Book Talk: A Whole New Mind

This presentation was incredibly fun- I had a blast. It seemed like you guys really enjoyed reading the book (I want to read the book...), and you also looked like you genuinely enjoyed presenting the crucial information. I found the facial recognition activity to be really interesting, mainly because I find people-watching really fun. I'm sorry that our group was slightly ridiculous, but I think it was mainly a result of the creative ways we experienced the information you were presenting. I loved loved loved the story activity, even if we did kill off Grandma. Also a highlight was Dr. Grace's exclamation on the Wordle. Most excellent. :) In all seriousness, though, your presentation was well thought out and informative without being boring, which is most excellent indeed. Thank you!!

Book Talk: Student Oriented Curriculum

Overall, I found the book talk presentation to be interesting and intriguing, all at the same time. First of all, there was a lot of movement, which, especially that particular day, I really appreciated due to my hyperactiveness. I liked how the presenters gave us a chance to share our own experiences in middle school, but something I think I would have enjoyed more was the choice of whether to speak in front of the class like that or not. I was the student (and still am, depending on the situation) who froze up when asked a direct question, even though direct questioning was happening all over the place. I REALLY enjoyed the activity at the end, where we picked from the statement papers and wrote about them. Another aspect of the presentation that, I'm sorry to say, didn't really hold my interest, was the bit where we counted off and then later jigsawed. I found that the information was too dense even with the notecards to take notes with. I did see, however, that in addition to notecards, one group got a typed handout; I was extremely jealous and would have probably been less stressed out about sharing about my first group topics had I had a secondary notesheet to look back on.
Overall, I liked the way the presentation went; it was very relaxed and unrehearsed, which I find to be ten times more exciting than a 'practiced' lesson. I think I would have liked to see the 'Devil's advocate' point of view come out a little more for added variety, but in all, excellent job. :)

Meet Me in the Middle: Chapter 13

This chapter discussed the unique classroom experiences that could be had in the great wide world of the outside. The author strongly advocates some form of outdoor activity with classrooms for several reasons; not only is fresh air a necessity that many students don't get enough of, but it allows for more movement and less same-old, same-old kind of thing for each and every day. He also suggests that spending time outside breaks down the traditional lenses that teachers view their students with, and even vice versa. The author shared his own experiences with taking his classes on various camping and wilderness trips, which only illustrated that students are ready, willing, and incredibly able to further develop their own sense of independence within the supervised setting that the teacher can provide. Wormeli also mentioned the different types of outdoor activities he has enjoyed with his classes.

The first thing I thought when I was reading this particular chapter was, 'I LOVE BEING OUTSIDE.' No, seriously. The second thing I thought of were two isolated third-grade-related incidents relating to outdoor lessons. The first one was my own third grade experience on Ossippee Mountain, where the entire third grade of Narragansett Elementary School in Gorham spent the day hiking. We investigated the weather tower (couldn't climb up, but we tried!), observed different ecosystems, and watched for animal tracks. The second third grade experience is technically my younger brother Marshall's, but I was there as well, so... anyway, at the very end of the school year (because the Ossippee Mountain trip is always in October), my brother Marshall's class took a weekend trip to Baxter State Park and hiked Mount Katahdin to Chimney Pond. The cool thing about this trip is the fact that his teacher, Mr. Sands, put together enough fund-raising materials so every child's family could take part in the trip as well (which is where I come in). My dad, Marshall, me, and my friend Sarah were able to go on the trip, and even though Sarah and I were in seventh grade at the time, we had a blast learning about the geological elements and how to read maps, compasses, and build fires and such. I especially think that, even if an overnight excursion isn't possible or practical (I mean, what if something happens to the students, or they aren't ready for that kind of responsibility?), day trips to local outdoors-y places can fulfill the suggestions Wormeli has made.