Saturday, September 19, 2009
My classroom blog
I am very excited about setting up a blog for my classroom. I teach ninth grade Algebra and twelfth grade Algebra recovery this year and already I am imagining using the blog as a means of writing assignment. I usually have my students write letters to other students who have been absent explaining what the lesson was about and giving their classmates pointers on how to solve a particular problem. Now I believe I can take this same paper and pen activity and make it into a blog activity. I am also thinking of posting the daily assignments, reminders and announcements on the blog. I have to get permission from my AP and Principal first before going ahead with this plan. I ran the idea by my English AP and she was excited about it. She even recommended that I do a PD on this on our designated PD day in November. I told her sure. I was also thinking that it would be a very good forum for my principal to communicate with his teachers and students on a large scale since we do not have general assembly.
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Hi Nicky,
ReplyDeleteDo you have your students use computers much in an Algebra class? I know their are great math sites and was wondering if you have a designated "lab day."
I think blogging is a fun activiy for most students and adds variety to any lesson.
Wow! I love your idea for makeup assignments! How do you determine which students write letters to absent students? Does every member of the class have to do it each day? This could be a great closing activity as a ticket-out-the-door. It would be great to have them verbalize their learning from the lesson that way we could more accurately judge their understanding.
ReplyDeleteSandra and Sarah
ReplyDeleteI try my best to use the computers as much as I can in my classes. For instance my algebra recovery twelfth graders get to log onto www.regentsprep.org to practice a topic they are unfamiliar with. I try to use the computers every Thursday and Friday with them so they can review what we have done since Monday through Wednesday.
For my ninth grade classes we use www.mathbits.com. I generally let them log on after we have finished the chapter because the activities there are really a culmination of the chapter. It is a great independent work tool.
In terms of the letter writing I usually do this on a Friday. I have come to realize that students do not like to read or write in math because they think it is all about the numbers. This is a great way to help them see the integration across the curriculum. It is also a very big help for the English Language Learner children.