Wrapping Up

I had an interesting talk with one of my older girlfriends and the topic came to education. Seems she was talking with another friend and the friend thought that students grades should be posted outside the room demonstrating if the teacher had done a good job teaching. I then went on to explain about our seventh grade class this year. I have never met a class that had so many issues - issues that leave thinking about education in the dust. Homelessness, parents incarcerated, life threatening health problems.... too many to count. I asked what she thought posting the grades would mean to those kids. Oh, she said. The point is, too many people are judging and making decisions about education without actually knowing what is going on in a real classroom. Fine, you want to compare us to China - then stop cutting our funding! Make education a priority such as China does. China does not have as many reform programs to deal with - seems every time we turn around there's NCLB, RTI, etc.... then give us the money to implement these programs! Make sure the federal government supplies the funds it is suppose to - like for special ed! China tracks their students - we do not for the most part. I invite any legislature member into a school for a week and truly see what goes on. Do we judge other professionals like this?

Science and Inquiry Project

Just completed my first inquiry project with my science students. The premise for this came from one of our initial readings at the beginning of the course. Or maybe last semester - came from a class anyway. The students had to focus on a different type of writing(and I do mean write!) at least for science - analyze, predict, connect - the whole thing. I recently also attended a seminar at Colby on science and science notebooks that linked literacy. While I think there is definitely room for improvement in the approach for my students that I used I know I am very glad about finally getting started on this process. I can definitely see how these are all connected (literacy, science, inquiry, notebooks) and the bonus, at least as far as administration is concerned, should lead to better comprehension in writing come test time. Course, the really bonus is how, what, and why students are learning and the connections. Over the summer I will be revamping my science units to include this process throughout the year.

Technology and the middle school

Let's face it - our students are more likely to be more technology savy than we are. Texting, emailing, twittering, instant message, facebook, my space - they all know how to use these systems. Do I? No. My two sons do - and I occasionally check out their facebook and myspace accounts. We talk about them and how to be safe - not only with our personal being but what he send out in the written form as well. I'm thinking not a lot of parents do this - little Susy or Johnny has a computer in their room and parents do not check in. As an educator I am very aware of how technology is a must for the middle school classroom - jobs for my students probably haven't even been invented yet - and most likely will involve technology. It's how the world is growing. I know I want to prepare my students as much as I possibly can. In previous blogs I mentioned even though I thought I was doing a lot in my science class with the use of technology I realized, sadly, that I wasn't. I am trying to focus getting more technology into my classroom if it is indeed the best way (tool) for that lesson or lessons. I have an upper classman who is going to be coming into my science class to teach my students how to work iphoto, adding text, and audio as well. Now I discovered this student's talent when the student asked me to view a segment on her facebook account. The student did a great job - the problem being it had personal information not only about herself but her friends and family as well. While I told her it was great in the next breath I said what she did was pretty dangerous. I then, during my planning period, called her mother and praised her for her work but also discussed the perils of having something so personal on facebook. The mother had seen the video but admitted she never thought of the consequences. When this student comes into my classroom to demonstrate how to do this she will also be talking about safety. Sometimes a message is heard better from a peer than from an adult. My students are also learning how to blog - and I will have an upper classman talk about safety again as well as how to blog - speaking from her own experience. I'll let you know how this peer teaching goes!

Middle level certification

Totally off topic for this week but I just had to get on my soapbox for a moment or two. Middle level educators - are you really? I hope one day teachers that teach at the middle level have to have a middle level certification - and not by some phony means such as the State of Maine did with having teachers become HQ by HOUSSE. Certification by classwork would be a good start. Teaching and understanding the middle schoolers is different than teaching and understanding first grade but yet many fail to recognize this - and yes, I mean fellow colleagues. We have to be trained/schooled to teach math, science, social studies, and ELA at the middle level - wouldn't it be fair to say we need to know about the group we want to instruct? Even RTI - this looks different at the third grade level than it does at the middle school level. I mean - look at this scenario - the students are misbehaving - being talkative and not on task. The teacher states "I've had it" and walks out the door leaving the students with an ed tech. The teacher comes back in 10 minutes later and instructs the students to get a dictionary down and they are writing words and definitions out of the dictionary for their punishment. Hmmmm.....The students were 7th grade students and the teacher, who is almost done in her masters for counseling none the less - let's look at this. I see issues with classroom management for one - is this the student's fault? Instead of looking at the whole picture let's punish the little buggers! After all - I'm in charge! This is just a key example of where education of the teacher regarding middle level learners would come in handy. And yes, sadly, this a true scenario. And I think it should be required for all middle level educators to take classes, at least once a year, on a topic relating to this learning group. This is a make or break area for so many students - anyone can teach to the best and the brightest - but who's going to help the student that's not the best and brightest? Give him/her more words to copy out of the dictionary? Enough of a soapbox for today!

Kids Who Are Different

Here's to the kids who are different,
The kids who don't always get A's,
The kids who ears twice the size of their peers,
And noses that go on for days....

Here's to the kids who are different,
The kids they call crazy or dumb,
The kids who don't fit, with the guts and the grit,
Who dance to a different drum...

Here's to the kids who are different,
The kids with the mischievous streak,
For when they have grown, as history's shown,
It's their difference that makes them unique!

Digby Wolfe

Wormeli's book - Fair Isn't Always Equal

I've always been a big believer in the saying "being equal isn't always fair and being fair isn't always equal." Too many times people in general - including teachers - want to put that square peg in that round hole and then wonder why it doesn't fit. They call that square peg lazy, unmotivated, refuse to learn, anything to take the focus off what really is happening and that is not recognizing that square peg for what he/she is. I love differentiated teaching/learning as it goes along with "all children can learn - just not all the same way." Multiple intelligence is great! Because of this - I have been enjoying Wormeli's book. I'm looking into the student self-assessment and thinking about how I can incorporate this into my mini-unit on Global Warming to celebrate Earth Day. Hmmmm. When I think about grades I try to keep the differentiated thought in focus - my work never goes down to zero - usually the grade starts at 40 to 50 unless they do not pass it in - which I currently give a zero to. But I'm going to rethink that. On page 102 I enjoyed how grading was broken down into 6 categories. The last three - motivate, punish - I'm going to motivate you so I'm going to punish you. In the middle school I see just the opposite results - students get discouraged. To sort students - what! into ability? That's really good for the self esteem too! NOT! My students are not penalized for handing in their homework late as I agree with Ellen Berg on page 104 - I want them to learn from their homework - not just get it in on time. All of this being said - we had a professional development day the other week working on the mission/focus of our school. Our facilitator started a web in the middle of a HUGE piece of paper about issues facing our school. Interesting that the other colleague that I have issues with wrote "clear, consistent rules for all with equal consequences for all." I'm not sure the square peg fits in that - do you?

Teaching The Best Practice Way Chapt. 8

I love integrated units - the science units I have developed integrate social studies (including LD291), Math, and ELA. I want my students to make connections across the disciplines so I work hard with my other team members to do this. One of the quotes that I enjoyed, and agree with completely is "Life is holistic." As the reading points out - life is not compartmentalized - as adults we have to know how to blend all we know. One thing that did distress me greatly, however, was the reference on page 272 to (2) very inappropriate reading selections for the middle level for pioneer experiences. Anyone with any cultural background would know that both of these books put native americans in a not so positive light. There are many, and I do repeat many, pieces of literature available that are respectful and accurate to all involved. A great book to take the place of Sign of the Beaver is Arrow Over the Door by J. Bruchac. I suggest anyone wanting more information on this go to Oyate.org and check out what they have for suggested readings. That being said, I like the concept of where the curriculum is designed around real concerns students have about themselves and their world. This gives me food for thought this summer as I plan the coming year. I would like to visit the high school the authors refer to that have the integrated units during the year. Two of the projects highlighted were the "Fast Food Nation" and "Show me the money." I am thinking of how I can integrate these two topics into my classes. Great opportunity. And either one could turn into a service project.