Oct+11

October 11th Class Schedule and Notes

Goals
 * 1) Continue getting to know one another and Welcome Student Teachers
 * 2) Reflect on our observations about our placement schools
 * 3) Analyze our own school experiences through lenses derived from readings
 * 4) Hone critical thinking through collective discussion of several observations through the lens of our readings
 * 5) Identify key assumptions (in ourselves and in the readings) to be tested against data

Schedule of activities

 2:00 Introductions with student teachers

How rigid is your curriculum? How test-driven is it?

2:10 Review readings to generate lenses:

 To what extent is/does your **curriculum**:

overwhelm teachers with too many instructional targets? (Popham 115) seem tied to state curriculum-based NCLB tests? (Popham 114) train students in generalized abilities unconnected to current social issues? (Peddiwell 122) teach democratic citizenship skills? (Finn 125) teach information to help students become informed citizens? (Finn 124) teach information and skills that students recognize as useful to their lives? (Glasser 130) ask students to explain how and why things work and why they matter? (Glasser 131) cover lots of ground poorly or little ground well? (Glasser 131)

2:30 Sacred Writing Time

 2:40 Read Around

2:50 Discussion of your experiences (Why did it Happen? What does it Mean? What are the Implications for the future?) and the readings.