Ideas for next year:
1. Vary submission of WSQs from Online (Google Form), Handwritten, and Student Blog. I have started keeping track of student submissions on a Google Spreadsheet and making them resubmit until they are "approved". If they don't get approved on the first submission, they can do a resubmission either by typing it, doing a quick in person interview with me, or submitting a quick webcam interview. Students have until the end of the CHAPTER (instead of the end of the week) to get all WSQs for that chapter approved. It's like part of their "I'm ready for the test" checklist. If the WSQ is handwritten, it must actually be submitted so there is accountability that "I WILL read it". Student Blogs would be more for summary WSQs or just overall unit reflections (separate from WSQ). I still want to look into what I want to do with student blogs- I think I want more "big picture" reflections, summaries, student videos, etc on there.
*Is this idea for just Math Analysis, or would it work with my 9th/10th grade Algebra students? Is it too much responsibility for them to handle, or is it worth a try?
*Model what I am looking for in WSQ submissions. Complete sentences, summaries, detailed answers, specifics, etc... not just 5 word sentence fragment answers like many of them give me, especially online. Forcing them to resubmit helps with this.
*Can I incorporate more online DISCUSSION with students through the use of blogs?
*Can I utilize the "chat rooms" I've done for test review to have class discussion? Where would I host that (want similar feature to Google Docs chat like I've done, but without anonymity).
2. Make WSQ charts for each UNIT instead of each week. Include concept quizzes on the WSQ chart as something that must be "signed off". ALL ASSIGNMENTS on WSQ chart must be completed. (This year they can miss one assignment a week and not receive "school-wide punishment"... I feel like every assignment I assign is valuable and needed so I don't like that rule). If a student is falling behind, find out what is going on and provide schedule to catch up. If student fails to follow through, then "school-wide punishment" can occur. (Still really have to think through this one with our school's policies...).
-If WSQs are submitted online and kept track of via Google Spreadsheet, I don't need the WSQ boxes on the WSQ chart to sign off individually in class (and that takes a lot of time as well!). I would just "sign off" the assignments/learning activities that are completed. This may reformat what the WSQ chart looks like for next year...
*I want to do this with both my classes, but my Algebra kids need more daily accountability or they will fall behind. How do I balance this?
3. Do something more/better with the Question part of the WSQ. The summary is a great reflective/processing tool, and now I am also using it as a formative assessment since students have to keep resubmitting until they get it right (learning, hopefully!). The question part needs to be utilized better in class. I need to come up with different "activities" and ways to utilize the questions to spur on discussion in class (stuff with whiteboards, sticky notes, musical share, carousel, etc is coming to mind). Maybe have the Questions ALWAYS be handwritten and that is turned in daily? That is a lot of paper... hmmmm... I definitely won't go through those daily. Maybe have a "question journal" that they write their questions and answers in? Need to see samples from @math_johnson with his journals and see what I want to do with that. I just know I need to do a better job with actually utilizing the questions. I have allowed myself to be satisfied with "crappy" answers this year even though I say that isn't okay. How can I stand firm in that and not only challenge students to ask good questions (THIS REQUIRES TEACHING AND MODELING!!!) but also to get good, detailed, solid answers.
4. Curate more content... videos, demos, ARTICLES, etc that I can tie into the content to bring life and variety to it. Have my students thinking critically about the math, but also how it applies in real-life situations.
5. Written portion to tests. Get students used to writing and having to explain their work. They will complain, I know, but they should get used to it.
6. Continued use of student-created videos to a certain extent for EVERY chapter, even in Algebra 1. With our new school iPad lab, this will be made easier.
7. Two websites to look at
http://betterexplained.com/ (possible math articles to use)
http://bullis.haikulearning.com/roshast/apcalculusaab/cms_page/view/1458845 (examples of student created videos in AP Calc)
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