Talk to ALL Your Students At Once!

I know, I know, that's called a "lecture" and it's easy to do. But do you really have every student's attention? How about giving every student feedback on essays they wrote -- detailed, personalized, meaningful feedback and assessment -- all at once?  Not only that, but the students can replay your comments and suggestions over and over, even let peers/parents listen and read to provide even more support and feedback. No more misunderstanding or "Uh, I forgot" what you said!

It all has to do with Google docs and screen savers, of which the details are all here, including great examples from actual student work.  I think it's a great idea/tool, especially with middle school and up.

Props and thanks to The Transparent Teacher -- awesome blog!


http://alytapp.com/2011/10/27/assessment-feedback-via-screencast-examples/

Vampire Teacher?

Am I a vampire? 'Cause I can't see any reflection...
As in, I know personal/professional reflection is beneficial and should be done in a timely manner, but I also know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so I took a detour. I also know you shouldn't mix your metaphors with your beer and liquor, so I'll just hit enter and start over...

I planned on spending this Spring Break reviewing my first 10 weeks as a real live classroom teacher, going over the lessons, assignments, and planning so I could work out what could have been done better.  Well, it quickly became obvious the answer was "everything" so I put that on a back burner and cleaned up the office, organized the bookshelves, and read a lot. I also became addicted to Twitter, but that's another issue.

Now I'm in low-level panic mode because I did not plan every day through the end of school year.  I brought everything home from each subject and stacked it all up neatly, then dusted the stacks once a week.