My Engaging Assessments

Okay, so I've been looking for ways to incorporate Social Justice into my curriculum and here is what I've got.

Pre-Algebra:

• We are going to look at Integration Aid - It is set to end in 2013 and will be debated for the next couple of years.  A discussion with the gang of 12 committee? Let's see!
• We will look at the composition of Saint Paul and compare wealth, health, and other distributions.  This will look like the books If the World Were a Village and culminate in posters for downtown.

Algebra:

• We are going to analyze crime trend data for the neighborhoods the students live in for linear patterns and write an article about what is going well, what isn't, and what problems are being stubborn.  We'll also look at what would happen if the trends continue and look at ways to slow them.  We might even be able to work in Supt. Silva's SSSC program!

What do you think?  Any ideas or willingness to help?

Curriculum Writing

Working on Curriculum Writing for OWL.  Have a few new classes to teach next year.  I have Pre-algebra and Algebra 1 and they are part of a blended middle school model.  Trying to think about how I want to do it.

Any ideas how I can incorporate The River (Mississippi) into pre-algebra and algebra in meaningful ways?

End of Year

End of the Year!

New building next year.  Half the staff.  New leadership.  Less technology.

It ought to be interesting?


Tom

Super Busy

I apologize to my follower (Marty) for not posting lately.  I've been super busy and I'll try to do better in the  future.  Look for a new literature study this week.  Any ideas you want The Math Prophet to look for articles about?

The Math Prophet

Literature Study April 3, 2010

This week's literature study continues an important theme - homeroom.  As I am looking to write an article and book on the subject, I thought it pertinent to combine my required research with my blogging.  So here we go:

AUTHOR:	Jing-qiu (Jane) Liu and Ruth Barnhart
TITLE:	Homeroom Teacher and Homeroom Class: The Key to Classroom Management in China's Schools
SOURCE:	The Educational Forum 63 no4 380-4 Summ 1999

Highlights:

• All students are part of a homeroom, from elementary to high school.
• Homeroom teachers have many roles, and new teachers and soon-to-retire teachers are not considered candidates for homeroom teachers.
• All teachers take a class or two in pre-service education classes to prepare them for homeroom.
• Homeroom teachers "loop" with teachers so that they can build strong relationships with the students (and the students with the other students).

How does your school do homeroom and what ideas do you have to make it better?

Literature Study - March 25, 2011

TITLE: Homeroom: An Updated Classic
SOURCE: Principal Leadership (High Sch Ed) 9 no3 N 2008

http://ezproxy.hamline.edu:2060/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e52524b6a7a73d197d63c163083cd776d0975212c27324993a313048d6fec665d&fmt=P Vitale, J. A. Homeroom: An Updated Classic. Principal Leadership (High School Ed.) v. 9 no. 3 (November 2008) p. 24-7


This writers of this article started a new school that would hold up to 4000 students.  They knew that in a school this large students could get lost if they didn't create a system that would help students build a relationship with a caring adult.  Here are some highlights:

• Advisory lessons are taught based on needed themes
• Advisory lessons are built around longitudinal ideas
• Advisories banished anonymity in the school by creating a personal relationship for each student
• Homeroom lessons were very memorable for students (as measure on exit surveys)
• Teachers are key for implementing this initiative

What ideas do you have for homeroom?  Do you have lesson ideas?  What do you think?

ELNC and MNASCD

Expeditionary Learning National Conference went well.  The Crew lesson was a Grand Slam and the SBG&R was a homerun.  We really challenged people and people left with lots of ideas around this idea.

MNASCD went so well that teachers brought it back to their school and their principal wants us to present to the whole staff!  Ott and Totushek are on their way!