Nancy+Merrill

2/29 2 hours - The Group Initial meeting - unable to meet on Mondays so created a sub-group to meet on Sundays, Fridays, Saturdays, 3/1 1 hour - research on author and Canadian school set-up 3/2 1/2 hr I figured out to post documents on Wikki 3/4 Read and researched 3/5 Completed text 3/5/08 I am having trouble creating a page? I did this before and saw no result. 3/5 Cheryl helped me create this page so I can track my progress 3/5 2 hours 4-6 met with original group who have changed the schedule to meet days other than Monday. Hurrah--- I can hear their views, too. I like having a large group with differing opinions, although the group seems quite homogeneous. I think the text is full of common sense, although the headings are inflammatory. 3/5 Had students take formative assessment individually instead of in groups---will compare what the results are. Students did not seem to object in the first class. (alg 2 per 3) Usually they are wanting to be in groups to support each other. Students in the other class (alg 2 per 7) were much more distressed to not be in groups. 3/6 The results of the individual tests were quite varied. The students who do not do homework regularly did poorly. The industrious students received lower scores, but still did ok. We discussed this in each class. The consensus was that group tests (which are scored individually with work being counted) allowed the students who know what they are doing to eliminate little mistakes as they all compare their results before handing in the tests. The students who are learning as they go were the ones who benefit the most from these groups. Many felt they learned from the process, but the relatively high scores lull them, I believe. I am thinking I need to do this individually more often. I met with one student who was visibly upset at his score of 24 or so. We looked over his scores throughout the quarter and it was evident that he indeed was a student who was being carried by the group quiz scores. His Chapter Tests which are taken individually were fairly low. He had not taken advantage of the retest policy. He made an appointment to get help before school the next day. He did come in that morning, but I have not seen him since. (This anecdote is being written on 3/16.) To complete this scenario, I will relate the sad tale of follow-up. The following sections in the text utilized the information from the previous quiz. Students were required to do corrections on that quiz and almost all have completed those corrections. On Thursday the students took a quiz on the next 3 sections. I again had them do it individually. This time the results were worse that last time. I have decided to reteach the sections this week of PAWS, and readminister the quizzes. I am not counting the second quiz at all. Apparently, there are some points missed by many of the students that I need to reteach. I am surprised since this is not a particularly difficult section, but there have been numerous disruptions for the past couple of weeks, and I am thinking this has impacted the learning time excessively. The chapter test will be after Spring Break and I will see how effective any of this has been at that time. I am thinking that my previous approach with group quizzes that are individually scored is my best practice. 3/8 Our second group met for 2 hours today. We discussed our philosophy, etc. See notes taken. 3/9 Our second group met for 2 hours today. We started discussing the text. See notes taken. 3/10 Spent 1 hour discussing group/vs individual, formative vs summative assessments with classes. 3/10 1 hour with the Group after Academic Team practice. I was tickled when Cheryl wondered if there was any consensus that could be reached by the group and not much was suggested. That points up the strength of the entire learning process. We are all individuals and that makes the education of the students so much stronger. If we ever agree on everything and do it the same way---we are in trouble!!! Ginger is very entertaining, and Kathy is a terrific moderator---It is obvious how committed she is to this project. We will all keep evolving in our approaches and views---this cohort group can only add positively to the education of the students at Big Horn. I love that the students are developing thoughts about how the grading process is occurring. They think some guru has filled our minds with new things!!! 3/11 2.5 hours I am home and have spent two hours surfing this site with comments, discussions,etc. I have left comments everywhere---I am probably putting comments where I am not supposed to. At any rate, when I got to Sean's page, my computer froze and I had to start over???? Sean what have you done to your page!!!!3/10 1 hour with the Group after Academic Team practice. I was tickled when Cheryl wondered if there was any consensus that could be reached by the group and not much was suggested. That points up the strength of the entire learning process. We are all individuals and that makes the education of the students so much stronger. If we ever agree on everything and do it the same way---we are in trouble!!! Ginger is very entertaining, and Kathy is a terrific moderator---It is obvious how committed she is to this project. We will all keep evolving in our approaches and views---this cohort group can only add positively to the education of the students at Big Horn. I love that the students are developing thoughts about how the grading process is occurring. They think some guru has filled our minds with new things!!! 3/10 Spent 1/2 hour in freshman class discussing grades. 3/11 Spent 1/2 hour in Intermed alg and alg 3 discussing grades. 3/11 Spent 1 hour reading and writing Wikki responses after school. 3/11 2.5 hours I am home and have spent two hours surfing this site with comments, discussions,etc. I have left comments everywhere---I am probably putting comments where I am not supposed to. At any rate, when I got to Sean's page, my computer froze and I had to start over???? Sean what have you done to your page!!!!

3/12 Met with after school group from 4-6. 3/14 Met with second group from 11-3 discussing the rest of the text. See notes. 3/16 Met with entire group from 12-3 discussing the text and conclusions. See notes. 3/16 Worked on the Wikki site catching my notes up-to-date. 2 hours 5until later 3/17 Spent 1 hour within the alg 2 classes discussing grades and the reteaching of the fractional exponents. We are going through the quiz points clearly and I think they will take the quizzes individually again. Perhaps I will leave 5 minutes for the group comparisons---still in the works. I have decided that my philosophy on this change of grading has come full circle. I am relatively content with my weighting of grades and of the grades students earn in my classes as being fairly accurate. Our school is a good school with students having good feelings about the school after they leave. On many occasions students will tell me that they want their kids to be Big Horn students. This is true for a mail delivery man to a soon-to-be doctor. The education students are getting from Big Horn is positive. Cheryl mentioned that self-esteem is the major component students have after high school that correlates with success in whatever they do. I think our school does a grand job promoting self-esteem for the majority of our students. School is positive for many. However, our goal should be to somehow address the small group we are missing. The reasons for this are individuality and background of the students. Jennifer mentioned the AVID program which teaches study habits, etc for students, and this might be a place to start. Have an AVID teacher for each of the periods so that students can learn effective habits to become effective people!!! I have enjoyed this PDP because I have had to review my grading practices from another perspective. The people in the group have posed many good and thought-provoking and discussions-generating questions, and it is refreshing to have a group of dedicated professionals looking for adjustment of already successful practices. It is the positive component of Big Horn staff, and it is why Big Horn will continue to be a leader among schools in Wyoming. Group Hours: 2/26 2 hours 3/5 2 hours 3/8 2 hours 3/9 2 hours 3/12 1.5 hours 3/14 4 hours 3/16 3 hours Total 16.5 I attended a couple of after school meetings as well as the altenate group meetings. Individual Hours: 3/3 1 hour Wikki - response and reaction 3/4 3 hours Reading/Research - background of author and of Canadian school system 3/6 1/2 grading discussion 3/10 1.5 hours grading discussions 3/11 1/2 hr grading discussion 3/11 1 hour Wikki - response & reaction 3/16 1 hour Wikki- response and reaction 3/17 1 hour Wikki - response and reaction 3/17 1/2 hour grading discussion Total 10 hours More hours of discussion will follow this, I am sure. I will continue to adjust and monitor in my classes. The effect of the grading scale and its impact on the Hathaway will undoubtedly make this something to be revisited as the stakes continue to rise. At the same time the need for a high score on the ACT for the Hathaway will force classrooms to prepare students for this test. And there is no doubt that this does make a difference in a student's score.