Language Arts 7/8
Things I liked - The smart board, the computers, the i-Pads!
One thing I really liked was the Vocabulary words with definitions and the projects we did on the computer.
The one thing I liked in class was the Smart Board notes.
We need to improve the computers. Some are too old and run slow. The kids always run to get the best machines. We you assigned computers it was no fun.
I liked the way you guys make the vocabulary easy. [Teacher comment- (google presentation - each student made a slide for their word with two pictures, definition, and a sentence. Each day during the week we reviewed the slides on the smart board.)
I liked to write the vocabulary words from the internet.
I liked the way we did our definitions for the week.
Social Studies 6/7
I liked putting the definitions on the computer.
I like watching CNN students News and taking notes.
I liked watching movies, the new computers, and the field trip.
Language Arts 6
One of my first things that I liked from this year was how we all did our vocabulary on the computer.
The thing I really like was the vocabulary. I liked how we read books and then watched the movie of it.
Now the teacher's reflections
The Kids blogs for reading seemed to bomb because so few would actually read and write. I wondered if this was because they did not have to turn in a piece of paper so they forgot to do it?
Tween Tribune lost some interest by the students over the year but I liked it and want to make a grading rubric to use with it for next year.
I know the students felt it a bit tedious to write out the definition in their notebook and then enter it in a google form but over all I think it helped them remember more. So I think I will do that again in social studies. I will also review it on the smart board so everyone can see what each other wrote and grade them more appropriately.
I loved using Google presentations for vocabulary learning in every subject. I think I only did it three times in Math class but could see doing it every week or two through out the year. I think their vocabulary is so weak that it makes them unable to do the math problem.
I loved using video for math learning. I think I need a few more cameras. When a student is on film and has to explain what they are doing I think they are really learning.
I made the students do various presentation through out the year on Google presentation. They were projected on the smart board so the student talked about their work to the entire class. I think they learn so much this way. The students did "I Am Poems" with 19 slides. They did a presentation on what they would pack if they were going away for two years like Anne Frank. They did "I Am Poems" from Anne's or Peter's perspective.
The very last week the students made a Wordle of their name (20 ties) and then 5 things about them that they are proud of written between 10 - 15 times year. They were beautiful and the students were so proud. I passed these out to the 8th graders at graduation.
It was wonderful to have 16 operating computers in my classroom. Although some are so old they should be retired. My son's computer is 10 years old. My mac laptop is about that old too. But with the grant money from the Merit program I was able to purchase 4 newer computers for my classroom. I am so pleased with it. I used the computer often so it enabled me to teach them what to do and let them go learn. They taught each other and improved their computer skills as well as learned academic material. At Price they dropped their computer elective but in my classroom my students were always pushed to learn more about technology.
Of course I have more goals for next year. I want my students to learn video editing skills and make movies about learning. I hope to use math videos for teaching and then just help the students work on their homework in class so they do not just get stuck and discouraged at home. I want to scan all homework so it is available on line if a student stays home.
Math class at Intel Museum.
