Unit 5 - Reflections After Midway

Over the past two units, we have been tested to place theory into practice and question what we may have thought was set in stone with tradition lesson planning.  Through unit 4 I have successfully developed a greater understanding of concepts and facts and ways to help students develop investigable questions.  The discussions on concepts and facts have developed a foundation for an inquiry unit plan on Plate Tectonics that is constantly morphing into something very different than my usual lessons.  These lessons are beginning to take shape as we develop questions pertaining to the unit that can be investigated, and are even forced to turn bad questions into those that are more suitable for a inquiry classroom.  This unit was incredibly helpful for unit planning and also gives me confidence that I can institute more inquiry lessons that are student centered into my classroom.

Unit 5 felt somewhat redundant in the things I already know category from other classes I have taken at Wilkes.  I did find several new Web 2.0 tools to introduce into the classroom and also enjoyed ways that other classmates were integrating them into lessons.  Many of their ideas were worthy of stealing and implementing into my own class.  Some of them were so inventive, I found myself saying, I want to teach that!  The most resounding information that I found during this unit was from Discovery Education's Web 2.0 15 page Crash Course.  I found their essence of these tools easy and simple to digest and helpful.  I only wish they gave more application ideas.  Here is a blurb that I found very meaningful at its core:

“Teachers must become comfortable as co-learners with their students and with colleagues around the world. Today it is less about staying ahead and more about moving ahead as members of dynamic learning communities. The digital-age teaching professional must demonstrate a vision of technology infusion and develop the technology skills of others. These are the hallmarks of the new education leader.”

— Don Knezek, ISTE CEO, 2008

Also during unit 5 we were pressed to add Web 2.0 tools to our unit plan.  I did find that the possibilities were endless, but many of my classmates had the same idea and it seems that polleverywhere provided  a good platform for introduction to new content.

It feels as if the only thing left is to plan full lessons, a timeline guide, and assessment to finalize our inquiry unit plans.  The only thing that I question is - is any assessment truly inquiry in nature and quality? and does it support the standardized testing that we as teachers are now assessed on?