It was very interesting to just see how many could follow directions.
No one really batted an eye about doing this, just about having to write out the question. I realized that will be a great incentive to restating the question in their first sentence. If I can train them to do that, then they won't have to write out the question.
One student did say, "Oh man, she's taking us back to English!" (Same kid who didn't understand our unit on logic either)
I've split it up so that I read 9 tonight, 10 tomorrow, 12 Wednesday, and 12 Thursday.
So far I've just written a sentence or two in response, but these questions are pretty straightforward. I then made an empty box where I would like them to answer.
I think what I am most excited about is planning the future questions to come. I'd like to lead them to the thought that their hard work and effort make a bigger difference on their grade than natural ability.
These are the questions I'm thinking of for the coming weeks:
- Who is responsible for making sure you learn: you or the teacher?
- Should homework be required? Why or why not?
- If homework was not graded in any class, would you still do it? Why or why not?
- How do you know when you're learned something really well?
That's as far as I've really thought it out.
I love learning about learning and I would really like to just have these deep conversations about teaching and learning with them. This is about the closest I think I can get. For now. I'm hoping to slowly increase the amount of writing in our notes and homework as well to lead them to the thought that writing improves their thinking and ability to do math.
I did have some students who just answered with a yes or no. Most of them wrote sentences but I've only seen one so far who has restated the question. I plan to model a good, decent, and bad example next week and have them brainstorm what makes a good answer.
I'm a bit worried that some students just won't do it. But I'm hoping that they will think of it like talking about themselves, and everybody loves doing that. If they continue to write one word answers or not respond at all, I hope to guilt trip them by writing comments like "I expect more from you" or "I respect your opinion enough to ask for it, could you please respect me enough to answer?" I don't think I want to put a grade on this so I hope that I don't end up in that position. Should I give a participation/homework grade?
Am I headed in the right direction?
I hope so...it's such a 'neat' idea.
