My students have definitely been digging deeper, which means we have been going slower. Overall, the grades have been better and the discussions more meaningful. This is definitely a positive, but I'm not sure how we will get everything in before the end of the year!
I am especially proud of the Genius Hour projects! The students blew me away with their projects. One student began an organization to get pets to the elderly with no expense for the new owner! Another student started a project which gets athletes to read to elementary students. Other students composed songs, choreographed dances, and much more! One student even wrote and published a book! You can read more about their projects here: http://south.zioneagles.org/genius-hour.
As for technology, we have also been successful. Students have blogged and reflected. I hope to increase this in yhe upcoming semester. They have composed almost all their papers online, and they have engaged in peer editing many times. One of their favorite things was a mystery Skype with a school across the country. We've not used Twitter as much as I had hoped due to parental concerns. That's probably the biggest goal I've not met.
This has been a fun and engaging semester, and I cannot believe how quickly it has flown by! I am looking forward to the next one!
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| This is one of my 7th Grade classes during our Dickens Christmas celebration! I'm on the far right. |
