Slow Summer Time Advances

I have not posted in a while, so I wanted to update and say the lag in my posts are not due to my typical blogging neglect. I had a reminder this week that not all project plans work out. The fortunate thing is I was able to see I had crashed and burned before I brought it to my students.

I have been working on a project this summer as inspired by my "Externship" only to decide the project I put time and energy into creating was no good. It was a low moment. My heart actually ached a little when I realized I was trying to force something that just was not working. I went from researching ideas for projects involving water pumps, to designing a super-soaker, to designing an irrigation system, to designing a water system for a house. It went from a complicated project idea to another complicated project idea to another one.

I decided that this project was just too complex and took away from my overall objectives of the unit.

I am completing my "Externship" with a very strong will to ensure that I, as a teacher, will nourish and build student's problem solving and creative skills. We as teachers are such problem solvers. We are challenged with coming up with the proper process to introduce ideas and concepts to students that enlighten them, build their curiosity, and make them work.

This means I do not spoon by spoon feed my students directions and direction. They need to have a bigger picture set by me and guidance. One of the most valuable skills in the real world is being familiar and okay with not knowing how to do something and then being confident with going out and trying for the answers using the infinite resources that are out there. I know I am. I just went out and tried something, and I happened to approach the lesson the wrong way.

I will be finishing up some units and lesson ideas this week, and I swear on this blog, I will start posting usable lessons here by Sunday.

I will also be putting up the progress on that wind turbine. Summer is coming to an end too quickly!! I do have some results of goals set.



Below are the worksheets I will leave behind... Take them up and share if you can make anything out of them. I could not.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/100866934/Presentation-Notes-Water-Tower-Project
http://www.scribd.com/doc/100866984/Water-Project-Quided-Questions
http://www.scribd.com/doc/100867040/Waterflow-Start-Project