RESPECT - Which says more: what we say or what we do?

Observation: 

We say we understand respect, but we leave borrowed technology out for others to clean up.

Here's the story:

Today in class we discussed RESPECT. Several members of our community talked about knowing how to respect each other and our possessions. We want to follow the Golden Rule. We know to put up things that we take out. It was a beautiful, inspiring conversation.

And then...when Beau dismissed class, this tablet was left out; it was not returned. The person that got it out did not return it; the (minimum of four) community members that noticed did not return it.

Questions:

1. What do you think I should have done? 
   
   Should I:
• leave it out of the desk as an example of our lack of respect?
• have expected action from one of the four community members that noticed it had not been put away?  Shouldn't we cover for each other and help one another, following the Golden Rule?
• clean it up?  Should I have secured this laptop?  I am one member of this community.
2. What do you think I should have expected from others?
   
   Should I:
• expect the person that got the tablet out to put it back up?
• expect another of their team help their teammate by taking the time to put the tablet back up?
• expect ANY other member of our community to help by taking the time to put the tablet back up?
3. 
   
   What should I have done?
4. 
   
   What should you have done? 

Observation:
I need a clearer understanding of the difference between a blog and a wiki.

Questions:

1. Should I have chosen to use a wiki instead of this blog to keep my observation journals?
2. Which would be better?

What to do about fractions

Observation:
Students struggle with fractions, order of operations, and the distributive property.

Questions:

1. Is the calculator to arithmetic as spell checker is to writing?
2. If I can't compute accurately, can I just use a calculator?
3. Do multiple representations of an idea help or get in the way?

Additional Questions:

1. What strategies and support should be employed when students struggle with prerequisite skills?
2. Should they be retaught during class?  What about those that possess these skills? 
3. Should students that don't possess prerequisite skills choose to come to Office Hours?
4. Should students that don't possess prerequisite skills be required to come to Office Hours?

Technology in class.

Observation:

Currently our 6th graders all bring their netbooks to class while 7th and 8th graders do not.

Questions:

1. How are the 6th graders doing with their netbooks?  Are they using them productively to learn?
2. Do 7th/8th graders wish they had this resource to use in class, or are they relieved?
3. Would you rather use a netbook or an iPad?  Why?

Additional Questions:

• What other technologies should we be using in class?
• How can we acquire these technologies?
• What can we do to help students in other schools?

Data Collection, Graphing, Interpretation or Graphs-Art-Information as One

Observation:
Collecting messy data, organizing it, visualizing patterns, and interpreting the results can be challenging.

Questions:

1. Do we have enough "real-world" experience asking questions, collecting data, and visualizing the results to make informed decisions?
2. What makes a visual display of information engaging enough to catch a reader's attention?
3. How are infographics different from the graphs we learn in school?
4. How do we go about mining for data?

Additional Questions:

• Have you seen David McCandless: The beauty of data visualization?
• Wouldn't data like David McCandless's be more interesting to everyone?
• What about Gary Flake: is Pivot a turning point for web exploration?

Golden Rule is/is not in action in our cafeteria?

Observation:
Junior High students tolerate High School (and JH) students breaking in line in the cafeteria

Questions:

1. Does this happen often?
2. Is the rule still HS students are to give preference to JH students at 12:10-12:20?
3. What should a JH student do when this happens?
4. What can we do as a community?...Change the policy to first-come-first-served?...remind HS students to follow the Golden Rule?....

Additional Questions:

1. Is this a big deal to only me? 
2. Is this an issue for students?
3. Is this a problem for students?   Is it a fixable problem?
4. Weren't most of these HS students JH student here at one time?

Time between classes

Observation:
There are 5 minutes allotted to change classes.

Questions:

1. If you have PE 1st period and Dr. Young 2nd period, is there enough time between classes to be in class on time?
2. If you have Chorus and then Coach Snyder, can you make it to class on time?
3. What if you need water or have to go to the bathroom?
4. Are students loitering in the locker commons rather than going to the bathroom and getting to class on time? 
5. If you had 8 minutes between classes, would some students still be late?
6. What about fruit break?  Are students late for class after fruit break? 

Additional Questions:

• How are the 6th graders doing with their Netbooks and changing classes?  Do they need more time because they have technology to manage?  Do they need less time because the technology makes their work more efficient?
• How many minutes of passing time do other schools have?
• Are the number of minutes of passing time different for laptop schools?

Cell Phones in Class

Observation:

JH students must keep their cell phones in their lockers.

Questions:

1. Why is this the current policy?
2. Are there JHs that allow students to bring cell phones to class?
3. How do the Deans, teachers, student, etc. feel about this policy?
4. What is the cell phone policy in the high school?
5. Do students adhear to this policy?
6. Are there good reasons to have cell phones in class? Are there problems with cell phones in class?

More Questions

• Do all students in JH have cell phones?
• Are they Smart phones?
• Is this what we are afraid of?
• Could we have students and teachers using their phones to learn and work together?