What was she thinking?

I have read several articles in the last few days about a teacher in PA, who blogged about her students. She expressed her honest opinion in the blog thinking because she didn't use her full, where she worked, or students name that it is was okay. I have been going back and forth about if this is alright. As a social studies teacher I understand free speech but I am always aware of the fact that whatever you say on the internet is out there for the world to know about.

But my students are the ones who really made up my mind after a discussion about the background. They laughed at first and said sure it was covered under free speech but then I asked the question what if I did what she did. Several said, don't expect me in your room again, one said that would be awful I would cry, another said you wouldn't be my teacher anymore, but the one the hit home the most is we trusted you and you betrayed that trust. That is one of the most important things we have to offer our students. Trust, they trust that we know what they are doing, they trust that we will be their for them, and they trust us to always put them first. It is important that we don't break that trust. 


This teacher lost her students. No amount of compassion or great teaching will fix this fact. She can't get her students back. I believe that every teacher has a bad day now and then. It is because we treasure each and every student and often want to fix all of their problems. But no matter how bad the day they always deserve us to think of them before we act.


Link to the story:


http://abcnews.go.com/US/pennsylvania-teacher-wrote-insulting-blog-posts-students-suspended/story?id=12929001

What happen when curriculum fails?

What do we do when the students fail the traditional curriculum? Is it the students fault? Is it the teachers fault or is it the design of the curriculum? I know at the high school I work at all class are heterogeneous meaning all classes are at the college preparatory level. I have been wondering lately if this is a realistic expectation that all students go to college. I am not sure it is coming from rural Maine. I think that it is important to have a curriculum that meet the students needs and expectations. Many are not going to college and some may not graduate from high school and the curriculum isn't necessarily preparing them for the world they are going to live in. SO what do we do? The curriculum is failing them, do we modify it to fit their needs? 

I believe that we need to do something to help these students. We need to make the curriculum relevant to what they are doing and what they need to be successful in the future.

Chapter 5 :Five Socio-Technology Trends

As I read this chapter my mind was spinning. I can remember how quickly technology changed from the time I ended high school in 1993 until I went to college in the fall of 1994. It was amazing how much it had changed in that year. Today it changes everyday but we tend to keep up with it more because we use it everyday. 


On page 81, it states "All learning is social." Students today keep connected through technology. They learn about technology through interaction with each other. It surprises me often about how much they learn about it from each other. But it is also amazing how by interacting with technology in the classroom you often find them more engaged. 


It is amazing to me how many students find away around the filter and how they spend hours trying to figure it and once they do they share it with everyone. It seems if we could find a way to engage them in our classrooms the same way they would learn the content we want them to. 


I have started a Wiki page for my Intro to Social Studies Class. It amazes me how some student check it everyday and if I haven't updated it they let me know. Others though care less and won't look at even when you ask them to. The Wiki page though helps me to make the students more independent. They can now start to take some of the responsibility for  their learning. 

What Works

What Works

• Class Discussion- This works well because we have come to agreements as a class about what is acceptable and not acceptable. We have had time for reflection when a discussion has not gone well and this has enable us to make sure that our discussion are rich and meaningful.
• Wiki Page- This was a struggle to get up and running but it is now an excellent tool for both my students and myself. It allows students to take responsibility for missed work. It also keeps me organized because I need to update it daily for students.  
• Integration of Technology- With one to one computing it is easy to integrate technology in lessons. Students have instant access to facts and figures. They can research easily and use the technology to enhance what is going on in the classroom. There is also support for me with technology, someone who is always there willing to help me find ways to use it successfully.
• Class Size- With it is something that Mt. Abram values. The most students I have in class is 21 and this is only in one class. Most of my classes are smaller than that and it really helps you to build a relationship with your students. You know who is struggling and who needs you attention.
• Advisor/Advisees- All students are given an advisor (a MTA teacher) when they enter MTA and that teacher meets daily with that group of students. They check-in with the students make sure that they are passing their classes and help them with their portfolio for graduation. It helps build a support system so that they can be successful.