Remember to get rid of blogger menu bar on your blogs

Here are some setting points.... the last video shows you how to take away the bar on a newly created blog.  

• Making Blog

• Posting Pictures to Blog Post

• Changing Blog Settings

• Editing page

This is the code.... you past

<style>
	#navbar-iframe {
	height:0px;
	visibility:hidden;
	display:none;
	}
	</style>

Mr. CEU's Intro/Ch.1 Discussion Starter

Two points from what I read stood out for me personally. The first was how the author moved from his office job and started working as a motorcycle mechanic. My interests correspond with his, as I've considered looking into becoming an Electrician and also into tinkering in Small Engine repair on the side, just coming home from school, heading to the garage and problem solving that machine. But I lack the skill or courage to so, especially with a family relying on me for supper. And at 40? But, I never felt so relaxed as during the Summers when I was landscaping, designing and sculpting people's overgrown yards. I tried to start it up here, but the demand for it seems limited in this area.

The other point I found interesting was how more and more schools are looking to push kids into college and phasing out industrial arts. I went to high school in a affluent suburb of Portland and that's exactly how it was. The only students who were ever encouraged to look into the trades or craft fields were those students who didn't do as well in academic classes. That's too bad because as I said above, had I ever been introduced to a trade, I likely would have gone in that direction. But, because the pressure from the community was to push as many students as possible into college, we were discouraged from those options. And this was back in the late 80's.

Happy 4th! Take some time

To my strand take some time off! You had a lot of info during this last week.

Enjoy some time off!

Mr. CEU's Proposal Link

I created my proposal on my google docs and when I went to copy and paste it to this blog, it wouldn't. So, here is the link you can click in order to view my proposal.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kntNDUS14kDcXrWOOiW9gn1grZdhV-N-Dt1ZfMuN8l8/edit

Lindsay's Plan

I would like to create a Pathway in Educate for a math unit that has the capacity matrix, tasks, assessment options, video tutorials (made by me), and a list of extra resources all available in one place. A pathway in Educate is a way to show the entire scope of a unit at the beginning and allow learners to personalize their learning progression based on the given learning targets. Teachers, advisors, parents, and students can login at any point and see what learning targets have already reached proficiency and what is the next task. Students can also submit their pieces of evidence electronically so that they are linked and archived to specific learning targets, automatically creating a digital portfolio.

 

Transparency is acheived through my Pathway because learners and parents will be able to see how every component of a unit helps us achieve the end goal. Learners will also be able to gain independence through reverse teaching by utilizing the resources within the pathway. I will create my own videos/screen-casts that introduce/re-teach material for learners and be available at all times along with other resources I have found (as well as other students have found and student created exemplars). Students will also be able to make informative decisions when it comes to voice and choice because they will be able to see how their choices effect their individual learning progression. Learners will be able to make daily and long-term goals based on the pathway and learning targets.

 

Parents and learners will be able to login to Educate and see our pathway. Other teachers who have access to Educate will have access to our pathway (I also have access to the public pathways for more resources). Educate is a closed system, so only school districts that have purchased the program have access to the database.

 

Project Plan for Keith's Strand

Transparency

Last year I had a "picture timeline" on one of the big bulletin boards in the classroom. This was a great feature because it documented the different activities we did all year. After seeing the ITSVMS blogs, I would like to try to turn the "picture timeline" into a classroom blog. When it is up and running (hopefully) I envision a different student each day (on a rotation) writing a post at the end of the day about something that stuck with them that day. I would also like to have the camera out daily(?) so that each day could have pictures and/or video to accompany it (including student work).

Reverse Teaching

Idea 1: Accelerated Math

This year is going to be my first year of teaching an accelerated math class. I like the idea of using these kids as resources for other students (I have been teaching a Title 1 math class for the last 2 years). I also like David's idea of having students watch Khan Academy, then trying to work through the material, with me as a last resort. 

Idea 2: Career Unit

A project that I do with my 5th graders is a career project. I've done this at the end of the year for the past 2 years, but this year I'm planning on doing it in the beginning of the year. Part of their project is to create a presentation. This year I had all the students follow me step-by-step as I created an example on the Promethean Board. This worked well, but I was definitely holding kids back as I pulled the slower ones along. If I created videos of how to put together the presentation, kids could work at their own pace. I could do this using Quicktime screencast or have a kid record me as I'm doing it. 

*I hope these ideas are on the right track!

Project Plan for Keith's Strand

Tranparency

Plan Project

I am going to start a blog for my students, parents, and even the community to go to. I plan on posting pictures/videos each week to show what my students are learning and to show their work. I also want to import google calendars to keep parents informed/reminded of field trips, units of study, homework, and school calendar. There will be a place for different links/documents for parents and students to access, such as blank reading logs, our schedule, and lesson hints/help.  I want my students to post what they have learned each week. I would rotate them every week to create a post. I also want students to take pictures during the week of their learning to put on the blog. 

Reverse Teaching

I would like to record lessons of me teaching as well as students teaching. This can be used as a way to teach a lesson to the class, a reteaching tool, a way to access my instruction when there is a sub, and for students/parents to access from home. Students will hopefully be involved in the recording.