(Sorry, I'm working on seeing what it's like to be self-important and bombastic. How'm I doin'?)
Anyway ... I really don't like to talk about myself, but I am proud of some of the things I've accomplished. Like eating a Skyline Chili jumbo 3-way, four chili-cheese sandwiches, and then another regular 3-way.
Okay, my friend Joel Briner did that on a dare by me (and I had to pay for it all since I lost the bet), but I always wished I could accomplish such a thing.
What I have accomplished in my teaching career is create meaningful, innovative ways to get students to invent, to explore, to collaborate. My biggest accomplishment so far was a student-centered project at Amelia High School where my students reported on high-school life in today's world after the Columbine killings. This project, which then was featured in Time magazine, had college-prep level freshmen discussing and analyzing their world around them. (P.S. I'm a big fan of Time and I like students to read the articles/stories. Here's the website! http://www.time.com/time/)
Anyway, my students had to choose a topic (e.g. the high-school curriculum; how we should handle troubled students; whether we're pushing our best and brightest too hard; school security; etc.) and then go interview students, teachers, administrators, parents, etc., to see how this issue affects everyone.
While I loved the conversations my students were having, I secretly wished my students could have delved deeper into the subject matter. Whatever topic each individual chose actually was examined anecdotally: for instance, I didn't have students do research and come up with national statistics to add depth to the story; or, students weren't able to to scientific research (a poll of all high school students, for instance).
Students also struggled in getting interviews for the story. They tried to find students affected by whatever topic they were discussing, but it was tough for my students to find time/access to other students to get the "best" student.
And, of course, once my students left my classroom for the day, it was difficult for us to contact each other as they went through this very new process for them of interviewing/gathering data and then reporting.
The NETS T1 standard (which you can find here - http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf - focuses on several aspects that would have helped with this assignment (which I still do, albeit a truncated version due to Mason's trimester schedule). One indicator in particular stands out:
d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual
environments
I know, if my students had the ability to use wikis/blogs, they could have collaborated with me/each other to find the best sources, to conduct polls, to ask questions on how to be more successful with their reporting.
My mentioning of this assignment, really, is because this assignment is a symbol of what is lacking in my class: collaboration. My class periods are filled with so much. My students will tell you that I'm always squeezing every last second of that period. I can count on one hand the number of times I've finished a lesson before the bell rings. And yet, what seems to get pushed aside in my quest to throw so much at my students is the chance for my students and me to collaborate on their work. This give and take is necessary; and, even more, I love when my students and I reflect on what works and doesn't work in literature and their writing. Too much, I feel, of the class is them performing and then me evaluating, without opportunity for us to share and reflect (because we have to move move move to the next thing). And so, indicator d) and indicator c) (below) ...
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning,
and creative processes
are areas where I absolutely need to improve. Now, finding the time in the classroom to do this collaboration ... that's another story. And so, as I've said in my other blogs, I think wikis/blogs are the way to go.
One idea I had in class last week dealt with the journals my students write. My students love to journal, but it's tough, if not impossible, for me to respond to every journal. But what if I had students post their journals and let me and students collaborate/reflect on their own writing and the writing of others? That way, my students are hearing from me, but they also get feedback from 25 other voices - so many varied opinions that can lead to deeper thought on the content and the structure of the students' writing.
One final thing: I've been really trying to work on not reinventing the wheel. I typically have an idea and think I have to create it all myself, instead of seeing if someone out there has already done what I've created (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). So, in that spirit, I've been searching for the use of wikis by English teachers. For instance, I've looked on the NCTE website http://www.ncte.org/ for somewhere around 52 hours, and I can't find anything. It's been a frustrating search!
Katie, if you read this, any ideas on where I could look?
Anyway, that's all for now.
Toodles!
Posts
Fred,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout-out in your post (ha ha)!! The project you did at Amelia High School sounds amazing. I was in eighth grade (ironically, the grade I now teach) when the Columbine tragedy occurred, and I would have loved the opportunity to do some "in the field" research and writing. What a fabulous project for your high school students!
I'm also with ya on not reinventing the wheel (see my most recent post). It seems like you prefer to create your own assessments and investigations, but as a newer teacher, I come from the other school of thought. (I beg, borrow, and steal at all costs!! :)) Unfortunately, I have not conducted any of my own research on English/Language Arts classroom wikis, but I really think the best resource would be your building-level technology coordinator (Randy Doughman or another technology coordinator @ MHS??).
He/She might be able to hook you up with some research on using blogs and wikis in the classroom, and at worst, he/she could show you how to use the Discussion Board feature on EdLine.
Additionally, I know that two Language Arts teachers in my building use wikis for their classrooms. They are Rachel Burns and Dawn Lanzarotta. I'll be contacting them most likely to get their input on how they use the wikis in their 7th grade L.A. classrooms, and when I do, I can surely forward on my findings. (That might be in the coming weeks, however.)
Thanks for sharing!! :)
-- Katie
Fred,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your statement about feeling that much of your classroom instruction involves students performing and you evaluating. I also agree that a Wikispace may be the solution to reducing this student-teacher relationship. I think the national techology standard involving student collaboration also connects to the English Language Arts standard that promotes student collaboration through different types of media. I just created a private Wikispace through Wikispaces.com. I think you have the ability to use your technology coordinator to create a space for your classroom. I'll definitely be shadowing your blog postings for updates on your investigation.
Fred, I wish I could help you out but I am still looking for telephone books so I can see over my "dashboard". Seriously, technology allows for so much but don't get too distracted by the fact that you and your students aren't "networking" effectively. I believe English is the one area where teacher-to-student is the most important aspect of learning. Writing is so idividualistic that no matter how many different styles of writing you sample, you are still going to go back to the one that is the most comfortable-your own. You need an effective and nurturing teacher to understand and develop one's own writing style.
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