Hello, out there!
This is still May! Wow! That's so hard to believe that the school year is over. If you are anything like me, though, the thoughts of what's coming next are bubbling to the surface. In a way, I really wish we had year-round school. Nature doesn't stop and start a snowball from rolling down the slope...it doesn't make sense to me to stop and start school for the summer. Yes, a vacation now and then is lovely - I'd never get anything painted or cleaned out but I know I feel I do best with a regular schedule (ask me again during the regular schedule and I'll tell you differently!). I'm a creature of habit and I feel guilty about not taking my shower 'till ten. I mean, I've worked, but in my jammies with a cup of coffee nearby.
I'm finishing a thesis paper (due next week) so I'm not in my right mind. I play all the games I see my students play to avoid the inevitable...well, I haven't seen them have this great NEED to clean house...to avoid sitting down and actually writing the paper. I've changed it at least 5 times and I am not sure about this edition. My professor liked the last start but I had already changed it again before I heard from her. If you really want to know, it's about using all of the wonderful technology Hoover provides to reach out to other schools (in the HCS system, for now) to differentiate for students who need to progress further faster. Not truly acceleration, like grade skipping, but allowing them to advance in subject areas at a natural pace for them (remember the snowball??). Because all of the schools are connected via closed-circuit, it seems to me that, with a well placed video camera or webcam, classes from one school could be broadcast or taped, to be used for students in another school. Or maybe a teacher at one school might be a mentor for a student at another. (eew, that sounds like more WORK, doesn't it? Teachers are already stressed as it is!)
Here's a for instance, anyway; suppose there was a student who was very interested in learning another language, or had a gift for mathematics. Why not allow them to pursue a talent or learning desire? If whatever the topic might be isn't available in the student's home classroom, maybe it's down the hall or in another elementary or middle or high school. We have the technical capability. Maybe I'm not seeing all the pros and cons, but it seems to me that it would not take a lot of effort to send out an SOS email about a student who is HERE (pre-tested out of American History for knowing 96% of the content that will be taught in the next 2 months) and would benefit from being (virtually) THERE, with a more advanced American History class or something else that lights their fire.
I've been talking about this with everyone who will listen (like you, right now), trying to get my thoughts in order, reading everything and have found a couple of encouraging compatriots - one was Mr. May, our Art teacher. He latched on to the idea and ran with it. He suggested a couple of students who, haivng done their work for him, would benefit (possibly be less disruptive??) with access to additional/different instruction. He doesn't teach batik (I've asked) but Judy Davidson at Rocky Ridge does, perhaps she could video a lesson (which would have it in storage for multiple uses...?!(for me, too!!)) or stream a lesson to Mr. May's room sometime. Right now, Mr. McKinley, who helped coach the Altamath team, is creating MathCasts (short video/virtual blackboards that explain/examine math procedures) to help the team members (or any math student) work on constructing math concepts. As you know, there's a power point on this wiki that shows students what they need to know/how to work the math problems given in the Altamath test. The world is out there. We need to be able to access it. Oh, BTW, it works both ways - what if a student at Berry needed a refresher class in something offered at Riverchase... We have the schedules what what is being taught when, now we just need to fit them to the students!! Anyway, the possibilities are endless, in my mind.
One last parting shot, an Enrichment teacher at another school mentioned that the streaming videos, etc. would also be useful for a student of hers that has a physical challenge and if often at home, ill. Through the wonderful (I've said that before, haven't I?) technology provided by Hover City Schools, she can have that student in her class with the others, via Skype or Moodle (I'll digress on that one, later).
Thanks for playing along with me, it's only 8am, I've got 2 hours before my shower!!
Let me hear YOUR thoughts!
XXOO!!
Mrs. Mac

May 09 MacBlog

Happy LAST MONTH of SCHOOL!!

Thanks to all who came out for the Share Fair!!
And thanks to all for loaning me your children this year!!

I found the following on line and felt that this encompassed a lot of what our Design Unit was all about:

Learning and innovation skills increasingly are being recognized as the skills that separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the future.

Creativity & Innovation

Think Creatively

• Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)
• Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts)
• Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and maximize creative efforts

Work Creatively with Others

• Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectivel
• Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporate group input and feedback into the work
• Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real world limits to adopting new ideas
• View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand that creativity and innovation is a long-term, cyclical process of small successes and frequent mistakes

Implement Innovations

• Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in which the innovation will occur

Browse Creativity & Innovation Resources

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Reason Effectively

• Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation

Use Systems Thinking

• Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems

Make Judgments and Decisions

• Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
• Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view
• Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments
• Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis
• Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

Solve Problems

• Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways
• Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

Browse Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Resources

Communication & Collaboration

Communicate Clearly

• Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts
• Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions
• Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)
• Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact
• Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual)

Collaborate with Others

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams
• Exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal
• Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member

This next weeeeeeeek will be filled with inventory of the LEGO boxes. I've been a real witch about them - I have a baggy of LEGO pieces I found on the floor. I'm going to exact a penalty from the team that needs them back!! We've got to take care of the things that we share! Oh, and cleaning up the room. Teachers are supposed to have all of their stuff that's on the floor moved out into the hall so the custodians can strip the floors....ahhhhh!
Please put on your lists for me for next year: Duct Tape HotGlueGun-Glue Sticks Printer Ink
On second thought, don't. I'll remind you again next year!! But now you'll be forewarned!

Thanks for a great year with these small people. I wonder what kind of mischief we can get into NEXT YEAR!! Keep in touch, I'll try to write in the blog more often (especailly if people out there write to me, too!) Stay safe and excellent to each other!!

XXOO!!

Mrs. Mac