Session 7

Added Subject Directory stuff since we didn't get to it last time.

Added a task to graphic organizers: find 2 and show how you would use them with YOUR students. roundtable followup

Involve teachers in discussion of notetaking for their kids' levels - go beyond Trash-N-
Treasure esp for HS teachers

Have everyone try electronic notetaking with Assessing ICT article if time

Session 6 - L & A II

Included project work at the beginning - good 45 minute productive time. Worked well.
Bogus websites went well as always.
People need lots of time discussing website evaluation

**added *new* Tips for Evaluating Sources - from Diana Hacker's "Research and Documentation" site - AFTER class - did not use this yet but it looks useful

Added brainstorm activity for evaluating web pages before teaching criteria. Goal is to tease out criteria for web page eval from "common sense"

Deleted link to Marvel etc. - Everybody's good with that.
Added Wikipedia as a research source - didn't get to having everyone research Wikipedia - group conversation only

Eliminated text work on Ch. 8
Change blog prompt to journaling.
Deleted subject directory page at www.learnwebskills.com
Dropped breakout on tables in Word - added option for setting up a wiki

Session 5 - L & A part I

Things become dry during this session. Need to do more with search strategies (beyond Christopher Columbus) and point out needs of college students regarding research skills. Start equipping our students better.
Rather technical with reading URLs, but usually interesting to adults. Need activity for reading and evaluating URLs, for example. Even 10 minute blasts to go searching and reporting out.

3-19-07 Quite a bit of wandering in class.


Plugging in a synthesis activity:
Cut the old wiki links to a college wiki page and added our new wiki stuff about The Wright 3. Will have activity time for creating a wiki within class using Connie's picture books for older readers. Need 30 - 45 minutes.

Wikipedia research added. Will have groups of 2 or 3 do research and decide whether Wikipedia is a reliable source. Didn't get to this. Move to Session 6.

Note: Need to provide project work time and to re-focus class. Next session needs to review assignment planner and self-eval sheets. Also touch on specific EQs.

Session 4

Added brainstorm with "offensive drivers" in groups of 4. Created lists of information sources

Need to always check ProQuest question in Marvel worksheet. keep it a current question.

New tab in Marvel for Teen resources to point out next time.

Still didn't get to Assignment planner. Maybe this can wait until nearer the end when everyone understands all Big6 steps better.

Session 3

Wes Fryer's podcast on blogging - in left side nav frame - is good. Remember to add to seminars, too.

Using tables in Word was a good addition.

Added task analysis for envisioning their projects using a table in Word they learned to create.

Didn't get to Assignment Planner work. Move forward.

Session 2

Dan's bit is always very helpful. He teaches so well.

Joyce Valenza's article about Better Answers isn't connecting. Her site problem. Find another??

Didn't do Hopsicker's Student Achievement article yet. Still good stuff. Add later during Big6 discussions.

Doug Johnson's article needs more time and connection - jig-saw the 16 traits of a project?? Groups to report to one another?

Big6 Ready-made projects need more time - we shortened that too much.

Session 1

This session flies.

"Did you Know?" still works, but many have seen it. Good conversation setting the stage.

Text work graphic organizer needs fixing - the 2 column note taker causes trouble. Try labeling the columns differently like Notes on left and Reflections on the right.

May be time to update 21st Century Skills by adding the newest publication from that group. The original was from 2002 and is good but might be improved upon.

Changed blogging to journaling about each class session. Works well.

Notes on these notes

We've been building this course for teachers over the past year. This blog is our notes on how it's going, what needs to be changed and new ideas.