bed every morning to do it? Can you approach it from the other side and add your passion to it? Or find what you are pasionate about and pursue it? I want my students to live a life filled with interesting possibilities and not just a job (just over broke) that has a positive impact on them and those around them. </div><div><br></div><div>For kids in school, it is the forgetable worksheet. How many worksheets do you reference by section number in your day to day interactions? Do you even remember what was on any of those thousands of worksheets that you have completed in your education? Or the paint by numbers projects that you completed, but had no learning takeaways. I wanted something more for my students than arriving at the classroom, receiving a warm up worksheet (5 problems), taking time to review every problem for the whole class (even students that knew the material...and those that waited for me to do the thinking on the board), Reviewing last nights homework (same student scenario as warm up), Talking at them (I mean...providing a very insightful and engaging lecture on quadratic equations, where Billy is poking Sam, Sarah is snapchatting Philip across the room and Tommy is texting with Mom about the cleats he forgot at home for the game tonight) while a few took notes to refer to later, assigning homework (to be completed before lecture ended by a few, struggled with at home by a handful, fought over at 10:30 at night with parents after a sporting event for a bunch, given up on by a group and copied from others in the locker pod before class by a cluster). But this is what was expected. All teachers of a course need to provide the same assignments and experience the same projects. </div><div><br></div><div>A herd of cattle being directed from one place to another with not much thought required. Students aren't cattle. They are the leaders of tomorrow! We want them to think and make appropriate decisions. Changes that I wanted to see in our practice as an educational community were not being talked about as in depth, with as much urgency or necessity that it needed. </div><div><br></div><div>When we had our first set of snow days in January, I sat down at my computer. I started looking for something. I wasn't quite sure what it was that I was looking for...but I found it! I found a website that referred to something called EdCampHOME. (Thanks @LS_Karl for helping put it together) Like everything else in life, I was 2 days late! BUT, what I did find were archives of the Google Hangouts that I could watch like I was there. Fascinating!!!</div><div><br></div><div>So I curled up with my fav blanket and started watching. Taking notes on all the people they referenced and resources that were available. I noticed that they seemed like they had the same passions I did. Then I watched an archive that I really didn't think would help me because I am not a social media type of girl. I am fairly private in my personal life. Man was I wrong about the need for the idea they presented on that video!</div><div><br></div><div>I don't remember who was in that session, one may have been @MsVictoriaOlson, but it changed the world for me! It was about Twitter. I had an account that I made years before, like we all do, and I had "tweeted" out assignments (before I started using Remind101) to my students. That idea for the use of Twitter totally morphed into something amazing that day! I feverishly started trying to understand and use this new tool. Totally clueless, but with reckless abandon, I started trying to understand this hashtag thing. So many tweeps tried to help me! </div><div><br></div><div>Then someone re-tweeted a google doc (<a href="http://goo.gl/oqHneq" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://goo.gl/oqHneq</a>)<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> and it was on. This doc contained the hashtags, days of the week and times that Twitter chats were run by inspiring teachers in any subject area you could want! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I took the Leap and refuse to turn back! The educators that I have connected with have the same passion as I do for educating students and more! I found a world where my ideas are normal! And other teachers push my thinking again and again! It has led to so many fabulous people and opportunities to grow as a person in the last six months than my last 45 years on this earth! It is such a great place to be!</span></div>Jennifer Gwilthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096761905459747529noreply@blogger.com0