Monthly Archives: September 2010

Ball Pass Challenge, Tattoo Review & Me in Bag Intro: Update for Wednesday, 16 September 2010

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Here’s all the news that’s fit to print about Wednesday’s class:

Name/Ball Pass Challenge

In an effort to review everyone’s name and to engage in a whole-class problem solving activity, we took the Name/Ball Pass Challenge.  The instructions for this task are below so I won’t go into detail about how it works.  Suffice it to say that our first effort had a time of about 30-ish seconds and through cooperative teamwork we were able to get that number down to only 8 seconds!  No small feat.

Digital Tattoo and Professionalism Presentation Debrief

Thanks to everyone for attending this presentation.  We debriefed it using the Walk-About Review Strategy.  This involved each TC finishing the following sentence stems with information about the presentation:

  • For me, the most interesting aspect of the presentation was…
  • One thing I will do differently after seeing the presentation is…
  • One question I have after watching the presentation is…

and then walking around and talking to other TCs about their responses to the same stems.  After some talk time, we took up a few responses as a whole group.  While the workshop was generally well received (after scanning the show of fingers, I think it scored a 2.5 or 3 out of 5), many seemed to agree that it would have benefitted from having examples with local flavour and from including more specific advice on appropriate online and professional behaviours.

Here’s the Walk-About Review sheet we used :

On a related note, here’s the trailer for the amazing 1971 Australian film directed by Nicolas Roeg, Walkabout:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x186dbPIoM[/youtube]

If you have any interest in Aussie culture or have a penchant for meditative films, this classic can’t be beat.

Administrivia

  • Contact Info Changes:  If you have any more, please let me know.  I’ll send out the FINAL version soon.
  • ESA Rep:  Good on Jenna for expressing interest.  Make sure to get the vote out so she gets voted in!
  • Field Trip Fair on the Blog:  Please check an earlier post for info on an upcoming event featuring a variety of facilities that provide field trip destinations for K-12 students.
  • Emailing Assignment Attachments:  Please remember to include your surname and the name of the task in the document’s title.  For instance, “Holbrook Factors”.

Me in a Bag Speeches

In an effort to develop vocal delivery skills that will prove invaluable in the classroom, we will be delivering Me in a Bag Speeches over the next few class sessions.  Here’s how I scaffolded this task:

  • A Model from Last Year

We watched a short MIAB speech from one of the TCs in the 2009-2010 cohort and drew conclusions about the structure and content of the speech.

  • Criteria Sheet Examination

I handed out the task’s criteria sheet and we looked it over.

  • My MIAB Speech

I delivered a speech on three items I had in my Saucony shoe box:

    • Running shoe
    • Homemade Spinal Tap T-Shirt
    • Plastic bowl

Using the feedback sandwich model for feedback, you presented me with beefs and bouquets relating to my performance.  Here’s a visual of the sandwich:

and here a link to an Ezine article with more details on Feedback Sandwiches.

The outline that I suggest you use for your speech is below, as is the criteria sheet:

We will start presenting the speeches in Monday’s class.  Please make sure you have your three artifacts, your rehearsed presentation, and your flash drive ready to go for that session.  We will take time to review the criteria, rehearse, and choose the speaking order before we start the speeches.

“Nuff said true believers.  See you Monday.

– Lawrence

Is Teaching For Me? & Name-Based Intros: Update for Monday, 13 September 2010

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Weekend Rating

We started class with Weekend Rating, a process that involved rating your weekend from 1 (the worst) to 11 (the best).  The rating scale is based on a classic scene from my favourite film, This is Spinal Tap. Here’s the scene:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY[/youtube]

This writing about weekends reminds me of a funny skit from SNL’s Weekend Update hosted by Dennis Miller.  In this skit Victoria Jackson unveils her movie rating system and rates the film Three Men and a Baby:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdLg2gavvQA[/youtube]

I don’t think we’ll be adopting Jackson’s rating system anytime soon!

Is Teaching For Me?

After considering moments when you felt most like a teacher, I noted that the overarching goal of the program is to answer the question “Is Teaching for Me?”  Hopefully, over the course of the year, you’ll have many moments where you feel a lot like a teacher and those moments will lead you to conclude that teaching is an excellent career choice for you.

Name Interviews and Introductions

To get us started – and model the name info sharing process – I talked a bit about my name, Lawrence Delmar Holbrook.  Here’s the PPT slideshow I used to support my short presentation:

After that, I partnered you up using the Random Reign of Terror cards – a set of playing cards with a name of each class member on a different card.  Partners interviewed one another about their names and then, when called upon, introduced their partner to the class with one or two interesting facts about one or more of their names.

Administrivia

We went over the following items:

Course Outline and (Projected) Calendar for EDUC 310 / 316: I’ve tried to emphasize those things that you expressed interest in learning during a previous lesson and create a logical sequence for addressing each course’s objectives.  Here are the outlines and the calendar for your reference:

Ropes Course: In past years the MY cohort has visited the UBC Ropes Course as a team building activity.  I asked you to consider if you would be interested in taking on this challenge again this year.  Most folks indicated they would be and I have booked the venue from 1:30 to 4:30 on Tuesday, 28 September 2010.  More info to follow.

Factors That Influence How We Teach Tasks: Today was the due date.  I thanked you for handing them in on time via email.

E-Coach Applications: Please complete the form, get me to sign it, and submit it to John Yamamto in TEO.

Flash Drive to Future Classes: We will be filming speeches in upcoming 310/316 classes.  Please have a flash drive handy so you can save a copy of your videotaped speech on it.  You should get a drive with a minimum of 2GB storage space.  At the moment, you can get a 2GB drive for $10 at London Drugs or for 4GB drive for $12 at Future Shop.

My Job, Your Job

Working in groups of 4 I asked you to outline the job of the students in EDUC 310 & 316 classes.  Furthermore, I wanted you to indicate what you thought was the job of the instructor in class.  This is an effective way of getting all learners to consider their responsibilities.  When all the ideas are colleated in a middle school setting, it’s a good idea to have the students look them over, adapt or remove any that don’t seem totally reasonable, and then get the students to sign off on the “rules.”  Then, when you see a student off task or behainvg inappropriately, you can ask him or her what their job is right now and refer to the My Job, Your Job chart that’s posted in the classroom.  Here’s a handout with some more info on the activity:

That’s all for today.

Cheers,

– Lawrence

Poetry & Purpose: Lesson Update for Wednesday, 8 September 2010

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After taking a few Burning Questions, we got down to business:

Sharing of the “Which Object is Most Like My Life?” Poetry

To start, I read a copy of a poem I enjoy – Bill Bissett’s “Th Tomato Conspiracy Aint Worth a Whol Pome.”  You can find a copy of the pome, with its intentionally wonky spelling and punctuation, here.

Then, we sat in a circle-ish shape and each TC shared the poem they wrote about their life and how it relates to one of 5 objects – a broken clock, a dragon heat bag, a coffee mug, a wooden hippo, and an oyster shell.  There was great variety and much profundity in the poems.  It took a lot of guts on everyone’s behalf to share a piece of poetry on Day 2 with a group of people who you hardly know.  Good on ya!

Not a lot of profundity in this beat poem performed by Mike Myers from the comedy film “So I Married An Axe Murderer” but it’s good for a laugh:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETPRsJ-exZw[/youtube]

What You Want to Learn and How You Want to Learn T-Chart

In order that I may tailor the course to best meed your wants and needs, I asked you to let me know topics you were interested in having covered in class and teaching methods you would like me to use in the delivery of that content.  I used the info in the creation of the course outlines for EDUC 310 & 316.  I’ll also consider it as I plan my lessons over the course of the year.  Here’s the collated list:

What We Want to Learn & How – 2010/2011

Major Goals for the Year

It’s important to know what all the coursework you’re doing is working toward.  To that end, I shared a PPT with my thoughts on the learning intentions of the courses that I’ll be teaching you this year.  The big goals connect to 4 key variables related to effective teaching and learning in classrooms – content, instructional strategies, instructional skills, and classroom management.  Here’s the PPT slideshow:

Learning Intentions PPT – 2010/2011

Administrivia

Insert “laundry list” of items here.  I spoke about the following:

  • Disability Letter
  • Religious Observances Letter
  • Getting your CWL account set up
  • This blog and its URL (which you already have or you couldn’t read this :] )
  • E-Coaching
  • Factors That Influence How We Teach Due Date Reminder (It’s due on Monday, 13 September)
  • Purchasing the EDUC 310 Reading Package at the bookstore

That was all for today’s class.

– Lawrence

FREE Field Trip Fair For Teachers & TCs

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On Monday, 27 September 2010 the 8th Annual Field Trip Fair will be happening at the Japanese Canadian National Museum in Burnaby from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm.  If you’re interested and can attend, please check the flyer below or the website – www.bcfieltrips.ca – for more information.  Attend this event and you could win a bus bursary or a FREE field trip for your practicum class:

UBC Middle Years TC Orientation – 2010-2011: Update for Monday, 7 September 2010

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Welcome to a the 2010-2011 cohort of Midldle Years TCs.  This blog will serve as a record of what goes on in EDUC 310, EDUC 316, and LLED 320 (Term 2).  Those are the courses that I teaach.  Also, you’ll find information related to your practica in addition to bits and pieces on TC-related events.  Please note that this blog continues where last year’s left off.  If you’re curious, you can peruse the old posts and see what happened last year in the cohort.

Here’s what shook down on Day 1 of your “year long job interview”:

Kingpin as a Microcosm for the Year

Everything I needed to know thus far in life I’ve learned from movies.  Honest.  This clip from the Farrelly brothers comedy classic Kingpin condenses the Teacher Ed program into a tight 67 seconds.  It takes you from those nerve wracking early days on campus, to dealing with call outs in your classroom on prac, to the joyous victory that is graduation.  Enjoy!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjJaBJW7EOU&p=B4FC1233BE4030C2&playnext=1&index=10[/youtube]

Class Keeping

I took attendance and gathered contact information.

Instructor Introduction

I noted that I work from Monday to Thursday at UBC and, on Fridays, at Hillcrest Middle School in Coquitlam. I threw in a few other bits and pieces, as well.

Perspectives on the Year

The MY program is small – 1 cohort of 25 in a sea of 36 other UBC Teacher Ed cohorts.  Be sure to self advocate so your voice doesn’t get lost.  Also, I set out the year-at-a-glance, indicating how coursework, practica, and breaks are spaced out over the course of 2010-2011.

If you have questions related to the program, please check these publications from the UBC Teacher Education Office:

“Getting to Know You” Goal

One of my main goals in the early part of the year is to get to know you and your cohort mates.  The better I know you, the more able I am to place you with a School Advisor that fits.  To that end, we diid three tasks:

  • Factors That Influence How We Teach Task

Please complete this piece of writing, as per the instructions, to give me an idea of how your background and experiences may impact you as an educator.  Your piece is due on Monday, 13 September and the handout can be found here:

Factors That Influence How We Teach Handout – 2010/2011

  • Name Introduction Information

I plan to have you introduce a partner and share some information about their name in a future class.  To that end, please do a 10-minute write in response to the “Thinking on Your Name” questions that can be found on the bottom of the Factors handout posted above.

  • “Which Object is Most Like My Life?” Poetry

To wrap up this intro lesson, we engaged in a personal poetry writing activity.  In essence, I showed a collection of objects – a broken clock, a dragon heat bag, a coffee mug, a wooden hippo, and an oyster shell – and I asked each of you to choose the one that was most like your life, free write for 5 minutes on the object’s connection to your life, and highlight 3 interesting images, phrases, or words in your piece.  We ran out of time at that point, so I asked everyone to shape the 3 chosen ideas into a poem to be presented in the next class.  You can find more detailed instructions for this activity (and a sample free write and poem from yours truly) on this handout:

Brendan McLeod’s Children’s Festival Ojbect Poetry Task

That’s all for this class.

Cheers,

Lawrence