To+Teach+-+responses

=Responses to //To Teach//: =
 * Choose one of the six questions Ayers poses on pages 70-71, and write a few sentences about how you address that question (or don’t) in your own classroom. Or if none of those six questions grab you, share a few sentences about a specific step you’ve taken, even if a small one, to try to liberate your curriculum from the straight jacket of standardization and high-stakes testing.**

Jodi Ledeboer-Are students actively engaged with primary sources and hands-on materials? I feel as though I really cover this question in my science classes. I do hands-on activities almost daily with the students in order to show them how science applies to the real-world. However, when it comes to some of my other subjects, I feel I am lacking a bit. I think I tend to get overwhelmed at times that I loose focus.

Randy Huberman - Is work linked to student questions or interest? I have a white board on the side of my room where we write questions that come up in class that we do not know answers to. As the semester goes on, students find the answers and present their findings to the class. I used it very unstructured this year, and next year plan to integrate it into my curriculum. If a student asks a thoughtful question, then it is a good question that deserves an answer.

Sarah Houston-Are there opportunities for discovery and surprise? As a math teacher, I dislike simply giving a rule to students and expecting them to internalize it. For example, one concept I teach in Freshmen Algebra is that parallel lines must have equal slopes. I would much rather do a discovery activity where the students look at lines that are parallel, and come up with a conclusion. Discovery activities like these are much easier with technology and computer programs such as Geometer's Sketchpad, and I try to use them as much as possible. I have found this helps students remember and internalize information much more efficiently. Brandon Knapp: Is Work in my Classroom Pursued to its Far Limits? In my classroom I go through each chapter and pull out a few key ideas that we will dive deeply into. I use the textbook as more of a supplemental resource rather than the focus of the class. I try to find as many resources as I can that deal with the key ideas so we can get a lot of different viewpoints over the same topic. For example, during Pearl Harbor, we looked not only at information from Americans who were there, but also from Japanese pilots and civilians. I agree with Ayers that “covering a zillion items may not be as rewarding as pursuing something fully, deeply, truly, and well.” (71)

Molly Uhren--Are my students actively engaged with primary sources and hands-on materials? As a K-1 teacher, I know the importance of hands-on materials and manipulatives. I have written numerous grants to receive materials such as photo cards, flags, puzzles and games, and book, so that I can show a real life replica of what I am refering to, instead of just talking about it. This has greatly increaded my students understanding, comprehension, and vocabulary.

**Annie Holdren: Is productive work going on?** I make sure that I connect both the WIDA standards (ELL standards) and the state standards to allign with the grade level curriculum maps. I work with the classroom teachers to make sure I address the individual learning needs of the children I service. I only have 30 minutes daily with my students, so productive work is a neccessity and busy work is non-existant

**Jackie Henson: Are there opportunities for discovery and surprise?** Every year I tell myself that I am going to provide my students with more opportunities for discovery. This year my Geometry students discovered the triangle inequality theorem using pipe cleaners. Next year I am only teaching Geometry and would like to really provide my students with some creative activities that will provide them with more opportunites for discovery. I have ordered a book called "Patty Paper Geometry" (Michael Serra) that gives dozens of activities using patty paper to help students discover some key concepts of Geometry. Hopefully, this will give me a good starting point for the creativity, discovery, and understanding that I'm looking for.

I team teach Language Arts with the special education teacher at my school. We are big advocates on differentiated learning. Therefore, we are continually working to plan lessons that are differentiated based on student interest because we feel that they learn better if they are working through means and methods that interest them. At the beginning of the year we give them Gardner’s multiple intelligences survey and then as we are preparing for the lessons, we sometimes take that information into account, as well as their interests at that particular time. So far we have had numerous successes with differentiation and couldn’t imagine it any other way.
 * Brandi Walsh: Is work linked to student questions and interests? **

One of my favorite activities for my Spanish III class is the second semester debate. As a class the students choose what issues in the school or community are bothering them and they vote on the top 4 or 5 topics. Teams are randomly chosen as well as whether they are for or against the topic. After brainstorming and practicing with their group members, each team put on a debate where they practice the following: being respectful to those who do not agree with them, listening to others without interrupting, and speaking only in Spanish. They are always really anxious and scared before the debates but usually end up speaking at least twice as long as the required time and a bonus to me is that I get to hear some students argue ** **__against__** ** cell phones in school !**
 * Michelle Goluba-Melrose: Is Productive Work Going on?

Sarah McCready-Are my students actively engaged with primary sources and hands-on materials? As a middle school teacher, I think it is vital to make sure students are engaged in the classroom. Many teachers I know believe that students in this age group no longer need hands on activities when in fact lessons that allow students to manipulate the material and concepts are especially beneficial! I plan my units out very carefully in order to incorporate lessons and activities that give students freedom from their assigned seat! I utilize technology in the building by creating assessments that involve clickers, games/activities on the Smart Board, and creative exercises in the classroom.

Amy Winkelmann- Are students actively engaged with primary sources and hands-on materials? I often find myself teaching in the same way that I learn. I know we need to teach to all types of learners, but I am hands on. I like to see things in action and manipulate materials. I find this especially easy for me to do in my third grade math class. There are so many great resources out there to teach kids math concepts. Just one example is using fraction bars so that students can visualize what the fraction represents instead of just seeing one number over another.
 * Erik Walles **** - Are challenges from classroom to community fair game for investigation? ** I teach high school, and I think it's absolutely essential to help make students aware of the world in which they live and to encourage them to engage these complex contemporary issues. I think there is a stereotypical perception of students as "kids" whose perspective on the world is myopic and disinterested, but I have found that, when given the opportunity to understand and, subsequently, engage social and political issues, students show a remarkable ability to think critically and react passionately.

Stacy Pygott – **__Are students actively engaged with primary sources and hands-on materials?__** We are fortunate in our school to have a well stocked science lab that we can take students to. Fortunately for me, not many classes utilize this awesome space (unfortunately for the students in those classes). Using the science lab for hands on science activities really helps to engage the students. We have done things such as creating electrical currents, looking at, identifying and drawing cells through the microscope. Other activities have included rock identification, magnets, the human skeleton, solutions etc. I also try to use historical fiction, and other diaries to help students connect with time periods in history. Our textbook just does not give students that human element. A few years ago I was lucky enough to receive CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction) training in math. This changed the way I teach math. The students are so much more engaged in hands on and learn different strategies from each other.

Mary Dullard- Is work in my classroom pushed to its far limits? I like this question because it is one area in which I struggle. It seems like in any lesson there are those kids that just “get it” the first time something new is introduced. I think I probably do a better job with the ones that struggle a little bit. Often they seem like the ones that need the most help. So much of schooling seems to just be aimed right down the middle, leaving out the kids that fall at either extreme of the spectrum. I think I need to work harder on reaching for the “far limits”.

Jenni Biebraum~ //Are students actively engaged with primary sources and hands on material?// Even though I do feel that students do learn best through this process I find that I do not use it as much as I would like. I find myself using it a lot in math and science because they are the easiest subjects. I need to do a better job of this because even though it can be over whelming students learn and remember more by doing.

**YoungHak Kim- Are these opportunities for discovery and surprise.** = = = = I have experience in science inquiry and creative thinking practice with my students. When we do science projects, we plan many science experiments for proving our hypothesis. For example, we have to measure the floating speed of a leaf for our project, but the speed is very fast, we can not measure it with stopwatch. We have to find a creative and easy way to do the experiment. Students designed science investigations: 1. Fill the measuring cylinder with water to the brim, close the mouth of the cylinder firmly with the palm of the hand, and invert the cylinder into the trough of water. 2. Place and hold the leaf under the mouth of the inverted measuring cylinder. Release the leaf and measure the time how long it takes the leaf to float to the top. There is more time to measure by using a stopwatch. 3. Repeat the procedure 10 times. and calculate the mean.  Though they are high school students, their design is very basic and simple, but the process is not about the memorization of science theory, but scientific discovery and surprise. They enjoyed their science inquiry activity. They loved science and now their university majors are biology and mechanical technology.

Jill Uhlman- Are my students actively engaged with primary sources and learning materials? I feel like I have a great opportunity for this in teaching American Literature. I like having students look at the very first literature developed in (and about) our country. When we study // The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn // we look at slave narratives, listen to slave spirituals, and look at wanted signs for runaway slaves. I think the students understand the importance of the issue when we look at how things really were, not just what the book says.

Hannah Dutton - Is productive work going on? I constantly asked myself this question my first year of teaching. Often times new teachers feel overwhelmed and may occasionaly find themselves unprepared for lessons. During these times I found myself reaching for any worksheet or activity to occupy the time and often the work was not productive. Now I ask myself if the activities or work that I have my students do has value or contributes to their learning experience. If it does not, I plan something else that is worthwhile and enhances the learning experience.

Alison Brooks - Is work linked to student questions or interest? I spend a great deal of time getting to know my students and finding out what they like... I do this intensely at the beginning of the year through ice-breaker activities, surveys, and discussions. I also make mental notes any time a student tells a story or talks about something they enjoy so that I can remember it later when planning instruction. I also make a lot of home phone calls early on in the school year- I have found that the students really respond well when they know I am listenting and taking time to discuss things that they are passionate about. I then use examples in my instruction that they can "connect" with. This has been extremely helpful for me in increasing my students' attention and participation.

Cassy Nieuwkoop – Is the work linked to student questions and interests? I try to consistently create activities that link to students’ interests and challenge them to pose thought-provoking questions. In addition, I try to make connections from the material to their own lives. I also try to be as flexible as possible in my lessons to ensure that students are able to take charge of their own learning; I try to be a facilitator in this process and not a dictator.

Kim Dubbelde- Are challenges from classroom to community fair game for investigation? When I read this question, it reminded me that as a teacher, I should be challenged in the classroom as well (not simply vetoing any piece of curriculum because I don’t know the “answer”). In my classroom, I try to allow students the opportunity to address issues that interest them or play a role in their lives. There have been times when I have abandoned the planned lesson for the day and allowed students to take the class on a different route. In class, I have had several lessons changed last minute due to students asking interesting questions that took us in a different direction. For example, one class period a student asked a question about a drug search that had occurred the day before. I wasn’t sure about the answer, so I called our resource officer who was willing to come talk to the class. He was able to talk about the legal aspects of the issue, and the students enjoyed being able to ask open questions to someone of authority in this area. I think it is important to be willing to address issues as they come up in a classroom, as it helps to keep class meaningful and related to the students.

**Adam Bulfer- Are students actively engaged with primary sources and hands-on materials? Primary sources were pushed hard in my undergraduate. I believe in primary sources because** **they play a vital role in teaching history. It helps students get as close to the past as possible and they can also construct knowledge from them. Primary sources offer students a chance to discuss and promote historical empathy. I also think that primary sources make history classes more interesting and engaging. I can not think of a lesson that I do that does not include a primary source. I have found that political cartoon work especially well with high school students because they engage the students and provoke a discussion. **