Creativity in the Class

Where and how does creativity occur in your class?

Creativity comes whenever students get a chance to draw out concepts or structures, use coloring tools.  When we use graphic organizers, students are able to follow along and spend time creatively filling in the content.  This is a time where some really spend the time and others not so much.

Where and how does critical thinking and problem solving occur?

Critical thinking comes during and at the end of labs where students are asked to apply the concepts they have been taught to real life activities and be able to summarize what they are seeing and why by step instructions on what to do.  There really is not a lot of problem solving since most of the labs we have are cookie cutter in affect, giving them step instructions.

Where and how does communication, discussion, and collaboration occur?

Communication is every day.  I truly try and get students involved in asking questions and giving feedback into areas that they actually know about.  They are paired throughout the day to discuss with each other about the information being presented and ask questions when the material is not quite understood.  There is very little collaboration.

Where and how do you support and teach information literacy?

Literacy is used throughout each unit in different ways.  Summary write-ups at the end of the lesson, lab result write-ups with prompts and even taking notes puts paper and pencil together.  Students works are looked at and graded based on content, grammar, sentence a lot of which is very basic and lower than expected levels.

Where and how do you teach media literacy?

Where and how do you use technology in your class for students to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information?

In the class, we have set up a school loop site where students and parents can have access to all the information presented in the class.  This includes syllabus, lab write ups, daily lecture pdfs, grades, information about the school and activities happening throughout the year.

How do you teach students to work independently and provide opportunities for them to be self-directed learners?

Every day we have bellwork, which gives the students the opportunity to come in and get started.  It is a great way to reinforce being a self-starter and to work independently.  During lab activities, students are incurraged to read and understand the activity for themselves and not rely on others who may or may not understand it.  If they rely on others, they agiving the power of their own education into the hands of another.

How do you provide students with opportunities to interact with others, work effectively in diverse teams, manage projects, and produce results?

All lab activities are set up to be a team building activity, where students work together for the common goal, whatever it is for that activity.  Daily interactions come in the form of air share opportunities or team building review sessions when students work to gather answers through the notes, labs or other activities we have done prior to that moment. Teams are assessed together.