After a relatively “short” summer, school begins on Thursday. I’m truly excited to start this year off with a bang. Just like every December 31st, I tend to make some new school year resolutions.
- I want to be more organized in everything I do.
- I want to be more patient.
- I want to be more clear in my instructions.
- I want to become a better planner.
- I want to give myself more time to turn lessons into masterpieces.
- I want to use technology without any limitations.
I’m sure there are some more, but they have escaped me. I guess that means that resolution #4 is already broken.
Let’s Roll!!
gdgt.com is a great site for all those crazy about gadgets. You can create your profile and keep track of all the gadgets you have or had. I even put old school nintendo on there!!(mint condition – no blowing in the cartridge needed) You can note which gadgets you want in the future and read reviews about them. Oh and for you folks that like telling everyone which gadgets you had or have, why not get this handy-dandy widget for the sidebar of your blog…just a suggestion.
I had to write this down, otherwise I might forget it. I’m a big sports fan. Not HUGE, just big. I like watching ESPN when I can. SportsCenter, Around the Horn, and PTI. The guys (and gals) on SportsCenter are absolutely hilarious. (I hung out with Neil Everett one night and tried to convince him to give me a shout out on SportsCenter or work me into one of his catch phrases…”Bartender…Makers Mark!!” But that’s beside the point) Around the Horn has an outstanding array of panelists hosted by a fellow New Jersyan, Tony Reali.
But, Pardon the Interruption takes the cake. This is a sports talk show hosted by two sports reporters, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. What makes this show great is the back and forth that Tony and Mike have. They almost never agree and almost always argue over the current news stories. Many times it’s as if one of the two hosts takes the opposing side just to start an argument. Apparently, arguments make for good TV.
The show is usually broken up in different segments. There is a Headlines segment where the hosts run down 5 or 6 of the top sporting news stories. Each story is talked about for only 1:30 minutes. The next segment is called Five Good Minutes. This is where they spend 5 minutes talking to a sports figure, sports writer, or analyst. The third segment various between a few different segments. Sometimes its Odds Makers where the hosts place certain odds on future sporting outcomes. There is also Role Play. In this segment they hold a face on a stick in front of their face and “act the part.” Psychic Hotline is where the hosts predict what will happen. During Over/Under the hosts argue whether a sports figure will go over or under a specific numbered stat. And Good Cop/Bad Cop is where the hosts are forced to take opposing sides of an argument.
T
hat brings me to my idea. I want to hold a PTI episode in my classroom. I will give each student a partner (or two) and a run-down of the topics they will discuss. They must keep the conversation going for the full minute and a half. Then when the buzzer rings, they move on to the next topic. The goal is to talk intellectually about the topic.
For the second segment, they’ll have to interview a historical figure. They will have a list of questions they would like to ask. Of course, someone will have to play the role of that historical figure.
Segment three is where they’ll have a chance to pick one of the options explained above. For Odds Makers I would ask them questions like: What are the odds that Rome will fall? or What are the odds that Alexander the Great will conquer the world? For Over/Under I’ll ask them questions like: Over/Under: 50 years to build a pyramid….or Over/Under: 199 years of peace and prosperity for the Roman Empire.
I want them to recreate the show. Every segment. From Headlines to Happy Time.
What I like about the show is what I want to achieve in my classroom. Have the students think about issues with a different lens. Force them to take the other side. The side that they are not comfortable with. The side that sticks up for the bad guy. In my opinion, if they can argue both sides of an issue, then they truly know the material.
Now I just have to figure out how to assess the activity.
I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. By the Spring of 2010 I should have my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and hold a Supervisor’s Certificate. Shortly after that, I’ll take a few more classes to get my Principal’s Certificate. I honestly do not see myself as a Principal yet. I truly love the classroom. I have fun every day I go into “work.” I wonder if I’ll get sick of the classroom…I hope not. As for now, I’ll just complete my graduate classes and take it one year at a time.
Just made a crappy graph. Thinking about using this graphic for a paper I’m writing about turning reluctant learners into inspired learners.
As the year comes to a close, I’ve already started my list of things to do for next year. I’m continually thinking about how I can make things better or be more prepared for something the second time I do it. Here’s a brief list of things I’d like to accomplish next year.
1. During Open House: Explain to parents the importance of technology.
2. Opening Activity: Push-pins on a big Map (Where are you from? Bring an artifact from your culture)
3. Things to establish immediately: podcast, wiki, student blogs
4. Things to use more often: Desk maps, S.S. journal
5. Things to start using: voicethread, flip video
6. Things to make better: classroom blog, Investors club
I’ll probably add more as the summer continues, but I think this is a good start.
In my first attempt to bring stop motion to my classes, I’ve had mixed results. Some worked really hard and other worked really fast. Some groups paid attention to detail and others worked really fast. Some groups took hundreds of pictures and other groups worked really fast. I guess the key to success in this project was patience.
Those groups who took their time with taking pictures, setting the figures, writing the script, timing the scene, and narrating their scene had the most success and ultimately the better grade.
Groups who worked too fast through the project and didn’t care about the intricate details produced a lesser quality video.
Before groups were allowed to hand in their project I asked them three questions:
1. Can I hear your voice?
2. Can I understand your voice?
3. Does your voice match up with your animation?
Even though some groups answered “yes” to all of these questions, there could still be some issues with the animation. Not enough pictures would create a more “choppy” animation. If a group didn’t use a tripod or a stabling device, animations would create a “cloverfield effect.” If they’ve forgotten to include the “history” piece of their project, then their grade will suffer.
All in all, I feel the kids really enjoyed the project. I think I’ll do something like this next year, but maybe on a smaller scale.
As of today, there are only a few project finished, but I just couldn’t wait to share. Here is an example of a group that, for the most part, took their time with the project.
Just came across this sweet. addicting game. All you have to do is build a bridge. This takes some math and engineering knowledge. If your bridge isn’t stable enough, it will fall. Try it out.
