Day Sixty: The Quiz

I gave my kids a quiz today on problem solving.  I gave them instructions and they all gave me a blank stare.  The questions were exactly like we had practiced, but with different objects.  Here is an example:
Ms Wiebe has five different shapes.  She has a favourite one.
She is going to give you some clues to help you decide which is her favourite.
Here are your clues:
It has four sides.
All the sides are the same length.
It sits on its edge.
What is Ms Wiebe's favourite shape?
Be sure to use logical thinking to solve the problem!

So I gave them the problem AND the way to solve it!  I got one girl who said ' I don't get it.'  I said 'What don't you get?'  She said 'I just don't get it.'  Well I can't help someone who doesn't have a concrete problem.  So I gave them the test and they all rocked it.  So I am not sure what the disconnect was between insrtuction and doing.   Anyway, so later on we were doing some math and I told them I would review with them next week.  They said 'Can we have a test?!'  I was like what?  This morning they couldn't figure it out and now they want me to test them again?  Weird.  But anyway, no test.  They did not learn enough yet.  It was a good day.  Taught all afternoon and it was fun.

Day Fifty Nine: FIELD TRIP!!

Went on a Field Trip today with 40 grade twos to Cantos and Fort Calgary.  Cantos was AWESOME! Go if you can.  They have so many cool music type things.  We got to listen to a concert organ that was used for silent films.  It was loud!  The kids loved it.  They got to play instruments and be hands on with other things.  I took lots of pictures of old stuff...it's the history major in me.  They had a Polyphonic Virginal that was from the 1550's!  It's a cousin of the harpsichord.  It as in a atmosphere controlled room and was the oldest piece in the collection.  They also had a piano signed by Elton John.  Then we went to the Fort and it was not as cool.  Too much sitting for the kids and a crabby older lady who didn't wnat the kids to touch stuff was in charge.  Boo.  I could have done a better job.  But I did I did find out what a Shaganappi is.  It's like one of those ball/cup toys.  It was made with bone and hide.  The hide had holes in it and you flung it up and tried to get the bone in the hole.  I had always wondered what a Shaganappi was since there is a road named after it here.  I will be putting up some pics..

Day Fifty Five to Fifty Eight: F*** It

So I am doing one giant blog for all of last week.  I am behind...again.  And last week I did not want to write anything here.  It was a really rough week and I thought about quitting the program.  I had some personal stuff happening like my partner leaving to another province for work, my dog coming to live with me and destroying my parents house, and peeing on my bed and just generally being in idiot.  Then I had a prof. who has decided that she doesn't want to take questions, or adhere to her outline.  She has made some of us do our assigments over and over because she changes the requirements every class.  She has no due dates and doesn't adhere to her timeline.  It's impossible to work with her.  I was just frustrated with the quality of education I was receiving for the amount of money I am paying.  But this week I am better and will hopefully have some fun things to say.  I also took a break and went away for a few days to recharge.

Day Fifty Four: Chaos

Is it really hard for profs to think of concrete due dates?  It is really beyond their capacity?  I think that if you have lots of letter behind you name you should be able to look at a calendar.  Bah!  Who needs due dates? I will just magically spring assignments on you and then tell you they are due next class!! Yes! Because my class is obviously the only one you have and you have no other assignments AND you are not planning lessons for your field assignment so you have lots of time to schedule things.  Maybe I am too anal and uptight but I like to know more than a week in advance when my stuff is due especially when I have to work in a group.  More people=harder time to get together!
Also I am wondering what my tuition covers now?  I had to pay $2.00  to pay for 'art supplies' for one of my university classes AND now the professors are not allowed to photocopy articles for us to read, so I have to do it myself.  I paid $2945 this semester.....what do I get for it?  I have to pay for books, supplies, photocopying, fuel to get me to my practicum, and other crap.  So am I paying for the prof to have a house in the posh part of town?  And for the university to renovate the ICT building and the library and amalgamate fine arts and social sciences all into one faculty?  What do I get for my mony?  Does anyone know?  Can you tell me?

Day Fifty Three: I Don't Like You

This semester I have curriculum inquiry which is about delving into the curriculum.  It is also about recent trends in educational research.  I have a 2 hour and 50 minnnute lecture on this every Wednesday and I have decided that the prof and I do not see eye to eye.  Let me give you an example of how he is:
SEcond day at lecture....'why do Iwear a three piece suit (here he gives us a multiple choice question).  The correct answer turns out that he has been tested for autism and has placed 'well up on the spectrum.'  So wearing a three piece suit is like a pressure suit on his body and it calms him.  Well that is all fien and good but dont' wear your autism test like a badge of honour and then remind us of it repeadedly.  Another example:  a student asks a question and he says 'we really do not have time for questions right now.  I will get back to you..OR remember it for whatever chapter it would fit in in the book.  So how can you have an INQUIRY based program when questions are shot down?  He never gets back to you and sometime you can put your hand up and he IGNORES you completely!  The other day a student misunderstood what he said and he goes'isn't that what I just said?'  the student says 'that is not what I heard.' he says 'did you know that most problems in communication are the result of the LISTENER?'  Whoa.  So not true and so not appropriate.  He loves Oprah and tells us this all the time.  Argh.  He is annoying and pompous and treats us like we are stupid and he is so awesome because he is a PhD! Whoa.......he must be a god then.  Needless to say I find him annoying.

Day Fifty Two: I Play Hooky

Well I actually had a doctor's appointment, so it was legit.  It was nice to take a day off.

Day Fifty One: PD Day

I went to a PD day on Assessment.  How we can bring on the spot and individualized assessment into the classroom.  How to use formative as well as summative assessment.  Sumative would be like the PAT (provincial achievement test) and formative is what you do in the classroom like anecdotals, quizes etc.  Individual learning is very important for this district.  They tell us to teach to the student, and not to the test (mainly the PATs).  So we hear about this and get some ideas about it and then the superintendent comes on and says that Alberta is tops in the country and the world.  Where do they get those stats? From non-individualized testing like the PAT's Diplomas etc.  I wonder then how much individualized learning is important if the superintendent thinks these stats are important enough to begin her speech with?  It seemed hypocritical...but what do I know?  Everyone says that education is changing in the direction of individuals, but the mandate from the Education Minister is still these standardized tests.  And what are we testing anyway?  Reading comprehension or the subject that the test is about?  Because if a student can't comprehend the question, they aren't going to get the answer.  So how can you create a 'test' to show what you know?  How about a flexible project?  or test?  I don't care what format you put it in, it needs to be flexible.  In the real world people get to work to their strengths, but not in school.  We all have to work to the standard.  Anyway, I did not find the PD day very useful.