Reflect........Looking back at the last 5 days the outcome has been less than what I had desired. We are currently studying Material Safety Data Sheets(MSDS)and how they are used in the construction industry and the benefits to the worker. I gave the students handouts, a completed and actual MSDS from a government web site on a common and recognizable household chemical(Drano), a Blank MSDS form for them to fill out, and an instruction/worksheet that explained how to fill out the MSDS sheet. I feel like I have given the student to much credit for being able to decipher new materials.I broke the student into work partners and I thought this would take about a day and half to complete. Total time spent on this activity was approximatly 3 days. We would post the msds sheets exactly the way they do on the job site. Every student was to fill out their own sheet and I would grade them and then have them post to the Right to Know Center. It was a drudgery for the student and me. I kept lectures to a minimum and instruction simple. I walked around the room and answered questions. We changed up and went in to the Lab and had nail driving competitions and several other breaks and reward activities. I changed the lesson outline to help facilitate completion of this activity. Completion finally arrived today. hallelujah
What would I change all of IT! I think mabye spend 20 minutes lecturing and 10 minutes reading and 10 minutes quizzing and say its covered and that be it. Frustated and it probably shows.
Spending three or five days on one activity is a long time for these kids. They seem to have a 5 minute attention span until the next "bright and shiney" thing comes along to grab their attention.
ReplyDeleteYou are right - 15 minutes explaining it, reading it and doing it are probably enough. Many people don't care to know what an MSDS is, let alone how to read or write one... Perhaps just a glimpse and brief tutorial is enough... Maybe not...