Down the path2 - Revision history

98.217.194.133 at 22:14, 6 June 2010

2010-06-06T22:14:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:14, 6 June 2010
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	====on non-students forcing their way into class====		====on non-students forcing their way into class====
	*June 2 - Tiffany came in to borrow speakers. I said sorry, they were stolen.		*June 2 - Tiffany came in to borrow speakers. I said sorry, they were stolen.

216.163.216.5 at 13:33, 2 June 2010

2010-06-02T13:33:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:33, 2 June 2010
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	====on non-students forcing their way into class====		====on non-students forcing their way into class====
			*June 2 - Tiffany came in to borrow speakers. I said sorry, they were stolen.

			*June 1 - Tiffany showed no sign of being cowed. I had to repeatedly warn her to stop talking about Brian Nunez and me. She kept telling the class we both had man boobs.

	As class began I walked out to round up the stragglers and instructed my students to settle down and take out their books for SSR. I told students in front of my door to go to class. One young man, not one of my students, named Eric, attempted to force his way by me into the classroom. I told him to go to his class. Wanting to start my class in spite of the students wandering outside my door, I decided to close the door. Eric blocked the door, keeping me from closing it and he continued to do so after multiple requests to move away from the door and go to class. At last, exasperated by this intrusion into the learning environment by this unknown student, I placed my hand outstretched in front of me as I closed the door. Eric pushed against my hand forcing the door back open. I pushed back on him with sufficient force to move him away from the door so that I could close it.		As class began I walked out to round up the stragglers and instructed my students to settle down and take out their books for SSR. I told students in front of my door to go to class. One young man, not one of my students, named Eric, attempted to force his way by me into the classroom. I told him to go to his class. Wanting to start my class in spite of the students wandering outside my door, I decided to close the door. Eric blocked the door, keeping me from closing it and he continued to do so after multiple requests to move away from the door and go to class. At last, exasperated by this intrusion into the learning environment by this unknown student, I placed my hand outstretched in front of me as I closed the door. Eric pushed against my hand forcing the door back open. I pushed back on him with sufficient force to move him away from the door so that I could close it.

216.163.216.5 at 18:13, 27 May 2010

2010-05-27T18:13:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:13, 27 May 2010
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			====on non-students forcing their way into class====
			As class began I walked out to round up the stragglers and instructed my students to settle down and take out their books for SSR. I told students in front of my door to go to class. One young man, not one of my students, named Eric, attempted to force his way by me into the classroom. I told him to go to his class. Wanting to start my class in spite of the students wandering outside my door, I decided to close the door. Eric blocked the door, keeping me from closing it and he continued to do so after multiple requests to move away from the door and go to class. At last, exasperated by this intrusion into the learning environment by this unknown student, I placed my hand outstretched in front of me as I closed the door. Eric pushed against my hand forcing the door back open. I pushed back on him with sufficient force to move him away from the door so that I could close it.

			The student continued to rant in a threatening manner from the other side of the door. When another student opened the door the student burst into the room in a threatening manner.

			I asked the headmaster for intervention. I need to be able to start my classes without having students force their way into my room. I need to have students step away from my door when I ask them to. Even students we do not teach should be required to listen to teachers in the building and comply with a teacher’s request to go to class. In no case should a teacher or student be subject to threatening acts while in school.
	====grapes of wrath====		====grapes of wrath====
	boss: Students may have trouble reading a book that long		boss: Students may have trouble reading a book that long

71.234.133.230 at 13:50, 29 December 2009

2009-12-29T13:50:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:50, 29 December 2009
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			====grapes of wrath====
			boss: Students may have trouble reading a book that long

			teacher: Some may, but all should be able to experience the beauty of the words.

			boss: That is unacceptable. Students must read 4 complete books/year.

	====collective bargaining====		====collective bargaining====
	I have been teaching for the last 5 years at a Boston District High school after building houses for 30 years. There seems to be a big disconnect between what I experience to be true about public education and what I hear in the media and from those with power.		I have been teaching for the last 5 years at a Boston District High school after building houses for 30 years. There seems to be a big disconnect between what I experience to be true about public education and what I hear in the media and from those with power.

216.163.216.5 at 19:47, 16 November 2009

2009-11-16T19:47:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:47, 16 November 2009
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	I have not noticed anything in the little orange contract book that would block good teaching and learning for our students. My children all went to public schools and I know how much the quality of the teacher matters. In five years of teaching I have seen an administrator in my room about 8 times. I would suggest that it is an important duty of administrators to have their fingers on the pulse of learning in their schools. The lack of ongoing academic conversations between teachers and school leaders is more to blame than nefarious contract language.		I have not noticed anything in the little orange contract book that would block good teaching and learning for our students. My children all went to public schools and I know how much the quality of the teacher matters. In five years of teaching I have seen an administrator in my room about 8 times. I would suggest that it is an important duty of administrators to have their fingers on the pulse of learning in their schools. The lack of ongoing academic conversations between teachers and school leaders is more to blame than nefarious contract language.

	Charter school teachers after 5 years make about $20,000 less a year than BPS teachers ~$48,000. The money ~~they~~ make as professionals is insufficient to live in Boston, to be able to buy a house, raise your kids, save for college, have good health care... Private charter school companies pocket the difference or 'redistribute' it. Do we really want to further erode a solid middle class in the Commonwealth so that consultants and investors can prosper?		Charter school teachers after 5 years make about $20,000 less a year than BPS teachers ~$48,000. A good carpenter makes more than that. The money Charter school teachers make as professionals is insufficient to live in Boston, to be able to buy a house, raise your kids, save for college, have good health care... Private charter school companies pocket the difference or 'redistribute' it. Do we really want to further erode a solid middle class in the Commonwealth so that consultants and investors can prosper?

	This year my classes I am teaching 50% more students. Those students are in bigger classes for shorter class times. they have fewer books, less resources than in the prior 4 years. We have all taken a hit from the Wall Street fiasco and bailout. By voting for this bill you continue the erosion of public education.		This year my classes I am teaching 50% more students. Those students are in bigger classes for shorter class times. they have fewer books, less resources than in the prior 4 years. We have all taken a hit from the Wall Street fiasco and bailout. By voting for this bill you continue the erosion of public education.

216.163.216.5 at 19:46, 16 November 2009

2009-11-16T19:46:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:46, 16 November 2009
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			====collective bargaining====
			I have been teaching for the last 5 years at a Boston District High school after building houses for 30 years. There seems to be a big disconnect between what I experience to be true about public education and what I hear in the media and from those with power.

			I have not noticed anything in the little orange contract book that would block good teaching and learning for our students. My children all went to public schools and I know how much the quality of the teacher matters. In five years of teaching I have seen an administrator in my room about 8 times. I would suggest that it is an important duty of administrators to have their fingers on the pulse of learning in their schools. The lack of ongoing academic conversations between teachers and school leaders is more to blame than nefarious contract language.

			Charter school teachers after 5 years make about $20,000 less a year than BPS teachers ~$48,000. The money they make as professionals is insufficient to live in Boston, to be able to buy a house, raise your kids, save for college, have good health care... Private charter school companies pocket the difference or 'redistribute' it. Do we really want to further erode a solid middle class in the Commonwealth so that consultants and investors can prosper?

			This year my classes I am teaching 50% more students. Those students are in bigger classes for shorter class times. they have fewer books, less resources than in the prior 4 years. We have all taken a hit from the Wall Street fiasco and bailout. By voting for this bill you continue the erosion of public education.

			Please vote against the bill.

			You are welcome to see firsthand what is going on in our schools. Come visit my classroom

			Tim McKenna

			Timothy S. McKenna
			Humanities teacher
			Parkway Academy of Technology and Health, a Boston Public High School
			1205 VFW Parkway, Boston, MA 02132 rm366
			tim@sitebuilt.net, http://sitebuilt.net
			exp. course news on twitter, id: mrtmckenna
			http://pathboston.com/hum09 -class web site
			http://pathboston.com/hum Humanities 3 (under development)
			http://pathboston.com/poets class159 (under development)
			(857)498-2574 (mobile), (617)524-0938 (home)
	====differentiated learning====		====differentiated learning====
	I have been asked to think about and identify the different types of learners in my classes with the intention of tracking representative students to see how well they are being served by the course and my teaching.		I have been asked to think about and identify the different types of learners in my classes with the intention of tracking representative students to see how well they are being served by the course and my teaching.

71.234.133.230: /* differentiated learning */

2009-10-20T02:18:16Z

differentiated learning

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:18, 19 October 2009
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	The potential drop outs (PDOs) are the students who have pretty much checked out of engagement, they often are students who have attendance problems. They have decide that they don't like the game and they are not going to play.		The potential drop outs (PDOs) are the students who have pretty much checked out of engagement, they often are students who have attendance problems. They have decide that they don't like the game and they are not going to play.

	There is another class of student who never miss a day. These are students who pretty much have played the game and done the kinds of activities that they have been asked to do in a standard class environment. They can fill out a KWL chart or any other type of graphical organizer. Skilled at answering the questions at the end of the chapter using highly developed skills of keyword recognition and text scanning nevertheless they may arrive at the last years of high school not really being able to read. Many of these students have passed the MCAS, they can narrow the choices, play the percentages and get by. They ~~know~~ what		There is another class of student who never miss a day. These are students who pretty much have played the game and done the kinds of activities that they have been asked to do in a standard class environment. They can fill out a KWL chart or any other type of graphical organizer. Skilled at answering the questions at the end of the chapter using highly developed skills of keyword recognition and text scanning nevertheless they may arrive at the last years of high school not really being able to read. Many of these students have passed the MCAS, they can narrow the choices, play the percentages and get by. They have the test taking skills of the lowest common denominator. If you tell them what a book is about and the trials the protagonist has overcome they can repeat it back to you, even write it down. If you give them a passage from the actual book that describes a trial of the protagonist, they have no idea what it is about. In math these students can practice a problem type and succeed when quizzed on a narrow method but they bomb the broader chapter test.

	====sofar this year====		====sofar this year====

71.234.133.230: /* differentiated learning */

2009-10-20T02:11:20Z

differentiated learning

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:11, 19 October 2009
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	I could start with the star students or with those in danger of dropping out. There is an eerie similarity between them. The academic stars have been in their position for years. Often they work hard perpetuate of the myth that		I could start with the star students or with those in danger of dropping out. There is an eerie similarity between them. The academic stars have been in their position for years. Often they work hard perpetuate of the myth that
	intelligence is inborn and they've got it so they are better than everybody else. A typical manifestation is when you poll the class on how long they studied for a particular quiz or test; the stars loudly tell everyone else that they didn't study at all. It is very clear to me that all the star students have had some fortunate circumstances, a good school, a rich environment, a teacher who they have connected with, hard work, something that has contributed to their success. Recently one of the stars came into a class about to take a quiz. She had not studied. Rather than take the quiz and get a poor grade she refused to take it at all. Saving the image of being the girl who never had to study was that important to her.		intelligence is inborn and they've got it so they are better than everybody else. A typical manifestation is when you poll the class on how long they studied for a particular quiz or test; the stars loudly tell everyone else that they didn't study at all. It is very clear to me that all the star students have had some fortunate circumstances, a good school, a rich environment, a teacher who they have connected with, their own hard work, something that has contributed to their success. Recently one of the stars came into a class about to take a quiz. She had not studied. Rather than take the quiz and get a poor grade she refused to take it at all. Saving the image of being the girl who never had to study was that important to her. These students have lost the sense of being on the edge of understanding by losing the habit of responding to and finding challenges for themselves.

			The potential drop outs (PDOs) are the students who have pretty much checked out of engagement, they often are students who have attendance problems. They have decide that they don't like the game and they are not going to play.

			There is another class of student who never miss a day. These are students who pretty much have played the game and done the kinds of activities that they have been asked to do in a standard class environment. They can fill out a KWL chart or any other type of graphical organizer. Skilled at answering the questions at the end of the chapter using highly developed skills of keyword recognition and text scanning nevertheless they may arrive at the last years of high school not really being able to read. Many of these students have passed the MCAS, they can narrow the choices, play the percentages and get by. They know what

	====sofar this year====		====sofar this year====

Tim: /* differentiated learning */

2009-10-20T00:38:06Z

differentiated learning

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 19 October 2009
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	I have been asked to think about and identify the different types of learners in my classes with the intention of tracking representative students to see how well they are being served by the course and my teaching.		I have been asked to think about and identify the different types of learners in my classes with the intention of tracking representative students to see how well they are being served by the course and my teaching.

	I could start with the star students or with those in danger of dropping out. There is an eerie similarity between them. The academic stars have been in their position for years. Often they are the ~~biggest perpetrators~~ of the ~~myth~~ that		I could start with the star students or with those in danger of dropping out. There is an eerie similarity between them. The academic stars have been in their position for years. Often they work hard perpetuate of the myth that
			intelligence is inborn and they've got it so they are better than everybody else. A typical manifestation is when you poll the class on how long they studied for a particular quiz or test; the stars loudly tell everyone else that they didn't study at all. It is very clear to me that all the star students have had some fortunate circumstances, a good school, a rich environment, a teacher who they have connected with, hard work, something that has contributed to their success. Recently one of the stars came into a class about to take a quiz. She had not studied. Rather than take the quiz and get a poor grade she refused to take it at all. Saving the image of being the girl who never had to study was that important to her.

	====sofar this year====		====sofar this year====

71.234.133.230 at 00:26, 20 October 2009

2009-10-20T00:26:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:26, 19 October 2009
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			====differentiated learning====
			I have been asked to think about and identify the different types of learners in my classes with the intention of tracking representative students to see how well they are being served by the course and my teaching.

			I could start with the star students or with those in danger of dropping out. There is an eerie similarity between them. The academic stars have been in their position for years. Often they are the biggest perpetrators of the myth that

	====sofar this year====		====sofar this year====
	9/21		9/21