(no subject)
27 June 2005
Methods
Larry Chiucarello
Ed Dorsett
I should have known better than to say I got all my work done in yesterday’s reflection.. For the first time, I totally missed an assignment, answering the questions on the Principles and Standards. I whipped off a quick answer for each, but usually I take the time to think out and type out answers. Well, some days things get to me too, just not on a regular basis.
The section on Juanita and Biff was the best for me. When I was grading the tests over the weekend, I had thought how awful it was, not just because it was difficult but because there wasn’t enough room to make corrections, or enough room in the 3 points per problem to grade it as variably as I wanted. It was good to hear that those were problems with the exam. But even despite those reasons, I still found assessment to be the most difficult thing I’ve done so far. How can you decide what’s important. As the range of scores posted, it’s obvious I’m not the only one with that concern, since everyone seemed to assess differently.
The discussion on the questions I had to hurriedly answer was also interesting, especially considering the answer I gave for Number 1, was “yes and no”. The discussion about calculator usage it invoked was great. It was something I noted in the Algebra class I observed, allowing the kids to use calculators for simple multiplication. At the time I was horrified, but since then, learning about learning styles and our previous discussion in this class about the fact that if the kid isn’t going to get it by 9th or 10th grade, it might be better to let them use calculators for arithmetic and move on to the mathematics.
The microteaches are soooooo revealing. I’m learning as much from the critiques of other people as I did with my own. Well, almost as much anyway. I’m impressed that people are trying the hard-core math teaches. For my initial trials (and errors) I find myself gravitating toward the “fun” part of math, and I do love geometry. But trying to stand up there and do a proof is so much more difficult than letting the kids play with figures and learning through seeing. But it WILL have to be done eventually. With student teaching looming, I know I’ll get some experience with that there.
I totally disagree about not smiling before Christmas. I smile as a natural course. It would be totally unnatural for me to not smile, maybe even laugh, right on the first day. I think I have the ability to be serious and still allow humor. And the micro-teaches where the people did not smile, were much more boring than the ones who were lively and smiling. The latter seemed much more interested in the subject, the students, and everything.
Methods
Larry Chiucarello
Ed Dorsett
I should have known better than to say I got all my work done in yesterday’s reflection.. For the first time, I totally missed an assignment, answering the questions on the Principles and Standards. I whipped off a quick answer for each, but usually I take the time to think out and type out answers. Well, some days things get to me too, just not on a regular basis.
The section on Juanita and Biff was the best for me. When I was grading the tests over the weekend, I had thought how awful it was, not just because it was difficult but because there wasn’t enough room to make corrections, or enough room in the 3 points per problem to grade it as variably as I wanted. It was good to hear that those were problems with the exam. But even despite those reasons, I still found assessment to be the most difficult thing I’ve done so far. How can you decide what’s important. As the range of scores posted, it’s obvious I’m not the only one with that concern, since everyone seemed to assess differently.
The discussion on the questions I had to hurriedly answer was also interesting, especially considering the answer I gave for Number 1, was “yes and no”. The discussion about calculator usage it invoked was great. It was something I noted in the Algebra class I observed, allowing the kids to use calculators for simple multiplication. At the time I was horrified, but since then, learning about learning styles and our previous discussion in this class about the fact that if the kid isn’t going to get it by 9th or 10th grade, it might be better to let them use calculators for arithmetic and move on to the mathematics.
The microteaches are soooooo revealing. I’m learning as much from the critiques of other people as I did with my own. Well, almost as much anyway. I’m impressed that people are trying the hard-core math teaches. For my initial trials (and errors) I find myself gravitating toward the “fun” part of math, and I do love geometry. But trying to stand up there and do a proof is so much more difficult than letting the kids play with figures and learning through seeing. But it WILL have to be done eventually. With student teaching looming, I know I’ll get some experience with that there.
I totally disagree about not smiling before Christmas. I smile as a natural course. It would be totally unnatural for me to not smile, maybe even laugh, right on the first day. I think I have the ability to be serious and still allow humor. And the micro-teaches where the people did not smile, were much more boring than the ones who were lively and smiling. The latter seemed much more interested in the subject, the students, and everything.