The book, Students Taking Charge, by Nancy Sulla had me from the first words of the introduction... "Passion lies at the intersection of a dream and success". That is me! I am passionate about my learning. I am passionate about my teaching. So just imagine when I learn something new that I can share with my students!
I started this year's book study today by reading the Introduction and Chapter 1 and ALREADY have a plan brewing for my next class session.
Ramping Up a Lesson By Having Students Take Charge
See, today, we started on slope. Instead of me introducing a problem and/or notes on how to find slope, I decided to implement something I learned from TIMMS...let the students struggle and discover on their own. I had found an interactive website that let students play around with negative and positive slopes and then I had developed some questions to help get them started in our online textbook. Students used the iPads to view the questions and their laptops for the website.
After reading the first chapter, I have enhanced my lesson to allow students to take charge of their learning. They have been introduced with the goal of their learning...how can one find the slope of any given line? In our next class session, students will continue to have access to the interactive website, but there will also be other activities and learning opportunities to help them move their thinking. One of the activities will include a question session with Mrs. McCabe to help struggling students get back on track.
My hope is that if the students know what their learning goal is, they will do whatever necessary so they are ready to show me their understanding of the new concept.
Book Study Questions
- How do you build “ility” (referenced on page 2) in the TRCs that you work with?
Differentiated Projects for flexibility in learning levels
Choice in media used for creativity
Use of higher level questions for critical thinking and problem solving skills
Cooperative Groups for communication and collaboration
Student presentations to aid in communication
Relevant projects/questions to promote self direction
Rubrics to ensure accountability and responsibility
- Sulla references the Digital Generation (p. 6-7) and the specific characteristics and adjectives that describe the students that we work with. Do you agree, disagree or have specific aspects to add to her explanation?
I totally agree with her viewpoint on the Digital Generation. I really see the immediacy in the classroom. If something does not occur within seconds (information on the internet, a reply from the teacher to a question, understanding), students will shut down and move to something else.
- Please share at least one example of how you, or the teachers that you are currently working with, are capitalizing on the characteristics of the Digital Generation (p. 6-7) to engage students in standards-based learning.
This year we have iPads in every classroom so students have the latest technology at their fingertips. Teachers at RVMS are developing lessons to ramp up the rigor and relevance of our lessons to push students in the direction they need to go in this digital age. Students are really engaged in the various projects and lessons.
Other Thoughts
- It was the second sentence of Chapter One that grabbed my attention and got me to thinking. "(Students) decide how they will use their time; take charge of setting and achieving goals; and work individually to build skills and collaboratively develop solutions to real-world problems". Questions (and answers) that subsequently came to mind...
- How to keep everyone going at their own pace? Make it challenging/differentiated.
- How to capture everyone's interest? Make it relevant.
- We have always prided ourselves on including "hands-on" activities...when what we really want are "minds-on" activities.
- Snapshot of a classroom
- Students walk through the door, pick up a folder, log onto a website that includes current work and/or a schedule
- Read through comments from teacher
- Start on activities for the day
- Students determine what resources they need
- Teacher offers mini lessons
- Requirements: expectations and consequences, guidance and feedback from the teacher
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