Group 1 Monday Night

Interesting talk last night last night. MU actually has a rather noted scholar (he retired) on the topic of hero making. We discussed this tricky business of judging history. Is Loewen a bad scholar with his rich display of presentism? Or does he have a point regarding who and how we manufacture heroes in our own self interest. Columbus has to fit the grand story of bravery, struggle, and sacrifice in the name of country and faith. Rape has no place in the collective memory. So that's the content...now let's talk about the pedagogical design choices of the presentation. Group 1 had to consider assessment practices. Which types did they utilize? How did they work on you? What were they measuring? Please comment on these aspects of the presentation. Indeed another area worth commenting on is the fusion of technology and assessment.

They had the dirty work of going first...and it can be tough...and I know co-teaching can be tough too but let me ask you to consider a few things:

Watch your language choices..."guys"...and too many, "you knows".... When Chelsea spoke I thought her fluid language helped me understand what she expressing. And you know it is coming but let's be a little more formal with how we craft our responses too. You are professionals.
Consider "wait time"...in other words wait a few seconds (4-5) to let the question soak in and then call on someone in large group questioning. I am not always innocent of doing this myself especially when I am excited about a topic. Indeed I can work on my "Umms" and "you knows" as well. I am the reflective practitioner and proud of it.

Mark

Fair and Balanced and our kids

Check this clip out...

How should this influence us as teachers? Should we "teach" this doubletalk? Does this make them more prepared to take on the challanges of "citizenship" in the 21st Century. I am not intetionally trying to make a political statement with this clip. I am more interested in hearing your POV on how we prepare our students in an environment loaded with "knowledge claims". Should John Stewart be the one we turn to for "truth"? Our kids might and they might also turn to FOX "fair and balanced".

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184086


Mark

The Frontline "Growing up Online" Link

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/

Do not post here...this is just for the link. Mark

Frontline (PBS)...Growing up On-line

In this digital age with a Zeitgeist shaped by rapidly moving information...how does this impact the 21st Century student? In other words what types of habits and learning patterns do we need to think about in 21st Century education? Finally...how can the UbD assist teachers in coping with the same type of forces shaping students. And yes...please feel free to launch any critical insights into these questions and what you witness from the clip.

Please view the following Frontline Special "Growing up Online" and then address the above questions on the blog.

Your Music and the EQ

Remember...if it is possible, link us the lyrics of your selection. Always a wise move to have a print copy. Many will process the song better and indeed some of our special needs students may need it help them better grasp the meaning. Look forward to seeing the array of choices...and don't forget your audience (young)...if it is rich with foul language probably not a good move to use.

Mark

The Essential Question

I really like this concept for social studies. Great questions are invaluable. For various reasons the essential question gets me thinking and more importantly my kids thinking. For this prompt I would like you to simply post your EQ that you derived from the EQ exercise and "justify" why it is an EQ using the criteria on page 91. For example an EQ from my unit on the 1920's: "Can government influence morality in a free and democratic society" I would justify this by saying it is indeed an EQ because it has no one right answer (this is not an exercise in post-modern thinking either). I could also justify it because it raises other important questions. For example how much of the "Republican and Democratic convention talk" was about moral issues and what government might do?

Here we go

No need to respond to this...just a P.A. We are now in two sections. Monday and Tuesday. The class would have been huge and this is no way to do a methods course. MU did the right thing in spliting this up. We will talk about the syllabus. The syllabus was published with the notion it would be only Monday. Tuesday night class needs to shift the dates over one day. So if something was due on Monday 9/22 it would be due on Tues 9/23. Also, for Tuesday night class...we will have class on Tuesday the 16th. Tuesday night does however not meet on 9/9...my high school back to school night. Please correct this in the syllabus.

Look forward to meeting Tuesday night class tomorrow. Monday...see you next week and keep plugging away at those assignments.

Happy Labor Day, Mark