Thursday, July 30, 2015

#70 Days Setting Goals

Writing the goals here ... making them public ... hoping you will help hold me accountable!

Goal 1: Where possible modify and redefine our work using technology.

I was selected to lead a Next Generation Digital Classroom this year.  My students are assigned laptops - they carry them to and from school.  We will also have iPads for use in the classroom.  I'm not sure what other technology will be given to us.

I'm not looking to add tech type activities for tech's sake.  Instead I want the learning to be more meaningful, stick better, and cause students to think more deeply!

Goal 2: Change the focus of testing (quizzing) from grades to retrieval practice so that testing becomes a tool for learning!

Brown, in Make it Stick, emphasizes the benefits of retrieval practice.  As part of this goal, I want to teach students how to quiz themselves.  I'm not sure how to do this yet.

I also want to be more consistent in five short questions a day.  I plan to use a blank Google Form in Google Classroom - the form is generic.  The daily questions will be projected.  Students will answer in Google.  I can grade or not grade - I'll have a daily record of their warm-up retrieval practice.

In addition to the daily warm-up routine, I plan to use Kahoot regularly.  Of all the tools I used last year, it is the one that generated the most enthusiasm.  Kahoot will help with retrieval in a friendly rivalry kind of way ... no grading.

Goal 3: Make thinking visible. Make learning visible.

Resurrect my 180 blog by posting a picture daily of our learning.

Create a space on our class website for making our thinking and learning visible to others. I'm thinking students should be taking the photos, determining what to display!

Provide time in most lessons for students to share their ideas, strategies, as well as finished work. I plan to use Padlet ... didn't realize what a wonderful tool it is for discussing student work in class with the added benefit of my being able to hold on to that work.

Continuing ... these are goals from years past that I will continue to develop!

  • Student blogging ... will continue to require two blog posts each six weeks
  • Parent communication ... will continue to email parents weekly about what's happening in our classroom
  • Questioning/critical thinking ... will continue to work on the questions I ask students!
This is where I am tonight.  We have just over two weeks before the work starts in earnest!  Time to get organized!




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