Renewed Approach

So as it was, my students weren't going to be able handle project based learning.  With attendance being the main issue, trying to have groups that are consistent is challenging.  I have restructured the way I've approached my lessons.

Over the past quarter, I noticed that the students want to be in charge of their learning.  If I were to go up to the board and try something traditional, you would see heads go down within a minute.  Not that I'm that boring, but that's what probably landed them in my school in the first place.  These students want to be doing something at all times.  Note taking from my lectures is not "doing something" apparently.  I think there is something beneficial to group discussion and I'll come back to that in a moment.

I have put my students on a computer based learning program.  Attached to all the lessons are quizzes to show some sort of mastery.  The kids get the instant feedback that they seek and are constantly doing something.  This is where it gets pretty cool.  I have given them a pace at which they need to follow and complete X amount of lessons in a certain amount of time.  I have also associated GAMES with about 1/2 of the lessons in which they to complete a level in which I have established.  I am now able to walk around the classroom and sit with students and give them one on one tutoring.  If they show they have not mastered the lesson after taking the online quiz, I review with them how to do the particular problems, and then have associated worksheets that they are to complete before they get credit for that lesson.

The best part about this is that the students are now working at their own pace.  Although I have to put a certain pace to the class, (because of SOL's), it allows them to concentrate on their weaknesses and fly through their strengths.

My goals are these:

• Have students who show mastery help out others that may struggle in small groups
• Use the beginning of class to have the students work out in groups a real - life problem that either teaches them something new or uses some of their old skills.  This will be about 15 minutes at the beginning.  Then discuss some of the techniques they could have used from the things they learned.
• Have students BLOG about their new learnings after each section that they complete.
• Connect concepts to the real world
• Review challenges etc.....
• Create projects (like the things we are learning in class) that will bring the majority of the concepts together.