Post date: Nov 05, 2011 6:40:48 AM
Happy Friday All!
First off, I want to thank the kids, colleagues, parents, secretaries and substitues of DCS that stepped up to implement the lesson plans and make each day productive and positive. When I got back to class on Thursday morning, the kids and I discussed the schedule as it occurred and compared it to the schedule planned -- a perfect match. My trip to Oregon was valuable and timely. I stayed in the hospital with my dad for 4 days and nights (although it was hard to distinguish between them after a while) and then helped with the transition to home care. It was an emotional, impacting, and exhausting experience and yet I know that it will not necessarily be the last of its kind. My appreciation is deep for all who have offered their support and stories of understanding.
Recap of the week:
English: This week marked the onset of a mini-unit on non-fiction. The kids read an article on Sarah Winchester ("Whispers from the Grave"), and filled out a worksheet that helped them analyze the format and features of non-fiction writing. Thursday they began working on the creation of an informational article of their own, the process for which is on a page of my website. The timeline, topics, and constraints are/will be posted there as the project develops.
Book Club groups spent their time in a writer's workshop format, working on final improvements for their final Terabithia essays. Four students, one adult, and a reasonable assignment... it seems like a recipe for great learning. The beneficial results of that process were completely dependent upon each student's level of preparedness, so for those who didn't have a draft to review the time was wasted. It bothers me and some of the parents who facilitate reading groups, that some students don't take advantage of the resources available to them and live up to their obligations to do assigned work in a timely manner as well as one worthy of their pride. I can't imagine another situation that could provide the kind of individual support and interactions that we have at DCS, so it saddens me to see some kids not take advantage of the opportunities for personal challenge and growth. End of scolding.
Science: States of matter and phase change were the topics of the week. The readings, animations, videos, worksheets, and an experiment should have made the topics very understandable. Today the kids assembled their work packets for unit 2 and on Monday they will come home for your review and comment. After that the kids heated ice water and measured the temperature at 30 second intervals as it went through the solid, liquid, and gas phase. When graphed, the data shows that heat energy is absorbed into the phase change at the melting and boiling points, rather than resulting in a temperature rise. Cool.
Since chapter tests were taking almost 20% of class time, I decided to shorten them and/or combine them. The next test is on Wednesday and covers 2 chapters. I have been very impressed by the kids who are learning how to maximize the effectiveness of their reading and note-taking styles and benefit from them. Those skills will serve you well in high school and beyond. Additionally, it is very rewarding to watch the kids during labs as they connect the reading content with the interactional content, ask great questions, and make intelligent connections to real life.
Upcoming Events:
Book groups will be able to choose their own books for this next session, so I'm asking each student to bring in (on Monday) two books that they have read and can recommend to others, We'll narrow those down and make selections. Again, the potential of book clubs is huge, and I hope that we take full advantage of it for the rest of the year.
The next weeks are going to be great, including a holiday on the 11th and a trip to The Tech on the 15th. For the "heumannoids" there will be some lessons on the life of a sailor in the early 1900s as we prepare for the Age of Sail trip at the end of the following week. The kids will learn to tie knots, understand nautical terms, adhere to the regimentation necessary for the time and situation, and appreciate each others strengths. Maria Laughlin and I are building a page on my site that will contain much of the materials, resources, and information needed to be well prepared and get the most from this great trip.
Discussion Starter: I'm noticing an increase in the number of missing assignments each week. A classroom parent writes out a list for each student each week and the number of students receiving such notices is growing as is the the number of assignments on each list. Although assignments are not the mainstay of learning in my class, they do have value and I feel the students should do all the assigned work, to the best of their ability, all the time. Lofty expectations and probably not shared by everyone. What are your thoughts about the importance of the "paperwork" level of schoolwork, and (more importantly) what are the student's, teachers, and and parent's roles/responsibilities in assuring its completion?
Favorite Video of the Day: Reversible Future.
Email Follow-Up Discussion:
One Parent Response:
Handling homework is a life lesson. Jobs have required outcomes. Careers have due dates. Even bills have deadlines. While life should not be driven by details, if they are not attended to, the details will negatively impact your life and ultimately control it. For instance, paying bills! While homework might be viewed as a detail, homework needs to be attended to.
I am pleased that homework is not a mainstay of learning in your class - that is clearly what is demonstrated everyday. Your class is so much more. The amount of homework in your class is very manageable and it seems that there is time in class to work on it for students who have tight schedules.
You make it very simple for students and parents to figure the homework out. Between the wall and the website, the homework can be checked regularly. While sometimes (student) does not know all the elements, I feel that he has enough info to follow-up if necessary. It is getting him to follow-up on his questions instead of shrugging it off that we are still working on.
Some students come out of the womb thinking about and executing deadlines. Others students will duck them forever. Most students are on the continuum between. I think it is our job to move them towards being aware of the requirements and consequences. I think you cannot ignore the rules successfully without being aware of that they are and why - like a great writer ignoring the grammar rules on purpose.
Parents share a responsibility to teach students to understand the consequences of following through. Usually a family has additional levers that can be used. In high school, the consequences of missing homework are tougher. While the weighting is lighter than a test, homework can make the difference between a grade and my sons are finally figuring it out.
Another writes:
You're letting them off too easy by allowing them to take the easy way out with some assignments (my paraphrasing)
My response: This certainly taps into a bigger-picture issue. I perceive a schism developing in the realm of parent expectations around here. Some parents say "raise the bar high and demand timely and worthy performance -- these kids have to be ready for high school", and others say "let the students explore and enjoy at their own pace and don't turn them off to learning -- that is why we are at DCS". Boy, do I wish I could find the healthy balance between those two seemingly contradictory approaches. My personal position is more on the side of the former rather than the latter, but I sure do seem to be pushing water uphill at times.