Monday, October 11, 2010

Science is Magnetic!

Who knew that electromagnets could be so much fun?

This week in physics we were challenged to create a simple motor using wire, soap, paper clips, and batteries. The soap was important for placing the paper clips in the correct positions. The electric current made a motor by causing the wire loops to spin. There were many simple and quick Youtube videos that we explored in order to gain a deeper understanding. The physics text really helped us understnad electromagnets and how they are created and what they are used for. Magnets are all around us!

This week really sparked my curiosity for electric motors. My group members and I are all wondering what really makes an electric motor work efficiently and how many types of motors are there?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

An Electrifying Week!

We have been challenged this week in the Physics 2 course to understand the answers to these fascinating questions through hands-on inquiry:

How does a battery work?
What does voltage have to do with a circuit?
How do you make a circuit?
What common household objects act as conductors and insulators?

Our first task was to visit a local electronics retail store to pick up low cost items to create simple circuits. I was eager to begin and found that it was fascinating to build different circuit pathways. I found success each time that the figurative light bulb literally lit up! It was fascinating reading other students' posts about the circuits that they were able to create. That is one of the many perks to an online learning community, you can share ideas and help each other reform your scientific thinking.

Our next task was to explore a circuit simulator to learn how voltage affects electron flow in a circuit. The simulator was very student friendly and easy to manipulate. It was a great demonstration of what happens in a circuit when the power source is high voltage.

Did you know that the metal top of a yellow number two pencil can act as a conductor? The last task for the week was to explore insulators and conductors at home. We were able to use a simple circuit to find household conductors and insulators. As a group we explored everything from lemons to cheese graters and we were truly intrigued by our results.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

“Are we going to do something fun in math today?”

I just completed the online course in Probability and am looking forward to my next course which is Statistics. I gain a depth of understanding that I did not previously have with every course that I take in this program. In each class I learn strategies for teaching and how students learn best which helps me to become a more effective teacher. In the Probability course I learned the importance of addressing both theoretical and experimental probability. A simple but powerful way to do this is by allowing students to play games of probability. How many times have students greeted you with the question “Are we going to do something fun in math today?” I have been asked this question countless times and now, when we are beginning a unit on probability, I can finally answer “Yes!” As students play a game, you can assess their understanding of probability by asking them the simple question “Is this game fair?” When they attempt to answer this question, one can ask them to explain how they know whether or not the game is fair. One can easily extend this activity by asking students to design a fair game. This hands-on experience helps students to learn about and understand experimental and theoretical probability.
In this course we had the opportunity to design a game that we could use in our classrooms to help students understand experimental and theoretical probability. We were asked to play this game with some children over the summer and report on our findings. I played the game I designed with children from the ages of 5 to 16 and saw the benefits and learning that occurred for children of all ages. One of my favorite memories this summer is playing the probability game on the beach with a daughter of one of my friends. The game was very engaging and the young lady did not realize she was part of a mathematical experiment. When I asked this child to tell me about her favorite part of the game, she simply stated “I liked that we could play this game on the beach and it was FUN!” I learned a great deal from this activity and plan to incorporate the “Fair Game” activity into my lesson plans next year as it is a powerful learning tool.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

“Is it a Square?”

In each on-line class that I have taken at Lesley, I have been given investigations and problems that I can use immediately in my classroom. Every week, I anxiously wait to see what problems I will be given to investigate. I am able to select one or more of these problems and give them to my students to explore and solve. I often give one of the problems as a challenge problem. Some of my students have become hooked on these problems and are disappointed if I do not have one for the week. I have been amazed to find some of my students who are not motivated to finish other assignments tackle the challenge problems with enthusiasm. Their passion is contagious. They often want to discuss their progress with me and other students become interested. Soon more students ask for challenge problems to try.
While taking Geometry 1, I was working on a problem for my class. I typically do not give my students a problem until after I have solved it. A copy of the problem was on my desk and another teacher saw it and asked about it. Students overheard our discussion and asked for a copy of the problem so they could try to solve it. I warned them that I had not yet completed the problem, but their curiosity was peaked. It is not often that eighth grade students plead with me to give them a math problem, so how could I say no? I agreed to make copies of the problem during my preparation time. While making copies, two other teachers saw the problem and asked for a copy as well. The problem was simple. There was a diagram of a shape that looked like a square and the question simply was “Is it a square?” It was made up of smaller squares and some additional information was given. Students were also asked to explain their answer. I could see that this was going to be the problem of the day at our school so I solved it during my preparation time. I watched amazed at how engaged students were in trying to figure out this problem. They worked collaboratively and were very creative in their many different approaches. They celebrated when they came up with a solution and were able to prove their answer. They wanted to share their solutions with me and give the problem to their classmates who had not yet seen it. At the end of the day, one of the teachers who had asked for the problem earlier came to my classroom door and simply said, “Is it a square?” I replied, “What do you think?” Our answers matched. I then told him about a student who had solved it in about three minutes which was the record for the day! He shook his head in amazement as he walked away. I am grateful to have a new source of rich problems for my students. These problems bring math alive and help my students practice true problem solving skills. After one of my students solved a challenge problem I was rewarded with her final comment which was, “I think that is the coolest thing I have ever seen in math!”

Monday, July 19, 2010

“I Don’t Get What They Don’t Get!”

I was working with my co-teacher and we were planning math lessons for the next week. We were to begin a unit on linear equations which we had taught many times before. Many of our students struggle to understand the concept of slope even though we have come up with many creative ways to introduce and explore linear functions. Despite our best efforts, we were not reaching all of our students. My co-teacher turned to me and said “I don’t get what they don’t get!” That was a pretty profound statement coming from her considering that she was an expert in understanding how to help students “get it”. This made me pause and consider what I had learned in my on-line classes at Lesley. I remember learning that students need a strong foundation in ratios and an understanding of proportional reasoning in order to be successful in learning about slope. Was this part of the problem? We decided to give our students a pre-assessment and learned that our students were weak in proportional reasoning. As a result we spent several days exploring proportions and using proportional reasoning to solve problems. Students were finding success with this work because they had been exposed to ratios and proportions before and just needed more practice to solidify their understanding. The day came when we moved onto slope. A day or so into our explorations, one of our students practically stopped the class. He stood up and announced, “Wait, just a minute here. Could you say that slope is just a ratio and that’s all there is to it?” I gave this student a high-five and felt great relief. At times during the past week, I wondered if the work with proportional reasoning would make an impact. This was the first hint that it had indeed helped. My students were having less difficulty with the explorations and needed less support. Follow-up assessments showed that they were indeed learning and were “getting it”. We still had students who required interventions and support, but overall, we had found a better way to introduce a difficult topic.

I am now halfway through my on-line masters program in math at Lesley. This is just one example of how the math classes I have taken thus far have impacted my teaching practice. I am finding that with every class I gain new insights about student thinking and understanding. This allows me to develop tools that I can use to help guide my students toward mathematical success and true understanding of concepts. When I can figure out what they don’t get, then I have the opportunity to make changes that will help me become a more effective teacher in the classroom.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Why Online?

I have just completed my fifth on-line class in the M.Ed. in Mathematics Education at Lesley and am beginning my sixth course. I will complete this program in two years, taking one class at a time. I have been asked by my colleagues at work how I feel about being in an on-line program. Since I am half-way through my coursework, I am in a position to speak about some of the benefits that I have found from being in the program at Lesley. Every class that I have taken has aligned to what I teach as a middle school math teacher. Each professor has been excellent, not only because they are knowledgeable about the content, but because they also have experience in the classroom. They are passionate about their areas of expertise and go above and beyond to help everyone in the class grow as a teacher of mathematics. It is hard to explain how one makes a connection with on-line classmates so quickly. It happens because we are afforded so many opportunities to interact. We share mathematical solutions, teaching strategies, and work on group projects. We give one another links for teaching resources, trade lessons and discuss our successes and challenges. Most importantly, my classmates provide support and help whenever I need it and I am grateful when I am able to do the same for them. With the start of each class, I am excited to “see” familiar faces and find that I quickly make connections with classmates I am meeting for the first time. The online classroom allows me to experience diversity; my classmates come from all over the country, or I should say all over the globe. The on-line classroom experience is enriched because of our varied backgrounds. Collectively we teach in different places, use different curriculums, and teach at different grade levels. I picked this program initially because I live in a somewhat remote location and it would be a challenge to commute and attend class in person. I also liked the idea of being able to schedule the time when I would “attend class” and complete my coursework. I did not foresee all of the other advantages. I have grown in my understanding of mathematics and as a teacher of mathematics. I have been humbled as I continue to learn how much I have yet to learn!

Friday, June 25, 2010

New Perspective

My definition of equity has changed greatly from the beginning of this course until now. My initial thought was that equity in a classroom meant treating students fairly and providing everyone with an equal opportunity to learn. Making sure I call on the boys as much as I call on the girls, for example, is a big part of that. I thought that by pulling popsicle sticks with the student’s names on them I was fulfilling my duty of creating an equitable classroom. Equity also meant differentiating instruction so that all students are able to access the curriculum at a level manageable to them. While all of that still applies, my current definition of equity has expanded to include much more. My original thoughts were focused around the students; I was not factoring myself and other staff into the equation. Equity encompasses students, parents/guardians, teachers, as well as other support staff. Aside from the classroom core teachers, other teachers and staff may include special educators, ELL instructors, guidance counselors, speech and language pathologists, school psychologist, social worker, reading specialist, etc. It is each student’s job to set challenging, yet obtainable, goals that they’ll strive to either reach or beat on a daily basis. It is the parents/guardians job to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the classroom and provide a supportive environment for student learning at home. Teachers need to continue to better themselves as educators by seeking out professional development, as well as any other opportunities that may come their way. Teachers and other support staff need to meet frequently so that everyone is “in tune” with what’s going on (or what’s not going on) with their students. All parties involved serve as a piece to the equity puzzle. When one or more pieces are missing, equity cannot be achieved. Everyone needs to be an active participant and fulfill their duties in order to create equity.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Science Talks

At the beginning of the equity course we were each asked to come up with our own equity question to investigate. Examples of some of our questions are:
- Do students participate more if the science lesson caters to their learning style?
- Which gender, boys or girls, are earning the higher report card grades in my seventh grade science classes?
- Who takes the leadership role during small group work, boys or girls?
- How do lower level students compare to the other students when it comes to participating in class and doing labs?
- Do girls or boys have the scientific knowledge and attitude needed when they enter a departmentalized 4th grade science classroom?

In addition to collecting classroom data, we’ve also been on the search for related articles to help support our findings. Information we find pertaining to our question often leads to pondering more questions. Cindy Ballenger mentions something similar in her article titled One View of “Does a Plant Grow Every Day?” The focus of the article is on “science talks,” which are whole class discussions based around questions that arise from the children. They are not questions that have a definite answer; rather they are speculative and lead children to “trying to imagine phenomena, to connect a variety of events or experiences, to theorize about why and how.” Throughout a science talk, students use their prior knowledge as they draw upon their ideas and engage in a meaningful conversation with their peers. As mentioned above, “any questions they answer usually lead to more questions.”

One of the features of a science talk that makes it such a success is that the teacher’s main role is to facilitate student turns. Some teachers are more involved than others, but generally the teacher is not the main participant. Other teachers may feel that by being more involved they can guide the students in the direction they want and can interject with questions as they please. Another important feature of a science talk is that “students talk to each other and in a manner that is more associated with social situations outside of school.” In their discussion about whether or not plants grow everyday, a student in Ballenger’s article (3rd or 4th grader) commented that “I think I can kinda’ see myself grow because one day I putted on my socks and they was too small for me so I can fit in my mom’s socks now.” She made a connection between a plant’s growth and her own growth. Personally, I would like to incorporate more science talks into my lessons next year. Students who are less likely to raise their hand may contribute something to the conversation they would otherwise be more hesitant to say. Ballenger mentioned that these children “often add significant depth to the learning taking place.”

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

What Happens Inside The Classroom Is Just As Important As What Happens Outside The Classroom

This past week in Sharon J. Lynch’s book, Equity and Science Education reform, we read about how a student’s family, peers and surrounding community all influence student learning. We arrived at the understanding that science equity goes beyond the day-to-day happenings within a classroom. Who students interact with outside of school is just as important as who students interact with inside of school. As educators, it is important for us to be as aware as possible of the life our students live outside of school. We are sometimes quick to judge a situation, but we need to remember to take a step back to understand where the child is coming from. Children are products of their environment. A child with a tougher home life may not be as “put together” as other children. Understanding each child is a big part of the foundation of creating a classroom environment that supports equity. The most important thing for us to do is show the students we care. My principal's motto is "kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." If our students know that we care about them, then they should look forward to coming to our class each day. Some students spend more time with their teacher(s), peers and other staff more than they do with their own families. The classroom may be where they receive the most guidance, support and structure. Whether or not a child in need decides to seek out his/her teacher for help in a time of need is unpredictable, which is why showing the students we care is so important.

On another note, here are some common questions (and my answers) asked by those interested in the Science in Education online experience…

Do you feel as though you could have done the work you have had in your classes without being a classroom teacher or would it have been difficult?

Certainly, it does help to have your own classroom while completing the online courses, but it is definitely doable without one. Do you know of any elementary or middle school aged children to work with if you don’t have your own classroom? A relative? Family friend? The work done in the classroom setting can easily be done with students around the same age in a different setting. Working with students does not take place each week. It ususally happens toward the end of the course. You use what you've learned and then apply it to working with children.

Have you found that you have fostered relationships with people in your classes, without having met them, easily?

YES! During the first course I took (Try Science) I exchanged numbers with a few of the girls in my group to talk about an assignment. As it turns out, we all don't live that far away from each other so over the Christmas break we all met for lunch. It was so nice to put a face with a name! It's been great... we call each other often when we have questions, comments, concerns... I love it! We all began at the same time and have signed up for the same courses since.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

What is Equity?

During the first week of the equitable classrooms course, we were each asked to come up with our own idea of what equity is. The responses were varied, but what seemed to stay consistent is that equity is a much broader topic than we all anticipated. When I first thought about what equity is the first thing that came to my mind was fairness. Within a classroom fairness relates to following through with consequences, providing each student with the same opportunities, grading student work using a consistent scale and devoting time to check in with each individual student. Certainly, those are all components of what equity is, but it goes beyond that. Chapter eight of Sharon J. Lynch’s book, Equity and Science Education Reform, highlights what is expected of the teacher in order for an equitable classroom to be established. Lynch emphasizes the importance of a teacher having “a sound understanding of the nature of science, science concepts, science themes, habits of mind, and process skills, especially as the grade levels of the students increase.” With these understandings, teachers are better able to engage students in “doing and talking” science. Lynch then goes on to mention how important it is for teachers to continue to better themselves as educators through professional development. The best way is for teachers to collaborate as they “take time to think about standards, to contextualize them in terms of their practice in their schools, and to have examples of effective curricula aligned with the standards.” Of course Lynch recognizes that ongoing professional development takes a substantial amount of time and costs money, which may not be that easy for some school districts to implement on a frequent basis. As teachers take advantage of opportunities where they can learn from others, they are learning strategies to better their own teaching styles/methods. This, in turn, is one step closer to creating an "equitable classroom" environment; something that all teachers should strive to achieve.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

All Good things Come to an End

It is finally here, the end of my first graduate class online. It is bitter sweet like most endings of great adventures. I will miss the fun and creative projects that Steve had us working on, I will miss seeing the creativity of my fellow classmates, and I will miss the weekly chats with my classmates. Yes, there is a new adventure on the horizon, but like finishing a good book I just want to sit back and reflect on how much I enjoyed it. As I packed up my portfolio to send, my husband commented on the large pile of work. Funny, it did not seem like work. I look through the pile and smile at how much I learned and truly understand how to do. As was reiterated many times throughout our class, project-based learning is the way to own the information and to be able to use it later. When will our state and federal governments stop the insanity of testing so that we can get back to being great teachers and the students can actually learn something useful?
I learned so much through trial and error in this class. Yes, it was frustrating at times, but like anything you work hard at; the reward was great in the end. Students need to have that feeling of success. They need to see the product of their hard work in a physical form. Self-esteem and self worth is elevated when a visible result can be seen. Project-based teaching encompasses all types of learning styles and intelligence levels so that an individual's gifts and talents can be used and further developed. I have believed in this technique in teaching from the start of my career. I owned and operated a successful preschool for nineteen years that used a unit study approach(old term for project based) with great results over the years. Children learned and loved learning because it was fun. I home-schooled my two children through the elementary years so that education could be fun. Testing was not the focus in either of those teaching experiences. As a teacher, you know when your students understand the information. When students can show you what they learned and use what they learned, there is the proof that the teaching was successful.
A new adventure will be starting soon for me with another graduate class. I am looking forward to learning something new. I can only hope and pray that a new adventure begins in the public school system soon. So many great teachers are losing heart and drying up. So many students are not learning how to love learning. Students are losing that sense of adventure that can come with new information. There is nothing bitter sweet about that, just bitter.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Pulling It All Together

Our Earth Science knowledge was put to the test this week as each group focused on a different river than the Nile, either the Colorado or Amazon, and had to answer certain questions. The questions covered a variety of topics, such as where the river flows, watershed boundaries, discharge, precipitation and changes in seasonal patterns surrounding the river. Each group member was responsible for responding to a different question. My question pertained to discharge in the Colorado River and its tributaries. Prior to taking this course, I would not have known where to begin to answer this question. My studies of the Nile River have provided me with a solid foundation of how river systems work as a whole. In the upcoming week our assignment is to create a story about how the interacting components of the river we are investigating work together. I am looking forward to seeing how everything comes together.

On the curriculum front, we have been putting the final touches on our TfU (teach for understanding) plans and have started implementing them within our classrooms. More specifically, we have been focusing on performances of understanding, which are designed to help students develop and demonstrate their understanding. Within our generative topic, we were challenged to devise a variety of performances that show student understanding in an observable way. It is stressed in Tina Blythe’s Teach for Understanding book that they are learning activities and not final events. Each assessment is placed into one of the following categories; introductory, guided or culminating. Introductory performances are at the beginning of a unit and invite students to begin “messing about” with the issue/topic. Guided inquiry assessments are in the middle of a unit and focus students on particular problems related to the generative topic and understanding goals. Culminating performances are at the end of a unit and require students to pull together their understandings developed in previous performances.

We, as teachers, then ask ourselves; how do we know what our students are learning? On-going assessment is the answer! They are crucial and can be done in a variety of ways. The key word is on-going. They may be formal, informal, teacher lead or student lead. Students may even critique/reflect on their own work. Teachers informally assess their students frequently, but are not always consciously aware they are even doing it. For example, floating around the room and checking in with the students as they participate in a lab is an informal way to assess how the students are progressing. We sometimes get caught up in grades and forget that there are other means of assessing how our students are doing.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Rain on the East Coast

A recent storm in Eastern Massachusetts dropped more that ten inches of rain in certain areas. Winchester, Quincy, Waltham and Newton are just a few of the towns that were severely affected by the excess rain. Many schools and businesses were closed due to flooded streets, as well as any damage the water may have done to the buildings themselves. The Aberjona River in Winchester, the town where I currently teach, flooded the surrounding land and streets. Our middle school was closed Monday and Tuesday of this week and the high school remains closed until the water, which is half way up the walls of the basement floor, recedes. Today, one of my students told me that he saw someone canoeing in what is normally a soccer field. Another student could only see the roof of a car almost fully submerged in water. Although the rain has since stopped and the sun is now shining, the cleanup is not anywhere near finished.

By now, you may be wondering why I am sharing this experience with you. This unfortunate occurrence is a good example of how the Earth Science course has made me more aware of my surroundings. Prior to taking this course, I probably would not have given this event a second thought. What connections can I make to what we have learned so far? Winchester, as well as the towns mentioned above, are lower in elevation than other surrounding towns. The rainfall in the towns higher in elevation eventually makes its way down to the towns lower in elevation. It can be said the towns higher in elevation are part of the Aberjona River’s watershed. We learned that a watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. In Winchester, this “same place” is the Aberjona River.

We have been working our way down the Nile River and as of recent have been focused on the Aswan Dam in Egypt. Using our knowledge of the river system so far, we were asked to anticipate what we think will happen to that part of the river in the next 1,000 years. Our group’s responses were quite varied; however, we all seemed to agree that the water in Lake Nasser, just before the dam, is going to be greatly affected. Some of us thought that as sediment continues to settle in the lake, it will become shallower and force the lake to become wider. Others thought that as the water continues to flow into the lake, it will make its way around the dam and form tributaries and streams and eventually the lake will be gone. It is a tough job to project 1,000 years into the future, but we do our best given the information we are given. As we continue to move downstream, our next focus is on the Nile’s delta!

The Other Side to Being a Teacher

As I have said before, this online technology class is showing a whole creative and fun side to computers. I feel like I am allowed to play like a child. I have watched grown men in my class get excited with these projects when they build truss bridges and place cars on the bridges and make them crash. It is like seeing a four year old boy with with his trucks. I am able to teach them the different uses that the programs can perform. What joy!
Unfortunately, teachers in the public schools are having to cut back on fun due to some of the NCLB regulations. Our online class got to vent our frustrations about the craft of teaching becoming a testing factory. The goal always being keeping jobs and schools open according to the test results they produce. The government is becoming so entrenched in producing little robot children that can score well. How unfair is all of this? Are we all meant to be the same? Isn't variety and differing gifts what makes this world work? Do we really want a "Stepford Wives" world? In order to prepare for testing the fun and creativity is being forced out of the classroom.
Last week I read an article which reported the changes that Obama wants to make in regards to NCLB. Initially it sounds good. As with everything we will have to read the fine print to know for sure. He seems to propose that not every child should have to perform on the same level. Some children have creative abilities which will lead them into productive lives that do not involve higher education. Our goal should be to prepare children for the world no matter their goal. There is also talk of federal funding which sounds like it will increase competition among states to receive the funds. So, it sounds good in some respects and so not good in others.
I guess we will have to wait and see. In the meantime, I sure do hope that those great, fun and creative teachers don't shrivel up from all the test preparation and boring lessons.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The Weather Outside Was Frightful...

I'm sure that by now you have probably all been made aware of the crazy weather patterns that have been hammering away at the U.S. Well, last week, my family and I experienced mother nature's wrath firsthand in NH. On Thursday night during the most horrifying wind storm I have ever witnessed, the power went out along with the heat, water, and flushing toilets! I panicked. I was freezing, it was dark, and I had...oh no, what was I going to do about my two five page papers that were due that evening? I can't even flush my toilet let alone submit my Week Four Self Assessments. Thankfully, all it took was one quick email to each of my professors (from my in-laws house in MA, of course) and my mind was put at ease. Both of my professors were so understanding about my situation that they actually were more concerned about my anxiety to complete my work than me actually submitting the assignments. They asked if everything at the house was ok because they had heard about all the tree damage. They completely reassured me that I could do the work whenever and not to worry. Where else in the world can you go and get that kind of support and patience? I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to learn under such wonderful professors at Lesley who recognize that above the idea that we are students, we have lives too.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Student's Perspectives

As teachers, we put a lot of time and energy into planning lessons and units for our students. We collaborate with other teachers to expand on our ideas in the hopes of providing positive and effective experiences for our students. How often do we ask our students what they think the most important pieces are to their science education and why? Personally, this is not something that I do frequently with my students. With that being said, I recently devoted a full class period to “interview” my students about their thoughts and insights regarding our science curriculum. I was very pleased with their responses and felt a sense of satisfaction in all that we have accomplished so far this school year. After reflecting on the year thus far and using that information as our foundation, together we devised over-arching understanding goals for our class. As Tina Blythe mentions in her Teaching for Understanding Guide, I explained to the students that over-arching goals relate to what they think is most important for them to learn by the end of the year. After revising our list multiple times, we posted them in the classroom and will revisit and refer to them throughout the remainder of the school year. Each unit we cover relates to at least one of the over-arching understanding goals.

Within each unit covered, Blythe mentions choosing Generative Topics – those that are central to the discipline, interesting to the students and teacher, allow access to resources, and offer opportunities for students to make connections between themselves and their experiences in and out of school. The students were quite enthused as we listed the main topics and labs we have covered so far this year. This gave me clues as to what the students were most interested in, which will now assist me in developing generative topics.

In session five, we shifted our thinking back to the Nile River. Our focus was on the precipitation, drainage (how much water flow there is) and cloud coverage of a specific region along the Nile – Dongola. This particular location is surrounded by desert where there is zero precipitation all year and so the question remains; where does the water come from and when does it come? Each group member analyzed the data presented and put together a convincing case to answer the question. Similarities and differences existed within our thinking; however, we were all able to come to an agreement that there is a direct correlation between precipitation at Lake Victoria and Lake Tana and the drainage at Dongola.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

This can be Addictive

This week our online class did not have to post our projects and I felt lost. I so much missed the contact with my new online comrades. I have enjoyed viewing their creativity and receiving feedback and helpful hints. This class has opened so many avenues in my mind. Feeling like an addict, I just could not stop myself from adding a thread on the Discussion Board. I just needed to see if anyone else was missing our weekly contact. Sure enough many others replied. My addiction was not the only one.
The thirst for knowledge and creativity really motivates and drives us and can be addictive. The juices start flowing in the mind and we need to feed that creativity with more. It makes one feel alive. Even though his online class is a technology class, there is so much creating involved through our instructor's lead. This is what teaching is all about. Teachers need to make it fun for their students and get their creative juices flowing. What students need is inspiration. As teachers we need to inspire and make learning creative and fun. Then learning will become addictive.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Who Ever Thought This Would be Fun!

Wow! I am learning so much for almost fifty. Not only have I undertaken the task of beginning my graduate degree, but here I am blogging for the first time! I have embarked on my graduate journey at Lesley University to learn more about technology. Frankly, I thought I was going to be overwhelmed and way over my head. Surprise! I am having a blast! I am learning so much. Our instructor, Steve Saladino, is so creative with his assignments. I have already used much of what I have learned with my adult students. They are enjoying learning as much as I am. My students are adults who are sent to my facility for parole or probation. Most of them have barely finished high school. Many are trying to achieve their GED. What a sense of self they develop knowing that they able to work on a project that I have done for a graduate class. This class; Computers, Education and Technology, thus far has already been a great blessing. I am so glad I embarked on this journey.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!

"Don't worry about it, you'll be fine!" This was the advice I was given when I asked for help after accepting a middle school teaching job half way through the school year with no experience whatsoever. The other teachers were just relieved that the students were not eating me alive and ready to kill each other. (I later found out that that was why the teacher before me had left in the middle of the school year.) So, basically I was a babysitter. The following school year I was determined to make a difference in the way math was taught at this school. I was going to be an effective, engaging educator; not a babysitter. What I did not account for was that I would have absolutely no resources to work with and no support from other staff members. The same materials had been used to teach algebra for years resulting in the same old standardized test scores and the same poor attitudes toward math. I started doubting myself and my abilities when I saw that my students were not getting out of my classes what I hoped they would. Eventually, I was laid off which was actually a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to go back to school full time and pursue my Master's Degree in Mathematics here at Lesley. I am almost half way through with my course load at Lesley, and I have never been more inspired. I feel empowered. The materials I use in my courses are the same materials I could use to teach algebra to my middle school students. The weekly modules (assignments) give us step by step instructions that not only teach us the "how to's," but also they teach us the "why's" and how to connect each concept to the big picture. We are given meaningful and useful investigations and activities that force us to really stop and think about what we are trying to convey to our students. We want to change the way things "used to be" and create a new way of thinking about math. We want our students to be inspired by math the way we are by the online mathematics program here at Lesley University.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

We often hear people say, “I understand that you are upset” or “I understand how to get to the store,” but what does it truly mean to understand? How do we know when our students understand a topic? Are various assessments, such as quizzes and tests, the best way to measure how much the students actually know and understand? Some may say yes, but Tina Blythe points out a different perspective in her book titled, “The Teaching for Understanding Guide.” According to Blythe, “performances of understanding are at the heart of developing understanding.” The key word in that sentence is performance. It is not enough for students to read information from a textbook, watch related video clips and/or participate in labs and experiments in the classroom. What is missing is the application of what is learned in the classroom to the outside world. Remembering the definition of a physical change, for example, may not be difficult for students. It is not until the students are able to recognize that the sugar dissolved in a cup of tea or the wood being chopped to make a fire are real life experiences of physical changes, that Blythe concludes the students do have an understanding of the topic.

During the first two weeks of the Earth Science course, we investigated the Nile River. Using Google Earth, the Michelin map, and other data we investigated the various elevation levels surrounding the Nile. This information gave us clues as to where the river originates and the path the water travels. In addition, we mapped out the watershed area surrounding the Nile. The watershed includes the areas of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place – in this case the Nile River. My understanding of the fact that a river is more than just the visible stream of water came into perspective during the stream table investigations. This was evident in both stream table scenarios as the soil on either side of the river felt moist. The stream table helped me to see how a river flowing through a flat terrain resembles the White Nile and a river flowing through a series of hills and valleys resembles the Blue Nile.

I anticipate that I will have a better appreciation for rivers at the completion of this course. I am now consciously thinking about the Aberjona River, for example, which I drive over everyday on my way to work and can see from my classroom window. I am beginning to ask myself, where does it originate? Where does it end? In what direction does it travel and why? As I continue to investigate the Nile River, I am hopeful that I will be able to apply my knowledge to then answer these questions!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Together, we are stronger



Previously (anyone a fellow LOST fan?)… my posts were regarding my online coursework. This post, my final, is about the people. A benefit I see in a quality online program such as this one is the caliber of people it attracts.

An online program allows for a professorial base that can be pooled from the global arena. I have had teachers from The Netherlands to Wyoming as well as in my own New England backyard. These professionals are dedicated, passionate, and bring amazing levels of insight and experience to their courses. Although the online forum is a different experience from a direct classroom experience, we are communicators at heart and utilize all resources available to do so including video conferencing for face to face conversation.

My fellow classmates are also a diverse group and I enjoy learning from them as well as with them. From South Korea to Texas as well as the next town over, I have expanded and enriched my PLN (Personal Learning Network). This spring I will leave Lesley University with more than just a degree in hand. I have found colleagues and mentors that bring the entire learning experience full circle. Together, we are stronger.

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Using Wordle, the graphic above was created by using this blog's URL.  All the words from the posts were made into this word cloud.  The bigger the word, the more times it is used.  I love to see that words such as "fantastic", "future", and "understanding" are rather large.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

End of Semester Post

My time line for submitting this final post for the fall semester has long since come and gone! I've not prioritized my time well over a much needed-winter break. Since managing my very little spare time has become more difficult, I thought I would address the flexibility of the Lesley program in case anyone reading this is not aware of the upcoming change.

It's been quite a challenge to teach full-time while taking the math master's courses as I had doubled up on classes for several semesters. But as the courses have become more time-consuming and difficult, (difficult because I'm very rusty beyond algebra) it's become harder to manage everything and do a good job.

I recently changed my course path so that I would only take one class per semester while teaching and then stack my summer with classes to get through the program. I wasn't entirely happy with this decision since the time we do have off as teachers over the summer is a time to rest and recharge.

That brings me to the recent change in the Lesley semesters that is going to allow so much more flexibility for anyone taking the programs. I hope I am correcting relaying the information, but as I understand it, instead of offering just one 12 week semester, they will begin offering two 8 weeks sessions within about the same time frame, so that instead of trying to complete two courses at the same time, you can still take two courses in one semester, but they run back to back, for 8 weeks each. I am so happy to have this option, because it allows me to take more courses without the workloads overlapping.

And one last note; as a teacher in Washington State, we are now required to complete a Professional Certification program within our first 5 years of teaching to keep our teaching license. It's very similar to the National Boards, but requires enrolling in a University and doing several courses. Along with those courses you have to take classes (either clock hours or credits) to help with your professional growth plan. I have just begun this program, and so the Lesley math classes I take during my pro-cert program will count towards my completion and fit beautifully into my professional growth plan since I teach math.

Possible New Year resolution: Post my blogs on time!
Best of luck in 2010, Jen Nelson