What a week! I was asleep last night by 8:30 due to sheer exhaustion. It wasn't a bad week, just crazy busy! I'm getting a student teacher this next week, so getting ready for that has taken some time, plus it's enrollment time, etc etc etc :) This post is just a random smattering of ideas that I wanted to share, so please excuse the "brain dump" :)
Do any of you use "webquests" in the classroom? I have been trying to brainstorm ways to get my kiddos more involved in class by using more active-learning techniques. So far, it seems to be working, but I would like to push it further for next year. I ran across some stat webquests and they look like an interesting idea. Next year, I am planning on redoing my classroom website to be more of an online classroom. I've looked at Moodle and some of the other e-learning platforms and hoping to find the right one for me. Any suggestions on programs to look at?
I also figured out how to do "retakes" yesterday on my morning commute. I have a few students that just aren't getting it because they aren't doing the homework. So, I decided that in order for the student to *earn* the opportunity to retake, they had to show me evidence that they had done the homework. I think this will be manageable for me and has the added benefit of built in self-remediation.
I am also excited about the response from my collaboration post. By sharing the workload, I think life will be happier overall. I love the idea of active learning, but I was so afraid of feeling overwhelmed by creating all of those lessons. This way, I have other people to read, share, comment, critique, etc and life is much happier overall :)
2 comments:
With regard to online systems, my district uses moodle and I must say I actually like it. I have an intelligent classroom, so I've got one computer per kid and most of our kids have computers at home. We are working without a book this year for stat so lectures go online as powerpoints and I "moodle" my homework and quizes. As a math teacher, I'm not crazy about multiple choice, but I've been using it in moodle to essentially self-check homework - and doing the fall final on moodle was reall nice.
Webquests for stat - umm, you wouldn't mind sharing??? That is on my list for next year, along with figuring out how to do lessons in moodle so I can step kids through the calculations.
Janet Rice
McNeil High School
Janet,
I have been playing with moodle online, but I have yet to find a math one that allows guest access that really shows off its power for e-learning.
Regarding the webquests, I first ran across them on urbanmath.com and the thought has been going in my head since. I have access to a computer lab, but I rarely use it. I would love to set up a moodle for my kiddos to use at home to do more directed work.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Post a Comment