Transcript This year I have learned why it is important to uphold

Some thoughts from
students and teachers.
This year I have learned why it
is important to uphold respect in
the classroom--respect between
students and respect between
the student and teacher . . .
I believe my teacher has done
her best to respect us--to trust
us that we can do things on our
own . . .
I respect her for letting us make
our own choices, and I hope my
classmates respect her as well.
This kind of teacher-class
relationship has made it easier
to learn . . .
If everyone taught in hopes of
trying to make students think
instead of telling them what to
think, the world would be a
better place.
I learned more this year in math
than I think I ever have, this
class kept my attention, and
made me appreciate math a
little bit more.
I would recommend this class to
any student looking for an
opportunity to learn from
innovative teaching methods . . .
Compared to previous English
classes, I feel that this class has
challenged me for the better in
my ability to think critically and
analytically.
I have probably learned more in
this class than in any other
class at Arapahoe. More
importantly, however, I have
probably THOUGHT more . . .
This class has broadened my
understanding of literature, not
only of the literature itself but of
the methods of reading, thinking
about, and discussing it.
It's one of my favorite classes
because it is so innovative and
personal. One assignment,
called Philosophy books, gives
us the opportunity to relate to
any unit we've done in any
media . . .
Last time, I played guitar and
sang a song I wrote and it
helped me to understand the
Crucible better because I could
relate a story based in the
1600s to my life.
I think it comes down to either
presenting the facts and the
rules and getting it over with, or
infusing the students with a
greater understanding of that
era, idea, emotion, equation,
etc...
How can you expect the
students to create a rich, vast
knowledge of many different
subjects and make great
connections to our world around
us . . .
If the teachers don't have that
themselves and can't present
their own knowledge and
connections to their students?
It makes me feel that we are all
mature enough to understand
and voice our ideas on these
issues, and that the adults care
enough to listen to what we
have to say . . .
THIS is a true classroom--where
we are free to pull together all
aspects of life into one giant
bowl of ideas. This class has
honestly changed my outlook on
English, a subject I never used
to feel too passionate about, but
now is one I have enjoyed
profoundly this year.
I think everyone should have an
experience like this in an
English class because often
times English classes are push
over classes but this one is not.
It challenges us to succeed and
go beyond what we think we are
capable of.
But upon returning for my fourth
and final year, things were
pretty much noticeably different
right from the beginning . . . I
feel like this year I'm finally
expected to do more than
simply regurgitate the
information that I've been
spoon-fed . . .
I feel more like my education is
in my hands and I can do with it
what I will. And I'm going to be
honest; that's so much more
appealing than "this is what I
want for you to learn, and this is
how you're going to learn it" . . .
So I guess what I'm really trying
to say here is "Thanks". You all
do so much for us as your
students.
It's a major step to just be
talking about it . . . I've already
noticed teachers doing things
differently in some of my
classes, it must be a good thing.
I think that a lot of teachers are
embracing the new technology
and using it to change how
students can do things.
I would much rather be graded
on understanding and work than
simply showing up. It seems a
bit degrading to simply award
points for being able to
remember the seating chart . . .
This quote from the comic strip
Zits seems to relate.
"High school isn't about
education, it's about endurance."
School exists for students, it's
simply a fact, so when students
are not informed as to the goal
or point of being educated, half
the value is lost. It simply
becomes a lesson in directionfollowing as opposed to critical
thinking skills we will need.
All too often, we feel as if our
teachers are condescending or
trying to spoon-feed us things. I
would suggest you sit down with
a few students and really talk to
them. Not about grades or what
they did in biology last week . . .
But talk to them, you'll find that
we're people. Actual people with
thought processes just as
complex as anyone over the
age of eighteen . . .
Sometimes adults, parents,
teachers or just people in the
community forget that teenagers
are still people. I could be
wrong, but I certainly feel like a
real person, and I hope to
remind people that perhaps we
aren't so different after all.
I personally think that there are
two factors vital for learning.
Allowing the students to discuss
and test a new concept not only
makes it more interesting, but it
deepens our understanding . . .
This is regardless of subject. In
algebra, all too often, people
just learn the steps to solve an
equation, but not why it works or
why the equation does what it
does, which is why it's forgotten
quickly . . .
The other factor is relating the
material to the real world. Just
showing how some obscure
chemistry principle applies to
something we see every day
makes it more accessible to
students and more memorable,
rather than just some letters we
have to remember . . .
When our teachers tell us why
we are learning something, it
makes us feel like we are
actually accomplishing
something for ourselves, which
is a big motivator.
I would agree that a system that
merely forces education upon
students without involving them
is bound to fail.
Now an education is
meaningless unless the student
is taught to learn on their own.
The world is changing too
quickly for us to alter the
curriculum in time, predicting
what things will be like when we
graduate . . .
There is no way to teach
everything we will need to know.
But by designing our own
learning, we have the
opportunity to learn to adapt
and how our minds work best,
which is the best education we
can be offered.
Blog sites like Livejournal and
Myspace tend to be portrayed in
the media as a waste of time
and just some weird trend with
those darn kids . . .
And although many kids don't
use the sites productively, I
know a lot of kids who do. I
personally use mine to get my
ideas out there. It gives me a
chance to get feedback and
debate on anything from people
all over the world.
I think that the only thing
hindering the learning process
is a refusal to embrace new
methods or ideas to teach. I can
store an image or document
onto my mp3 and then upload it
to a computer for an assignment
or presentation . . .
Also, I never go to theatre
without it. It makes testing
sound equipment much easier.
Plus, I think that we students
would certainly take the
message more seriously if
teachers actually told us and
explained their own
expectations . . .
I'll tell you right now, we play the
game. By now we are experts.
We have found ways to pass
homework checks without so
much as looking at the book, we
have become masters in the art
of improvising . . .
But certain teachers have us
figured out and make
assignments that force us to
understand, but also motivate
us to learn.
Instead of torturing us with
overheads and memorizing the
vocab out of books, she
engaged us in the learning . . .
In a class like that, our learning
is placed entirely on our
shoulders . . .
In the traditional class, when the
teacher spends all the time at
the board talking at us, I know
that I can fall asleep for 20
minutes, make 3 paper
airplanes and color a full
notebook page with pencil in a
single period and class will still
go on the same . . .
All I can say is that I've made a
lot of paper airplanes in my
educational career.
I was blown away by what they
were able to come up with in
just five minutes; it far exceeded
every lecture, overhead, and
worksheet I'd given in the past.
Instead of moving from whole to
part, we moved from whole to
part and back to whole again.
I think I feel more attached to
my students this year because
I've taken more risks with them
and made myself a little more
vulnerable than usual . . . This
year my students have seemed
more like actual humans to
me...
In past years certain students
might as well have been 2dimensional cutouts because
the only things I knew about
them was how often they turned
in their homework and how
proficient they were in reading
and writing . . .
When I look at them this year,
however, I can see little pieces
of the adults they're becoming.
And I'm excited for their futures.
I took so much away from
yesterday's discussion...As a
final thought here, it is an honor
to be part of a group that gets
me excited about changing and
improving the structure of my
classes .
First of all, I remember having
felt like this once before. It was
sometime in college, when it
suddenly dawned on me that
everything I was learning and
had ever learned fit together like
a big jigsaw puzzle of life . . .
I feel like that now - everything I
want to be as a teacher is
connected to technology,
improved feedback to kids,
curriculum revision, daily
interactions with colleagues and
students, writing assignments,
etc . . .
It also occurred to me that it all
goes back to a philosophy of
education. We had to write one
of those during graduate school,
and if I can find it, I would like to
read it . . .
I think that I have become so
bogged down in the day-to-day
requirements of teaching that
somehow I lost a bit of the bigpicture focus I used to have.
I just looked at my blog for the
semester. The students
contributed approximately 450
posts in 10 weeks. Wow! This is
even more impressive
considering that blogging was
completely optional!
I heard a lot of positive
feedback from parents about
some of the changes in class
this semester.
I think that this has been one of
the most effective semesters
that I have had in four years of
teaching.
Thanks for a great class. I have
learned so much from this class
and have enjoyed taking a class
and then implementing the
ideas into my classroom . . .
After just finishing my masters
one would think that this
information would be a repeat of
my masters classes. However,
the only thing I took from my
masters classes was a degree
on a piece of paper . . .
This class surpassed any class
that I have ever taken! I can not
wait to continue and more
importantly see my kids benefit
from these ideas.
I know that this class would
benefit ALL teachers. I have
been introduced to more ideas
than I could ever imagine in one
year . . .
I have enjoyed it. I tell people
that no other experience has
made me think more of how and
why I do what I do.