A Teacher’s Thoughts

As the end of the semester draws near I thought it a good time to reflect on the gains made in class. Its amazing how curriculum and learning can snowball so quickly as the year goes on. One thing leads to another, blending in to what came before. At times it feels like really little progress is being made at all, at least when measured in big terms. Yet on the day to day activity of my room, nothing is more evident than the self-directed learning my students have been able to conduct lately. When I returned to a full time presence in all of my classes, I reminded my students that I expected them to be independent and motivated learners. I reminded them that solving the problem was their job (and of course asking me for help could be a part of the process, but only a part). As it turns out, I was wasting my breath. Not because it went in one ear and out the other but because, it did not need to be said, for the most part they were there. Well, most of them. I have a few left, those who have had their hands held on all occasions, who still have not gained the confidence, despite success. With these students I need to focus, yet without too much intervention. I need to let them know that I care, yet at the same time, leave them to solve their problems with tools other than me. I need to recognize too, though that sometimes it isn’t a lack of confidence, lack of helpful classmates, or lack of skills that keeps a few students from reaching the independence I want for them. Perhaps some of these students can do what I ask, and know it but simply want that connection, with a supportive adult, that they may not get when they leave school each day. Finding that balance is an art.

So where have we been?
• Density review (includes mass, volume, area, and length)
• Density and buoyancy review
• Applying density and buoyancy concepts to gases (previous knowledge was regarding liquids and solids)
• Laboratory techniques review and extension-working with gases requires a far more precise technique of measurement than previously used by these students
• Blog Commenting
• Using News Aggregators
• Using Google Docs for collaboration
• Dealing with minor networking problems
• Internet safety
• Student investigations of space related topics (particular to the ISS07 project)
• Online data collection
• graphing
• correlation
• drawing conclusions from data
• supporting ideas with evidence
• pressure and movement of fluids
• properties of fluids
• relationships between pressure and density
• functional design and design process
• seasonal climate variations
• effects of sun angle and position on earth in climate