Retrenchment

So, apparently this tenure thing isn't all that special after all.  It turns out that there is a way to get rid of tenured faculty. Something called 'retrenchment'... which is a weird name since this means that....what?.. I am back in the trenches? Actually it is more like I am out of the trenches.

So my job is gone on 12-31. I have been losing it for a few months now... my job that is. It has really put a damper on my endeavors. The 'modeling chem' and the 'whiteboarding' was actually very cool this semester, but 'genius hour' got lost in the 'oh by the way you are losing your job' shuffle.

So..for the next few weeks I will be looking and learning and reassessing what my role in life will be.

Scaffolding

Well Week 3 of the Genius Hour experiment wasnt what I would call successful, but there was none of the serious resistance and flippancy of the last week.  Did a Five W's scaffolding where we worked in small groups to try and flesh out the idea with wimple question generation: Who.. what..when.. where..

Some cool topics though! My particular favorite is Martial Artists and the chemistry tie in has to do with structural changes in bone and mineralization. That might turn into some pretty interesting discussion regarding bone formation and composition.  We will see. There is also some odd balls too... but trying not to judge... even if I am.  haha.

Resistance!

Wow!  I didn't expect active resistance to the idea of Genius hour! I have students basically choosing total BS projects. I know I get to approve them, but short of calling them out and saying 'why you gotta be like that' there is nothing I can think of than let them do it.  Of course we are just at the idea generating stage of the exercise, but still, it is disheartening.

Bansho Dojo!

So I am trying a bunch of Modeling Techniques and working on adapting the techniques from Math classed called BANSHO.  Basically it is a a reversal of the I, We, You practice I grew up with.

It involves the following three steps with lots of interaction and comparison.

1. Activation

a prompt to get them to be active

a preparatory exercise?

2.  The problem

about?  

explanation, labels, answer sentence and show work

3. Consolidation

talk about the work, focus the idea

turn and talk, come up with an explanation.

This is sort of forming the cornerstone of my push into modeling when I cant actually get them to build the models in class time.

Genius Hour: (well Genius 30 min)
I introduced it last class (my classes are 2.5 hours long) and it was a big ????WTF???? and they spent more time asking questions about what isnt graded than what is graded.

The exercises have definitely increased the energy of the class. I am worried about the utilization of online resources to supplement content though. Have they been watching the vids?? Youtube analytics says NO. Assuming these are unique views then it is a whole 10% of the class.

Awesome....

Trying some new things

Well this blog has lain fallow for long enough!

This semester I am trying a pile of new things. I am kicking myself, but if it was easy then it would be the same old thing!! I have been worried about pseudo teaching ever since coming across Frank Noschese's blog post about the subject.  I wonder and question whether the things I have been doing were really useful for the students or just useful entertainment.

So, this semester, I am trying two things, Genius Hour or some variation of it, and Modeling Instruction.   I dont know how well they will go.... I am going to use this space a a public way to keep me honest with the world and not slink back into lecturing at the students.  The curricular work I have seen for modeling is for high school mostly and I dont think I can restructure the class in a short enough time frame to build ideas from the historical context and the lab is separate and everyone in the class is not the same as in the lab.  Still...  such promise...

Well maybe I should quit writing about what I am doing and just do it. ;)