Rules For Posting To This Blog and Weekly Blog Question

1. Only use your first name (no last names, addresses, IM screen names, etc.)
2. Show respect and consideration of others when posting and commenting. This includes individuals, students, organizations, political parties, colleagues, etc.
3. Check all posts for spelling and grammar errors before posting.
4. Protect the privacy of others. Gain permission from other people before you write about them. Avoid sharing someone else's last name. Use job titles or pseudonyms when writing about experiences with your co-workers or students.
5. Watch your language. Use politically correct and non-offensive language.
6. Make sure you write about things that are factual.
7. Keep your postings education-oriented. Avoid discussing plans for the weekend, etc.

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, September 20, 2008

What worked and what didn't

Reflecting on the first weeks of school, what has worked the best for me is the monthly assignment of a classroom manager and a public relations manager. On the first day of school, I allowed the students to volunteer as managers. I told them that their learning expereince would be two fold through out the year. They are going to learn about healthcare but they are also going to learn how to function in a work environement and develop their interviewing and leadership skills. Each month I will assign new classroom and public relations manager. Every student will be asked to serve in at least one of these capacities in order to develop their skills. I decided on two managers after hearing from administrative staff that our school's students were highly migratory. Combined with the hear say of the difficulty in conducting classes and catching students up on missed classwork, I felt a need to have a public relations student help out. This student's main responsibilities are to introduce new students, guest speakers and special activities to the class and to assist students who missed classes with obtaining needed materials and updates/notes. My classroom manager assists with distribution of papers, writing information on the board, most recently, getting students on task at the beginning of class and other duties as the need arises!
The one thing that has not worked well is my proper utilization of lesson plans. I thought I could use one set of lesson plans for all of my Intro classes and keep everyone pretty much at the same pace. Fat chance, I did not take into consideraion all of the variables I would encounter from one class to the next. I have learned that smaller classes fly through material and have minimal debates or thoughful insights to vocalize compared to larger classes which will engage you in so many teaching moment converstions that you will fall behind in your lessons. With only a few moments between classes. I have found little time to jot down changes in my plans based on the students' learning for the day. By the end of the day, I have mixed up who was doing what. Recently, I made a checklist of things to cover during the week on the board. Now I try to check off the information as it is covered for a particular class or write changes on the board as the events occur. In this way, I can refer back to the notes at the end of the school day and make my final changes. There ae a number of things that were good and not so good during my first feww week, but overall, the good outway the bad and I look forward to learning more teaching strategies this semester.

1 comment:

Dr. J said...

It's always nice to have an agenda on the board like you have discovered. Then it becomes you and the students partners working against the agenda. Put the best stuff last on the agenda and it helps you move through the items that are "less attractive" to the students. Dr. J.