The game plan is still going

This week is going like it should. It was short and almost everyone was able to be in class to listen to what I had to talk about. The focus was about a test that they will be taking when they come back from break as well as their project that is coming up very soon. Many didn't like the sound of the project, but as they begin to realize that it will all be done in parts as the weeks go by, they seem to have less frustration about it. They also see that after an assignment is handed in and graded, it can be corrected before it is put into their project. This way when it comes around to the grading for the project, there is not excuse for it not being perfect if not close to perfect. For those students who say their teacher doesn't like them and that is why they are failing, I can just laugh and show their parents what work is being done and no effort to improve it when it is a freebe.

Most of the information that I need is available on the internet, so that isn't a problem for me. The students seem to be paying more attention to me since they need to have this information before they do their project incorrectly. I tried to make the students feel more welcome in the class by not going hard on them for their projects. I took parts out so that it would be shorter for me, (I didn't tell them that) and they liked it. This will help with the relationship a little I think. I have learned that students are willing to listen if they fear they might fail a project with heavy grade weight. I think it will put them on a different level in their perspective. I wonder how this will all work out in a few weeks when they all get frantic?

The most helpful way that students can be in this lesson is just sitting there quietly and thinking for a few minutes. Being creative and thinking about what can be done and how to do it is the way in which the project begins. Before something can be built or made, it has to be planned out to make sure it will work. Even then it won't work sometimes. Then it is back to the thinking process to try to figure out how to fix the problem. The only resources that I can think of at the moment will be a computer for the internet so the students can search for something that interests them. They will figure out how to make that product better for future use while thinking about it in class. I will have to figure out more info about how this will all go down and more about what they should be looking for. The main learning style will be with the students being on their own or in small groups while working on the project. Collaboration and independent thinking will be the main focus that I will be looking at.

Game Plan

With a visit to the ISTE, there are two standards that I would like to keep up with. The first comes from the student learning and creativity section. This standard states that I will promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. I feel that I meet this in my lessons since that is what I expect from my students. I try to teach them to think outside of the box and come up with ideas that they can build on. Being creative helps when a student grows up as well. They can think on their own and come up with solutions to problems that they may encounter in their daily life.



Another standard that comes to mind is engaging students in real world issues and solving authentic problems. I have a fun time doing this with the students. I try to get them to think like they would when the get older and expose them to some of the ways of the world and how things work. Some do quite well with this, while others don't understand much at all.





Goals: I would like to try to get more student interaction in the classroom while talking about ideas and thinking in abstract ways. I feel that I do most of the talking and give many of the ideas that are discussed. If students put forth more effort, I think it will benefit them in the long run.


Action: I will make it mandatory for students to engage in the lesson. Putting them in groups might allow for more interaction between students since they might feel more comfortable. This will help those who have ideas communicate with others who don't to help them out. Sometimes it is hard to come up with ideas at first until you hear a few to go off of.


Monitor: I will have to take a minute at the end of the class to write down on paper for future reference how the class went. Did the group work pan out or should the students work on their own? I will have to compare and contrast how the period went and go from there.


Evaluate: Looking back at my notes, I will have to decide whether or not I have met my goal for the lesson. If I had more student interaction while the lesson not going as well as I would have wanted might not be a bad thing. At least I would get students to participate more and that is a part of what I wanted. Not everything can be perfect, so I will settle for what I get.




Information retrieved from the National Educational Standards For Teachers (NETS-T)http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf..