Videos

An idea I have for next year is to show a short introductory video at the beginning of each class, or most classes.  I think it is a good way to get the students thinking about the day’s topic, more than a simple lecture could.

There are websites that allow you to collect and categorize online videos.  For example, Yubby and Popscreen.

Reflections

It has been almost two months since my previous submission.

I'm not sure why. I suppose I had nothing to say.

Busy. Exams. End of the school year.

This is the time when teachers contemplate on their year. What did I do right? What did I do wrong? What will I change and what will I continue next year?

There are four things I have in mind to improve next year.

1. Balance IT. I resolve to temper my usage of the computer with tradition pen and paper activities. My students and parents are not ready for a paperless classroom quite yet. As well, I believe that writing with a pencil develops thinking skills that are different than those that come with keyboarding. It is not difficult to notice that modern students have lower attention spans, more distractions than previous generations. The notion of curling up for a few hours with a good book is almost inconceivable.

2. Cross-curricular literacy. Related to the previous topic, I resolve to have my students engage in more writing activities in other subject-areas. English should be the backbone of History and Geography. I hesitate to say that I will be teaching to the exam; however, I do want to acknowledge that it is my charge to prepare the students for the exam and I do want to take some proactive, pragmatic steps in this direction.

3. Observational measurement. I want to utilize a more structured, scientific approach towards student assessment. I want to find ways to collect student data in formalized manners. There is traditional testing, of course, but there are other ways too. I'm not very knowledgeable in this field. I will be attending a workshop concerning this topic in September. Solid assessment data is useful when interacting with parents and administrators.

4. Organization. Staying organized is the bane of every teacher. My organizational skills are not bad, but there is always room for improvement. Specifically, I intend to keep a binder for each subject that will mirror in content each student's binder.

For now, I resolve to relax, recharge, and enjoy summer.

Photo by James-Hetherington.

Capzles

Capzles is a neat, unique website. It bills itself as a timeline, but I would describe it as a slideshow.

Users can upload photos or videos, or link to photos and videos on the net. Users can write details to accompany each item.

In History, the students used Capzles to create presentations.

Autonomy

Times have changed.

When I was in high school, I did the work that was assigned to me. If I did not finish it in class, then I finished it at home. End of story. I would not think of not doing my work. My parents would be upset and they would punish me. I would not think of blaming the teacher for my poor mark. My parents would laugh at me, then they would get upset and punish me.

More than once this year, I have received unhappy emails from parents who demand to know why I am giving their child bad marks. The parents accuse me of being unfair, doing a poor job, not motivating their child, and generally failing their child. Evidently, these particular children go home and tell their parents that they are doing poorly in school because I am a bad teacher. What these kids don't tell their parents is that they fool around in class, socialize, and don't do their work. The parents are quick to believe and to defend their children.

It is a bit insulting to have to defend myself when a student makes up lies to cover their own poor behaviour and performance. But, it seems, for many, that is the modern culture in which we live. Make excuses, point fingers, and pass the buck.

I have a son in elementary school. When he is doing his homework, I must frequently remind him to stay on task. This is understandable. He is a child who cannot perceive the long-term benefits of being educated.

My senior group of students ranges in age from 14 to 18. I thought, optimistically, and erroneously, that I would be able to give them their assignments, and that they would complete their work autonomously. I thought that, as teenagers, they would understand the benefits of educating themselves. Or, at the very least, they would be motivated to achieve good grades on their report cards. I thought that they would understand the correlation between working hard and achieving good marks. I thought that if I let them stand on their own, then they would learn to work independently, and they would have to take responsibility for their own successes or failures. For some of them, I was wrong.

Some students do not care whether they pass or fail. If I leave them to do the work independently, then they simply do not do the work. So, then, they get a failing mark on their report card, and they have to face the music. Right? Wrong. For some students, if they get a failing mark on their report card, then the parents blame me, the teacher. The student is not held responsible.

Traveler IQ

Traveler IQ is a fun educational game. Players must locate specified cities and landmarks on a map. There are many categories from which to choose, such as, Europe, North America, World Capitals, and Photos of the World.



The questions become increasingly difficult. After you have missed a given number of miles, your game is over. Then, you are presented with a traveler IQ score and a badge which can be embedded on a blog or website. Unfortunately, the embed code does not function with Blogger.

Lifeyo

Lifeyo is a website that allows users to create their own website. It features an easy to use interface. In Geography, the students used Lifeyo to create a web page advertising one of Canada's national parks. Here are a few examples:

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

280Slides

The website 280Slides is an online, simplified version of Microsoft PowerPoint.

I asked my students to use this website to create a presentation. Many of the students complained that the website was unbearably slow. Eventually, I conceded that they could use Microsoft PowerPoint instead, and then use Slideshare.net to host their presentation.

One student successfully managed to use 280Slides to create this presentation.