Designers of Learning (01/23/2013)

Teachers are Designers of Learning

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Group Members: Mike Diana Tammy Claire

Diana: 

What they did: Students took pictures of their food, things they did at home. Studnets talked about pictures and shared them with eachother. They wrote a few sentences about 1 picture. Noticed that the tenses were in the wrong tenses. So Diana developed a simple X & O game where students conjugated verbs and got to go on the board. But if they got it wrong, the other student could steal  the turn and go.

Worked well because of the motivation of the board game. Students also got to use the chalk, and this excited them. So. Chalk.

She repeated the game to change verbs from present tense to past tense.

Diana is feeling like she doesn't see the kids enough, so it's tricky. (Only once every six-day rotation).

Claire: 

On the previous notes, Claire discussed a student named 'D' and his struggles with academics and social interaction. She wanted him to focus and work %50 percent of the time. She evoked 2 strategies. The first was to get him to trace letters writing with a highlighter. The second was an extrinsic reward.

Work Discussed: Claire brought in examples of his writing. One traced over a highlighter, the other traced over dotted writing. He did much better with the dotted writing. So the struggle is finding a way to get him to write in the appropriate size.

Suggestions: A web site that you can type and print dotted letters on a line. Could help with the agenda message if it was printing and stapled to the page. Has his hearing been checked? Unsure. Will check.

Letter song and book to use with D. called "Ants on the Apple" from another teacher. Works really well because it is catchy and repetitive, and they are able to memorize it (that sense of success).

Other Problems: D is having a hard time picking out letters. He is working on his phonological awareness... An issue with cognitive ability and fine-motor skills. Can memorize how to write words (like his name), but doesn't recognize the letters. Doesn't recognize letters or their corresponding sounds.

Tammy

In dire need of computer help. Learning a lot from classes and kids. Learning how to make movies. Build confidence.

Working on: Guided reading (Reading Power: Questioning). Math with low-level students. Lots of time spend on IPPs - seeing where their goals are and what they're working on. Getting to know the students (Where do I start with each student?). Trying to get them all on the same page.

Math: Working with students in small groups to do the regular class work. Help to break down regular lessons. Finding it hard because students may need to do something completely different.

Grade 5 Social Studies: Each doing a different group of people (Metis, Inuit, etc.). Each teacher has 3 lessons that includes video, art, writing. After the three lessons each teacher gets a new group.

Grade 6 Social Studies: 3 groups of kids. Two are phonics. The other is guided reading. Also working on story writing.

Action Plan: B: Will get frustrated. Will bring in his visual journal to discuss. Will share how it is set up for him so we can do it. Will spend the next couple weeks thinking about where he needs the most help. Will bring that work in to enhance the conversation.

Vowel Sounds Story: A kid goes to the story to get bread. If there is extra money, the kid gets some gum. The kid gets the gum, goes home, realizes the change was wrong. Goes back to the store and says, with a huge amount of gm in his mouth "Lady(A, E) I O U some Money, and the lady says, Y"

Whole Group Focus: 

Mike

Will develop a phonics plan for the boys, and will bring it back (along with student work, perhaps video) to share and develop. 

Diana

You will look at the activities in the communication book that we've found and will critique the book to help others decide if it is good or not.  

Tammy

Will bring in some of B's work and will discuss place value work. And will look through his old work, will go through the IPP and will use us to help set next steps. 

Claire

Sound recognition with D. Trying to get him learning three words that start with the letter D. Will try to get the sound of it. And will bring back notes. Will include physical activity (running and jumping on letters, can't leave until you say the sound, etc.).