Wednesday, June 24, 2009

From Good to Outstanding Project

Analysis on Good to Outstanding from Tom at Bionic Teaching:
  • the lesson is filmed and observed by a master teacher
  • they post the raw class footage
  • people can then offer suggestions etc. online
  • the input from the master teacher and online suggestions is analyzed
  • expert feedback is given
  • the lesson is retaught
  • a compiled version showing before, expert mentoring and the after lesson is posted
Like, whoa. I really don't know if I'm brave enough for this. Why is feedback so scary? I've been working on my gut reaction, but it's hard when some peers and administrators don't know the differences between constructive feedback and plain old criticism.

Teachers.tv is kind of wigging me out with its scope--so much to see!

I think I am procrastinating on AP work because my brain is very tired. Starting Twilight at bedtime last night was a poor idea, and I'm a little embarrassed to be reading it. One of my classmates says not to worry because the pages must be a drug in that series.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Back to Class

Today was the first day of a 4 day institute on AP Language and Composition. I had to be late because of an appointment, which I hate, but I think I'm catching up.

One of the things my little hoarder heart loves is getting free books. Bless the publishers who sent them! I know they're doing it for self-serving purposes, but I don't care. If I'm feeling ambitious, I may blog about the books we were gifted. I don't know when I'll be allowed near our book budget again, but a girl can dream!

Homework for tonight is Hephzibah Roskelly's "New Worlds in Old Texts" from our AP English Language Special Focus: Reading and Writing Analytically booklet. I think I'll try to blog on my homework each night so I'm doing my own professional development, since last year I never even picked up the books I bought for school summer reading. I also threw down with Dana at HuffEnglish: we're each going to write three units this summer at the UbD wiki.

Friday, June 19, 2009

This Is So Deep I Can't Dig In Yet

Dina posted these gleanings from the Finnish Education Standards:

The need and desire of students for life-long learning must be reinforced.
Cooperation, interaction and communication skills must be developed by means of different forms of collaborative learning.
Upper secondary schools must develop students’ abilities to recognize and deal with ethical issues involving communities and individuals.
Education must help students recognize their personal uniqueness.
Education must stimulate students to engage in artistic activities, to participate in artistic and cultural life, and to adopt lifestyles that promote health and well-being.

Students will be capable of facing the challenges presented by the changing world in a flexible manner, be familiar with means of influence, and possess the will and courage to take action.

An upper secondary school community must create prerequisites for experiencing inclusion, reciprocal support and justice. These are important sources of joy in life.

Human beings must learn how to adapt to the conditions of nature and the limits set by global sustainability.

Upper secondary schools must reinforce students’ positive cultural identity and knowledge of cultures.

Technology is based on knowledge of the laws of nature.

Students will observe and critically analyze the relationship between the world as described by media, and reality.


They're so conclusive and inclusive and amazing...this is what American education needs. Where is the leadership to make this happen? I don't even know where to go with this. It feels so big and so important. I feel like I'm blowing circuits just thinking about it. I'm going to send it on to my congressional representatives, but beyond that, I just don't know what comes next.