My Birthday, My Class − 20 August, 2007
This year, the first day of school happened to fall on my birthday.
I teach 6th grade science. That's fortunate -- the current emphasis in teaching is on hands on learning, and science is ideal for that method. We tend to do a lot of projects.
The new 6th graders were amazed to learn that I don't give traditional tests (well, except for the ones mandated by the state). I've found tests are useless. They may make you feel like you're accomplishing something, but all it does is encourage the cram-and-dump behavior that's put us so far behind as a nation.
Instead, I let them learn by doing -- through experience. I teach the skill, they learn the skill, then they use the skill to create something or accomplish some task. I take the textbook and divide a chapter into sections; each group becomes responsible for learning that section well enough they can teach it to the rest of the class. I train them to write, starting with a few simple sentences, moving up to full scale essays at the end of the year -- making sure each writing assignment involves some sort of critical thinking.
I've been away from Dandelife for the past few weeks. I've missed it. But my time has gotten scarce. Most evenings I spend writing and recording music for my third Jamendo album -- and preparing material for school, since my planning time is very meager, and often taken over by other duties.
The Langoliers will never catch me. My whole day is spent running.
But this week, something magic happened. I think it was a sort of miracle. Certainly it was something I've never seen before. It's the story I'll tell for Friday, 24-August, 2007. Before then, I'll give you a little background -- how the rest of the first week went. Stay tuned.
I teach 6th grade science. That's fortunate -- the current emphasis in teaching is on hands on learning, and science is ideal for that method. We tend to do a lot of projects.
The new 6th graders were amazed to learn that I don't give traditional tests (well, except for the ones mandated by the state). I've found tests are useless. They may make you feel like you're accomplishing something, but all it does is encourage the cram-and-dump behavior that's put us so far behind as a nation.
Instead, I let them learn by doing -- through experience. I teach the skill, they learn the skill, then they use the skill to create something or accomplish some task. I take the textbook and divide a chapter into sections; each group becomes responsible for learning that section well enough they can teach it to the rest of the class. I train them to write, starting with a few simple sentences, moving up to full scale essays at the end of the year -- making sure each writing assignment involves some sort of critical thinking.
I've been away from Dandelife for the past few weeks. I've missed it. But my time has gotten scarce. Most evenings I spend writing and recording music for my third Jamendo album -- and preparing material for school, since my planning time is very meager, and often taken over by other duties.
The Langoliers will never catch me. My whole day is spent running.
But this week, something magic happened. I think it was a sort of miracle. Certainly it was something I've never seen before. It's the story I'll tell for Friday, 24-August, 2007. Before then, I'll give you a little background -- how the rest of the first week went. Stay tuned.
