Action Research Revision strategy...stuff

Data collection tools revision -
1. I am going to be adding the actual assignments and details throughout the next course, because we're still coming up with the revised curriculum. So, the goal is kind of tied to the development of the curriculum.
2. Gathering the data will be a sort of massive project, as the ways I'm gauging the effectiveness of teacher feedback stretches across multiple classes, skill levels, and grades. Streamlining that will be tough.
3. It's all got to be electronic, so finding the smoothest way to accomplish that is key to success.

IDEAL Classroom

Physical set-up of my room:
The sweet corner windows are mine for the taking, and my desk is back there. However, the student part is sort of set up as stadium seating, in clumps of 4 all facing toward the frontsih area of the room that has a projector's screen on it. The tone of the room can be described as completely slawesome. I have a Chewie poster, a life-size R2-D2 cooler, and de-motivational posters, which helps the high schoolers feel humourous and grand.

·         Communication between you and students and/or parents before (or when) school begins

I plan on using Schoology's calender function extensively to communicate the learning targets, assignments, due dates, and other such things with both students and parents. If students subscribe to the Schoology calendar and have it push to their ipads, then it shows up in ical with their other classes on one shared calendar - and it's awesome!

·         Community building activities for the first days and weeks of school

 I plan on using the "use your noodle," "Bippity-Bippity-Bop," "snowball personality fights," and writing exercises of various persuasions to help build community and help students get to know one another.

·         Plan for use of community building activities throughout the first semester (or trimester)

I will continue to intersperse them throughout. I am going to use a lot of self- and peer-review with regard to students' writing and revision of it, so that is going to require a certain level of trust and commitment that the environment will help to establish.

·         Rituals/Traditions you plan to use

Hipster Wednesday: wherein students dress like hipsters (vintage sweatshirts, ironic t-shirts, pie hats, fedoras, fake glasses, scarves, pocketwatches - pretty much anything so ugly that it has to be pretentious enough fora  common art-house goon), read poetry, and drink coffee and tea that we brew in my classroom. 

Question of the day- students must answer in either an honest or creative manner the question of the day used to take attendance and get to know one anothers names, preferences, and personalities.

I Am CFF notes

Ethnosphere - a sort of spiritual layer of knowledge and such things that humans have emitted throughout our existence as a species - probably similar to the concept of Chi,

“Scientists don’t make mistakes - they just learn new things.” -- Mike Hamann

Humans tell ourselves stories in order to live.

If we fashion our entire existence on separation, isolation, and “human as machine” then we are sort of setting ourselves up to create the problems that many of the people end up suffering from - economic, social, religious, and emotional persecution. It’s not surprising to see the results and the lack of care about those beneath those that wield real power in society - those on the top of the social food chain through $, political connection, etc.

From another perspective, sometimes it seems as if art, made and distributed to the masses by those that wield immense power, often times carries the message of being happy without money and what you have, which is a (not really that subtle, really) method of keeping the rigid social structure in place. If those that are in the proletariat class are told that what they have IS “the good life,” then they don’t strive to take back from the rich what would equalize them from the Bourgeoisie - thus keeping society separated into classes from which most do not ascend.

Teachers are a prime example of this - we preach the opposite through literature, film, etc., but are a member of the social class and told we’re the honorable profession - which of course I believe to be true (I am a teacher from a family of educators through 3 generations now), but all one must do to look at our status socially is look at our salary and the “fire” under which we constantly suffer - that of being attacked and abused by those with power in society for not doing our jobs well enough while being paid in quite minimal increments that keep us solidly rooted in the lower-middle class, with little hope to move up.

Cooperation is of the lowest value (teachers!) whereas competition is of the highest value (business!). Darwin was refuting Huxley’s theory that it was just “survival of the fittest” - he repeatedly states that it’s both cooperation and competition.

The deer analogy is an interesting one - democracy is the key, and the “alphas” are usually the last to know about the changes - definitely mirrored in our society.

Sympathy is the strongest of the human emotions, they are saying.

“Elevation” is the concept that shows that we are “hard-wired” to respond to helping others - we feel a sense of elation when we either see or help other people in a time of crisis.

Einstein believed that the “spooky action at a distance” meant that we were all connected by a field that surrounds, us, binds us, and makes up the universe - thus, the Force is real, and the heart is probably the link to where we can find and utilize them.

All of life is biological kin, as we all share argon particles that were once possibly breathed by dinosaurs, Jesus Christ, Joan of Arc, and Gandhi.

The claim by writers and journalists, is that once we accept that we are indeed all one, then we will start to change things. However, often times the ones that change things are not the ones that had to endure and experience it - it’s like a generational progression. Also, one has to ask oneself whether those that are in power will ever fully adopt such an ideal, or keep manufacturing new ones in a sort of perpetual cycle of discrimination - it’s been happening throughout our history as a country and world, so will it truly stop? Doesn’t seem likely, although those population shifts happen slowly and over time.

The thing about people who change society, the heads of the movements, is that they have to be willing to lose their lives in order to slowly change society, which is the case almost across the field - those in power kill them, and then the populace slowly change out those in power.

Critical thinking followed by action. Figure out where one’s talents will help to change the world for the better, and take action to do so. This is an interesting idea to link some sort of senior seminar service project to an essay or piece of writing.

It’d be interesting to compare the message of this with the essay by E.M. Forster - Tolerance. He states that loving everyone is an unrealistic ideal, and is rooted in emotion, which won’t help to change it completely - one must consciously make the decision to tolerate others, and it must be rooted in logic and consciousness - that way, it’s linked to critical thinking and morality, rather than emotional response to stimuli, which can be a misleading thing - one can’t always trust their emotions - in fact, trusting them in many instances can be a bit of a mistake or misnomer.

1. Universal connection, making the world better through universal tolerance and stuff.

2. Sympathy is our strongest state and emotion - it encourages us to help each other.

Our society encourages the mindset of thinking of humans as competitive machines. This is bad and encourages the division of class.

3. I disagree with the notion that love is the thing that’s going to enable change in the world. It is premised on emotion, and conscience, and those things can be wrong. I’d rather it be based upon tolerance - a more logical, morality-based method of critical thinking. It’s more reliable and encourages consideration and a view of multiple factors.

-  nature doesn’t take more than it needs- that is not the current model of our society. 


My "New story"
To wake up the forces of good in my students, I'm going to tell them about the force that binds us all together like a cosmic magnetic field. I will also actually have them write how they're going to change the world for the better on a personality notecard that they get back from me when they graduate - it's a reminder of what they think they should be working toward as they pursue their higher educations. I also teach an essay called Tolerance by E.M. Forster that talks about how Tolerance is actually the superior method for making the world better, and that's also an eye-opening exercise in thinking critically.

ROL process stuff

I'm going to re-work the title, provide a context paragraph (kind of the same as the one I wrote for the other ROL) and...well, other stuff that I see fit!

Chippy McNish

 I just thought I'd share my impressions from today's class about the craziest cussin' carpenter to eat the spleen of a penguin.

As you watch the video, make note of the ways you notice Ernest Shackleton demonstrating leadership.  

 He shut down the engines to preserve fuel - a poor decision, I guess, but leadership. 

They must winter in the pack and sail on - again, his decision. 

Everyone was equal and busy all the time as far as tasks go - nice living quarters, etc.

 "Strength lies in unity." - Shackleton

He looked to the future and didn't dwell on what had happened in the past. 

He decided when to leave - a judgment call, apparently - how does one determine such a thing?

With his deciding to go on the journey himself and probably sacrifice himself, he earns respect and such things, electing action over possible self-preservation.

What concepts (qualities) of leadership do you notice?

 Honesty present in his ad of "questionable return" was key and important before setting out.

 Fair division of labor was key. 

Camaraderie.

 Optimism.

What might these concepts (qualities) look like for you in your classroom? With your colleagues?

 Remaining optimistic throughout the trials and travails of educating students of all varieties can be a tough thing to do (albeit not as tough as walking across Antarctica on foot and stuff like that), but it's something we must do, as certain students will remember those times that we flag, aren't on the top of our game, etc. 

Promoting community through camaraderie through shared support, equality, etc. 

Choose a concept (could be a strength or a challenge) and create a visual reminder of it - something that you could post or use as a motivator for yourself - SHARE.

A tiny lifeboat that's all rigged up and stuff - outlasting hurricanes and such things. 

Review of Literature Responses

4. It's good to know what the overall scope of the product is - knowing what the final product and scope is is a great thing for anyone involved in the mire of creating the product.
5. a. Integrate a bit more context as far as my district goes, as that's not in there. b. I'd also like to go back and make sure that I've integrated the quotes in a grammatically glorious manner of flourishes.
6.