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FINAL BLOG POST - OUR "DAILY TRIPLE" (DUE 12/1).
This week I would like you to use your imagination. You have just won the lottery and will leave your teaching post immediately to travel around the world. As you leave your keys you meet your replacement. You are asked to give this new teacher just ONE piece of advice. What would that be, and why? Enjoy your world expedition!

Blog Post - Week 7
This past week in my own teaching I felt a little disconnected which prompts my question to you, "What was the moment (or moments) when I felt most disconnected or disengaged as a teacher - the moment(s) I said to myself, I'm just going through the motions here?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 6
For the past couple of weeks you have experienced asynchronous online learning (doing modules by yourself). Previously this semester you have experienced synchronous online learning (all together in the Collaborate room). Which do you think is more effective and why do you think that? Which do you like better, and why?

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 5
This week we have what we call "open mic." You can write a post about anything related to your teaching that you would like responses from your classmates.

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 4
Here is this week's question: "What was the event that most took me surprise this week - and event that shook me up, caught me off guard, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 3
Please write a post about the following question, "In thinking about my past week teaching what is one thing I would do differently, and why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 2
Please write a post about the following question, " In thinking about my teaching activities this past week, of what do I feel most proud? Why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 1
Describe something you used in your program in the first weeks of school that you learned in the summer NTI program. How did it work? Did it get you off to a stronger start than last year?

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Where do their brain cells go?

As much as I needed a week off to catch my breath and recooperate from pneumonia, I am not sure that a week off was the best idea for our students. Maybe I came from a strange world where education was important to my family. My mother made my brother and I read and review during every break we had from school, summer included. There was absolutely no forgetting what we had learned allowed.
Upon returning to classes on Monday I was greeted with blank stares as I reminded my students that "in our last class we discussed........". I was shocked. What had they been doing over break? Did they give one thought to their studies knowing that they would eventually return to school? So I spent a class period reviewing......no reteaching.....because not only had they forgotten eveything but they couldn't find their notebooks or their notes to refresh their memories.
As a Healthcare Science teacher and one that has a fairly good grasp of Anatomy I wonder.........Where do their brain cells go?

3 comments:

mikem said...

Jan, I don't believe its the lack of brain cells as it is an interest in retention of educational information. I do a recap at the beginning of every class from yesterdays lesson. It is amazing what they don't remember and even as simple as what was the lesson was about. Mondays are the worse for trying to remember from last week Friday. It might as well have been 10 years ago for them to remember that information. Repetition is the answer with my students right now. I also give them the information in small bits with lots of small quizzes in between to reinforce it. Good Luck, your not alone!
Mike M.

Natalie said...

The students remembering things seems to go in waves. Some days, when I review at the beginning of class the students are on top of their game, but there are other times, they I don't feel like they even attended the class the day before. I'm a little nervous to see how the upcoming graduation tests, proms, Spring Break and end of course testing is going to affect the students performance in the classroom. I'll just keep trying to work at making it very interesting for them so it will make it easier to remember.

BNaymick said...

Brain cells vs technology? I think with all the advancements in technology, we as teachers, find our backs against the walls trying to compete with technology. Our students are faced head on everyday with high tech gadgets. Can we compete? I think if I could teach strictly with text messaging, my students would remember and comprehend better. Students seem to be able to remember everyone's My Space account names, cell pohone numbers and e-mails addresses, but they can't remember the parts of a human cell and their functions. So I think it's brain cells vs technology.
You are not alone