Week+Three+Wiki+Journal

This was another very busy week. The team’s conversation about the Student Needs Assessment was very successful. We are all on board and excited about the learning and teaching change.

Trotwood-Madison Middle School is improvement year five, continuous improvement. All staff are working extremely hard to raise the bar for student learning and expectations. A change to a constructivist viewpoint may be difficult for administration. Classrooms are expected to look alike with the techniques and strategies happening at the same time as the teacher next door. Teachers are expected to be the center of attention and controlling student learning. I have been in the Trotwood Madison City Schools system for twenty years and can say that it’s not just the last five that have been like the present. We have not been as successful as the effort we have put in. A change in philosophy maybe change in philosophy is what we need.

Nate’s classroom continues to do excellent work on their websites. We added Glogster to their knew technology experience. They are very excited about their work.

I will add more later

//MJ Wolfe writes:// Doug, the history you describe about your school matches the history of almost every school. Thirty years ago when I started teaching middle school math, my principal taught my class for a day and showed me how he wanted me to teach. I felt like I had been transported back in time 100 years! I was to stand at the board and write. Then I was to allow my students to pick up their pencils and copy what I had written. This format was to occur each day, every day. Thank heavens I could not teach that way. It took me a long time and a lot of effort to get where I am today. Needless to say I've made a lot of mistakes along the way. The change I enjoy most is teaching in a constructivist classroom where I can both watch my students learn and listen to their understandings. Using manipulatives have helped that happen. Also, I've learned lots of new formative assessment strategies to use to guide my teaching.