10/21 - Work sent me to the magical place called QUEST HIGH SCHOOL where all the kids are happy and like going to school and do homework every night! After that, we had a POWER LUNCH , followed by POWER BEVERAGES to plan out or lesson strategies for next week, as we began a new unit on simple machines. After that began my journey to Huntsville to get McKenzie for the weekend. We got her a costume for Halloween. She actually got concerned afterward about wearing to a church event...child thinks too much. Went home to get Sylvia and had a late night dinner at Brothers Pizza. They're classic pizza if you don't know them, many still have their New York/Italian accent.
10/22 - Texas Renaissance Festival - We had a good time there, got stuck being part of the Arsene Show. McKenzie enjoyed the archery so much that afterwards we went to Academy and purchase a junior Archery set anda target and a few extra arrows. That night I think we watched MEAN GIRLS.
10/23 - We did pretest on Simple Machines and then the three of us(me and my teaching team) had brought items from home that we or had simple machines and the kids examined and classified them on a FOLDABLE. After class, we each designed labs for the simple machines we had selected, plus all other forms we needed for Tuesday
10/24 - Big Lab Day, we worked this as a team. Mrs. DuLuglio did a lecture at start of class, then Mr. Diosomito did a intro on what the procedure for the day would be. Basically, there were 7 tables, 3 were Lever Labs, 2 were Pulley Labs, and 2 were Inclined Plane Labs. Each of us teacher had one of the machines, I was the pulley guy. Each lab answered on questions, so there was a worksheet that had all seven questions that each student received a copy. Each lab had its own form describing question and procedure for experiment. Each group did their experiment, collected data and then had to do a poster, according to a rubric, then plan a group presentation in front of class, also on the rubric. So teamwork was required for all three phases. Was a wonderful day, everything went as we planned, besides running a little short on time in the first two classes. We're we totally pumped about how the kids performed the whole period, all of our classes. We really enjoy the team approach we've taken. Afternoon/Evening spent preparing Share-a-thon material for CAST.
10/25 - Boss out of office doing presentation. Diosomito was sick, so I told him to stay home unless we called. I got the laptop cart for first time, and tested and setup every laptop. Completed prepared test with DiLuglio that we would give the kids on Thursday.
10/26 - Everyone went to CAST conference except me, I stayed behind to do the experience I helped design for the kids and issue the test. The kids got the wireless laptops and did the Odd Machine at the Edheads.org website. Their score was their grade. The they complete upto 5 more activities in the Simple Machines section. I allowed 45-50 minutes of each class to issue the laptops, them use them, and then me get them put away nicely. After each class did that, the students got their remotes and we went to work on taking the exam using the CPS. The students had taken thier pretest using the system and we were able to compare results using export files from the CPS software. On the questions that were both on the pretest and on the post test, we were able to see a 30% improvement in scores. I guess they learned something? The activity concluded our experiment with the new process:
PreTest
Activity (DO)
Lecture (Talk)
Lab(DO)
More DO - Computer Activity - Technology Use
Test - Used CPS so more technology
The Do - Talk - Do is a method our boss would like us to work on.
10/27 - Went to conference. Saw bunches of teachers from other events and trainings I'd been to, that was nice. Had lunch with my buddy Danielle. We taught together last year at Sam Houston, she's at Sharpstown now. Got materials from the vendor booths, many good opportunites for this upcoming summer, going to be busy again. I feel a little bad, as part of the reason I became a teacher was to have summers off so I could spend with McKenzie, and here all these wonderful activities and professional development opportunities. This year going to try competing for a FUND FOR TEACHER grant and hopefully Diosomito and I can go to Italy, and then Sylvia would come and meet up and we do a vacation.
10/28 - Went to conference and represented my team at Share-a-thon. My project got some good interest, but the show stealer was the ring/chain. Actually this vendor traded me for one, so he'll be selling them soon. I link to his website when I see them online. I suggested he name it after me! Went to lunch with Danielle again, but we got lost and ended up at Subway. Both days we road the train into town, and walked to the resteraunt. The train rides are just cool. Again, got some goodies at the vendor booths. I want to teach Environmental Science next year, so I am stocking up on resources, and they had them. Then since it was last day, I was with Danielle waiting for her Bio-Rad session to start and I asked about having this one little thing, and they said "Oh, all that stuff in the back over there, you can take whatever you want". We rushed over there and split a bunch of it between us. She won some of protein speration apparatus at her thing. I got the CPO lab manual and some difraction gradient glasses at mine. But yesteday I got the updated CPS software, so I did bring home some useful stuff to this year. In the spring we get to go the the National Science Teachers Association meeting in Anaheim, so that is the exciting one! Last 4 days I think, or 3 1/2. Changed Clocks
10/29 - It is impossible to buy a pitcher (for beverages) that is opaque in this town! Apparently clear is in so you can see what you are drinking, or what color your coolaid is. I needed opaque, I settled for a two gallon black bucket from the dollar store. Monday my team decided that since it halloween, we'd dress up and just do tricks and demos. So I got about 4 ready myself. The bucket one works, pour in one glass of water, and out of the hole in the bottom, about 10 times that amount comes out and is RED like BLOOD! SPOOKY! Plus some other science and non-science ones, egg in bottle, pencils through water filled baggy, water balloon in flame, string in bottle. We bought, well my wife got me, a orange shirt, then we both felt and cut out shapes to sew on a pumpkin face (3 triangles and a mouth). God, my mates better remember all their stuff and dress up too!
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