Project Plan(s) Proposals

Idea 1

Idea 1 will focus on helping the students learn the history and key ideas focusing on constellations and galaxy formation/motion.

Transparency

How do I plan to implement transparency.

• The students will do a number of activities to help model constellations and learn some of the common constellations.   Students will upload images from their constellation activities into their Final Product Blog (they will use eBogger - we have an Googles apps for all students).  Some examples would be:
• 3-D Constellation
• Constellation Cookies
• Creative Skywheels.
• The other major level would be the final products. The students will create a Glogster on their assigned constellation.  The Glosters they create will be linked on Moodle and on the Final Project Blog.

Access:  Students (classwide); Parents; Administration; final Glogsters will be featured on the class webpage (community & world)

Reverse Teaching

• All content on constellations will be found on the web and viewed through podcasts and web based resources. I will provide in-class activities and group discussions to help reinforce the concepts.
• In the past I have demoed all the tech programs.  I am planning on creating instructional tutorials (or find) on Glogster & eBlogger.  The students will learn how to use these resources through these tutorials and resources with time to practice and refine their techniques.

Idea 2

Idea 2 focuses on the learning key concepts associated with the moon, lunar travel and lunar history.  I plan to use Moonbase Alpha for this.

Transparency

• Students will post their progress on how successful they are with their missions through the blog.  They will use screenshots to help validate their posts.  The lesson plan questions will be answered here.
• Students will create their final moonbases and reports using Glogster. They will build their moonbase using Google Sketchup. The links to the glogs will be looked to the class Moodle and their blog.

Access:  Students (classwide); Parents; Administration; final Glogsters will be featured on the class webpage (community & world)

Reverse Teaching

• The students will learn how to play Moonbase Alpha through tutorials and the use of the instruction manual.
• The students will learn how to use sketchup through the use of tutorials and guided activities.
• The students will access information about the moon and moonbases through video tutorials, web resources and podcasts.

The CraveWright machine in action.

Flip your classroom through reverse instruction by John R. Sowash

Our focus this week has been on Reverse Instruction and Transparent teaching.  Kelley has been modeling his classroom style.  I found this article which I thought presented the same idea in a more traditional classroom setting.  Thought I would share.  :)

Flip your classroom through reverse instruction by John R. Sowash

One Size Will NEVER Fit All

Never in a million years did I think I'd be handling power tools, making robots, and designing a house at school. Actually, I never imagined myself using a chop saw ... ever. (Will come in handy this fall when we redo our floors!) 

This morning as Commissioner Bowen mentioned the schools that are a part of the Cohort for Customized Learning, it really put together some of the pieces that I hadn't yet heard from my school, which happens to be one of the districts included. This fall I will be piloting a vertical team and teaching Language Arts and Social Studies to a mixed classroom of seventh and eighth graders. (Maybe even some bright sixth grade kids who, at their own pace, become proficient at the standards they're working on.) I'm not skeptical of the idea, in fact I'm more than excited. Although I know that in any given classroom you've got 25 kids at all different levels, the intentions of the vertical team at my school is to bring that number to maybe 25 kids at four or five similar levels. Still, am I supposed to cut myself into five different pieces to teach five different levels in one fifty minute class? Teaching eighth grade (and I'm crossing my fingers for seventh!), as we mentioned in class, they're a little more independent. Or, they can become so through modeling, practice, and good management.

Here's where I can take a number of the things we've learned about reverse and transparent teaching this week into consideration. Posting videos for kids to watch at home or in their study hall (which falls at the end of the day - perfect!) demonstrating skills, instructions or even lectures as they return the following day ready to do more hands on, interactive activities. Allowing students to teach one another when they've finished or are advanced at something (on my four point rubric, being able to teach someone else that skill earns you a four - going from proficient to exceeds). Using Edmodo and Google Docs to create a classroom where students, parents, and even other (reluctant to use technology - maybe I can convince them!) teachers can interact, stay in contact, and explore what we're doing.

School, really, is the only place where we base everything upon age. In my work, do I work with people my age? Maybe a few, but most are quite older. Is this model really preparing kids for their future? Instead of being the traditional teacher who stands in front of the room and everyone faces foward, listens, and takes notes, I'd rather be the guide, challenging my students in real life situations which I know they'll face some day. Why waste their time (and my own) teaching the things they already know? Instead, we'll take pre-assessments, find out where our kids are at, regroup them based on "levels," and finally allow them to become proficient (or even master) certain skills. One size doesn't fit all. It never will.

I was really pleased to learn about some things this week that I can actually take with me and use in my own classroom. The workshops I took were relevant to what I actually do as a teacher. This is what we need to do for kids, too. Make learning important, relevant, and realistic. 

Carvewright technology was the subject of today's strand.  We watched a video tutorial that showed us how to use the carvewright machine and software and we were heavily supported by two over achieving 8th graders from Somerset Valley Middle School.  This project also springboarded us into the use of orbital sanders, compound miter saws and routers.  We just scratched the surface in terms of what the software is capable of and we learned some of the limitations of the machine.  Font is critical  when dealing with softwood projects, i.e. pine, spruce, cedar.  Understanding spacially what the picture/font will look like and will the routering and cutting effect the final product?

Very engaging, great job Keith!!

I used a chop saw for the first time today! This workshop has included a lot of new experiences for me. I didn't really think that I would be capable of using power tools mostly due to my clumsy nature. It has been a very empowering experience. I've stepped outside of my comfort zone this week, and in the process I've found that I'm capable of more than I realized. I'm including a before and after picture of my sign.

I had a great time learning about SketchUp.  I think the coolest aspect about learning how to use this tool was in the way we did it - Self discovery.  I typically deliver content using podcasts but I often show the kids how to use a "tool" like this.  Learning how to do this on your own was really helpful and I think important for the kids to undertsand.  They are so used to the "teacher" telling them what to do.  NEATO