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?
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Hi Phil
ReplyDeleteIf you can continue to give your students their project work in small, managable chunks, it will run more smoothly. I did a large project with my band kids last month and it took a long time to complete, but the small steps made it better for everyone. Maybe use a checklist like our text authors suggest. (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009) As students complete each task, they know they can move on to the next and see exactly how far they still have to go. I like the idea of a checklist almost more than a Rubric. At least they can gauge where they are in the project and not just know what they have to do to get an "A".
Good luck and keep plugging along!
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Phil,
ReplyDeleteIt seems your students are responding well to this, which is a great sign. They always seem to get a jolt when we come up with something unique and interesting, which makes them perk up and be more involved in general. You also make a great point when you say that fear is a big motivator as well. As long as they know exactly what they have to do and what is expected of them, and you add to that a heavy percentage of their final grade, their output will most likely be satisfactory, at least.
Great job.