Engaging in a MOOC (massive online open course) always sounded cool...but I let myself have all the tired excuses. "I don't have time" "I won't keep up" "I missed the first day already" etc. However, the Deeper Learning MOOC through High Tech High in California sounded like a good way to get my feet wet, mostly because they advertised a very loose structure with people being able to join at will, and participate asynchronously throughout the course.
So far it has been great! I have made several contacts on twitter, I have been more inspired to rally my colleagues in my home setting to think more deeply about our practice and what deeper learning means, and it renewed my commitment to the inquiry work I am doing through KSTF.
Two things I have done so far that I felt really good about
1. Showed this video clip to my 7th and 8th hour classes (they usually move more quickly than my 2nd and 1st hour kiddos) and then just asked them what they thought
It went really well! I videotaped their responses, and if I can find some time to edit them I will share some of them.
2. I played the following video for all of my classes.
Austin's Butterfly: Building Excellence in Student Work - Models, Critique, and Descriptive Feedback from Expeditionary Learning on Vimeo.
Again, I got some very intriguing responses. The one that surprised me the most was in 7th period, they all came to the conclusion that it was fake, that Austin didn't really draw the last version of the butterfly. Gotta say, that made me sad, and I realized how much work I have to do in establishing a growth mindset with my students.
Thanks for tuning in!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Welcome!
Hello to any and all who end up here, and thank you for tuning in as I blog about what I am discovering and inquiring into as a third year science teacher in Colorado.
My education history in 10 bullet points:
1. I was born and raised in Durango, Colorado
2. I graduated from Colorado State University in 2008 with a degree in Microbiology.
3. After a year and a half of graduate school in microbiology and population genetics, I decided to take a break... (read "graduate school dropout") for various reasons, mostly because I was tired of feeding mosquitoes on my arms! Ask if you dare...
4. Still loving science, and wanting to be a part of academia for a little while longer I decided to try teaching. A summer and two semesters later, Spring semester was student teaching, I was granted a post bachelor teacher licensure! What??! They let me be a real teacher??
5. During my student teaching, I was fortunate enough to hear about the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation. After an extensive interview process I was selected as a 2011 Fellow.
6. I was hired for my first year to a position at an large urban/suburban school with a high percentage of high needs students. I was also commuting more than an hour each way to and from school. I'm sure that experience is similar to many first year teachers experiences... Without huge support from KSTF and my district mentor, I know I would not still be here.
7. For the past two years I have been happily situated at a suburban school that is about half the distance to my house, and has an amazingly supportive administration.
8. Through my work with KSTF I am constantly being challenged to inquire into my practice, and to become a teacher leader which has led me to attend numerous national conferences and some incredible professional development opportunities including a trip to the Yucatan where I swam with whale sharks!
9. I currently teach General Biology for freshman, Environmental Science for mostly junior and seniors. Next year I might be teaching AP Environmental Science.
10. I am so intellectually excited about so many of the things that are happening in education. I was inspired to start this blog because I am taking the Deeper Learning MOOC, and wanted a place to document my thoughts!
My education history in 10 bullet points:
1. I was born and raised in Durango, Colorado
2. I graduated from Colorado State University in 2008 with a degree in Microbiology.
3. After a year and a half of graduate school in microbiology and population genetics, I decided to take a break... (read "graduate school dropout") for various reasons, mostly because I was tired of feeding mosquitoes on my arms! Ask if you dare...
4. Still loving science, and wanting to be a part of academia for a little while longer I decided to try teaching. A summer and two semesters later, Spring semester was student teaching, I was granted a post bachelor teacher licensure! What??! They let me be a real teacher??
5. During my student teaching, I was fortunate enough to hear about the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation. After an extensive interview process I was selected as a 2011 Fellow.
6. I was hired for my first year to a position at an large urban/suburban school with a high percentage of high needs students. I was also commuting more than an hour each way to and from school. I'm sure that experience is similar to many first year teachers experiences... Without huge support from KSTF and my district mentor, I know I would not still be here.
7. For the past two years I have been happily situated at a suburban school that is about half the distance to my house, and has an amazingly supportive administration.
8. Through my work with KSTF I am constantly being challenged to inquire into my practice, and to become a teacher leader which has led me to attend numerous national conferences and some incredible professional development opportunities including a trip to the Yucatan where I swam with whale sharks!
9. I currently teach General Biology for freshman, Environmental Science for mostly junior and seniors. Next year I might be teaching AP Environmental Science.
10. I am so intellectually excited about so many of the things that are happening in education. I was inspired to start this blog because I am taking the Deeper Learning MOOC, and wanted a place to document my thoughts!
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