"Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful, but. . ."
. . . two snow-days are simply delightful!
After grading all day yesterday and feeling semi-close to posting semester grades, I actually have time to blog. Tuesday was a frustrating day for me because I felt overwhelmed by the workload facing me the rest of this week, and I sensed most of the cohort members shared my mental fatigue. So, as far as the session went, I was somewhat disappointed because so few people participated in the Time article discussion. I even sensed a lack of enthusiasm during our sharing session although the people who did share certainly demonstrated creative, constructivist strategies!
Nonetheless, the discussion was valuable to me because I need feedback about my attitude toward teaching writing. It's harder and harder for me to teach effective writing skills, and I'm starting to reevaluate the importance I place on revision and corrections. The world seems mesmerized by pictures rather than words so I wonder if I'm just wearing myself out trying to convince students "the pen is mightier than the sword."
I did feel the discussion about future class activities was valuable. People seem ready to try more technological strategies in their classrooms, and I think it's a good idea to start with some hands-on activities and then discuss them after we've had a chance to practice what we've learned. As you know, I need lots of practice before I'm willing to risk trying a new method, so time in the computer lab would be welcomed.
Finally, as I said during class on Tuesday, I really wish we could have more of our sessions in the summer. I know some people dislike using vacation time for classes, but I think it's much harder to hold sessions during in-service days or final-exam days when we are exhausted from other activities. Taking this class a few hours each day for a week before school starts would jump-start the school year for me (notice I did not suggest we take the class at the beginning of summer). I think people would feel more energetic and excited about the scintillating ideas we want to share!
So--thank you to the Planning Team for all of your hard work in making our sessions meaningful, and happy holiday to you all. . . "and to all, a good night!"
After grading all day yesterday and feeling semi-close to posting semester grades, I actually have time to blog. Tuesday was a frustrating day for me because I felt overwhelmed by the workload facing me the rest of this week, and I sensed most of the cohort members shared my mental fatigue. So, as far as the session went, I was somewhat disappointed because so few people participated in the Time article discussion. I even sensed a lack of enthusiasm during our sharing session although the people who did share certainly demonstrated creative, constructivist strategies!
Nonetheless, the discussion was valuable to me because I need feedback about my attitude toward teaching writing. It's harder and harder for me to teach effective writing skills, and I'm starting to reevaluate the importance I place on revision and corrections. The world seems mesmerized by pictures rather than words so I wonder if I'm just wearing myself out trying to convince students "the pen is mightier than the sword."
I did feel the discussion about future class activities was valuable. People seem ready to try more technological strategies in their classrooms, and I think it's a good idea to start with some hands-on activities and then discuss them after we've had a chance to practice what we've learned. As you know, I need lots of practice before I'm willing to risk trying a new method, so time in the computer lab would be welcomed.
Finally, as I said during class on Tuesday, I really wish we could have more of our sessions in the summer. I know some people dislike using vacation time for classes, but I think it's much harder to hold sessions during in-service days or final-exam days when we are exhausted from other activities. Taking this class a few hours each day for a week before school starts would jump-start the school year for me (notice I did not suggest we take the class at the beginning of summer). I think people would feel more energetic and excited about the scintillating ideas we want to share!
So--thank you to the Planning Team for all of your hard work in making our sessions meaningful, and happy holiday to you all. . . "and to all, a good night!"
posted by mferrill at 8:32 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks Marlys.
We'll think - and probably talk about with C2 - possible summer classes. I'm worried that it would be impossible to get everyone to commit to any days before school starts (especially if we lose some of those in-service days), and that trying to "cram" too much into a short period of time doesn't allow reflection, but that doesn't mean I'm right.
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