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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, October 15, 2011

Surprised

For the last few weeks we have been working on shop math. I have been trying to teach it in different ways to keep the interest of the students, which is not too easy.
This week while teaching surface area and volume, I gave the students a piece of isometric graft paper and demonstrated how to use the paper to draw some three dimensional cubes. I then had the students try drawing some cubes to be sure that they could grasp the concept. I used my doc. cam with some real cubes to give them a good visual of what they would look like. I stacked some cubes after that and had them draw the stacked cubes. When they mastered that which didn't take too long, I had them write their initials in cubes. This took a little longer because some of the letters can be difficult to draw. When they were finished with that, I had them figure the surface area and volume of their initials.
I really wasn't sure how the lesson would go over, but I was surprised that the students liked it and put some really good effort into it. I was also surprised that I actually had some veteran teachers that are planning on using that lesson in the future.
In the lessons that followed, I built upon that and had them drawing more complicated isometric drawings, which I think is important for teaching spacial relationships and visualization. I think this will help me in the future when we start designing and creating duct work.

2 comments:

Jan said...

Steve,
Students surprise us (teachers) all the time. Students enjoyed participating in your activity because you enjoyed teaching it. Professional energy inspired your students. A light bulb went off and your students saw that. Isometric drawings are extremely useful in all areas of education and/or our ADLs(activities of daily living). You also assisted them with geometry,,,greast job!!!

Paul G 2011 said...

Steve sounds like you are getting the hang of this teaching stuff. I am on the math section also. Ive been on it for 3 days. We are flying thru it. I am letting them clep the math as long as they prove to me they understand it. when i put a measuring tape in there hands it was miraculous. We are doing a block (2x4) project in the lab and i am incorporating teaching math and hand tools with that project and it seams to keep them interested. i would like to get more info on you letter lesson.