Your video works great, Sarah . . . way to jump in and put to use your burgeoning technology skills! I'm interested in hearing more about the 6-8 "alternative" learning experience you are hoping to become involved with in your district. To be able to get in on the ground floor with planning, organization, and development would be a great way to share and incorporate sound middle level practices!
Thanks so much Jen! Sometimes I get a little too brave with my tech skills but, that's how we learn how to teach our kids right!
I will keep you all updated on the alternative ed. stuff. Just like you said, the idea of being able to help develop a program I will be involved with is just so exciting so, I'll keep my fingers crossed!!
Terrific job, Sarah. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about your MAMLE experience and your thoughts along the way. And a great job on the iMovie. Glad you had a chance to try it out.
Was interested in your interest in the Non-Traditional Program upcoming to your school. Maybe putting together a prospectus (as preliminary as it might be at this point) would be an excellent idea for your project. Just a thought.
Don't you find it interesting that in schools when we do anything outside the "normal parameters" we call it alternative or nontraditional or special? Why is it that we have such a narrow definition of what we expect? If kids aren't readers and writers...and if they don't pay attention to us and their peers...they usually end up somewhere else.
Why can't we have a variety of ways for kids to learn...to be assessed...and to be valued?
I know! In part, that's why I am so interested in the idea of working in this program; I will be free from the constraints of curriculum and parents who are convinced that anything outside of the box is bad. I hate that it is only with our super gifted kids or super struggling (hard to teach) kids that we can move outside the box. I also feel bad that I am thinking of giving up on challenging the norms in my school but, it's just so hard.
I thought of this exact thing when I first heard Mark Springer speak. He mentioned that he got the idea for a lot of what he was planning to do with Watershed and Soundings from his time as a GT teacher. I remember that our GT program (when I was a student) was similar to his. Students worked on enrichment activities and teachers worked with students to plan projects and activities that we were interested in doing. I did the coolest project in 5th grade where two of us created a planetarium from a huge tube, a light bulb, and constellation maps. My teacher got us the materials and we built it. It was awesome and I always think back to that and wonder why only the "GT" kids got to be involved . . .
Your video works great, Sarah . . . way to jump in and put to use your burgeoning technology skills!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in hearing more about the 6-8 "alternative" learning experience you are hoping to become involved with in your district. To be able to get in on the ground floor with planning, organization, and development would be a great way to share and incorporate sound middle level practices!
Thanks so much Jen! Sometimes I get a little too brave with my tech skills but, that's how we learn how to teach our kids right!
ReplyDeleteI will keep you all updated on the alternative ed. stuff. Just like you said, the idea of being able to help develop a program I will be involved with is just so exciting so, I'll keep my fingers crossed!!
Thanks again!
Terrific job, Sarah. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about your MAMLE experience and your thoughts along the way. And a great job on the iMovie. Glad you had a chance to try it out.
ReplyDeleteWas interested in your interest in the Non-Traditional Program upcoming to your school. Maybe putting together a prospectus (as preliminary as it might be at this point) would be an excellent idea for your project. Just a thought.
Don't you find it interesting that in schools when we do anything outside the "normal parameters" we call it alternative or nontraditional or special? Why is it that we have such a narrow definition of what we expect? If kids aren't readers and writers...and if they don't pay attention to us and their peers...they usually end up somewhere else.
Why can't we have a variety of ways for kids to learn...to be assessed...and to be valued?
I know! In part, that's why I am so interested in the idea of working in this program; I will be free from the constraints of curriculum and parents who are convinced that anything outside of the box is bad. I hate that it is only with our super gifted kids or super struggling (hard to teach) kids that we can move outside the box. I also feel bad that I am thinking of giving up on challenging the norms in my school but, it's just so hard.
ReplyDeleteI thought of this exact thing when I first heard Mark Springer speak. He mentioned that he got the idea for a lot of what he was planning to do with Watershed and Soundings from his time as a GT teacher. I remember that our GT program (when I was a student) was similar to his. Students worked on enrichment activities and teachers worked with students to plan projects and activities that we were interested in doing. I did the coolest project in 5th grade where two of us created a planetarium from a huge tube, a light bulb, and constellation maps. My teacher got us the materials and we built it. It was awesome and I always think back to that and wonder why only the "GT" kids got to be involved . . .