Intro Notes

I have decided to use this blog to summarize my "teacher notes" and key points I want to remember from the workshop... yes, my notebook is kinda messy right now.

As I have stated in my last post, I am struggling to "be less clear" or "be less helpful".  I am hoping to find a way to "be less helpful" and still have the students recognize that they are learning.

My district requires learning targets (I can statements) posted on the board.  Although I am planning to keep the learning targets somewhat vague (as to not give away a relationship,etc).  I am hopeful that these learning targets will help the students see what they are learning or maybe where they still need more help.   At the end of an activity or unit, I plan to revisit targets (again letting them tell me the relationship).  I am hoping this will help give a little focus to my students/ classes  to help evaluate what has been learned or maybe help us discover that we need to explore a concept further.

I am not certain the facilitators of this workshop will agree with this approach.  I am curious to see what they think on the subject and hear their responses.  I may change my mind again before this workshop is up.  As a matter of fact, my brain has been on overload lately as I have tried to figure out how I will implement what I am learning.  For the time being, this is one way I see implementing what I am learning in my modeling workshop with what I already know about my existing teaching style.

So here is my attempt to put learning goals (not formalized into I can statements yet) to what we have done so far.  Please note that these are my "teacher objectives".  This is what I hope my students to discover from a teacher perspective.   I would definitely carefully rephrase some of  these as to not "give anything away."  Lastly, I may even exclude some of these from the board all together.

Intro Labs: 

Dowel Lab Learning Targets:

1. Introduce Lab format
• Working in groups
• Get familiar with equipment
• meter sticks, balance
• computers & excel – data tables, equation – no r value yet!
• OR Graphing Calculator – Stat – Edit (L1, L2) Stat –Calc- linReg (ax+b)  
• Students becoming independent to set- up and determine procedure
• Learn how to report out and share ideas
• Notebook write up
• Whiteboard and Circle sharin
1. No Negativity  i.e. “your board is wrong” 
2. No backs to anyone
3.  Listen to others before you comment
4.  Wrong answers are the BEST because they challenge our opinions & beliefs
2. Discuss units of slope
3. Equation writing (in excel and what does it tell us)
• Writing "for every" statements for linear relationships
• y – intercept (remember that it is not “y” but really means something physical.  For this lab it is height intercept J Or facilitator called it vertical intercep
4. Teach 5 % rule for linear relationships. 

Lab- O- Rama Learning Targets:

1. All Objectives from Dowel Lab 
2. Using r²  value and reasoning (does it make sense) to determine
• Linear 
• Proportional and inversely proportional relationship
• Doubles/ triples? 
• Quadratic (Polynomial in excel) 
• Exponential (Power in excel)
• No relationship (pendulum lab) 
• Very important to articulate and include reasoning (does it make sense) 

Note: This is where I first noticed that when class did not agree, the facilitator said "ok stick with your data, let's move along".  If it is important enough I will have to find a way to revisit the topic.  For this lab, the goal might just be to recognize that not everything is linear and to get my students thinking.  It is not important that they all fully agree.  It's more important that they are thinking and questioning.