tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post2097025797413861279..comments2024-03-21T05:30:03.220-04:00Comments on Science teacher: Phenologydoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-21086711569458021592009-08-09T18:32:13.566-04:002009-08-09T18:32:13.566-04:00Dear laurawilson25,
Sure, but I've not distil...Dear laurawilson25,<br /><br />Sure, but I've not distilled it into a formal lesson plan yet, one because it's still summer and I play a bit, and two because our district is modifying lesson plans to fit in with UbD.<br /><br />Off the cuff, on a lovely late summer Sunday afternoon, right after a lovely paddle on the Delaware Bay, with the requisite refreshments nearby, here it goes:<br /><br />Objectives: <br />1) Hone students' observational abilities through authentic practice<br />2) Develop students' sense of local ecology/environment<br />3) Enhance students' written communication skills<br /><br />Strategies:<br /><i>Blogging</i>: students will blog their findings biweekly. While open-ended observations are encouraged, the teacher will also provide a checklist (with appropriate identifying data) as scaffolding for students as necessary.<br /><br />(I may offer use of the department camera as well.)<br /><br /><i>Assessment</i>: I could make this quantitative, I suppose, and I may for those students shooting for a "C", but I may get bold and judge the entries on the quality of the observations. I'll write a rubric, of course, but we're only kidding ourselves with these.<br /><br />Quality is elusive, sometimes impossibly so, but we do recognize talent or art or whatever you want to call it.<br /><br />Anyway, just rough thoughts--I should have the actual lesson plan written by September 10--email if you want it.<br /><br />(This will be an on-going assignment, not a particular "class." Oh, one more thing--I <i>love</i> teaching ecology--not sure how I left the impression that I did not. The key for me is to keep it local, local, local.)doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-85270996948248873532009-08-09T16:51:33.934-04:002009-08-09T16:51:33.934-04:00Can you share your plans for the assignment? I'...Can you share your plans for the assignment? I'm researching information for something similar for my students to do this year, but ecology isn't my favorite topic, either, so I'm not sure how to go about creating something do-able. Any ideas you can share would be appreciated.laurawilson25https://www.blogger.com/profile/14103544331857162472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-45541125647670014292009-06-29T21:43:44.919-04:002009-06-29T21:43:44.919-04:00Dear lucychili,
I've shared this before, but ...Dear lucychili,<br /><br />I've shared this before, but I like it, so I'll share it again.<br /><br />I've enjoyed Friends' (Quaker) Meetings, mostly silence, punctuated every very now and again by someone moved to speak. At many meetings, no one speaks.<br /><br />I watch the shadows move, I look at the grain of wood in the pew in front of me. Outside the window is a telephone line.<br /><br />I keep thinking about the finite digital information transmitted through that wire, then about the infinite variety of life surrounding that wire.<br /><br />I love windows, but I'm not a fan of Microsoft.doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-14264184918557689432009-06-29T21:36:56.272-04:002009-06-29T21:36:56.272-04:00I am happy that the windows
you both mean are not...I am happy that the windows <br />you both mean are not digital. =)<br /><br />it is hailing<br />frogs and bees are mute<br />the duck is sitting<br />coffee is onlucychilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519163424062626658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-63318965585318277752009-06-29T21:29:56.645-04:002009-06-29T21:29:56.645-04:00Dear Charlie,
This may have been my happiest resp...Dear Charlie,<br /><br />This may have been my happiest response from someone yet--I get ecstatic when people grow their own food. It is life changing, and it gets us closer to the Mystery. (I'm not sure that my great Uncle Joe who celebrated a jubilee at Villanova would agree, but he came of age at a time when folks knew where food came from.)<br /><br /><br />Dear lucychili,<br /><br />Most of us are <i>lost</i>, but I'm not sure that's the real problem--I suspect most of the lost do not realize they're lost, and that scares me.<br /><br /><br />Dear Alla,<br /><br />Your students' blogging inspired me. I'm really excited about this. <br /><br />What kind of permissions did you get before blogging? <br /><br />(I'm counting on you to kick me in the butt if my courage should flag.)<br /><br /><br />Dear Errin,<br /><br />I like your suggestion! I'd love to collaborate with the art teachers. "Drawing from observation" teaches more than any textbook illustration.<br /><br />(Mr. Knukowski, my 7th grade teacher, tortured us with his "Draw and Label" assignments. But guess what? He knew what he was doing.)<br /><br /><br />Dear John,<br /><br />If you're as much like as as I suspect, you'll never quite trust the clock. Hang in there--I am <i>ecstatic</i> that I am getting windows!doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-6444241176941418462009-06-25T11:40:40.415-04:002009-06-25T11:40:40.415-04:00I checked out my new class as a computer teacher. ...I checked out my new class as a computer teacher. It's sterile and empty and quiet, save a few buzzing computers. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, much nicer than I am used to. <br /><br />I hung up posters and kept thinking, "there's something wrong." I thought it was the lack of murals (I haven't gotten permission to paint on walls) but then it hit me, "I'm in a cave." The school is all indoors. <br /><br />They say it's more eco-friendly this way. It might save electricity, but I'm not sure that a windowless school helps kids become friends with the ecological surroundings. <br /><br />At my last school, I stood in the sun for four minutes every hour. I knew the time by the shadows on my class walls. Now, I'm stuck trusting the clock.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10956056168256756705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-38625718096235175982009-06-24T22:53:36.605-04:002009-06-24T22:53:36.605-04:00That sounds wonderful, an enjoyable and meaningful...That sounds wonderful, an enjoyable and meaningful learning experience for your students!<br /><br />I teach art and one of the things we talk about at the start of the course is how scientists used to record images before cameras, i.e. they had to draw from observation. You might want to ask the art teacher to collaborate - send along some art students to do some sketching alongside the science students observing. Just a thought...!Errinhttp://justathought.edublogs.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-52657494912050644572009-06-24T10:54:27.855-04:002009-06-24T10:54:27.855-04:00Can't wait to read that blog! I have no doubt ...Can't wait to read that blog! I have no doubt that students will remember the night they hunted for the first lightening bug rather than the night they tried to memorize info from the Bio book. Although I have become somewhat of a realist over these few short years as a teacher. There will be a few who cannot be torn away from facebook, wii, MTV, Iphones, or whatever else has them in its steel, mind-numbing grasp. I read somewhere that Alzhimer's is predicted to dramatically rise for my generation; we barely use our brains for output, meanwhile the input is flowing at a feverish pace.Ms. Vaydahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675232128373918644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-33814474178617093092009-06-24T10:43:09.721-04:002009-06-24T10:43:09.721-04:00value is abstract
difficult to observe in the wild...value is abstract<br />difficult to observe in the wild<br />it scopes our choices<br />most easy to see <br />the spaces between value<br />where species, spaces, people<br />are lost <br />or out of gamutlucychilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519163424062626658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-81176745776651995172009-06-23T21:12:55.494-04:002009-06-23T21:12:55.494-04:00I've just changed offices to one with a window...I've just changed offices to one with a window. I'm curious to see what effect it has on my school administrator soul. Also I wanted to let you know I'm reaping the rewards from my garden. This evening I dined on leaf lettuce, scallions, pea pods, and spinach all from my little square foot garden. I've taken more joy from my little 8 x 4 foot patch than I can put into words. Your posts are what encouraged me to give it a try. I'm eyeballing some cherry tomatoes for next week.Charlie Royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09335346223868916197noreply@blogger.com