Sunday, September 10, 2006

Sometimes the kids say it best

I asked my ninth graders to reflect on what we have been doing in class these past few weeks as well as reflect on a little experiment we tried in class. Please visit their comments:

http://smithenglish9.blogspot.com/ "To cell phone or not to cell phone" and "what did you think"

5 comments:

Kurt W. said...

Excellent idea! It is really refreshing to see a teacher take this idea and go even further outside the box. Using a student's everyday technology is a great glimpse of how adaptable the classroom could become.

Matt W said...

I definitely agree. Taking something that is usually a hindrance in class, and turning it into an effective teaching tool really gets the students' attention. I for one really like the idea of taking this kind of positive spin on something that is usually a problem. If I were sitting in class, and the teacher asked us to pull out our cell phones and actually use them as part of the day's learning, I'd be pretty darn enthusiastic about it. While limits exist as to how much of our usually distracting technology can be implemented, I do think your idea regarding the phones is a great step forward. I know that in AP Government, Meyer told us about possible voting and polls etc involving text messaging with our phones. I hope that this first experiment is just the beginning of much more success to come.

Unknown said...

That sounds like an awesome idea Mrs. Smith. When can our class try it?

Unknown said...

I agree with what everyone has said. I think it was a really good idea to take something that schools think may be a distraction to kids'learning and make it into something that excites and helps our learning. You are challenging the system with this new idea! We should try it in our class.

Hikingout said...

TIME OUT! TIME OUT! TIME OUT! TIME OUT! TIME OUT! TIME OUT!

Hope I got your attention, this is very IMPORTANT.

I have an URGENT message. Today in AP Gov, Meyer brought up a very interesting bill called the DELETING ONLINE PREDATORS BILL, despite the nice title, the bill will destroy what we and the Arapahoe High School staff have attempted to create. Please research this bill. The gist of the bill is that all access to chat rooms, BLOGS, myspace,and perhaps even simpler pages that might allow students to display any kind of personal information will be denied to students.

This bill will be extremely detrimental to the education, will destroy everything we have worked hard to establish, and eliminate the benefits to internet in the classroom that many of you enjoy. THIS BILL PASSED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BY A VOTE OF 410-15. Our time window is incredibly short to take any kind of action against this bill before it is passed by the Senate and it WILL be passed. We must take action now, IF THERE IS A WAY TO ORGANIZE A MEETING FOR CONCERNED STUDENTS I WOULD BE GRACIOUS FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET A ROOM AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Any strategies on how not to get this bill passed would be greatly appreciated, I have a few, but I would prefer one in which I don't have to be suspended or expelled :).