http://pwyn.wordpress.com Just another WordPress.com weblog Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:17:38 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en At our last Research Model meeting, the group came together to edit the latest draft of the model.  As we were aligning our language with that of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, we began talking about our own children.  Some are in college, others a few years out into ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/taking-it-to-the-people/ Basketball is one of my favorite sports.  When a player is having a really great day, he enters the "zone" where everything he learned from coaches, teammates, watching the NBA, and personal practice, mesh seamlessly.  Focus is razor sharp.  Confidence is supreme. He owns the game. Recently, I had been "coaching" a  ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/getting-in-the-zone/ There is a teacher I admire who never assigns a major research project to her students unless she has already done it herself.  By going through the expectations she has for her students, she can better prepare them for the pitfalls and challenges they might face.  She can understand the ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/do-it-yourself-projects/ How to gain more depth in inquiry projects? Increase background knowledge.  As a science teacher and I were collaborating on the Research Model, I showed her the latest title in the Scientist in the Field series. In this series, scientists doing fascinating research on such topics as trash, volcanoes, and ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/background-knowledge-booster/ The Research Model Committee spent a good deal of time on the subject of notetaking.  We decided we need to better prepare our students over the the three years to differentiate types of notes and grow independent in their uses.  We are looking to begin with the Cornell method and ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/notetaking-active-and-differentiated/ Working on a unified research model can cause stress within a school or district if it becomes too regulated.  For example, one of the important skills that students should learn, especially in the era of Web 2.0, is that there are many ways to demonstrate learning or findings.  Whenever possible, students ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/watch-out-unified-shouldnt-mortify/ As we looked at our steps to research, our URM group pondered whether thinking about a final product should begin earlier or later in the process.  Occasionally, teachers who do research in the library feel students worry too much about getting a product finished to the detriment of immersing themselves in the ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2007/08/13/thinking-about-a-product-now-or-later/ One of the powerful images that came out of our discussions on research last year was the pervasive nature of research.  We want students to see that we are constantly doing research in our everyday lives (buying a shirt at the mall, etc.).  But we also want them to see ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/buiding-a-community-of-researchers/ The focus of this blog will be primarily on the discussions members of our faculty are having about research, as we look to update our model. We have been looking at research as a topic for a year now and will continue through 2007-2008.  Whenever we update the model, it is important to reflect with the people who ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2007/08/07/updating-the-research-model/ While many schools are hesitant to use blogs, there is a place for them in the learning environment.  One place would be for professional development.  Teachers could learn about new authors, ideas, trends and discuss their application for the classroom. It really gives you access to the world of ideas ... http://pwyn.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/ok-what-can-i-do-with-this-blog/