tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42040846872362971882011-12-15T02:18:45.055-08:00This blog details the journey of an Algebra I teacher, Telannia Norfar, and her colleagues to create and implement a project for 9th graders. Telannia and her students will discuss their experience through out the project. The goal is to help other educators who have never completed a project or never completed one with a team of teachers "see" a project from start to finish.Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.comBlogger561100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-34167211900233746902009-09-17T19:29:00.000-07:002009-09-17T19:45:29.823-07:00

The class began with a review of the format of my class, rules and expectations. The day I started the project was the second day of getting all new students. Originally, I was teaching Geometry and Algebra II. Now, I am only teaching Algebra II. I had to catch up the new students but also review some information regarding systems with the old group. The class ended with the introduction of

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-87945581501513819632009-09-16T20:06:00.001-07:002009-09-16T20:08:17.855-07:00

I am discovering quickly that once you start a project it is hard to sometimes stop and write about the flow of it. It is also difficult when all of your class dynamics change before you introduce the first project. One week ago today, the students were introduced to the Smith Project. Let me explain the situation regarding the Smith Project and the make-believe family in it.Kate Smith is a

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-57067549158576841222009-09-05T20:40:00.000-07:002009-09-06T13:04:12.075-07:00

This is the second portion to my video posting. Below is a video of me practicing presenting a PBL to a group of educators. The educators are pretending to be like my high school students.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-35618704777019457062009-09-05T20:28:00.000-07:002009-09-05T20:30:43.643-07:00

Finally, I was able to find the time to make the videos from my filming at the IMSA institute. It is two different videos. Below is my information on getting funding for your professional development and classroom.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-8692878461435536242009-08-30T14:58:00.000-07:002009-08-30T15:04:03.188-07:00

There is absolutely to many things on my plate. I am a member of the alumni association of Northwest Classen High School. As a member, I agreed to produce the newsletter. I am five months behind producing the newsletter. I was supposed to have it out in April. I got completely caught up with understanding student council responsibilities and then a summer full of activities. As I sit trying to

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-61393152133142542452009-08-26T19:22:00.000-07:002009-08-26T19:27:23.074-07:00

Yesterday, I discovered why it is great to work in teams. As I said in the earlier post, I was confused on the order to complete items. All of my colleagues are going to follow the book, chapter by chapter. This will help me with following an order even though I will still operate on concepts rather than specific chapters. I also found out that matrices are not as necessary of a skill for

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-25640704094556160682009-08-22T16:11:00.000-07:002009-08-22T18:23:55.767-07:00

I have come to the realization that I am officially overloaded. In the last two weeks, I created a manual for the new teachers at our school, helped conduct the new teacher orientation with colleagues, complete a student council retreat, found out how to use the online website for yearbook, informed teachers of pictures, as well as a host of other things I can't remember.It is with this

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-80453533099403370132009-08-19T20:15:00.001-07:002009-08-19T20:15:41.316-07:00

As I get ready to start the year, I am feeling behind and really excited. I hope I am not alone in this feeling. I have to admit part of my anxiety is due to taking on a new responsibility that will require more time. I also spent most of the summer doing professional development. I did not get a chance to work on curriculum like the previous summer. Despite my mixed feelings and thoughts, I had

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-75639826097376555902009-07-31T18:56:00.000-07:002009-07-31T19:18:30.461-07:00

Today, the students examined what they had gathered and worked to solidify a solution. The students worked really well together to formulate the key areas they would discuss for the presentation. The students decided to focus on the areas the letter addressed which was energy-efficiency, safety, Olympics and general knowledge of PAVs. The students felt based upon the information they gathered,

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-4838651351407148632009-07-29T20:20:00.000-07:002009-07-30T19:21:01.435-07:00

The helicopter visit stole the show the second day of sleuths. In the middle of first day, we found out that we will have a helicopter visit in the afternoon. We decided that we would surprise the students. They were already going to be outside testing how to control the turns of an airplane. We would just move the students to another part of the field to see the helicopter arrive.It was so cool

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-76778263355317491782009-07-29T18:37:00.000-07:002009-07-29T20:00:12.656-07:00

The week of summer sleuth contained so much intensity and work, I didn't have time to write a daily log. I am finally back at home! I am able to take apart each day and write a reflection piece. Please accept my apology for all who were anxiously waiting my daily report. I hope I do not disappoint in my reflection. I have video and more pictures if that will make up for it!The first day of the

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-52390912457420033862009-07-17T20:50:00.000-07:002009-07-17T21:00:13.923-07:00

Today was a lite day. The main purpose was to get ready for Monday. We started by looking at the agenda for the week again. We clarified any items as well as made changes based upon unforeseeable situations. We went over each activity for Monday and made sure we had all the materials in our boxes. We wrapped up the day in our respective rooms and set up for Monday.The best part of the day was

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-38419489038392846562009-07-16T20:47:00.000-07:002009-07-17T21:15:01.898-07:00

Today was the final day for the first phase of the institute. It was one of the main times where I got to see other participants perspective. The focus of the day was on completing the first phase of a PBL in front of an audience. The audience consists of participants and facilitators who act like your students. Facilitators and participants can offer feedback to improve the problem.We split into

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-56295310647419237322009-07-16T07:11:00.000-07:002009-07-17T05:47:27.097-07:00

Nate got into the large garbage bag. After a few movements, he discovered laying on the ground in a fetal position would be the best way to conduct the experiment. He used his hands to close the bag around his neck and shoulders. I proceed to turn on the shop vac and place the hose in a small hole on the side of the bag. After about five minutes, all the air was sucked out of the garbage bag.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-61433510170324221712009-07-14T21:42:00.000-07:002009-07-15T07:04:01.365-07:00

It is quickly apparent from the day's activities that there is a lot of work to create a PBL. Although it is a lot of work, it is definately worth it. It is also easier if you do it in a team. It appears from the facilitators that it will get easier but the work transfer is definitely different in a constructivist environment. When you teach the traditional way, a lot of your work is inside the

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-80488017978494934212009-07-13T09:42:00.001-07:002009-07-13T19:14:54.702-07:00

As usual I was the first to arrive to the institute. I immediately sat as close to the front as possible. People started to trickle in a little before 8 am. It seemed as if people came in groups. They were probably from the same school or district. I am sure by the nature of the institute I would so on find out.Introductions confirmed my assumption. The entire group varied from local Chicago area

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-45020539013307969052009-07-12T21:50:00.000-07:002009-07-12T22:04:45.154-07:00

I have arrived in Aurora, IL by way of Chicago. I am so glad that I decided to try to find another hotel that was less expensive than the recommended hotel of the institute. The Candlewood Suites is so great! You can click on the link for pictures I took of my room. Since I am going to be here for two weeks, I would rather be in a location that is more like a home than a hotel. It is also a great

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-36801221050817592782009-07-11T06:12:00.001-07:002009-07-11T06:26:01.585-07:00

I can't believe the time is already here. The summer is passing by quickly. Tomorrow, I will be on a plane heading for Aurora, IL which is about 45 minutes from Chicago. I will be attending the Illinois Science and Math Academy's PBL Coaching Institute for the next two weeks. I have wanted to attend this institute since I came across it during a search two years ago. Thanks to Funds for Teachers,

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-86458599658397978022009-05-28T12:58:00.000-07:002009-05-28T13:01:13.194-07:00

Technology is everywhere. Recent developments in technology is changing the landscape of teaching and learning. I would love to get your opinion on technology. Briefly describe your experience with technology and if you use it in your classroom.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-86585662344903980832008-09-10T16:38:00.000-07:002008-09-10T16:39:59.156-07:00

It is amazing how much school takes up any time from blogging. I have so much to share with you. As I was working on school work, I thought about how much I missed blogging about some of my recent experiences.I have to get back to work but I have promised myself that I am going to spend some time this evening reflecting on the first two weeks of school.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-65481248710268017782008-08-24T05:34:00.001-07:002008-08-24T05:51:05.868-07:00

School started this week. Thursday was a hectic day but everything went smoothly considering the time. This is the first year that we are on a 7 period schedule. We have previously been on a 4 period schedule. Going from 80 to 45 minutes is an adjustment. I really wanted to concentrate on how much can be done in 45 minutes---NOT a lot :).Fortunately, I meet with two of my Algebra I classes twice.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-89907744909730838662008-08-17T05:23:00.001-07:002008-08-17T05:23:24.869-07:00

This past week, I really wanted to at least get the projects for the first two learning units (probability/measures of central tendency & linear/absolute value expressions). I had a quick idea for the statistic unit because I have been wanting to incorporate fantasy football into the classroom since I was introduced to it by a church member.I finally thought it would be great for the students to

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-36034182212736168312008-08-12T18:52:00.001-07:002008-08-12T18:52:30.852-07:00

I just got off skype with Tim in Australia. It was a very productive conversation. We talked for over an hour. We only got interrupted twice. He is so awesome. He is a testament that you don't have to experienced PBL to do a project. He has come up with the majority of the scaffolding activities to help the project flow nicely. Today, we really worked out the meat of the project. We determined

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-84847513182683680372008-08-11T21:59:00.001-07:002008-08-11T22:04:42.860-07:00

I just made some updates to the international project wiki. I did some searching for links we can use during the project. I also finalized the driving question/statement we will use for the project. Tim's suggestion was perfect and I just added and clarified a few things.I have a few more things to do for tomorrow so that we really have a full view of what we are doing and just clean up some of

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-49347168328915476032008-08-10T19:45:00.001-07:002008-08-10T19:50:46.824-07:00

I was scheduled to talk with Tim again today but had to postpone. I didn't get a chance to work on the project like I wanted. I need to update the wiki to include resources we need to use. One of the major components of a PBL is the use of experts and multiple books or sites for information. I want to make sure we both can get experts so that students hear from both countries. We will need to

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-58022847047754556852008-08-07T16:56:00.000-07:002008-08-07T17:16:18.598-07:00

The planning process is really getting on a roll. I really enjoy working with Tim. For someone who has never done project based learning, he is full of great ideas. I have to admit, this is not working out like I thought it. I anticipated some challenges.I haven't always been a teacher. When I entered the education world, I was amazed at how little collaboration occurred. In all my previous

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-27952217181614180102008-07-31T19:38:00.001-07:002008-07-31T19:38:51.171-07:00

I am so excited. For the first time, I am going to do a project with a teacher from another country. Thanks to searching by a technology coordinator, I am going to be a joint project with a teacher in Australia. Did I say I am so excited?Yesterday, we talked more about the details of the project. We talked for the first time before school released for me in May. We discussed how we will start out

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-90664448509481827782008-07-23T13:27:00.001-07:002008-07-23T13:27:42.843-07:00

I have been spending the last couple of weeks working on the curriculum for the upcoming year. There are a few things I am testing out this coming year so it is taking a lot of time to plan it out. I would love for people's comments on the curriculum. Please check out http://norfarcur.pbwiki.com and give me any input and feel free to copy anything.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-19552061256001991412008-07-13T18:53:00.001-07:002008-07-13T18:55:30.135-07:00

I found a great tool to use this upcoming year. It is called Wordle. It allows you to type in words, grab words from a url or grab tags from a del.icio.us user. It takes the words and place them in a cloud like form. It also enables the student to save the cloud. I will use this to have students express their understanding of mathematical terms. Here is a cloud I created on digital storytelling.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-77816856141598959122008-07-11T10:10:00.001-07:002008-07-11T10:10:16.675-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately on some possible projects to do this upcoming year. There is so much I have seen in the news, conferences and general personal problems that will make great projects. I am going to be working on the details in the next couple of weeks. Right now, I want to make sure I have a note of all my ideas and sources I have to check out or get back to for development.Here

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-9854227536361016122008-07-08T14:06:00.001-07:002008-07-08T14:35:42.004-07:00

I am so sorry it took so long to do this final video of the food project. Summer came and I went on break. I just came back from the NECC conference and I am so pumped for the new year. I have discovered that many people need help with seeing a teacher's perspective of project based learning. I have also noticed how great it was for me to reflect on my practice. Therefore, I have decided to

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-56927442072547498652008-05-21T18:14:00.000-07:002008-05-21T19:34:04.056-07:00

There has been some exciting occurs in this last week of working on the project. Some of the highlights include creating great graphs, some students not working, some students doing all the work, some teams working well together and the cafeteria already making changes.  On last Thursday, many of the teams kept getting off task. I think it was a mixture of summer fever and some confusion on how

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-30831055392409580152008-05-13T19:06:00.000-07:002008-05-13T19:12:52.467-07:00

I did not go to school today due to my need to work on my final project for my masters. DeAnn reported "We are still alive, just barely..without you. The kids did pretty well in the library....and most importantly the library was glad we left everything in good shape! We did get some printed finished menus and some started on the business proposal."I got up early to complete the example

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-14136570179817301682008-05-10T13:56:00.000-07:002008-05-10T19:29:52.481-07:00

There was a lot of activity between the three classrooms the students worked in for their project. Student pictures are now uploaded on flicker. Check it out at this address: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24773120@N06/?saved=1

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-76301342167109392122008-05-09T23:55:00.001-07:002008-05-09T23:58:05.501-07:00

Students worked diligently today on their menus and their lab report. I forgot the lab report was due on Thursday so students in my class did not work on that element. DeAnn agreed to allow them to work till Tuesday.I took lots of pictures of the students working and am working on putting it on a flicker page. I will create another post when this and the movie of the launch is complete.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-9131817779307626992008-05-06T16:29:00.000-07:002008-05-06T16:45:54.513-07:00

The students worked project as scheduled in the last two class periods. The checklist is working to help the students know what they are supposed to do. We were also on one accord as a teaching team. A new student to our team found a great website to use for the project "by accident". I love it when that happens. Other teams were really getting into the creation of the menu and finding foods of

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-6808597606810304642008-05-05T13:17:00.000-07:002008-05-05T16:40:24.696-07:00

I didn't get a chance to look up suggestions too heavily. I did see that the checklist will be a great way to help the students and also to have a meeting to clarify again with the teachers.We met briefly on Monday and again our meeting almost ran away from the focus with having to deal with a student issue. However, we were able to modify the checklist I came up with and to create an example

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-92101673084906764012008-05-03T07:47:00.000-07:002008-05-03T08:00:15.574-07:00

The final day in the first week of the project revealed the need to come up with more management tools for the students and further clarification among the team of teachers. One student revealed to me that they were not told to complete the survey questions as I instructed. At first, I didn't really take this students word to heart because they are hardly ever at school. However, events that

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-65782512362813667702008-05-01T19:29:00.000-07:002008-05-01T20:11:41.845-07:00

I can not believe it has been over a week since I last updated everyone on the project. The two days before the launch and the days since the launch have flown by. There is so much to tell. I hope that I will get everything in this post and try to write everyday instead of waiting.The two days before the launch was a little hectic. The team meet the Wednesday before the launch but the meeting was

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-68541260096113873222008-04-24T21:50:00.000-07:002008-04-24T21:52:42.731-07:00

The last meeting got off track with having to deal with an IEP issue of a particular student. We didn't get much done in the meeting and I worked most of Wednesday and Thursday talking with each teacher individually and preparing for the launch on Friday.I am still busy trying to get ready so I will write a lot this weekend.Talk to you again soon!

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-41477192378629368932008-04-22T17:46:00.000-07:002008-04-22T18:21:18.653-07:00

We are meeting twice this week to work out any small details to the project. Everyone is getting excited about the project. Today's meeting was focused on the food, lesson plan for Friday's launch and any last minute preparation items.The first item on the agenda was discussing test questions. This is a new aspect to the project brought about by me. Many of our students are not performing at

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-28851582203030498542008-04-20T14:09:00.000-07:002008-04-20T14:19:16.815-07:00

This meeting focused on confirming dates of interviews and locations as well as launching scenario and management of process. Interviews with cafeteria manager and principal will be April 30th in the school's little theater at 1:30 p.m. We discussed the possibility of having a speaker from the local co-op organization and a chef from a local culinary school. Deann with follow up with the co-op

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-24366750566526096402008-04-19T20:03:00.000-07:002008-04-19T21:44:30.737-07:00

The project-based learning planning process is so much better with a group. Everyone sees the project from different perspectives. This allows the project to have richness and depth. This aspect really shows its presence in this meeting.Our meetings are much more fluid now that everyone knows the big picture and are excited about the effect it will have on the students. Currently, our team has

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-8879953890474193882008-04-17T20:41:00.000-07:002008-04-17T20:43:26.097-07:00

I am so sorry about the delay in updating the website. We have had two meetings since my last post. We are also started testing since my last post. I hope to update the website tomorrow with all the details. The actual launch of the project is next Friday (April 25th). I will be taking pictures to view of how the launch turned out.Please be patient for an update tomorrow.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-23605091145181628692008-04-04T18:28:00.000-07:002008-04-05T18:38:18.121-07:00

Establishing teams is very challenging to do. You want personalities to mix well but you want strengths to be distributed as well. In my own classroom, my students are always setting in group s of three to four. Within each group, each student is paired with another student. Typically it is a great or average student paired with a weaker student.Our school's instructional facilitator created

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-51315500276138891812008-04-03T20:45:00.001-07:002008-04-03T20:51:13.847-07:00

Our team meeting was changed to Friday. In preparation for the meeting, I complied tentative teams. Our school instructional facilitators completed a cooperative learning grouping based upon reading scores for the English teacher. I used this list as a guide to group students together in groups of three. Thankfully, the total number of students involved allowed for it to be no groups of four as

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-67550161973663014752008-04-01T19:56:00.000-07:002008-04-03T20:51:32.175-07:00

We are almost at the end of our planning. In our last meeting, we clarified the actual products we will grade. A couple of the products still lack detail as to what will actually be graded but team mates were assigned the products to produce a rubric by Friday.There will be a total five assessments. We will assess their research/interview skills. The teacher responsible for the rubrics for this

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-82132203627137533662008-03-30T14:09:00.000-07:002008-03-30T14:52:36.425-07:00

Our final day of planning worked out so smoothly. Our constant meeting on the project ignited a natural flow each time we meet. The excitement of the project is increasing as well. We are beginning to see the impact the project can have on the students and the team. Our abilities as educators is increasing and our students will be all the better for it.This meeting focused on the selection of a

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-83440002596008054782008-03-30T11:52:00.000-07:002008-03-30T12:48:43.280-07:00

The brainstorming for questions was a very productive meeting. It began with discussing the big picture. I knew this was a crucial step now so that we could all be on the same page. We are using the model for planning designed by Buck Institute for Education (http://www.bie.org/index.php). The process includes five basic principals: 1. Begin with the end in mind 2. Craft the driving

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-53981304890955700472008-03-27T20:00:00.000-07:002008-03-27T20:02:30.101-07:00

We had a really great meeting that I taped. Unfortunately, home duties call so I have to postpone writing to tomorrow. Look for details on how we narrowed down the food topic to three possible driving questions and a video seeing the process.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-58434550756442013972008-03-26T18:08:00.000-07:002008-03-26T21:31:09.403-07:00

It is such an exciting day! We were able to narrow down the topic to food since it can tie back to all of our standards and interest the students (see picture of screenshot of concept map above). We still have to focus in on what we want our students to answer and products they must produce. This will be our focus for tomorrow's meeting.The discussion was the best part of our meeting today.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-6740700562158768902008-03-25T20:53:00.000-07:002008-03-25T20:55:03.994-07:00

Today was a really great day. I can't wait to actually write about the details. I am ran out of time to do it today. However, tomorrow I will talk about the brainstorming and the selection of the topic. Selection of the topic is the focus of our meeting tomorrow.

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-29049433463709202712008-03-24T20:07:00.001-07:002008-03-24T20:43:58.311-07:00

The first day of planning the project is now complete. It was a great session and I am excited about continuing our brainstorming tomorrow. Four out of the five members of the team was able to meet and everyone was ready to discuss the project.We opened up with an activity to help us think about what it is like to work in a group. We shared memories of a group experience including what worked

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-30301575204648262008-03-15T15:57:00.000-07:002008-03-17T07:49:01.123-07:00

Last night, I attended a conference call with the authors Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss, "Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age". It was a great conference call and an opportunity of a lifetime. I got clarification about project-based learning. I received confirmation that many things I am doing and have done are on track.The authors ended the

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-39067892231859223312008-03-12T08:30:00.000-07:002008-03-17T07:48:19.160-07:00

Today's meeting had to be shorter than normal. We had a lot of items to discuss outside of the project. We are also a little tired from parent conferences from the previous evening. We have another parent conference tomorrow. With this in mind, we just quickly covered the standards we thought students needed the most from our individual content area.Science1. Interpret and Communicate -

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204084687236297188.post-69608978196375417642008-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:002008-03-15T14:32:30.746-07:00

The last 9 weeks of school is the hardest. I only have a few weeks before it is time for the state test. My and the student's anxiety is high as we focus on "the test". Most of this time is devoted to reviewing test taking strategies and reteaching any standards they still do not understand.Once this test is done, there is still a month left of school. It is really difficult to keep the

Telannia Norfarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13620519812425037870noreply@blogger.com0