Facebook for teachers?

Sure...what a great tool for teachers.  I just read a blog about how teachers are connecting with each other in order to keep up with the newest teaching sites and technology.  I guess it can be used for more than just a social site.  You could join a group of other teachers and share lesson plans, ideas, and even display pictures.  Facebook could be a great tool if used the right way.

Project Based Learning

Edutopia published a blog about the six strategies to teaching with one of them being project based learning.  I truly agree with them that projects are a great way to give the students the ability to be able to demonstrate their knowledge at a different level and with various other means.  I teach an archaeology class and the students learn about ancient civilizations and then create their own made up ancient civilization.  They develop artifacts as part of this project to represent the different aspects of the culture.  The students seem to really develop a deep understanding of the ancient civilizations through this project.

How much homework?

What is the ruling on homework?  What is too much? What is too little?  As a teacher and a parent I can definitely see both sides of the fence.  As a teacher I truly only assign homework when it is necessary and are not going to give lame assignments just to be keeping the students busy at home.  But I am social studies teacher...if I were a math teacher that might be a little different.  From the parent perspective I like that my children have homework but there is a time when enough is enough.  Some of the assignments that my children are expected to complete are quite time consuming for a one night homework assignment.  So as a teacher and a parent I think that homework should only be assigned if it will help to benfit the student and not just keeping them busy after school.

Dealing with angry parents...

I just read an article on a teacher website about tips dealing with angry parents.  I guess it is that time of the year when conferences can heat up things at school.  I am prepared to deal with any parent that might be upset about their students grade and ready to defend my reasoning with samples of their work and examples of their homework.  But...the website also says not to take it personally...but how can you not?  As a teacher I have poured hours of time into my classroom and then to have a parent show up, 3 months into school and have to deal with them yelling about the lack of work that their child is doing and make it your fault is personal!  I will try and be calm and not take it personally but...who knows what parent will be sitting down across from me.

Using Technology during a test?

Edutopia recently posted an article about students using technology during a test.  Should they be able to access the information that they don't know using their cell phones and still get credit for understanding the information?  If students don't know the information should they be faulted for looking it up?  Why should they?  If they have the knowledge to find the information using technology then let them use it in the classroom for exams.  Do they really need to retain everything in this technology based world where we have done away with card catalogs and libraries are closing because we can now use technology and have the world at our finger tips?  I don't think students should be limited in their resources...if they have the knowledge to look it up then they should be getting credit for the answers on the test.

Creationism in school?

What do you say when a student believes in creationism?  That the reason that we have life on Earth is not because of the sun and the relationship to the Earth or that there is oxygen on our planet, or water to live?  It is because God created it.  I just experienced this one in my social studies class of all places.  Students were discussing how and why we have life on the Earth and how the climates affect the different regions. I was looking for answers that the Earth is heated by the sun gives us light to change into energy but when a student answers that it is God's doing...what are you suppose to say?  I simply stated that according to the text book the reasons were the ones we were discussing and be sure to answer that way for the tests.  But was that the right thing to do?

Middle Schools are to blame

I just read an article on the Education Next website that says the current setup for the middle school with grades 5-8 or 6-8 are not conducive to learning and the students are suffering because of it.  Students that are in a k-8 setting are doing better than those in a true middle school. 
Teaching in a middle school has been interesting and I am teaching in a k-8 school but my sons both attended a true middle school.  I have always thought of a true middle school as a holding pen for raging hormones that just need some time to develop before they head to high school but never really considered a k-8 to be any better.  I wonder if this will start to change the way we populate our schools?

Schools for Pre-Schoolers

I guess I really don't think about preschool any more because both of my kids are older and I am now teaching a middle school.  But, according to a recent blog on Education Next they discussed how preschools different in ranges from offerings and educational benefits.  Does the preschool really make a difference?  Well, continuing on to the next part of the article then states that preschool kids usually spend more time watching tv than in preschool so maybe we should be focusing on the preschool programming on the tv instead of the quality of their preschool.

Current Events

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to check the Edutopia website for new postings and there was one on current events.  I am a social studies teacher and was just discussing current events with the other teachers and we were wondering how to make it more interesting and relevant for the students.  This blog discussed all of the different ways to tie the current events into motivating the students into in-depth learning experiences instead of just learning about the days news.  The blog suggested taking more controversial topics that have no easy solution and encourage the students to try and come up with a solution about the problem or current event. 
I am ready to try this in my classroom.  What a different approach to current events.

Keeping up with curriculum

What a hot topic!  I am trying desperately to keep up with the curriculum set forth by not only my charter school curriculum but making sure I cover all of topics necessary to have the students meet the GLCE for Michigan.  It seems like I might be able to cover half of the material by year's end!  Sure I can cover the curriculum but what justice am I doing if I am not making sure they understand it?  Shouldn't I make sure they know the topic thoroughly before moving on?  Should I skim the topics to get them all in or cover fewer topics with in depth knowledge?

Political Opinions of Teachers

As a teacher I am very careful not to sway or influence the minds of those students in my classroom.  Other teachers do not feel the same.  Recently there was a posting on Edutopia about the influence of teachers in the classroom and do they have the right to express their opinions and inform the students of their choices. 

I feel the teachers should keep their opinions out to the classroom.  Teachers can be facilitators to debates between students but they should not be expressing their opinions in order to do win over students. 

I had a situation in the classroom where students were debating the mosque at ground zero and if that was ok or not.  It became so heated between sides that I tabled the conversation and told them to write a persuasive essay to express their opinion on the topic.  It was very interesting what the students came up with as far as their essays and none of them never knew what my stand was on the topic.