Learning is Change

My Students Are Known For…

itunes pic
This is the first podcast that I have done on my new MacBook and I was used GarageBand rather than ChapterToolMe in order to create the chapters. I have, as of yet, not been able to find a way of exporting the chapters and links into html using GarageBand, so you will have to download the show in order to get the links. If anyone has a way of doing this, I would love to hear about it.

As for the episode itself, I have been hoping for a very long time that my students are learning everything that I want them to. I want them to come back to me after years of amazing creation and show me just how much influence they have derived from my class. I do not expect to change each of my students, but I do believe that many of my students see value in the School 2.0 environment that we are trying to create. The three things that I want them to be known for and to come back and tell me all about are Authenticity, Analysis, and Passion. If they have those three things down, there is no telling what they can do.


http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/httpwww.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/

http://discovery0607.wikispaces.com/The+Weekly+Authentic

http://discovery0607.wikispaces.com/message/list/reflections

http://headrush.typepad.com/

http://yongesonne.edublogs.org

05.25.07

Core 1:

  1. How does Mr. Wilkoff learn?
  2. The Final Official Blog Post for Discovery: How do you learn best? What are your expectations for your 9th grade English teacher?
  3. The Typewriter Yearbook.
  4. Take a look at some of the parting blessings.

Core 2:

  1. How does Mr. Wilkoff learn?
  2. The Final Official Blog Post for Discovery: How do you learn best? What are your expectations for your 9th grade English teacher?
  3. The Typewriter Yearbook.
  4. Take a look at some of the parting blessings.

Core 3:

  1. How do you write a really good yearbook entry?
  2. The Typewriter Yearbook.
  3. Powerful yearbook entry writing practice.

Core 4:

  1. How do you write a really good yearbook entry?
  2. The Typewriter Yearbook.
  3. Powerful yearbook entry writing practice.
  4. Utopia Voting!

End of the Year Denouement

For all of the times this year…

that we have doubted ourselves.

that we have felt like we haven’t made a difference.

that we hoped for more.

that a lesson didn’t go according to plan.

that we have worked toward something that didn’t come to fruition.

that we have been wrong.

We must know that these things are better than any sense of certainty or definitive answers that we can muster. Doubt is the manifestation of powerful reflection. Knowing that we haven’t reached everyone shows us just how many we have reached. Hope for the future is why we are here in the first place. Failure is only a negative when it is uninspired; inspired failure is the birth of the most authentic teachable moments. The direct path toward change can’t always be plotted, even if we are working for it. But, we are changed by the work we do, and that can be enough in most cases. Finally, being wrong is beautiful when we can acknowledge it and strive to make it right.

I had to write this because of all of the great things that I have done this year, I have so many great regrets. I say that they are great both because they are large and because they are valuable to me. I hold them close to me to show me the way forward. I gather them together and wear them as a badge of honor. These are the things I will tattoo across my curriculum next year, the things that I will use to transform my teaching, again.

05.23.07

Core 1:

  1. Finish watching Animal Farm.
  2. Questions for analysis:
    • Why did the director change the ending so drastically?
    • Why did the director choose Jesse as the narrator?
    • What has been gained or lost by transferring this book to visual form?
    • How is this story more “American?” than the original?
    • Does the story now take on new symbolism?
  3. Start end of the year reflections.

Core 2:

  1. What do you think that you will be known for (at your new schools) as the first class of discovery students that have had me for 2 years?
  2. Begin further end of the year reflections.

Core 3:

  1. Finish watching the Outsiders
  2. Questions:
    • How did the characters of Ponyboy and Johnny change from the book to the movie?
    • Take at least one movie quiz. If anyone can answer more than 3/4 of the Difficult quiz I will buy them any kind of candy bar they want.
  3. Start end of the year reflections.

Core 4:

  1. Finish Animal Farm.
  2. Questions:
    • What is the moral of Animal Farm?
    • What is the moral of your Utopia?
    • What is the Allegory of Animal Farm?
    • What is the Allegory of your Utopia?

05.22.07

Core 1:

  1. Watch Animal Farm and look for how the animals’ acceptance of napoleon’s leadership changes from novel to movie.
  2. Discuss your Utopia with Mr. Wilkoff.

Core 2:

  1. Continue discussion of how advertising stereotypes influence your beliefs.
  2. Watch The Persuaders and discuss just how much like advertising a movement can truly be.
  3. Discuss -Ism with Mr. Wilkoff

Core 3:

  1. Watch The Outsiders and find how your meaning changes when put into a more visual form.
    1. How do the skipped parts add to or take away from the meaning of the movie.
  2. Discuss your Meaning with Mr. Wilkoff

Core 4:

  1. Watch “Animal Farm” and discuss how your utopia will or will not become corrupt like theirs.
  2. Discuss your Utopia with Mr. Wilkoff

05.21.07

Core 1:

  1. Discuss the “locking” of the wiki.
  2. Watch Animal Farm and look for the similarities and differences between the movie and book.
  3. Discuss your Utopia with Mr. Wilkoff.

Core 2:

  1. Discuss the “locking” of the wiki
  2. Watch “The Merchants of Cool” and look for the ways that your -Ism has been influenced and how you can influence others with your -Ism according to what is “cool.”
  3. Discuss your -Ism with Mr. Wilkoff

Core 3:

  1. Discuss the “locking” of the wiki
  2. Watch The Outsiders and find how your meaning changes when put into a more visual form.
  3. Discuss your Meaning with Mr. Wilkoff

Core 4:

  1. Discuss the “locking” of the wiki
  2. Watch “Animal Farm” and if your Utopia would turn out like theirs.
  3. Discuss your Utopia with Mr. Wilkoff

05.18.07

Cores 1-4:

  1.  Work toward presentation quality of your wiki projects (revise, edit, fix).
  2. Encourage others with discussion, debate, and help.
  3. Update the progress page.

05.16.07

Core 1:

  1. What is the most interesting part of a Utopia  that you saw yesterday in your “trading session?”
  2. Work on your Utopia projects (Only Two In Class Days Left!)

Core 2:

  1. What was the most compelling discussion that you were a part of yesterday?
  2. Work on your -Ism (Only Two In Class Days Left!)

Core 3:

  1. Case study volunteers:  Which project do you think has shown your meaning the best?
  2. Work on your Meaning (Only Two In Class Days Left!)

Core 4:

  1. What is one question that you asked that you think incited the most revision on the part of the Author?
  2. Work on your Utopias (Only Two In Class Days Left!)

05.15.07

Cores 1-4:

  1. What are Digital Ex-Patriots?
  2. Discussion Trading on Wikis: Pick a partner to discuss your wiki project with and ask them to ask you one thoughtful question about your ideas that no one else has asked so far (you may do this in person or on the discussion page).
  3. Work on your Wiki with a specific goal in mind.

Core 2:

  1. Focus on Debates.

Core 4:

  1. Focus on Revision.