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!