This is my tenth year of teaching and each year I try to push myself into becoming better at supporting students and adjusting to their needs. The first few years were spent just figuring things out, what procedures I needed, what concepts did many students struggle with, etc. Several years into teaching our district partnered with LMU and shifted the way we teach math; this process was intense and supported me into transforming my teaching and my classroom. I got to a point where I felt like I was reaching the top of my learning curve (even though I know there is always room for improvement). Last year I transfered districts and was an academic specialist at New Tech, this began an entirely new set of challenges for me. Due to cuts I found myself back in the classroom this year. This year I have felt like I am back to ground zero. I have struggled in figuring out what the ideal PBL classroom looks like. Not knowing where I am headed has made me spin my wheels a bit throughout the year and even question if teaching is something I want to continue doing. I love building relationships with the students, I have wondered if teaching is the avenue in which I want to continue making a difference.
When I began this semester I was overwhelmed by being a single mom, keeping my head above water in my classroom, and many other responsibilities that I take on, but I have been wanting to get my Masters for a while and I was interested in the Innovative Learning program. When it comes to technology I consider myself to be open and somewhat capable, by know means would I consider myself good at technology. Most of the time I would feel overwhelmed by the amount of technology there is; I had no idea what was a good use of time and what would make a positive impact on my students. I was also struggling with how to implement PBL in my math classroom. Throughout the semester I have really enjoyed the 701 class. I have been inspired by a lot of the readings and conversations. As far as technology, this course has given me some specific guidance into what technologies to look at and also helped me to realize that I do not need to be an expert in all things technology. So many of my students are able to navigate new technology much more effectively than I can. As the teacher I can allow them to utilize different technologies that support their learning, ever if I have not mastered using the tool. The ideas of creativity, motivation, and the brain have inspired me to make continue to strengthen my classroom. I love that I can be inspired and then given some specific examples as to how/what to try in my classroom. I have also really enjoyed having a group of people to collaborate with along this journey. Many times I end the 701 class wanted to start fresh and implement what we have been focusing on. I am looking forward to exploring more about the flipped classroom and CBL along with being introduced to new technologies and new ideas.
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I enjoyed reading about both the flipped classroom and Challenge Based Learning. I have struggled with my homework design throughout my years of teaching; it does not make sense for all students to do the same practice homework each night because the students are almost always at very different levels. Differentiation is important not only in the classroom but also for homework. Using the flipped model, homework becomes meaningful and accessible by all students if also allows class time to become more meaningful and a better use of time. The traditional lecture in a classroom tends to not be very engaging for a majority of students, this model allows students to view the lecture or acquire the facts at their own pace and then use classroom time to collaborate and receive support as they practice. I would love to learn about different ways in which teachers have students interact with their homework (the flip/lecture). I think it is important for them to have the opportunity to ask questions, collaborate, and receive feedback about what they do outside of class. I think this model could definitely increase motivation. I feel like one reason students disengage is because the work is either to easy or too challenging, the flipped model allows students to personalize the speed of how they acquire the information and then practice at their own level in the classroom. As I move forward this year, I plan to try lessons using this model. After implementing this it may influence my future research.
The Challenge Based Learning was exciting to read about considering where New Tech High is headed. This model aligns very closely with project based learning and could provide some great examples as we move toward a completely integrated approach. The reading reminded me of what we just did in our pilot week. I have already shared some of the CBL information with my leadership team and hope that it will provide us support moving forward. The project that I participated in for the 9th grade team was looking at food security; we partnered with several organizations in the community, determined their needs and had students create a way to address these needs. After reflecting on pilot week and reading about CBL, there are some things I would do to strengthen our project. Next staff meeting we will be getting staff input to see if we will move forward in our "projects not classes" model and if it will be implemented for 9th grade, 9th and 10th grade, or all school. Looking at the guide and examples of CBL can support our staff as we make changes to our school structure. I am excited about moving forward with this model; however my one concern is incorporating all of the necessary content into the curriculum. I am hoping that looking at examples of CBL will help me figure out how to design projects/challenges at NTHS that allow students to learn the necessary content. Thinking about this idea of content and 21st century skills, I have started to wonder, what content is necessary? I think that learning to be creative and adaptable is incredibly important and that learning how to think critically and be a problem solver is irreplaceable. As I teach math, I want students to be able to take the basic skills and concepts and apply them to new problems and new situations. So I ask myself, what content is necessary when we have the easy access to information? I have always enjoyed reading and listening to Daniel Pink. I find it very interesting that offering rewards blocks creativity. I wonder how grades play into this idea of "carrots and sticks", by giving students grades, are we blocking their ability to be creative because their focus is on the grade rather than the process. We need to be creating opportunities for students to develop intrinsic motivation through autonomy, mastery, and purpose. There were several things that stuck out to me that appeared in at least two of the videos and/or articles. The first is the importance of being free to make mistakes. It is so important that our students feel free to try something different and to realize that making mistakes is the best way to learn. The second thing that stood out was the idea of collaboration. It was pointed out that the best way to become creative is to be around creative people and also that the biggest determination of success was the ability to form and work well in study groups. I think it is important not only to have students work in groups but to scaffold the skills it takes to work with others.
These ideas align very well with project-based learning and the idea of 21st century skills. We need to consider the fact that the world is rapidly changing and we need to prepare students to fit into what the world will be like years from now. Mobley's six insights are as follows:
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Kendra ParsonsAs a high school math teacher, I am passionate about bringing a joy of learning and of math to my students. Archives
April 2018
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