Monday+the+25th

Assignments Due On Monday the 25th. None.

Discussion Notes: None.

Schedule for the Monday the 25th.
 * Gathering
 * Meeting each other. Three things about yourself. One is a lie. Which one.
 * Working with the Laptops.
 * looking around the 261sm07 wiki
 * site design
 * page making
 * image making
 * file loading
 * making your own page
 * Delicious http://del.icio.us/ a place to store your special links
 * Charlie Time / 426
 * Looking at teaching and learning as complex activity
 * The Interactive Teaching Model
 * Meeting Time
 * Who are you?
 * Why are you here?
 * Tell us a little about yourself: interests, hobbies, down-time activities.
 * What are your passions when it comes to teaching and learning?
 * What do you want to be able to do better at the conclusion to 261.
 * Project Ideas: come in with one or two, or waaay too early.
 * Interviews for Current Directions
 * Pair up and interview each other.
 * What do you consider to be the six most current trends in teaching/learning/schooling today?
 * List, Reflect, Respond


 * Next Steps: What do we want to do with these?


 * For Tuesday
 * test drive home equipment
 * think about a possible project...mulling time
 * readings from Richardson: How do we want to do this so we learn and don't go crazy? Maybe split the chapters, have a couple of you lead us through the chapter using the guidelines on the syllabus.
 * reactions to today's class (below)

Reactions to Today's Class. //Approximately 100 word entries//. //Please don't add separate pages here. Just add your entry to the one that comes before as a new paragraph. Leave your initials after your last sentence. CR//

I was very excited to get back into class today. This class touches on topics that are of high interest to me: the brain and learning. I am especially interested in the implications that each topic has on one another, and I hope to gain a better basic understanding of those implications through taking this course.

I very much enjoyed the game that we played at the beginning of the class. I found it extremely difficult to tell which of the three items shared were false. I think that this game is a great way to ‘break the ice’ in a classroom situation. I would imagine that it works better with small groups of adults.

Has anyone tried it in other classroom settings?

I am really excited about learning from each other in this class, and I look forward to getting to know people better. **LG**

I admit it. I almost decided to drop this class last night. Why was I thinking such a crazy thought? Well, I was going crazy over every single detail: what time should I leave Middlebury, Where do I park, Which massive building on the campus green is Waterman? Where is classroom number 423 or is it 426? Every question imaginable came out of my mouth yesterday evening. I felt like a freshman in college all over again. However, I decided to stick with it. I got up early and left Middlebury at 6:40. I found parking, the building and the classroom, right where my boyfriend said I would. Now I just had to make it through the class. We were quiet, and that actually calmed me down more. We were quiet because we were all nervous, which was something I wasn't expecting. Most importantly, I forgot that we were all new to this class and that anxieties always arrive when something new is about to begin. Although I have been teaching in Middlebury for two years I am a new student at UVM, new to the surroundings of a big University. I had a fun time exploring some of the opportunities a wikispace has to offer. The possibilities do seem endless with this technology tool. I already look forward to making it not only mine, but ours to share and work on. I also enjoyed our conversations, both formal and informal, and I look forward to those more in the future. One thing is certain; each of you will push me to reflect on what it means to teach and how I do so everyday in the classroom. Until tomorrow...**Tara**

I have to say that it was odd being the student again, but I really enjoyed it. I walked into class thinking it would be very different from what it was, but was pleasantly surprised. When Charlie first started talking about wikispaces I got nervous and concerned. I have made a few web pages, but I am no expert. Once we spent some time exploring I thought it was really interesting. I even started to think about how I can incorporate it into my school or classes. I also liked the lists and diagram we had on the board. It made so much sense. I am still a little nervous about the project, but am really looking forward to the rest of the class. Hannah

Well, having been a PC geek for many years now, spending countless hours learning Operating systems and key commands to increase my workflow and efficiency, I was indeed humbled to find myself crippled by a completely foreign machine—A Mac. Today I was at its mercy. Right down to the delete button, which on a Mac goes in the opposite direction that what I am accustomed to. I couldn’t be more excited about the smaller class size and experiences I believe we have as a group to collectively draw from. I genuinely enjoyed this Monday back. –DI

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed class today. I am very excited to learn about the new technology and it will be a challenge for me. It was nice to meet everyone and I look forward to getting to know all of you better and learn from you as well. My favorite part of class today was talking about the interactive model on the board and I look forward to class discussions on differentiated instruction and other teaching trends as that interests me a great deal. Still nervous about the project for class, but hopefully a few more days of class will give me some ideas. HH

I am not necessarily the most technologically inclined person, and I was completely nervous that my computer skills were going to be a bit behind. I actually found myself enjoying and becoming interested in computer-related stuff... go figure! this came as a huge surprise to me. I'm interested not only in learning all this new computer stuff, but also how it relates to the classroom, and more importantly how it can be used in a classroom setting and situation. It was nice to also meet a few fellow post-bacs, particularly El Ed! We'll be seeing a lot of eachother I'm sure! Agreed about project anxieties... but relieved to see that it seems to be a common theme! JB

It was good to get to know everyone and to start thinking about technology as a possible tool for me to reach underserved students. My brain is churning. I’m also thinking about that triangular model. When I’m frustrated and feeling like I’m not getting anywhere it’s a struggle not to slap it all on the student or on the community. Where I’m least eager to look is at the text and the teacher. The one is sometimes given by the institution or it’s a known quantity that I’m reluctant to give up. Then, of course looking at the teacher is scary because then I might actually have to change—yikes!! Anyway I’m looking forward to making some concrete plans for improving my game. TA