Category Archives: Lesson Updates

Pillars of Middle School & The Power of Language: Update for Wednesday, 6 October 2010

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My Job, Your Job

To start, I showed you the MJ, YJ chart and asked if there was anything on it you couldn’t live with.  There wasn’t so these are the guidelines we’ll live with.  In an effort to ensure each of you are as focused as possible for the duration of each class, I did add an item about the use of electronic devices – phones, laptops, MP3 players, and what not – to the TC side of this chart.  Here’s what I added:

“Use laptops and other electronic devices only for class work related tasks (taking notes, for instance)”

The entire MJ, YJ chart is below for your reference:

The Pillars of Middle School

After one tour of a middle school I thought the time was right to have you examine the pillars of middle school.  After a brainstorm-walk-and-talk, we listed your best answers to the question “What are the 5 key components of an exemplary middle school?”  The list you developed was very close to the one agreed upon in the middle school literature – as noted in this NMSA (National Middle School Association) Research Summary from December 2007, “Characteristics of Exemplary Schools for Young Adolescents” –  and as highlighted in my brief PPT presentation:

Language Article Placemat

In an effort to wrap up our look at “Chapter 4: Language” from the Communication fort he Classroom Teacher text, I asked you – as a member of a triad – to complete a placemat to review your ideas on the piece, then to summarize the triad’s thinking using a 3-2-1 organizer:

  • 3 – Key ideas from the text
  • 2 – “Language-related” actions to take on practicum
  • 1 – Point to ponder/question

Here are the directions for Placemat and the 3-2-1:

Here’s a really cool, old school placemat:

I think that covers it.

Cheers,

– Lawrence

The Final (Practicum) Countdown & MIAB Speech Analysis Tasks Gallery Walk: Update for Monday, 4 October 2010

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NOTE: You’ll get so much more enjoyment out of this post if you read it while the music from this video plays.  Trust me.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyggY_R3jU8&p=61349DCC17CB1C98&playnext=1&index=55[/youtube]

Clock Partners

Clock Partners are a great way to set up partnerships in a classroom setting.  It gives students some choice over who they will speak/work with for a given activity while speeding up the partner finding process.  Here’s the Clock Parnters sheet I handed out for you to record your appointments.  There are instructions for the activity on the back of the page:

Weekend Rating

We found our 6 o’clock partner (I think) and rated our weekends… positively, on the whole.

Pre-Prac Prep Wrap Up

Improv

In a nod to my weekend – I went to see live Improv with Ryan Stiles and Greg Proops of Whose Line Is It Anyway? fame – we did some improv to get our brains working this morning.  We started with “Hey, what are you doing?” and progressed to One Word Story.  Directions for these activities and many, many more can be found in the online Impvov Encyclopedia.

A video clip with hilarious highlights from one of Richard Simmons’ visits on WLIIA? is below.  Watch at your own risk!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTxkxG3DF4k[/youtube]

Protocols

Please observe the following protocols when you arrive at the schools:

  • Arrive by 8:30 am
  • Check in at the office and meet the secretaries
  • Expect to wear a Visitor Badge to identify yourself as a guest in the building
  • Smile and make eye contact with students you meet
  • After OKing it with the classroom teacher, interact with students as they work
  • Use the Staff Washrooms
  • Bring a journal and take notes in it about what you see
  • Have fun!

SA Expectations

A lot is expected of you during practicum.  You can expect your SA to support you as you grow into a dynamic beginning teacher, mind you.  Below is a list of the type of assistance your School Advisor should be offering:

  • Get to know your teacher candidate. Endeavour to create a warm, friendly working relationship.
  • Learn specific strengths and needs of your teacher candidate. What does s/he need to know and understand about you and your classroom to help ensure a successful working partnership?
  • Be a listener: Be empathetic, patient, and encouraging. Provide opportunities for your teacher candidate to discuss what was learned in coursework on campus.
  • Introduce your teacher candidate to your class as a “teacher.”
  • Help your teacher candidate become a welcome and participating member of the school staff.
  • Maintain open communication and consultation with the faculty advisor.
  • Ensure that the match between your teacher candidate and yourself and your class is appropriate. Raise any concerns with the faculty advisor and/or school coordinator at the earliest opportunity.
  • Provide opportunities for your teacher candidate to become familiar with the school and district personnel.

If you feel your needs for support in the classroom aren’t being met, please advise me as soon as possible.

Teacher Presence – Introducing Yourself

As a dress rehearsal for tomorrow’s meetin’ and greetin’, I asked each TC to:

  • State the name they want to go by in the classroom
  • Give a brief introduction of themselves

EDUC 315 Task Expectations

Journal: Bob and I are asking you to keep a journal of your thoughts as you tour the school and, eventually, as you work with your SA on 6 consecutive Tuesdays starting on 19 October.  Here are some observation tips that will help you focus your classroom viewing:

Lesson: Also, at some point, you will need to teach (a minimum of) one lesson.  The what and when of this lesson will be worked out with your SA.  We’ll be covering a lesson planning format soon in class.  We ask that you please email a lesson plan to us 24 hours in advance of your teaching and that you send us a copy of your reflection on the lesson, too.

Me In A Bag Gallery Walk

There was great diversity in the post-speech analysis products on display in class this morning.  We viewed them with a Gallery Walk strategy and I collected all the pieces at the end.  It was a bit hard to hear the songs, so I’ll take time next class to play them for the whole group.  Also, next class we’ll consider the benefits and drawback of differentiating end products in your middle level teaching.

That’s a wrap.  I may bump into some of you in the morning as I visit various schools firming up the placements.  Of course, I’ll see all of you in the Montgomery Middle School Library at 1:30 for a debrief of the morning’s happenings.  (I promise to not make any mention of M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The Happening, if you don’t.  Here’s a way better Happening from The Pixies that I’d be more than happy to talk about:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWNm1ZF8wwg[/youtube]

Later alligators.

– Lawrence

How To Do EDUC 315: Update for Wednesday, 29 September 2010

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Today was a follow up from yesterday’s goings on.  Here’s what shook down:

Me In A Bag Speech Analysis Task

I reviewed the expectations for the assignment and reminded you of the Monday, 4 October 2010 due date.

Ropes Course Debrief

I asked you to give me the following information:

  • List of activities you engaged in
  • Your favourite ropes course activity and why
  • A rating of the Ropes Course experience from 1 to 11 and your reasoning
  • A completion of this sentence stem… “I used to think… but NOW I think… because…”

(I’ve left your feedback slips at home but I’ll insert it into this post when I’ve put it together. -LH)

Professional Demeanour on Practicum

I asked you to consider the question “What will professionalism look like in a school setting?” and to create a role play around one professional behaviour.  The role play had to give a no example and a yes example.  After developing criteria for an effecitve role play, you took time to plan, rehearse and present.  The role plays were enlightening and humourous.

Of course, we can’t fully prepare you for the practicum through classroom work on campus.  You need to be in the schools and experience it for yourselves.  There is no “How To Do It” video for teaching like there is for these the skills covered in this clip:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNfGyIW7aHM[/youtube]

Cheers.

– Lawrence

Pre-Prac Prep & An Afternoon at the Ropes Course: Update for Tuesday, 28 September 2010

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Here’s all the news that’s fit to print from today’s class:

Practicum Preferences Information Gathering

I used the questions in the PPT presentation linked below to determine your preferences with respect to a practicum placement.  Thanks for the information:

Organizing the Middle School Tours

You had about 15 minutes to look over the Middle School Tours schedule and develop a transportation plan with the other TCs in your group.  Here’s the list of groups…

and a map of the buildings you’ll need to find around SD #43 (Coquitlam):

Did someone say tour?  I thought so.  Here’s a clip of one of the lowest point from Spinal Tap’s 1980s era comeback tour.  It’s not quite as low as serving as the opening act for a puppet show, but I reckon it’s close!

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

Now where was I?  Oh, ya.  We’re visiting the four schools listed below.  Each name is linked to that school’s website:

EDUC 315: Pre-Practicum Experience Goals and Expectations

After a free write on what you expected to see, do, feel (emotions) and hear (but NOT touch or smell!), we went over the goals of EDUC 315.  Here’s the handout with those goals… and much more!

Bob Gilmour – the FA who will be supervising some of you during your practica – and I asked you to consider the following:  What EDUC 315-related goal are you:

  • Most looking forward to achieving?
  • Likely to find most challenging to accomplish?

We wrapped with a piece from Bob on “the spirit of inquiry” versus “the spirit of judgement”.  We urged you to use the former in lieu of the latter.  Asking questions about what you see provokes thinking about what is happening and what led to it.  Judgements tend to shut off analysis and critical thinking and are very often based on incomplete information.  In essence, keep your eyes, ears, and your mind open as you tour the middle schools over these next two Tuesdays.’

’til next time.

– Lawrence

MIAB Speeches Wrap & Language Beyond Vocal Delivery: Update for Monday, 27 September 2010

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Me In A Bag Speeches

After considering memorable performances from your lives – everything from Kanye West to Cirque du Soleil – we completed the Me In A Bag speeches.

Me In A Bag Speech Analysis

We discussed the Post-Speech Analysis Task.  What you need to do is watch the video of your speech and consider the following questions:

  1. What are my strengths as a speaker?
  2. What challenges did I face when delivering this speech?
  3. What goals will I set for my next speech / presentation?

You can use the “Me in a Bag Speech” Assessment Criteria / The 8 Ps of Powerful Presentations as a framework for this analysis and you can touch on any other aspects of your talk that strike you.

Now, the beauty of this task is that you can present this content information via any end product you see fit.  This approach to the assignment is consistent with the princicples of DI (differentiated instruction).  Here’s a 6 minute clip with some basic info on DI at the K-12 and university levels:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJmEiQ4HmEc&feature=PlayList&p=4C5E68673251FE37&index=1[/youtube]

Then, we brainstormed an extensive list of options in class – which I promptly forgot to write down on paper, sadly.  You could consider analyzing your speech using:

  • a map
  • a song
  • a poem
  • a comic strip
  • a dance
  • a news article
  • a poster
  • a graphic organizer
  • a Prezi presentation
  • a game show
  • a model / diorama
  • a sculpture
  • a collage

The possibilities are well and truly endless.  The key, however, is to ensure that whatever product you choose is conducive to clearly demonstrating the content. Some products may need  to be accompanied with a one-pager that makes all three aspects of the analysis clear.

I’m  looking forward to seeing what sort of creations you come up with by the due date, Monday, 4 October 2010.

Administrivia

I touched on the following items:

  • Alternate Practicum in a Rural or Remote BC Community: Please see this post for the details.  I’ve recently updated the post by adding the application form for this initiative.  The application due date is Friday, 26 November 2010.
  • Tomorrow’s Pre-Prac Prep Session: We previewed the Practicum Info Gathering questions, organized the potluck lunch, and  reviewed the Ropes Course expectations

Looking More Closely At Language

In a previous session, I asked you to read “Chapter 4: Language”  from the text Communication for the Classroom Teacher by Simonds and Cooper (2011) using the Sticky Notes strategy.  As a means of processing the information, we used the discussion strategy First Turn/Last Turn.  Here’s how it works:

I modeled FT/LT with a modified Fishbowl method.  After that, we developed criteria for a powerful discussion and then I set you on your way to have your own talk about the piece.  While time ran short, we did analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the FT/LT strategy.  In a future class, I will share with you a Discussion Rubric that you can use in your middle school classroom and we’ll spend some time to consider the chapter’s content.

Later alligators.

– Lawrence

Looking Ahead to EDUC 315 Practicum Prep & Ropes Course on 28 Sept 2010

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We’ve got an exciting day planned for Tuesday, 28 September.  It breaks down nicely into three parts.  Here’s the scoop:

PART 1: PRE-PRACTICUM PREP AND INFO GATHERING

We will meet from 10:00 am to NOON in PONDEROSA E 123.  Here’s a map if you need help finding the building.

During this time, we will:

  • Gather Information on Your Practicum Preferences
  • Highlight the Goals and Expectations of EDUC 315, the Tuesdays Practicum
  • Discuss How to “Suck Out All the Marrow” of the Practicum Experience (with apologies to Thoreau)
  • Stress the Importance of Professional Demeanour
  • Share Tips for Classroom Observations
  • Answer Any Burning Questions

PART 2: POTLUCK LUNCH

Your friendly neighbourhood Social Committee is taking the reins on this one.  Look for more details soon via this blog or, perhaps, even old school face-to-face communication in class.

PART 3: THE UBC ROPES COURSE

We’ll hit the UBC Ropes Course from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.  The experience promises to provide challenge, team building opportunities, and fun.   The cost is $25 per person.  Please bring your money on the day as we will pay when we arrive at the course.

Check out the facility’s website if you’d like to see some photos of course participants in action.  Also, you can view this clip of high schoolers at ropes course.  It’s different than the one we’ll visit, but the video should give you a sense of what you can expect:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_82Zr1qTp8[/youtube]

Background Information

Here is some information about the course and the philosophy that guides its operation:

The UBC Ropes Course is an entirely outdoor, forested facility located between Thunderbird Stadium and 16th Ave.  We offer a variety of great programming…

We allow all members of the team to be as active in each activity as they choose to be.  Our “Challenge by Choice” philosophy allows each team member to choose their individual challenge for each initiative– we fully understand that not everyone has the same comfort level for various challenges.  Peer pressure will not be tolerated to coerce people into doing something they do not choose to do.  However we will ask for permission to encourage all team members.

The Supply List

Here is some important information about what and what NOT to bring to this outing:

Please be sure to bring the following things to the course:

1.   Signed waiver & medical history form – we will complete these on the morning of the event

2.   Snack and a water bottle — to keep energy levels high

3.   An extra sweater or jacket — It’s always 5oC cooler in the shade of the trees

4.   Closed toe shoes — no sandals or flip flops

Optional items:

5.   Raincoat or poncho (not umbrellas) for wet days— we run rain or shine

6.   Gloves—hanging on to ropes can occasionally cause rope burn or blisters.  Mountain bike, weight lifting, or batting gloves are the best.  Something with grip, but that fits snugly.

7.   Camera – it’s great to have lasting memories of the day, but realize that taking photos will not always possible as you will need to be an active participant in the program.

Please DO NOT bring:

  • MP3 players
  • Valuables
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Narcotics
  • Pets
  • Garden gnomes (they creep me out!)

If you have questions, please check out this list of FAQs – UBC Ropes Course FAQs.  If you still have questions, please see me in class or drop me on email.

That’s all for now.

Cheers,

– Lawrence

Me in a Bag Speeches Redux: Update for Wednesday, 22 September 2010

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While you rolled into class I asked you to take a small slip of paper and write on it something that you would not find in your grandmother’s kitchen.  We used these slips of paper for our first activity:

A/B Partners Impromptu Speaking

After brainstorming a variety of ways you could approach an impromptu speech on an object, I asked you to find a partner and speak for 50 seconds – after 10 very important seconds of think time – on the object listed on a randomly selected slip of paper. The items you had to speak about were liquor and a coffee maker.

Me in a Bag Speeches: Take 2

We continued with the Me in a Bag speeches today.  Thanks to all who presented.  We’ll finish the final 6 in Monday’s class.

Administrivia

  • TC Profile: It’s due on Monday, 27 September.  Please see an earlier post for the template and more details.
  • Pre-Prac Prep & Ropes Course: I handed out the waiver and medical form that need to be completed in order to participate at the Ropes Course.  While ‘ll put up another post with more details about this day, the forms can be found below:

Beyond Verbal Delivery: A Reading from Communication for the Classroom Teacher, 9th Edition by Simonds and Cooper

In an effort to extend your thinking about language and its use in the classroom, I’m asking you to read Chapter 4 from the Simonds and Cooper text.  Please use the Sticky Notes strategy to pick out 3 interesting ideas in the reading and to comment on why those sections speak to you.  Write your thoughts on the text’s ideas on the sticky note itself.  You could write:

  • a conection
  • a reaction
  • a question
  • an inference
  • a prediction
  • or some other thoughts that occur as you consider the piece of selected text

Be prepeared to discuss your 3 sticky notes and the text chunks they relate to in class on Monday, 27 September 2010.

Sticky Notes is a simple but powerful strategy that can be used in both non-fiction and fiction contexts.  Here’s a quick blurb on how to do it:

OK, that wraps it up.  Enjoy your weekend and I’ll see you on Monday.

– Lawrence

Let the Artifact Speeches Begin: Update for Monday, 20 September 2010

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I’ll start with a big thank you to Alice for doing this morning’s videotaping.  Who will be the victim, er… budding cinematographer next class?

Artifcat Related Warm Up

To get your body moving and your brain fired up we played What Is It?, an object transformation drama game.  Each class member took a scarf and transformed it into another object – a kite and an elephant’s trunk, among many other things – while class members guessed about what “artifact” the scart had become.  You’ll find the guidelines for the game, along with instruction for many other drama games, in this handout:

What Is It? & Other Drama in the Classroom Activities

Me in a Bag Speeches

After discussing the learning intentions – the goals – for this task, we:

  • Reviewed the task criteria
  • Rehearsed with A/B partners
  • Looked at past examples of the Post-Speech Analysis activity
  • Chose a speaking order
  • Reviewed what active listening looks like
  • Started the speeches

Here is the full speaking order, if you’re curious about where you fit into the mix:

  1. Sarah
  2. Jeremy
  3. Maria
  4. Amber
  5. Lou
  6. Devin
  7. Melanie
  8. Jenna
  9. Jennifer
  10. Farisha
  11. Tyrel
  12. Kat K
  13. Aaron
  14. Amanda
  15. Leanne
  16. Sally
  17. Kat M
  18. Alice
  19. Lars
  20. Shaun
  21. Miguel
  22. Christian
  23. Ian
  24. Ross
  25. Caitlin

Thanks to those who’ve already presented.  You can all take a lot of pride in the knowledge that you, while you may have been nervous at the front, none of you let the pressure get to you like it got to Miss Teen South Carolina (2007):

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww&p=40547FE48EBE79D7&playnext=1&index=2[/youtube]

Please keep the video of your speech on your flash drive.  You’ll get further instructions on how to analyze it in an upcoming class.

Administrivia

  • TC Profile: Please see the previous post – Completing the TC Profile (September 2010) – for the Word template and details on how to fill it out.  Your profile is due on Monday, 27 October 2010.
  • Social Committee: Thanks for Melanie, Miguel, Alice and Leanne for volunteering to form the Middle Years Cohort’s Social Committee.   The SC will be organizing a potluck on Tuesday of next week before the Ropes Course.  Stay tuned for more info.
  • Copying Fee: I will be charging a copying fee for copies I make during this term.  I’ll do my best to keep my copying to a minimum and, therefore, keep the fees down as low as possible.
  • Pre-Prac Prep & Ropes Course Day on Tuesday, 28 September: On this day we will have the following schedule:
    • 10:00 – Noon: Pre-Prac Workshop in PONE 123
    • 12:00 – 1:00: Potluck in Room TBA
    • 1:30 – 4:30: UBC Ropes Course Activity

I’ll share more details on the Ropes Course- what to wear, what to bring, and what not – next class and I’ll post it on the blog.

That’s all for today.

Cheers,

– Lawrence

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