I was trying to think of the best way to describe professional people in the DR as my trip is coming up and my teachers are meeting with Midence's crew and we all sort of need to come to some cultural understanding of each other.
Americans, sometimes infamous for casual wear...
So this is a nice shot from Bill in Jarabacoa of a teacher and some people filming a scene of enjoying some of Jarabacoa's famous ices.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Cast
Friday, January 29, 2010
enero
We used SKYPE today, Diversity Day, to speak with this young lady on the projector. She was in Port au Prince the day of the earthquake, with her family. She has now returned to school in Santiago where she is studying to be an orthodontist.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
geeking out
Why was I not aware Quia uploads mp3's? I can now make listening quizzes....WOW. Some days it's these little applications that MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.
alrighty, back to the regularly scheduled program.
alrighty, back to the regularly scheduled program.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
by golly, he's right
Adventures in Pencil Integration. My new Ms. Mimi.
He says, and I quote: "the power is in the way we think and not in the tools we use" in reference to technology.
He says, and I quote: "the power is in the way we think and not in the tools we use" in reference to technology.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
am I nuts?
This semester of grad school was supposed to be an "off" term. Then I thought about it and decided to try my hand at an independent study. I want to study how we document learning as teachers and students using Web 2.0. It's quite a topic to tackle and I chose it, in large part, due to my trip in April and how I am communicating with the teachers and students involved in going, serving, learning, and sharing. My proposal for the ind. study is in process--I keep putting it off behind grading and more grading--but stay tuned for more details as the process unfolds.
Here's the part I am working on now:
Problem
Establish a need for this study. What are the professional issues that warrant independent study? Why is this a more appropriate activity than an existing graduate course?
Goals
Describe the broad focus of the study. What is the purpose?
Objectives
Use specific, declarative statements to indicate the expected accomplishments of the student. They should address knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
Alignment with Self-Designed Concentration
Explain how each objective is linked to the student’s self-designed concentration or to the student’s professional development.
Learning Outcomes
Describe the activities, assignments, and projects that, upon completion, will demonstrate to the instructor and to the student that the objectives were achieved.
Grading. Provide general strategies of how the student will be graded on the outcomes.
Reading and other Media Sources
Include a list of possible required and suggested readings, multi-media sources, urls, and software.
***
Here's the part I am working on now:
Problem
Establish a need for this study. What are the professional issues that warrant independent study? Why is this a more appropriate activity than an existing graduate course?
Goals
Describe the broad focus of the study. What is the purpose?
Objectives
Use specific, declarative statements to indicate the expected accomplishments of the student. They should address knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
Alignment with Self-Designed Concentration
Explain how each objective is linked to the student’s self-designed concentration or to the student’s professional development.
Learning Outcomes
Describe the activities, assignments, and projects that, upon completion, will demonstrate to the instructor and to the student that the objectives were achieved.
Grading. Provide general strategies of how the student will be graded on the outcomes.
Reading and other Media Sources
Include a list of possible required and suggested readings, multi-media sources, urls, and software.
***
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
la escuela
It's been a cold couple of days at school. This early morning shot of the former elementary school reminds me of my Enfield Station days.
the day before christmas vacation
Teaching, paying attention, and pleased so far...tomorrow is the last half-day and I think I might actually get a few things done before total surrender to the Christmas vacation gods.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
fab collab--well, no.
Last spring I worked long and hard on an integrated unit using backward design. My collaborator moved away (boo). He didn't tell me he was leaving. When this school year began I figured it out. So I had to scramble for a new collaborator and decided to ask a teacher at my school to help me with a Neruda unit. We talked a few times. Mostly I asked him for help because when he and his wife went to Chile last year they brought me back a bunch of cool Neruda stuff.
But the collaboration didn't really work out. We work in different buildings, life is crazy and hectic, and by the time I got my unit together on paper I had actually already taught most of it. So the collaboration part fell by the wayside. In a way that was a relief because the whole idea of going through the process again felt very overwhelming. To be honest, the concept of collaborating in an integrated unit while learning the ropes of backward design was just too much! It was too much to juggle and get right the first time AND the second time! So the third time I decided, no collaborators! Just me, myself, and I!
The good news: I started my THIRD backwards design unit on Picasso and the writing of it went soooo much faster and I started teaching it. Based on all the data that I gathered on the Neruda unit my whole game plan changed. Go slower. More structure. I even did a slide show that I thought would be the kiss of death but instead it made the kids sit up and think--the slide show featured the Maine Learning Results and what they should know and be able to do by the end of the unit. This clear direction up front has made the first two classes extremely engaging, structured, and even a little fun (one student pointed out Neruda was too fun--in a nice way telling me it was too loosely structured).
Once again, I am learning in ways unexpected. So that is good.
But still. This class is exhausting.
But the collaboration didn't really work out. We work in different buildings, life is crazy and hectic, and by the time I got my unit together on paper I had actually already taught most of it. So the collaboration part fell by the wayside. In a way that was a relief because the whole idea of going through the process again felt very overwhelming. To be honest, the concept of collaborating in an integrated unit while learning the ropes of backward design was just too much! It was too much to juggle and get right the first time AND the second time! So the third time I decided, no collaborators! Just me, myself, and I!
The good news: I started my THIRD backwards design unit on Picasso and the writing of it went soooo much faster and I started teaching it. Based on all the data that I gathered on the Neruda unit my whole game plan changed. Go slower. More structure. I even did a slide show that I thought would be the kiss of death but instead it made the kids sit up and think--the slide show featured the Maine Learning Results and what they should know and be able to do by the end of the unit. This clear direction up front has made the first two classes extremely engaging, structured, and even a little fun (one student pointed out Neruda was too fun--in a nice way telling me it was too loosely structured).
Once again, I am learning in ways unexpected. So that is good.
But still. This class is exhausting.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
