{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"65832928","dateCreated":"1390688560","smartDate":"Jan 25, 2014","userCreated":{"username":"Mdrapcho","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Mdrapcho","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1256912879\/Mdrapcho-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65832928"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Baby, it's cold outside!","description":"Apparently I missed an email somewhere in lieu of the original last class because I did not send in my lesson plans nor did I write my reflection. I don't think I'm going to get two people to comment but I might be able to bake up . . . I mean drum up a few commentators somewhere.
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\nAs I reflect upon this PLN class, on this bitterly cold and snowy afternoon, I am most grateful for the book that we received. As you know, I travel around the district and have used the tools you have so generously shown to us in both block and non-block classes. I might also point out that just leafing through the book will uncover many more that we may not have covered e.g. Collins notes. There are so many of them and it is nice to have the book as a reference tool upon which to look back at and help remember the strategies. I think it is invaluable.
\nOur classes were fast-paced and gave us new ideas as we get during every PLN class. I enjoyed them immensely and also enjoyed the conversations with Chris & Diane about books and reading. I may have to start writing grants for classroom sets of Wonder!
\nThis is my second round of block in 20 years. I liked it then and I like it now. When you are in the library there is sometimes too little time for teaching a concept and the block allows you teach a group about how to access eBooks, databases, and still have time to do the research that goes with work in the library. It is often the librarian who shows students new technology like making a Prezi, Animoto, use an iPad for video presentations and at the very least make power point slides. All of these require more than the 40 to 60 minute class to demonstrate and allow the students to learn. A wordle is a great Ticket out the Door or Literacy Circle reflection.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"69142996","body":"Mary,
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\nI agree that the book is a great reference tool and can be used daily to help create lessons that are both meaningful and reflect upon the four lenses of learning whenever possible. I also agree that it is very cold out and hope that it warms up. :-} I like the 84 minute classes and had the oppurtunity to teach in the class style before and continue to make several changes each and every year. It's neat that you mention Prezi because my last student teacher taught me how to use this and it was my goal before he left to make one. Very captivating to the audience, as opposed to PowerPoint.","dateCreated":"1390836844","smartDate":"Jan 27, 2014","userCreated":{"username":"sshaut","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sshaut","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"69143734","body":"Mary,
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\nI agree that the longer block schedule allows for more time for technology, especially when teaching the students new concepts. I had to use Prezi and Animoto for my last technology course online for my Masters and I had never used them before so it was really confusing and I know that I didn't use them to their full potential. It definitely took me a long time to figure out how to use them so I'm sure students would benefit from having 84 minutes. I also liked the fast-paced classes and how the instructors spent a good amount of time explaining\/demonstrating new strategies that are actually useful.","dateCreated":"1390837851","smartDate":"Jan 27, 2014","userCreated":{"username":"Colleen916","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Colleen916","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"69342306","body":"Mary,
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\nI also enjoyed the book and find it very helpful. My classes really do take up more than a 40 minute period, so I can't complain about the block. I think we learned a great deal in a very short time. I hope Chris and Diane can come back for another class.
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\nMaria","dateCreated":"1391434166","smartDate":"Feb 3, 2014","userCreated":{"username":"mcsmith66","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mcsmith66","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"65324730","dateCreated":"1386356908","smartDate":"Dec 6, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"Djmarmo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Djmarmo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65324730"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Final Reflection","description":"This is my first experience with block schedule. My first reaction was, \u201cHow am I going to fill 90 minutes?\u201d I actually have time to do activities and summarize to generalize concepts. Planning was a little difficult. I didn\u2019t try to do two lessons in one period but cover two concepts with the same activity. The class offered new strategies that I\u2019ve tried and many have been successful. In transitioning to the PA Core Standards, longer class periods allow me to \u201cdive deeper\u201d into the topics.
\nThe downfalls are the same as before, students missing class and not making up work, not completing homework, and behavior problems. In addition the students now miss an equivalent to two classes when they miss one, students don\u2019t remember what happened in class two days ago, and sometime I will not see a class for 5-6 days if it is a long weekend or an activity happened in school. Students are also struggling on what day they have certain classes. For example today, one of my A day students walked into my class and it is B day.
\nI think we should continue block scheduling. The students do benefit from the longer classes and have the opportunity to have a more conceptual understanding of the mathematics.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"65315376","dateCreated":"1386307702","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"serrigo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/serrigo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65315376"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Errigo Final Reflection","description":"I have been teaching for 8 years now and this year is my first experience working within a block schedule. Since I was so used to only 55 minute classes, I thought at first that it would be challenging to fill an 80 minute period with enough interactive and challenging activities to keep the students engaged and interested in the learning process in my math classes. Since the beginning of the year I have found that I am actually still running out of time at the end of the class period and that both the students and myself feel the class periods "fly by."
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\n I really do enjoy the block schedule - while it does require more planning on my part, it really is more beneficial to the students and their learning. The students have the opportunity to interact more with the material being studied and gain a more in-depth understanding of not only the content, but the strategies used as well. Block schedule also provides me the opportunity to incorporate a wider variety of differentiated instruction to ensure that I am reaching all of the learning needs of all of the students.
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\nThis class has provided me the opportunity to gain a variety of new learning activities to use within my math classes that are appropriate and geared more towards block scheduling. I especially like the various grouping strategies that were presented for sorting students for group activities. Also, I learned how to incorporate more opportunities for my students to engage with a math text.
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\nThe major struggle that I have had so far with block scheduling is the same struggle I had with 55 minute classes - a large number of students are not completing homework assignments. Block schedule has increased this issue because they are forgetting about homework assignments that were assigned since they have 2 nights to complete them instead of one. I have suggested various organizational strategies to my students to help alleviate this issue, but I have not seen an improvement yet. This is affecting the long-term learning of the students; without practice outside the classroom, the new material will never be committed to long-term memory. Unfortunately, I don't know what else to do with this situation; this problem is something that is out of my hands. Any suggestions are welcome!","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"65315242","dateCreated":"1386306066","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"aparker39","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/aparker39","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65315242"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Final Reflection - Parker","description":"This is my first PLN class and I have learned so much. Being a new teacher and in high school, when I was previously in Elementary or Middle school, is a whole different world. This being said, with regards to block scheduling, it is new to me, but I have not had to adjust to the change because it is the only schedule that I have taught in high so it is normal for me. Being new to the high school, and not having a schedule previously, I am adjusting well. I did have to adjust to the longer time frame, but I feel that it gives you more time to know your students, to teach the content, and to adapt what you are teaching to all the levels of learners you are teaching to. The downside is attendance. If a student misses one class, they do miss a great deal of information and it is difficult to make that up.
\nI have learned some great strategies to use. As I co-teach and we implement the strategies, we are learning what works well with the students in the different classes. One strategy may work for one class, but not the other. These are things that we are learning and are able to work through as we go along. Time management is a concern, depending on transitions and how well the students can transition between strategies.
\nOverall, i am very glad that I have taken this class. It is very useful and has helped me a great deal in learning new concepts and putting those to use.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"68076358","body":"I agree with you that attendance has been another issue with the block schedule. The students really do miss a large amount of material if they are absent just one day, and some of them are not willing or able to stay after school for tutoring so I can catch them up. I try to provide them with notes and examples so they can try to teach themselves, but I have observed that this usually is not successful. Although block has been an issue for absent students, I believe that students who are in class routinely are benefiting more from the block schedule. They have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the material being studied since they are able to participate in a wider variety of interactive learning strategies. I'm glad to hear that you like the PLN class - this is my 4th one and I am still learning new and effective teaching strategies!","dateCreated":"1386308213","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"serrigo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/serrigo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"65311194","dateCreated":"1386282403","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"diesue","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/diesue","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65311194"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Iesue Reflection","description":"This is my first PLN as well and I have found a lot of the information in it very interesting. There have been some really awesome ideas that I have gottent to use in my classroom, the jigsaw sort being one of my favorites. Often times it is very difficult to keep students occupied in mathematics (or any other subject) for 87 minutes, but PLN has been very helpful in aiding me in my first year of teaching to adjust for the block.
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\nFortunately, I have the opportunity to work with my colleagues on the lessons for the block so they have some tips from past PLNs that we can use in addition to some of the strategies we have obtained from the current PLN. It feels nice to not have to start from scratch.
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\nAs this is my first year, I only have a semesters-worth of experience teaching outside of a block schedule and that was in a traditional schedule at Iroquois Sr. High when I was studnet teaching. I also attended a school with a block schedule in Collegiate Academy, so I did have a decent background on it before I taught in it.
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\nI would say there are certainly benefits and drawbacks of a block. There is a significant amount of time in class - which can be a good thing or bad. Good because you can try all sorts of different types of strategies and even a strategy that takes a lot of time and fit them all in one class period without too much of a problem. A drawback to so much time is that it can be difficult to fill an hour and a half.
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\nI would say reasons I like the block would be that the students get a little bit more variety and do not need to expect the same thing every day. The block also requires less transitions - there are generally only 4 times where students will be switching classes throughout the day, rather than 7-8. This cuts the amount of times where you need to "settle down" students to get class started.
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\nOne of the biggest drawbacks I would say - and one I noticed in some of the reflections that I have seen so far- is that attendance can drastically affect a students performance in the course. This is, of course, true in any schedule, tradional or block, but in the block schedule if you miss one day of class, it is like you are missing two days of tradional schedule. This can have a large negative effect on a students' grade.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"68076476","body":"Another benefit to block schedule is that students can focus on 4 classes a day rather than 6. Therefore, it should be easier for students to complete homework assignments effectively since the most assignments they could have in one night would be for 4 classes (or less if not all classes assign work). Ironically, what should be a benefit is a weakness; many students are not going home and doing that day's assignments that night. Rather, they are letting them go and forgetting by the next class that they had homework. Absence also adds to this problem as you stated in your post.
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\nThis is my 4th PLN class and I have learned a variety of different teaching strategies in each one that are highly effective (especially now that we are teaching block). Let me know if you ever want any suggestions!","dateCreated":"1386308697","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"serrigo","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/serrigo","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"65310476","dateCreated":"1386279935","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"Amparito250","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Amparito250","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65310476"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Hernandez Reflection - 1st PLN","description":"This is my first PLN class and I honestly can say that it has helped me to become familiar with the new requirements from the state, district and school.
\nI have implemented a variety of instructional strategies from this PLN class to differentiate instruction for ALL my students, such as: to Do now, Ticket Out the Door, how to group the students using a puzzle\/picture, vocabulary inventory, and many more. I have a mix of learning levels, special needs, all types of behaviors, and grades all in the same class; and the information from PLN has helped me to adapt and modify my lessons to benefit each of my students. Block scheduling allow all of my students to feel that they can succeed in my classroom, that learning can be fun, that it is possible to meet high expectations, not matter who they are or where they are coming from. It also, gives them the opportunity to cooperative work with others and practice different ways of learning. I have asked my students if they like block scheduling, and most of them do, because they have more time to complete an activity, share with others and ask questions. The down part of block scheduling, is attendance. When a student is absent on a Thursday and will not get the material until the following Monday, it feels that they are lost and it\u2019s hard to catch up.
\nAt the end, we are only the facilitators of learning, and no matter in what environment we deliver instruction; it is up to the student to be motivated to want to learn and achieve their potential to be able to succeed in the real world.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"68068900","body":"I have taken several PLN courses and the strategies they have given are very useful. Attendance is an issue here. I have had students miss 2 -3 classes. That is a lot of material to try and explain w\/o confusing them w\/ so much information & work.","dateCreated":"1386291858","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"jmoyak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jmoyak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"68075456","body":"This is my first PLN class also. I have also learned to use the instructional strategies, and adapting them to the different learning levels of the students. I agree with the downside being attendance. If a student misses, they do miss a lot of material, and they expect to make that up during class versus the extra help night.","dateCreated":"1386304191","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"aparker39","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/aparker39","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"65309304","dateCreated":"1386275153","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"cnyberg84","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/cnyberg84","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65309304"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Final Reflection: Nyberg","description":"This PLN class has again provided us with some great strategies for use in the classroom, regardless of schedule type. I have utilized many of them throughout the beginning of this school year, including the Jigsaw and various pairing methods. I look forward to continuing to use the strategies on a regular basis until it becomes more of my routine as opposed to an "experiment" within my classroom. However, I must say this; not all strategies are meant for use in every classroom. I have tried the Jigsaw method on several occassions and in various ways in my classroom and not once has it gone well. This is not to say it is not a good strategy, it just means it is not the right strategy for my group of kids at this time.
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\nIn reference to block schedule, it has been great to have a wide variety of strategies to employ when it comes to lesson planning for an almost 90 minute class. It seems it is going to take a bit of work before I can consider myself a master of lesson planning for the block. I ALWAYS run out of time. Most lessons I am over-ambitious and at least 1\/3 of the lesson ends up being continued to the next day. However, it is always better to be over-prepared!
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\nIn general, I am enjoying the block schedule and am adjusting just fine. I don't know that I can say the same for my students. Many have attendance issues that seem to be compounded by the block schedule. A student will miss a week at a time, make no effort to come after school for help or do make-up work, and then wonder why they are failing. Also, in many of our PD sessions, we hear about the average attention span and how we should plan to instruct for so many minutes before allowing time for activity and processing. Even when I split the class session into chunks, many of my students just don't have the attention span to be in the same room with the same classmates learning the same subject for 90 minutes. I would say I "lose" about 1\/3 of the class 60 minutes in and it can be a struggle to make it through the final 30 minutes. I will continue to try to find creative and engaging ways to keep my students on task for the duration of the period.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"68075568","body":"I am also trying the different strategies co-teaching. Some do work well, and others do not. The ones that we find that work well, we will be rotating them to use often with the students. As for the block scheduling, with this being my first year in high school, block scheduling in my normal. I do agree that I see the students are having some difficulty with the time. I have found and seen that even when you chunk the material, use activities, there are some problems with transitions for the students and keeping their attention throughout the entire block.","dateCreated":"1386304576","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"aparker39","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/aparker39","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"65307908","dateCreated":"1386270299","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"jmoyak","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jmoyak","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65307908"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Reflection","description":" REFLECTION
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\n This is my second time around with block scheduling. The first time was a headache to say the least. There were no in-services as how to conduct our classes effectively. There were no classes offered to assist in implementing strategies or coaches to aid us with materials or suggestions. We were on our own. The general consensus of most of the teachers was that block scheduling wasn\u2019t working well. Too many students were undisciplined, unmotivated and not organized well enough to handle sitting for longer periods of time. They forgot if it was an A Day or B Day. They didn\u2019t bring the proper books with them for that day. They forgot to study. Each student was given an agenda book to elevate the disorganization but that didn\u2019t work either. Within 2 months, many students lost, forgot or had their agenda books stolen.
\n Another substantial problem was high absenteeism. Many teachers agreed that they were behind in covering material. When the students were absent, they missed too much information. Therefore, we had spent too much time re-teaching so we weren\u2019t able to accomplish more. Also, when we did cover several different topics or material in one class, the low level learners had difficultly in processing so much information.
\n Now to present, I can honestly say that this time around things in general are progressing at a better rate. The aforementioned problems still apply. With the strategies and approaches I have learned in the PLN courses (especially this one), have helped me to create and maintain a learning environment for all students. I now have tools to implement effective teaching practices. I am also able to make better decisions on what to teach and how.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"68155960","body":"Absenteeism is still a difficult issue to overcome. I agree that many habitual absent students get many lessons behind and do not wish to make up missed work. I believe this happened regardly of the schedule type and this is something that is out of our control.","dateCreated":"1386611673","smartDate":"Dec 9, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"robhetrick","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/robhetrick","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"65299854","dateCreated":"1386239202","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"barbolley","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/barbolley","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65299854"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Final reflection-Olley","description":"PLN 13 -Course Reflection
\nMy initial observation about block scheduling was that it took longer to get to know the students. It felt a little confusing and inconsistent, to not see the same students every day. In addition, planning was a little uncomfortable-focusing on how many minutes for each activity became the priority. Since then it has become more routine to plan for the longer time periods. In our district, a disadvantage is certainly the attendance issue. When students miss school-they get behind very quickly. I don\u2019t know if they will become more responsible, knowing this, or if they will just give up more easily on getting caught up with their work.
\nOur school has had a number of changes to get used to in the last year. We have been simultaneously transitioning to the Common Core, utilizing LDC modules, working toward becoming a GE demonstration school, changing to the Keystones, and adopting the block scheduling. Although I\u2019m sure that these will all work out for our good, there seems to be impatience about having everything working immediately. It takes time to train us as well as the students, and I think that sometimes their heads are spinning around what we want from them \u201cthis week\u201d.
\nI am glad that we had the opportunity to take this course and have good suggestions, conversations, objective input, and observations from outside the district. Many of the PLN strategies and ideas allow for an easier transition to planning for the block schedule.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"68060780","body":"I completely agree with you, Barb! It seems as though every year more and more is being added to the plate of those at SV, not only for teachers but for students as well. I think there has to be a professional conversation about where to draw the line. Grants are great and provide needed funding to our school, However, sometimes in order to receive those grants we must comply with a very lengthy list of "to do's" and promises. It would be so nice if adequate funding were being provided by other means so we could really focus more of our attention where it needs to be,","dateCreated":"1386275400","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"cnyberg84","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/cnyberg84","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"65276062","dateCreated":"1386128289","smartDate":"Dec 3, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"Mandicus","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Mandicus","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1363051652\/Mandicus-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/thefacultyroom.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/65276062"},"dateDigested":1532760604,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Kostovick's reflection","description":"When it was decided that SV was moving to block scheduling, my first thought was "How am I going to drag this horse an pony show out for another 30 minutes?" I struggled with planning. Many people said it was like putting two lessons into one class period. That sounded horrific, and boring. I have to say now that I have gotten into the groove of planning in chunks, I really enjoy the longer periods. I also think the students are falling into the rhythm too. It has been hard work, planning activities that keep their interest for this amount of time, but I feel as though it is paying off. The different strategies along with student choice has allowed for the students to utilize their strengths, while being more rigorous and diving deeper into the text. The different strategies we have been exposed to in all of the PLN classes I have taken show up in the before and after activities that we do to review and conclude a lesson. Without those, I think I would still be stuck in the 'put two lessons into one period' mode.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"68003016","body":"When I first contemplated the longer periods in block scheduling, I also had the "put two lessons into one period" mentality. I have found that the longer periods allow us as teachers to do much more than that. With proper planning, students can delve much deeper into the subject than they could in the shorter class periods. I feel that I have my finger on the pulse of each class much more than I did before. Part of this is from the PLN training that I have received, but it also derives from having a strong target and a success criterian that evaluates whether or not the students have learned what I intended for them to learn in a given class period.","dateCreated":"1386165627","smartDate":"Dec 4, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"pdwilson","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/pdwilson","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1361915384\/pdwilson-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"68041130","body":"I think that the PLN strategies and encouragement from instructors have made the transition to block more manageable. I don't know if we would have felt as positive at this point without them. Most people who have taught in the block timeframe say they like it better. I think that we are ready to see its advantages and utilize the time well.","dateCreated":"1386240109","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"barbolley","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/barbolley","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"68061576","body":"I also enjoy the longer periods, because it allow to implement a variety of instructional strategies (learned in this PLN class) to differentiate instruction for all students. I agree about giving the students the opportunity to realized which strategy works best for each as an unique student to complete a task.","dateCreated":"1386276834","smartDate":"Dec 5, 2013","userCreated":{"username":"Amparito250","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Amparito250","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}