Turning Points 2000 Chapter 3

This chapter was all about standards, backward design, and assessment. It was very reminiscent of what we learned in practicum, so it seemed like a bit of a review for me. However, this book has a lot of information about what makes a good, effective standard. There is a large list that begins on page 35 that outlines what makes a good standard. I thought this list was very helpful. I really agreed with some of the suggestions on the list, and found that many of them do not seem to fit the standards we are currently using, such as “brief” and “useful and clear.” I do think that the current standards are moderately easy to use to design and guide lessons with, but could use some reform to meet all of the items on the list.

One concept that the chapter talked about that I liked is “authentic assessments.” These assessments show student learning and understanding better than traditional testing because they are complex, creative, and reflective. I think these assessments, especially the reflective piece, would help wrap up a unit much more than a test—which is more of an abrupt end to the unit. I also think it is better to encourage students to be problem solvers and create projects that require them to use their creativity because it relates better to real life. As adults, students will very rarely have to take a test, but will often have to show their knowledge in other ways and use creative problem solving.

Meet Me in the Middle Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Meet Me in the Middle focuses on the benefits of block scheduling and how to effectively plan for block scheduling. I never looked at having fewer, longer class periods to be a good thing. I always thought that students would have too short of attention spans to really get a lot out of a long class period. Personally, I have trouble focusing during long classes so I assumed this problem would be even worse for early adolescents. However, this chapters shows me that if the teacher plans effectively, students should be able to learn and stay focused in these long periods.

There are actually many benefits to having a longer class period that I had never considered. One benefit to having fewer, longer class periods a week rather than many, short class periods is that less time is wasted with transitions and getting settled. Another benefit is allowing for increased wait time, allowing students to really think and reflect before forming answers. While these benefits seem small, they are actually quite important and can help to shape a positive classroom experience. A larger benefit that I had not considered was the ability to bring in guest speakers, other teachers, or have student presentation in class. Including a variety of people and activities into a long class will help students stay engaged and actually learn the material. With longer class periods, students have better opportunity to actually master material, rather than just be introduced to it.

Meet Me in the Middle Chapters 11 and 12

These chapters of Meet Me in the Middle discuss the team system and advisory programs. The section on teams made me realize why teams are effective in middle school and important to have. While I did have and enjoy teams in my middle school, I had never thought about why middle schools are structured in this way. This book notes that teams allow there to be more communication between teachers, such as coordinating homework load and due dates. I think this is really beneficial for middle school aged students because they are just learning how to deal with larger assignments and more homework. As teachers are able to coordinate, it keeps students from having many large projects due on one day, meaning that students will be able to produce their best work and not be stressed.

Chapter 12 discusses advisory programs. We had advisory groups in my middle school, but it simply served at a homeroom where we would convene at the end of the day to get announcements and to be dismissed. This chapter suggests that there should be more bonding happening within the advisory group. Students should participate in trips and activities that will help them build relationships with both their peers and their teacher. The book mentions that this way, there is a teacher who can advocate and has a relationship with each students. I would like to teach in a school that does advisory this way, as it seems to be beneficial for students.