“Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners.”– John Holt
Congratulations to Ms, Winter and Ms. Green’s classes for participating in our first Thesis Throwdown Thinking Thursday! Students from both classes worked on their own time throughout the week, communicating endlessly and even memorized both sides of the argument. And they did all this not for a grade, not to be compliant, and not because they wanted to please authority. They did it because they enjoyed thinking and learning is fun. Please seek out Ms. Winter and Ms. Green if you are thinking about participating and want to learn more about the experience—I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to share.
You should reach out to Ms. Duke if you’re interested in participating in future TTTT; she has prepared several topics for each grade level and you are also encouraged to come up with your own. Especially for those of you who do not share my love for 90s music, TTTT is an amazing opportunity not just in pushing student thinking but also for winning free snacks. Which is important.
I urge you to reflect on this week’s quote as you plan lessons in the upcoming weeks. Try to shift your attention away from thinking about what you’ll say or do during the lesson to planning tasks and student experiences that can lead students to the intended learning. The human brain simply does not engage in learning when it passive; Learning is a complex process that begins and ends within the individual and no amount of “Do you understand?” and repeating a concept will get a student to understand if s/he is not actively thinking. Humans are not computers—we can’t just upload thinking skills to one another. No matter charismatic or shy, authoritative or collaborative, math or ELA, the most effective teachers in a building are always those that never stops pushing their students to think.
Things You Need to Know:
December 3rd is the International Day of People with Disabilities and our ASD Horizon class is leading several initiative to raise awareness for those who are differently-abled and not disabled. We have two magic shows that day—one at 5:30PM and one at 6:30PM and you are welcome to purchase tickets to attend. Staff are excluded from the raffle. Please remind students in your class to wear blue on December 3rd to support our very own 102 students in Ms. Meenan’s class with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). More information will follow in future announcements.
Morning Announcements: Thank you for your patience as we work out the kinks as we shift to a more student-centric approach to our morning announcements. Please be mindful of the days when your students are assigned to be the pledgers and have them go directly to the office from the yard on that day. We want to make sure announcements are completed by 8:30AM and the pledgers must be in the office by 8:25AM.
Technology Inventory: We are looking to purchase some new technology and I am looking for teachers who are willing to take the lead on adopting the next generation of interactive education products. These products include interactive flat panels (TVs instead of projectors), table-tops (for younger students), polling clickers, as well as integrated software that allows for immediate assessing and feedback. If you have a Smartboard that needs replacing and you’re willing to learn, please email me ASAP and we’ll discuss further. Feel free to read about some potential products here: https://www.prometheanworld.com
ClassFlow has potential.
Afterschool Program for ELA and Math: We are still in the planning phase for our Afterschool Academy and you should reach out if you are interested in teaching. In addition to supporting students who need it most, after school is a precious opportunity for us to pilot curriculum, lessons, and systems and you should take advantage of our Afterschool Program to test out your theories and collect the necessary data.
11/16 Professional Learning: Please meet with your inquiry group to continue your research next Monday. Keep in mind that learning is fluid, and you are always free to edit/ chance your focus as you see fit. Often times I would start with a problem only to find a great solution for a wholly different area. Make it meaningful for you and your students—that’s all that I ask for.
Please email me the titles of any books you’d like to purchase for your inquiry research. Once I approve you can purchase them on your own and I’ll reimburse.
Website: Our website www.ps102q.org has a new look and continues to be a work in progress. Check it out and let me know if you think of ways you or your students can contribute.
Enjoy your weekend!
mrkobot.com 