Short video of the snow. View is looking north on main-street in Tremont. We missed three days of school due to a 15" snowfall. Our power was out for just about twenty-four hours. Previous video shows Vicki and I eating a backpacking meal cooked on our camping stove. The adventures continue.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Focus
Just started reading Focus, Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning by Mike Schmoker. Tomorrow is a department meeting and I need to apologize for wasting five months of the school year on initiatives that will not impact student success. I knew this in August but didn't have any "data" to support my thoughts. The further into the school year the more apparent it was that we had too many initiatives and no focus. I fell into line attempting to be the good employee and department leader. I knew we were heading in the wrong direction but didn't have the courage to lead in what my "gut" told me was the proper direction.
At our meeting tomorrow we will discuss a "new" direction. We can begin to discuss change that will impact students. What amazes me is that it isn't new, it is information most educators know but don't have time to practice. The hint is in the title of this post. "What" we teach and "how" we teach are the bottom line essentials. We can study data all day (and data is important) but at the end of the day, what we are teaching and how we are teaching it will make the real impact. Too many teachers are totally distracted by the latest technology initiative (that was probably implemented without a long-range plan or goal), whether to move to CCS (common core standards) now or wait, or following up on a group of students (in addition to my current classes) to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do in their classes.
At the end of the day it boils down to what is taught and how it is taught that will engage our students and prepare them for their future. This is where the "bang for the invested buck" will be found.
At our meeting tomorrow we will discuss a "new" direction. We can begin to discuss change that will impact students. What amazes me is that it isn't new, it is information most educators know but don't have time to practice. The hint is in the title of this post. "What" we teach and "how" we teach are the bottom line essentials. We can study data all day (and data is important) but at the end of the day, what we are teaching and how we are teaching it will make the real impact. Too many teachers are totally distracted by the latest technology initiative (that was probably implemented without a long-range plan or goal), whether to move to CCS (common core standards) now or wait, or following up on a group of students (in addition to my current classes) to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do in their classes.
At the end of the day it boils down to what is taught and how it is taught that will engage our students and prepare them for their future. This is where the "bang for the invested buck" will be found.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thoreau
Just completing my third snow day in a row. We received 13" of snow Tuesday night. I was working on-line when suddenly..................... Twenty-four hours of feeding a generator to power two space heaters, lighting a lot of candles, finding our campstove, cooking a backpacking gourmet meal (can dried food be gourmet?), calling the power company, hiking back and forth to the gas station for more fuel and assisting neighbors with plowing our driveways. Thoreau had nothing on my wife and I.
I did notice a curious item, why do people blow the snow from their driveways into the street making the street impassible? Why not blow the snow into their own front yards? Our neighbor did get yelled at for plugging up the street so out he went to clear the street. I did get almost get caught up today. Sun was out and it was beautiful.
I did notice a curious item, why do people blow the snow from their driveways into the street making the street impassible? Why not blow the snow into their own front yards? Our neighbor did get yelled at for plugging up the street so out he went to clear the street. I did get almost get caught up today. Sun was out and it was beautiful.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Curiosity
I am three weeks into an on-line U.S. History class for high school juniors. It is a pilot class, randomly selected students and provides an opportunity for students to pick up a seventh class. Enough review. I started with thirty students but never had contact with one student and still have not but that will give me twenty-nine. I sent over five hundred e-mails (group and individual) in these first three weeks and, as of Friday (Jan. 21st) have logged over sixty hours of time for a "one period class." If, like me, you are math challenged, that would would transfer to 100 hour work weeks if I were attempting to handle five classes. As the software trainer kept repeating last fall, "next year will get easier."
Observations about the class:
1. most students do not like to work independently
2. many students are not curious about technology (how it works, how can I make it easier)
3. only one student made a suggestion for better organizing material, I adapted it and received numerous positive comments (until a student came in yesterday to drop and told me I was just too unorganized, amazing, they had never looked that the big folder is titled "assignments for chapter 20!" )
4. repeat of number 2, our youngest son (now 28), was forced to purchase his own computer at an early age because he kept breaking into the programs on our Apple IIE and later, our early IBM and altering the program to suit his young needs, today, we want everything done for us, I have a small group of students who are into everything (we can track them) and a large group who are into nothing
5. I had failed to understand how little I actually prepared my face to face students to be independent thinkers, researchers, or workers
6. I had failed to act on my failures to teach at a higher level, over the years I had allowed the students to wear me down
7. I had failed to act on what I knew needed to be changed (NCLB doesn't help this), now most students are simply test score data to be manipulated (apologies, teachers are to use interventions) so that test scores go up, why? (another whole post)
8. to end on a positive, students who are doing their work, communicating regularly with me, reading my responses to their discussion threads......they are doing great, number of insightful responses is growing daily and I will continue to modify what I am doing (oh, getting rid of textbooks for e-books will take time, I put the textbook on-line, most stopped and wanted a print version, some listen to the audio version while getting ready for school, some listen while working out
Any suggestions from on-line teachers of high school students please send me an e-mail.
Observations about the class:
1. most students do not like to work independently
2. many students are not curious about technology (how it works, how can I make it easier)
3. only one student made a suggestion for better organizing material, I adapted it and received numerous positive comments (until a student came in yesterday to drop and told me I was just too unorganized, amazing, they had never looked that the big folder is titled "assignments for chapter 20!" )
4. repeat of number 2, our youngest son (now 28), was forced to purchase his own computer at an early age because he kept breaking into the programs on our Apple IIE and later, our early IBM and altering the program to suit his young needs, today, we want everything done for us, I have a small group of students who are into everything (we can track them) and a large group who are into nothing
5. I had failed to understand how little I actually prepared my face to face students to be independent thinkers, researchers, or workers
6. I had failed to act on my failures to teach at a higher level, over the years I had allowed the students to wear me down
7. I had failed to act on what I knew needed to be changed (NCLB doesn't help this), now most students are simply test score data to be manipulated (apologies, teachers are to use interventions) so that test scores go up, why? (another whole post)
8. to end on a positive, students who are doing their work, communicating regularly with me, reading my responses to their discussion threads......they are doing great, number of insightful responses is growing daily and I will continue to modify what I am doing (oh, getting rid of textbooks for e-books will take time, I put the textbook on-line, most stopped and wanted a print version, some listen to the audio version while getting ready for school, some listen while working out
Any suggestions from on-line teachers of high school students please send me an e-mail.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Class
In a moment of something or other, I asked to pilot an on-line U.S. History class this semester. I like technology, have been thinking that brick and mortar schools are outdated, am always seeking a better way to connect with students, like a challenge, and really never have understood why we need to meet face to face with high school juniors five days a week.
I'm in day two and will check my e-mail right after posting this to see how many questions tonight. Oh, did I mention that now students hunt me from 7:00 a.m. until I shut down and quit checking e-mail (last night it was 9:00 p.m.). I never thought about the fact that I would be blending a traditional work day schedule with demands of students needing to talk (e-mail, text, etc) to me of an evening because that is when they work on an on-line class. I have an advanced degree with a few hours beyond so a thought occurred that this is a great way to extend my current work day from 6:00 a.m. (when I arrive) until 3:15 p.m. and then another 3 hours of an evening. Last night the additional time was 4 hours and it wasn't getting a chance to work ahead, it was problem solving for students new to on-line learning and new to not being walked step by step through every situation.
I may have gotten a bit short when one e-mail asked "Is there anything due tomorrow?" Uhhhh, nope, not answering that, look at the announcements, the calendar, and they will tell you. I can't get thirty e-mails every day asking if something is due because a student doesn't want to look for due dates. Oh well, it's going to be an interesting semester and the questions keep me sharp and learning new things. Oh, what system are we using? BlackBoard. No comment.
I'm in day two and will check my e-mail right after posting this to see how many questions tonight. Oh, did I mention that now students hunt me from 7:00 a.m. until I shut down and quit checking e-mail (last night it was 9:00 p.m.). I never thought about the fact that I would be blending a traditional work day schedule with demands of students needing to talk (e-mail, text, etc) to me of an evening because that is when they work on an on-line class. I have an advanced degree with a few hours beyond so a thought occurred that this is a great way to extend my current work day from 6:00 a.m. (when I arrive) until 3:15 p.m. and then another 3 hours of an evening. Last night the additional time was 4 hours and it wasn't getting a chance to work ahead, it was problem solving for students new to on-line learning and new to not being walked step by step through every situation.
I may have gotten a bit short when one e-mail asked "Is there anything due tomorrow?" Uhhhh, nope, not answering that, look at the announcements, the calendar, and they will tell you. I can't get thirty e-mails every day asking if something is due because a student doesn't want to look for due dates. Oh well, it's going to be an interesting semester and the questions keep me sharp and learning new things. Oh, what system are we using? BlackBoard. No comment.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Another New Year
Returned from an end of year trip to Minnesota. As you can see from the photos we were able to use our snowshoes again. We visited family which is a great way to close out another year.
We did get out for two days of snowshoeing at Baker Park. They have prepared trails that you share with people being pulled on skis by their dogs. Skijourning?? That looked like a lot of fun but I would need a big dog.
Our nephew is the final days of college decisions. Visits to Harvard and Dartmouth in January will determine where he goes. Dartmouth appears to have an inside track with access to broom ball and skiing in the off season. Oh, our nephew is 6'5" and 270 pounds, football is his sport, high ACT scores, high gpa draws interest of schools where education goes with sports. We pray that God would clearly show him where he should spend his next four years.
2010 was another blessing from God. Through all the seasons of life it has been nice to be able to visit various areas of the country and spend time with our family. We are blessed with family within 10 miles and family in Portland, OR. Vicki and I pray that 2011 brings the peace of Christ to each and everyone who finds their way to this post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)