The purpose of education

"...the purpose of education in America, we have to accept (is) in part ... to ensure that citizens are ready to be intelligent employees." (Schrum & Solomon, 2007)

I found this quote in a required reading for for my IT course this week and it caught my attention as a related topic to a project that our students were assigned. Our school assigned students in homeroom classes a project to come up with ways to discuss and defend the importance of Accountability, Attendance, Assessments, Aspirations, Academics, and Attitude in school and in life. Two students I spoke with told me that their attitudes determine how others will treat them and if they would be able to get a job, among other things. Not only do we, as teachers, need to guide and shape the intelligence of future employees, we also need to guide and shape the accountability, attendance, assessment, aspirations, and attitudes of future employees.

Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools, Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum

Math I - Patterns and Sequences

When I created this hands-on manipulative activity for a micro-teach session I didn't expect that I would use the lesson twice more in my practicum classroom. I've also provide the lesson to two other teachers and discussed it with even more. I have also begun teaching the same Math I classes further lessons on sequences and patterns. What I enjoy about these patterns and sequences lessons is that you can almost see the student's thoughts happening. It is so exciting when students come up with valid patterns that apply to a sequence that I have never noticed. Some students look so much more deeply into a pattern than I do - they are teaching me too. One lesson in particular that I have learned is to listen to every student's idea - you might just be taught a new way of interpreting your own lesson. For more ideas on Math I and sequences and patterns, check the Okefenokee RESA link below.
http://www.ciclt.net/sn/adm/editpage.aspx?ClientCode=okresa&FileName=Services_Mathematics

TI-Nspire: Training, Using, Teaching

The TI-Nspire, such a powerful tool. So close, and yet so far away. Since the micro-teach video was recorded, I have not had much opportunity to continue my practice using the TI-Nspire. I learned so much about the hand-held device during the training this past summer and continued to learn about its capabilities during classes and demonstrations. When I was able to purchase my very own device, I was so excited to, well, get my hands on it, so to speak. I have everything I need to be able to integrate this technology into my practicum classroom - everything I need except time. My students are so hungry to learn how technology can be used in the classroom. I must do a better job of including the technology into my lesson so that they are exposed to the same technologies as other students in the district and state. If you're having the same problems as I am getting started with your Nspire, check Texas Instrument's web site (linked below) to download software and activities. Maybe you'll find something that will help you this week!
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/downloadcenter/SoftwareList.do?website=US&tabId=1&paneId=6002

Intro to Pascal's Triangle Using TI-Nspire

In this micro-teach lesson we introduced the Pascal's Triangle Method of expanding binomials. Students were also introduced to expanding and multiplying binomials on the TI-Nspire hand-held device. For further explanation of Pascal's Triangle, visit one of my favorite math web sites - The Math Forum (linked below).
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.pascal.triangle.html