Change the lessons... Here's a thought

I recently listened to Richard Wells at iPadpalooza 2015 in Austin. He was incredible and I can see why New Zealand is 20 years ahead of America in the education field. He made me want to move there.

His article this week about changing the lessons http://wp.me/p2KVKA-C6
Made me think, YES. We need to think as if we are the student!

Teachers tend to think, it's all about me and my subject, my scores, and my knowledge, right? I know I did, it was my students, my classes, my "smart" lessons of course, making me feel like I was so smart. After reading this article, I thought about the student's next hour is filled with another whole topic, teacher another lesson, switching gears totally to fit some schedule.

Is it because we have always done it this way?

Could we work together to combine lessons, and schedules so students reading skills are targeted while they are reading in history class, or vocabulary is mixed into math and extend the days into two parts. Half a day with mixing topics, then lunch break students then move second half of the day blending science and math? Then after that students pick their "elective" art, band, sports.
I believe giving students choice in their learning builds stronger thinking, and then it would not be about ME the teacher, it's more about smarter students. Isn't that our goal?

Would it help and if so, How long will it take us to change? Just my thoughts from Twitter articles today.

Comments

Break Out Your Reading Skills!

Break Out Your Reading Skills Challenge This challenge will ask our readers to READ a piece of non-fiction. Then answer 5 questions to get a code. If they get all 5 answers correct their code should unlock the snack box to BREAK out a snack for you and a friend. If you get the first 4 answers correct you should have the code to BREAK out one snack for yourself. So I have three cards of five questions each. These questions are STAAR formatted to keep it familiar to students, and are based on 7th & 8th Grade reading TEKS. Each question tells you page numbers, so you really don't have to read the whole book but you can read parts of the articles or stories in it to answer the questions. Like a short article, or quick story, no more than two or three pages each. Students try a story, to see if their code unlocks the lock. I am using the following non-fiction books: The Queen's Shadow - A Story about How Animals See by Cybele Young Shark Life - by P

Books of the Summer Begins this Week

I just finished Paper Towns by John Green. I liked the story, and the drama. I think students will like it. However, this is my third John Green book and I am starting to see a trend. I noticed in Looking for Alaska the middle could allow for a mind to drift. This book I found that happening also. I put it down several times. Thinking the entire time, will he find her? Do I really need to know? So I kept reading because, Yes, I did want to know. Plus I have just finished reading, All the Bright Places and I didn't want the same outcome for these two friends. This story was a tear-jerk-er, and I was so hoping that Paper Towns would not end up the same way. And since I won't spoil either great stories for you, I will say both are worth the time to read. I feel in love with the characters of Theodore and Violet in All the Bright Places and you will too. Pa

It's more than a device...it's empowering.

I saw a Tweet today linked to a blog that gave a teacher 4 reasons how technology can help with classroom management. ( I'm trying to find it again to give credit). But I thought about how my students react to having the Chromebooks in their classrooms. I have watched this happen in my own class, but when you hand a student a computer, iPad, or tech device, you send a message to this child. “You are worth it.” My campus is a title one district, some students deal with survival more than any student should. But to some, by having their own device, it sends the message you believe in them. They know you want them to be successful, and you can help them learn needed skills for today's world. It sends the message, you can be professional, you can learn, grow and we care. This is why students armed with technology are suddenly more engaged, they feel valued. A valued child can then grow confident and safe making learning easier. Less behavior problems happen when you have stud

Kistner's Kollection

Search This Blog