Ideas For The First Week Of School

1)      Introduce students to teacher and other students with a series of group icebreaker games.

The icebreaker games could include “Two Truths and a Lie” where students are given a note card and write down two TRUE interesting facts about them and/or their family as well as one FALSE item. Then, go around the room, have each students read his/her card and have students guess which of the three items are a lie. This is also a prime opportunity to tell students this is the only time they are allowed to lie to the teacher. They have had their warning. You can also discuss worthy punishments for lying.

2)      Collaborate with students to develop rules and procedures which meet your expectations for behavior.

Most of the rules in a school are handed down from district and school administration. But, each team within a middle school and individual classroom teachers have more specific regulations for classroom behavior. The students should be part owners in the rulemaking. This develops a since of fairness and democracy within the classroom. This is not to say the students should have full reign to ignore needed procedures. They should have an input and should be held accountable for the punishments they decide on.

3)      Let it be known to students it is okay to be wrong only if there is the desire to correct it.

Part of education is finding right and wrong answers. But in a middle school, I believe it is more important for students to explore subjects and give their best effort. In order for students to develop an intrinsic motivation of mastering and exploring content, they must also know that wrong answers are okay during the process of learning. What is most important is the perseverance to improve each day.

4)      Build a grouping community which is conducive to the students

Students in middle school are more motivated to work and learn more when participating in group activities. But many elementary schools may not incorporate the same grouping models as middle schools. It is important to slowly help students adapt to participating in groups.

5)      Ask the students what they want to learn during the year. Make a list and keep it in the room to reflect on throughout the year.

This also allows students to take ownership of their learning. They will find most of the information they want to learn is already going to be taught, but this also allows the teacher to gauge the interests and motivations of the students. Try to incorporate students’ interest with the state educational standards.

6)      Make it clear that also students have your ear for any problems in and outside of school

It is important to build a strong relationship between teachers and students. There must be high levels of trust and a freedom to share ideas, issues and solutions.

Summative Geometry Lesson Plan: Area, Perimeter, Polygons

Architecture Firm of _____________________, ____________________ & ______________________

Dear Architects,

Congratulations, you have been chosen to design a new middle school in your school district. Your job depends on using your math skills to create your vision of a middle school. You will draw a blueprint and submit to the school board. You will present your design with the aim it will be selected. Be prepared to answer questions from the school board.

As an architect, you must understand how to calculate perimeter and area as well as present a creative design. Construction must begin soon! Good Luck.

School Requirements

1. The PERIMETER of your school must be less than 140 units and an area less than 1,200 squared units.
2. The exterior walls of your school must have more than 4 sides with at least one angle measuring greater than or less than 90 degrees.
3. Your school must have at least 6 CLASSROOMS of the same size.
4. Your school must have a CAFETERIA, GYMNASIUM, FRONT OFFICE, a HALLWAY and 2 BATHROOMS .
5. The GYMNASIUM has a greater AREA than 4 CLASSROOMS and is a rectangle which is not a square.
6. The CAFETERIA has a greater AREA than the GYMNASIUM.
7. Be creative! Add other school rooms (computer lab, library, art room, music room, commons area, science lab, locker rooms, auditorium, teachers lounge, etc. And invent a new room you would like to have in your school design.)
8. Select at least 3 of the following shapes for the rooms or spaces in your school (RECTANGLE, RHOMBUS, RIGHT TRIANGLE, ISOSCELES TRIANGLE, TRAPEZOID, CIRCLE, PENTAGON, HEXAGON, CONCAVE POLYGON and/or PARALLELOGRAM.
9. Submit a name for your school.
10. EXTRA CREDIT!!! USE at least 6 of the above shapes in your school.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you LABEL the PERIMETERS and AREAS of each room as well as the entire school. You may use a calculator.

DATA SHEET

__________________________________________ MIDDLE SCHOOL

CLASSROOMS

1. AREA of 1 Classroom _________    b.  # of Classrooms ______ c. Classroom Shape__________

GYMNASIUM

1. AREA of Gymnasium ________                b. # of Rooms ___________    c. Room Shape____________

CAFETERIA

1. AREA of Cafeteria __________ b. # of Rooms ________ c. Room Shape_______________

FRONT OFFICE

1. AREA of Front Office ______________ b. # of Rooms __________  c. Room Shape___________

BATHROOMS

1. AREA of Room _______________ b. # of Rooms_________ c. Room shape ____________

____________________ Room

1. AREA of Room _______________ b. # of Rooms_________ c. Room shape ____________

____________________ Room

1. AREA of Room _______________ b. # of Rooms_________ c. Room shape ____________

____________________ Room

1. AREA of Room _______________ b. # of Rooms_________ c. Room shape ____________

____________________ Room

1. AREA of Room _______________ b. # of Rooms_________ c. Room shape ____________

____________________ Room

2. AREA of Room _______________ b. # of Rooms_________ c. Room shape ____________

HALLWAYS

1. Area of Hallways ____________________

TOTAL PERIMETER OF SCHOOL _____________

TOTAL AREA OF SCHOOL __________________

GROUP MEMBERS

FOREMAN: ________________________________________________

ACCOUNTANT: _____________________________________________

DRAFTING: ________________________________________________

	10	7	5	2
Requirements	Met all 9 school requirements *Add 3 points for Extra Credit	Met 7 of school requirements *Add 1 point for Extra Credit	Met 5 school requirements *No Extra Credit	Met less than 5 school requirements *No Extra Credit
Accuracy	All Data Sheet and Blueprint measurements are accurate Showed Work	A few calculation errors on either Data Sheet and/or Blueprint Showed Work	Several calculation errors on Data Sheet and Blueprint Showed Work	Most calculations are inaccurate *Subtract 1 point for not showing work
Presentation	Blueprint is neat and readable. All rooms, area and perimeters are labeled Presentation explained blueprint clearly and made the case to the school board	Blueprint is fairly neat and readable Most rooms, area and perimeters are labeled Presentation somewhat described choices made and did not make case why the project should be chosen	Blueprint is messy Most rooms, area and perimeters are not labeled Presentation did not describe why choices were made and did not address why project should be chosen	Blueprint is unreadable Presentation did not describe why choices were made and did not address why project should be chosen
Group Work	All group members collaborated equally and effectively No behavior problems All group members fulfilled their duties	2 group members did bulk of the work No behavior problems All group members fulfilled their duties	2 group members did a bulk of the work Some behavior problems Not all group members fulfilled their duties	1 group member did a bulk of the work This group had multiple behavior issues and did not work well together Not all group members fulfilled their duties

Modernizing Science Education: A Summary

The entirety of science education in the United States has been built around a structured and increasingly rigorous curriculum. This curriculum is standards-based, rooted in the four primary science subjects: earth science, life science, physical science and chemistry. Despite periodic reformation efforts to spin science education into real-world societal contexts, the current structured curriculum remains. Dr. Hurd contends it is more imperative than ever to move K-12 science education into the world which modern science practices and away from strict, subject-specific teaching.

Hurd argues science research is “becoming more cross- or transdisciplinary, relating the natural and social sciences.” Biology has developed several sub-disciplines such as bioethics, biophysics, human biology, etc. The same is said of chemistry, physics and earth science. Each burgeoning subtype either clings to the structures of the other major disciplines or, with increasing frequency, social and technological influences. Science has also become a major player in economics (global warming and reducing automobile gas emissions) and politics (birth-control, medical marijuana).  Hurd believes modern pre-college science education should mirror these changes.

Hurd’s vision for a reinvented science curriculum synthesizes 350 years of research. Hurd favors what he calls a lived curriculum – turning “science knowledge into a working knowledge that can be used in personal and civic contexts.” Such a curriculum must reference student’s real-world experiences, expectations and future adaptation into society. It must also introduce students to take ownership of their learning. In other words, teaching by the current strict discipline-based standards rarely has connections to problem solving in a technologically savvy, fast changing society. While most science education reforms simply update laws, principles and general theories into a more rigorous set of standards, Hurd calls for a lived curriculum emphasizing students’ developmental and adaptive needs.

“The traditional career-oriented science courses representing the disciplines of science – biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics are now viewed as outmoded for a general education in the sciences.”

While this journal article generally addresses the proposed thought shift which should occur in K-12 education, Hurd has further synthesized his vision of a lived science curriculum for middle school students. In his book “Transforming Middle School Science Education” (2000), Hurd outlines a curriculum based on the unique development needs, interests and expectations of early adolescents. He blurs the line between the four core science disciplines and social sciences to promote a more science literate student. Hurd reinvents science curricula focusing on science’s role building life skills and improving ones quality of life – the two former pillars have major implications for early adolescents.

“Biologists seek conditions in which human beings and nature can exist in harmony. Social scientists look for ways in which people can live with one another to the advantage of everyone. Psychologists want to help individuals achieve a life that is satisfying and workable. …All of these attributes contribute to the emergence of middle-level education.” (53)

He further outlines 10 broadly focused principles to be incorporated into a new lived middle-level science curriculum: 1) Getting to Know Ourselves, 2) People Have a Long History on Earth, 3) Human Life Cycle, 4) How We Learn About People and the World, 5) Learning and Remembering, 6) Language and Communication, 7) Knowing and Deciding, 8) Nutrition, 9) Health, Hygiene and Safety and 10) Human Beings as Social Animals (66-74). Each principle is further articulated with the student as an active participant in his own learning in mind. The physical, emotional, social and intellectual maturation of the individual should be education’s primary focus. This new curriculum shifts the focus from discipline-specific science classes and incorporates broad science themes into problem solving strategies and adaptations to society. This book mirrors the premise of Hurd’s 2002 entry in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching summarized above.

All in all, science education must make a change in concert with those of the science community where the divisions between biology, chemistry, physics and earth science are increasingly porous. Hurd argues for a lived curriculum based on technological advances, student science literacy, problem solving of modern issues and using science for future learning, knowledge and understanding.

Works Cited

Hurd P.D. (2002) Modernizing science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(1), 3-9.

Hurd P.D. (2000). Transforming Middle School Science Education. New York: Teacher’s College Press.

Critique of Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the New Reform

The knowledge base articulated by Shulman is not science specific and can be applied to any subject taught. An educator must have a synthetic understanding of course content and wisdom how to facilitate that knowledge. Shulman argues for tiers of synthetic understanding which fall under measurable subtypes: 1) course content to be learned; 2)the use of tools and pedagogical techniques used; 3) the building of a psychological research base and professional development to improve age-appropriate learning. The fourth is the most important to teaching and, as pointed out by Shulman, the most difficult to study empirically: the wisdom of practice.

A teacher may have an encyclopedic depth of content knowledge, but is unable to organize that knowledge through the use of materials and pedagogical techniques. Conversely, a teacher may have both the content knowledge and in-class instruction skill set, but illiterate of the unique developmental needs and hesitant to adapt to a growing literature base. I would argue, content knowledge is the most basic of these skills and the least amount of weight should be placed in this area compared to the other two tiers when assessing teacher performance. That is not to say content knowledge should be ignored altogether.

A technologically savvy or inquiring educator can find the facts or content knowledge needed to fill in the gaps in his/her learning. In fact, the ability to learn from outside sources is an effective teaching tool to give students. I find pedagogical techniques, differentiated instruction, use of the multiple intelligences, student-centered instruction and use of technology in the classroom is a more effective and dynamic teaching trait and should be given more weight than the scholarly knowledge of the course material.

On a relatively equal playing field with teaching practices is the immersion of understanding a growing literature base of schooling, teaching and student’s developmental learning. No teacher is perfect nor is his style and, as Shulman said, teaching is a learned profession. A teacher must be willing to improve on the base content knowledge and in-class presentation of the materials. The teacher should also be mindful of the studies into brain research and youth development. It could be argued this is the most important staple in Shulman’s three pillars of a teacher’s knowledge base because it deals with the future improvement of education – while content knowledge deals with what is already known (past learning) and the present utilization of materials and practices.

Finally, Shulman introduces the abstract principle of “wisdom of practice,” the most difficult to gather from objective empirical data. Shulman is correct in his analysis that some working combination of the first three pillars (content knowledge, use of materials and practices, future research) are needed for effective decision making and the need for articulation of best practices is paramount. His fear of a strict code of such practices is real. Such a strict code can prove counterproductive because each teacher, young, experienced, gifted or inept, has overlapping, unique styles. One teacher’s effective approach may be ineffective for another. What are we measuring effectiveness against? Standardized test scores? Formative and summative assessments? Individual improvement? Are we picking winners and losers? Do these best practices produce positive results for all students regardless of race, age, socio-economic status, intellectual capacity, disability?

Shulman does attempt to classify wisdom-of-practice into six categories which reflect a similar model of how information is learned, stored and conserved. On the most concrete level is comprehension. Comprehension of subject matter must then be transformed into institutional understanding – the preparation of material, the representation of that material, the selection of what is taught and the adaptation to individual student needs. Next, a teacher must be able to teach the material using effective classroom management strategies, pedagogical theories, student-centered instruction, small-group work, etc. The teacher must then evaluate student understanding and knowledge construction while also reflecting on the practices used during preparation and instruction. Finally, the teacher must use those self-assessments and assessments of students for teacher improvement.

Let me be clear. A teacher’s working knowledge base is not determined solely by content knowledge. It is the working preparation, instruction, assessment and reflection based on a progressive research base which, according to Shulman’s model, makes an effective and improved teacher. How you evaluate such a complex daily system is difficult to place in a systematic code of what is acceptable and unacceptable. The art of teaching cannot be squeezed into a strict table of yes and no answers, but is best as an annotated anthology of best practices which allow malleable and open-minded educators, with a strong concrete skill set and the student’s interests and developmental needs and interests in mind, to flourish.

Shulman, L. (1987) . Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the New Reform. Harvard Education Review. 57 (1).

Sports Club: Football

As stated in the previous post, we would start sports club with a unit on football in the fall. Here is a breakdown of an eight-week outline which could be used to conduct this course. Remember, this is not a "jock" club. This is an after-school club for all students which focuses on the educational and athletic side of each sport. While we would treat this as a intramural option for students to play the games, that aspect of this club is only half of the offering.

Week 1: Introduction to Football

First Hour: Welcome all students and explain the purpose of Sports Club as stated above and in the previous posts. Tell the students they will learn the history, science and strategy of the sport while also having fun by playing.

FANTASY FOOTBALL
One important aspect of the Football unit, as will be with most of the four units, is the statistical analysis of Fantasy. For those not familiar with fantasy sports, it is where each player is the general manager of a team. They draft real players who compile real stats throughout the season. Each team plays head-to-head each week matching their players' stats to the other fantasy team. Each team usually consists of at least one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker and one team defense/special teams.
Statistics used can vary to make the fantasy league as simple and as complicated as you deem necessary. But, usually the Website (Yahoo!, NFL.com, ESPN.com, etc.) calculates touchdowns (passing, rushing, receiveing & defense), yards (passing, rushing and receiving) and field goals and extra points. Each statistical category is awarded a point total (passing touchdown = 4 points; rushing/receiving touchdowns = 6 points; 100 yards rushing/receiving = 4 points, 300 yards passing = 4 points, etc.)

You would give the students an overview fantasy football and tell them they will partner up with another student to build a team. Distribute sports Websites where they can research players. Week 2 is when we will have the draft, which will take up most of the club time.

Second Hour: Divide teams and play flag football outside or in the gym. Go over the basic rules of the game and just let the kids play. We will add the strategy and smaller aspects of the game in later weeks. REMEMBER: This is flag football. NO TACKLING! Also, each week, go over some important rules so the students themselves can be referees while their team is not playing.

WEEK 2: Fantasy Draft

The students are divided into teams (a good number of teams is between 8-12). Each team is to come up with a creative name. Randomly place each team in a draft order which will "snake" through 12 rounds (1st pick in first round gets last pick in second round and so on.) You can do this via the computer or on the dry erase board which is then added to one of the Websites mentioned above. The use of these Websites is paramount 1) so you don't have to calculate the stats each week -- the Website does that for you -- and 2) the students can check the Website each week on their own time.

Have the students reflect on their draft strategy: Why did you pick who you picked in that round? What position do you think is most valuable? What players do you think are going to score the most points? etc.

If there is time left....GO PLAY!

WEEK 3: The Super Bowl

First Hour: There are several great resources on the history of the Super Bowl, which is the most watched television program every year. The history of the Super Bowl and the games can be shown in a video. Show the video and reflect on what they saw/learned. Show some interesting facts about the Super Bowl (advertising rates, viewership, funny commercials, team with most appearances and wins, etc.)

Second Hour: GO PLAY!
In the GO PLAY segment, have the students practice a few basic passing routes and show them basic technique. Advise the students to use those routes in their games by calling plays (as opposed to just running around without the quarterback knowing where you are running.)

WEEK 4: Sports Writing

First Hour: Give each student or group of students a newspaper or Internet article of a football (college or pro) game story written by either the Associated Press or by an independent writer. Have the students identify the important aspects of each story (key plays, important statistics, quotations, strategy by the coaches.) Have them reflect as to how they could use that information while playing the game or apply to their fantasy football team.

Second Hour: GO PLAY!

Take one of the strategies the students found in their game stories have them apply it to the games they play. For example, most kids will simply want to throw the ball during their games, but what they will find out from their story is the running game is an important part of football. Encourage them to add running plays and talk about why running the ball can help stratigically.

WEEK 5: Personal Experience

First Hour: Have the students write an essay describing their experience of attending a football game, or how football is important to them or their family. Many families enjoy football together, watching it on weekends. Some students may have an older brother who plays for a junior high or high school team. The students themselves may even play on a Pop Warner team. There are several things they could write about. Have the students share with the entire club or with a small group.

Second Hour: GO PLAY!

Make this week about defense. Practice basic defensive back skills like backpeddling, tipping and catching passes, pulling the flag "tackling".

WEEK 6

First Hour: Show a sports science video on the physics of football. Science 360 is a great resource to use. Go outside and conduct an experiment if you like. Make this a two-week mini-unit.

Second Hour: GO PLAY!

WEEK 7

First Hour: Sports Science Part II

Second Hour: GO PLAY!

WEEK 8

Have a flag football tournament and have students officiate all the games and determine a winner with a "Super Bowl". Have snacks and refreshments as an end of unit party.

CONCLUSION

Looking back through this unit we have hit on many of the goals we set out at the beginning. We want this to be educational as well as athletic. We talked about the history and importance of the Super Bowl, we did statistical analysis (math) with fantasy football, reading with the sports writing week, writing with the personal experience essay, science with the Sports Science series and physical education by playing each day. And we did so with little or no expense.

Sports Club

In-school and after-school clubs have a positive effect on early adolescents, specifically when looking at social engagement. Social development is one of the four main pillars when educating and mentoring 11-14- year-old students. A 2010 study from the Journal of School Health reported 75 percent of students were members of extracurricular activities. Twenty-three percent participated in sports, 16 percent in clubs and 36 percent participated in both (Howie, et al. 2010). Those students also demonstrated a higher level of social interaction than those who where not engaged in extracurricular activities.

While this is obvious on its face, it shows two important points I will attempt to implement in my club of choice once I become a teacher. 1) early adolescents are thoroughly engaged in sports activities and 2) mixing sports and academics in either an in-school or after-school sports club will add educational and social value and prevent what could quickly become a "jock" club only for those students who are athletically incline.

As a former sports writer, I not only needed to be informed about the rules and be able to appreciate the skill level involved in competition, but I had to cruch numbers (statistical analysis), I read other writers work and media guides (literacy), understood the science and tactics of the game (physics and probability) and write stories daily (language arts). By building a club around sports, an activity in which early adolsecents are deeply engaged, and the five main courses they take during the school day could not only be fun for students but educational and build upon basic skills to reinforce what they are learning during the school day. Keep in mind, this is not a graded class. This should be fun!!! Sports and education together is something which can be fun.

THE ORGANIZATION

This is a club which could be done with minimal cost, though a field trip or community service activity should also be included in the yearly plans. The club will be divided into four parts -- one in each nine-week period. It could also take place over six six-week periods if you wanted to cover more sports, but they would be done in rapid fire succession and could be difficult to implement in the first year.

1st 9 weeks: Football
2nd 9 weeks: Basketball
3rd 9 weeks: Soccer (or International Sports)
4th 9 weeks: Baseball/Softball

Football, basketball, baseball and soccer are the four sports students participate in the most. So, to entice membership, I would focus on these four sports. The beginning of the school year coincides with the start of football season (September), The second nine weeks starts in mid-october which is even with the start of the NBA season. The 3rd nine weeks is in winter so indoor soccer or other internationally popular sports (volleyball, track and field, handball, hockey, etc.) cold be done indoors. Spring welcomes the last nine weeks as well as baseball season.

Each session would focus on a combination of six disciplines: 1) Game Play (physical education), 2) Sports Science (physics/health), 3) Fantasy Sports (statistical analysis/math), 4) sports writing and sports books (language arts/reading), 5) the History of the Game (history/social studies) and 6) Tactics (strategy). This provides a holistic experience for the students to not only play the sport, but learn about and apply that knowledge to the sports they play for school, city or competitive teams.

**NOTE: THIS IS A CLUB FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS TO PARTICIPATE EQUALLY TOGETHER!

In subsequent posts, I will lay out in more detail the focus of each nine-week session, including activities and variations of the sports they will play.

Advisory Idea I "Fun With Sign Language"

Advisor-advisee programs, also called advisory, homebase, are built around the Turning Points (Carnegie 2002) principle that every child should know at least one adult in the school well. Thoroughout this blog, I will present ideas, both of my own and shared by others, which could be addressed in a Middle School advisory period.
AA programs should: Promote opportunities for social development, assist with academic difficulties, bring closer the relationships between administration, classroom teachers and students, act as student advocacy and action and promote a positive school experience for each child. (Clark & Clark 1994)

FUN WITH SIGN LANGUAGE

Objective: To introduce students to basic sign language; to show students the importance of non-verbal communication; to build relationships between students through group activities

INTRODUCTION: Provide students a handout of 5-10 basic sign language actions. Breifly explain why sign language is used and a short history of sign language. Then, as a class, act out the words or phrases on the list. Make sure you connect the sign with how that sign reflects the word or phrase it stands for. (EXAMPLE: Baby = cradling your arms and rocking them back and forth. Ask a simple question: Why do you think baby equals the cradling and rocking of arms? And, can you see how this makes sense?)

ACTIVITY: Have the class divide into groups of 3-5. The teacher will have 5-10 words on the board. Go through each word and ask the groups to agree on what they think the sign language action would be. Then each group selects a member to demonstrate in front of the class. Each member of the group should demonstrate at least one guess. Do this for all words or until the AA period is over.

REFLECTION: Discuss how sign language is helpful to both the hearing impared and well hearing person. How do we use non verbal communication in our everyday lives?

TECHNOLOGY: Use Internet videos to reveal the sign language action for each word in the activity.

This activity could take 20 minutes or could be stretched out to a two-period time slot.

PEACE.