Collaboration Coaches

The goal of It's About Chime is to have the students explore the mathematics & physics behind sound waves and wind chimes. The students will engineer chime machines that ride the wind to produce melodic tunes for enjoyment. This project offers a great way to incorporate a real world audience into teaching the physics and math of sound waves. The pitfalls of this may be the materials and time required, but the project is well laid out and has a great deal of resources.

Algebra II Students in High School "The student council has asked the principal to add one more minute between classes, to cut down on the number of students tardy for class. The principal has asked your class to study the matter and make a recommendation. Here are guidelines provided by the principal: 1 - Bus schedules cannot be changed. 2 - Classes must meet at minimum of 210 minutes a week 3 - Homeroom time is required." Benefits: Strong student buy-in! Students are always complaining about time between classes. Teaches data collection, statistics, time management, and poll taking techniques. Pitfalls: Students will come up with illogical arguments. Time!

Students observe night sky and compare their observations with others from around the world to investigate the problem of light pollution. There are lots of ideas for extension activities on this site, each of which could be the basis of a PBL experience. Teachers would have to do some work to plan activities and create rubrics, but there is an authentic purpose and audience already built in.

Our Coaching Chronicles

Technology is in the forefront of everything we do as collaborators in the classroom. Teachers incorporating the use of technology while lesson planning increases engagement and rigor. Lessons are enhanced and students are focused. Many of the projects we were involved in incorporated technology and we collaborated with others at the school site and across the district. Valuable relationships were formed among the students and the teachers. Teachers not involved with the collaboration process also benefited from this through observing what was taking place in our classrooms. These teachers then requested to be involved in the program. Relationships were built, the use of technology was increased, and a 21st Century classroom was created.

Those students are going to be coming up to the junior and senior high so prepared. Thank you! Knowing that they are coming up to the higher grades with the ability to work with technology and work with each other at the same time is reassuring. Excellent work, guys!

I love how your video focuses on how becoming a 21st C classroom is a process that we (teachers & students) are somewhere along the spectrum.

This year our coaching experiences ranged from nervous anticipation to almost feeling like we knew what we were doing. The redeeming facet of our task was that so many of our peers benefited from the collaborative efforts from each house/team, the grade level, and throughout the school. As a result, our students have demonstrated amazing academic results. Please see the website to learn more about our perspectives from this school year.

It is refreshing to know that others felt the same way I felt when beginning this collaboration journey. The nervous anticipation was there as well as a feeling of dread because of the unknown. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I love how everyone contributed something different to your Chronicles. It really showcased all the resources that are out there to fit every personality and teaching style. Your presentation showed that the collaboration process works! I love the animation---I'm going to have to try that.

Agenda for Session 8

We'll explore during session 8...

We'll review this during Session 8

free tools challenge -- See the menu on the Left with all the different tools in the Teacher Challenge

See the menu on the Left with all the different tools in the Teacher Challenge

How to start blogging in your classroom

A simple way to make posters. Totally useful!

Peer-Ed Video Contest, March 1 - April 15. Join the Peer Coaching Video contest! Share YOUR 60 second video that focuses on coaching roles and responsibilities, the value of administrative support, making time for coaching, or coaching impact on student learning or school culture. ------------------------------ I am so excited about this! I had to share!

Wanting to set up a class blog but don't know where to start? This walks you through all the steps and what to think through.

The Wordle based on what the coaches sent me.

Create your own podcast using pre-recorded clips from NASA