The test I used was a Forestry Management Test. It included a variety of questions and prompts...10 true/false, 11 multiple choice and 3 separate categories of 23 questions for matching. I would have had less matching question and added a map for labeling the different types of forests in the U.S. From class discussions and drawings on the board, I think the class would have enjoyed (and been quite successful) describing or drawing the different types and parts of trees discussed. The test was efficient; each section was titled and explicit directions were written. True/False, Multiple Choice and Matching were typed in bold to separate one section from the other. When I looked at the test I did not "view" the test as 44 questions, two pages, front and back, instead I saw each separate section of 10 or so questions. This made it less intimidating and more manageable. There were no confusing negatives and the prompts were clear. The test covered all of the material presented in chapter 10 so this test was a thorough assessment of the material, however, short answer/essay would have made it a better test. The students had the entire period to complete it, but as far as putting some fun into the questions, NO!! Student names or cultures were non-existent. I don't think this teacher would be interested or concerned with incorporating names/culture into a test! (not a negative aimed at the teacher, it is just would not be his style to do that!!) 3.5

Ashlie, that was such a great comment you made. "If we teach students how to communicate effectively, we can engage them in the lesson and keep them involved." Wouldn't that be a win-win situation for both student and teacher? Teacher's strive to keep students actively engaged in the lesson, but instead of wanting interaction/communication, do we not sometimes expect a quiet learning environment? This has been something that has been difficult for me...allowing students to freely communicate/discuss without me doing all the work. When I first came to NHS (must I always end up talking about Home Economics?)..anyway, an administrator made a negative comment regarding my students talking during their food laboratory. Hey, I wanted them to talk!! I wanted the head cook to go over the list of responsibilities each member of the lab wwas to carry out..I wanted the students asking the head cook questions if they forgot or didn't understand what they needed to do. (The rule was, ask the head cook first, before the teacher)...and when they were sitting at their tables eating, were they not suppose to have appropriate table conversation?? This particular administrator felt the "teacher talked and the students listened." From that point on I become a bit uncomfortable with students talking in the classroom. However, just as the weight lifter needs to lift weights to get stronger and the writer needs to write to become a better writer, our students need to "talk" in order to enjoy (and be able to join in) a good discussion, share opinions, voice concerns, explain what happened, etc. Talking is so natural, so let's be sure we get away from recitation and have more authenic discussions!

Assessments

How do your assessments rank on the rubric based on Wormelli's guidelines? Discuss your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Don't forget to get your video planned prior to March 2nd.

Creating the Confidence to Respond

I sat in on a student book club meeting this afternoon and there was only one thing that really bugged me. I encouraged them to talk about the book by leading them down different paths, but I really wanted to get them to take over the conversation. There were only 6 of us total, so it was a little quiet. We had addressed several different aspects of the book and I asked them, "What else?" One student said, we can talk about the when it took place and what time period.

Now this is not significant, really, to the action of the story. Setting is not so crucial. You just need to know it's a high school in the here and now. But that was the only experience talking about books that this student had. She knew that when she finished the book, she needed to answer some basic comprehension questions about it.

We're a very intimate club and I enjoy meeting with them. Based on what you've read in Beers, what can I do to create a better conversation climate with these young women?

Tom Sawyer, Teaching, and Talking

I've been studying a little bit of Paulo Freire and critical pedagogy recently. (I emphasize the little because it can be dense reading and I can be a little dense myself.) But Freire talks about the banking notion of education. We often view our students as empty vessels that need to be filled up with as much knowledge as we can give them.

Probst also talks about this notion in his chapter in Adolescent Literacy. He quotes another author, Nystrand, who stated that "most schooling is organized, we found, for the plodding transmission o information through classroom recitation. Teachers talk and students listen. And the lower the track, we found, the more likely this is to be true."

How does talk work in your classroom? Who is doing the talking? Which, if any, of Probst's talk strategies are you willing to try in order to engage more students in talk? I have always enjoyed the Socratic seminar and have been met with success in the junior and senior level classrooms. But students have to be trained and the teacher has to be willing to listen. We have to remember that they are not empty vessels that come to us for fulfillment. They come with their own stories, connections, anecdotes, and questions. We have to open to stage for them to share themselves.