All the courses taught in Mrs. Sansonetti-Wood's class are engagement-based and strive to empower the students to think for themselves, dare to be challenged, and create unique and original projects that reflect individual growth.
The classroom is designed as a blended learning environment, in which teachers and students seamlessly integrate traditional means of learning with technological advances. Your student will have choice and flexibility in how they learn, use time, and achieve. There will be transparency in how your student is performing, through Google Drive, PowerSchool, weekly lesson plans/calendars, and other technology platforms. Talk with your student about these opportunities regularly, so you can experience the fun and diversity of learning in our class, too.
Our learning environment is open and honest, and built upon a core foundation of respect and hard work. Classes hit the ground running each day and maximize total use of time, inside and outside of the class. Students can expect that their course will engage them beyond the walls of the classroom and after the bell rings each day. This site will help enable that connection!
How are grades calculated in this class?
We use the “points system” for grading. This means every assignment is assigned a point value, for example homework may be 10 points possible, a quiz could be 15 or 20 points. (refer to the syllabus for routine point values)
You earn a point value based on the requirements of the assignment.
Your grade percentage is calculated by your earned point value divided by the total points possible for the assignment. Your earned points 45 /total assignment points 56 = 80% or B-*
To calculate the 9 weeks grade, the total of YOUR earned points for all the assignments is divided by the TOTAL POINTS possible for ALL assignments. For example, after all assignments are completed, YOU earned 352 total points out of 404 possible. YOUR total earned points 352 / Total points possible for the 9 wks 404 = 87% or B *
If you receive any extra or optional points they will be added to YOUR total points. THE EXTRA POINTS ARE NOT ADDED TO GRADE PERCENTAGES.
*totals used are for example purposes only.
Blended Learning
What is it?
In a blended learning environment the student is at the center of the learning, and the responsibility for achieving learning goals is entirely the student's. Blended learning provides ample opportunity to students to learn and acquire new knowledge and skills. In our class, these opportunities will be delivered through various learning models.
The definition of blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns:
(1) at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace;
(2) at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home;
(3) and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience.
The majority of blended-learning programs resemble one of four models: Rotation, Flex, A La Carte, and Enriched Virtual. - See more at: The Christensen Institute
Kinesthetic Learning
What is it?
Kinesthetic learning occurs as students engage a physical activity: learning by doing, exploring, discovering. Kinesthetic learning is one of four learning styles defined by Neil Fleming and co-workers (see Fleming, N., and Mills, C., 1992, Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection,Published in: To Improve the Academy, Vol. 11, Page 137): visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. (Take the VARK Survey (more info) to see what your learning preferences are!). Although only ~15% of the population is strongly aligned with a kinesthetic learning style preliminary research has shown that kinesthetic learning results in increased learning outcomes for all students (see:Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E., Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning. A systematic and critical review. London: Learning and Skills Research Centre).
"We need to include movement throughout the school day, and we can do so much more than “brain breaks” or getting students to stand during class time. We need to tap into the power of kinesthetic learning to get students physically active in classrooms, literally out of their seats and engaged in vigorous content-related movement." (Kinesthetic Research from Dr. Lodge McCammon) In our class, I will use strategies to get us out of our seats to help encourage brain activity as we learn. One way I will do this is by incorporating the "Walk and Talk" in to our classroom discussions. As you can see by the image to the right how alive our brains are after 20 minutes of walking. Now, we will not be able to walk for 20 minutes each class but we can incorporate movement so we are not just "sitting quietly."
What Happens to Our Brains When We Exercise, Fast Company
The Power of Movement in the Classroom, Education Weekly
Technology
What technology will be used?
Every student is issued a Chromebook or the student can chose to bring in his/her own device (following district guidelines).
We will use District Resources like Google Apps for Education, Google Classroom, WeVideo, Discovery Education Streaming, VoiceThread
Other online resources we will use are, but not limited to
Scoop.it - Bookmarking site.
We will conduct research and reach out to people on Instagram and Twitter for real time events. Students will need an Instagram and twitter account that is education friendly (i.e. an account with posts your parents and grand parents can read). If you as the parent does not allow or want your child to use Instagram or Twitter, please let me know.