As you develop and discuss your innovative training projects, (ITPs), ask your new question/response and save under this category, or answer/repond to another question at this site.

-- Anonymous, October 30, 1998

Answers

Barb, Sandy, Sarah and I have just started putting together the information we have collected through our literature search. Sarah has already put together an outline for a Power Point presentation. Now we need to start weeding through our note cards to organize topics and to get a feel for how much information we already have and how much info we still need to seek. I am relieved that we do not have to be real concerned about the length of our presentation--only concerned about the content. A good aspect of ITP's--they are going to get all of us to start putting these projects together--we WILL be done by May.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 1998

Melanie, Wade and I are clicking along on this ITP program. As we put it together we are finding that we need to refine things in one area and to do more research in others. We are also seeing that some of our first assumptions are not true and that others need to be discarded. For the purpose of helping us to get started this is wonderful. I still wish that we could have more time and training with power point or other programs. This is what is taking the most energy and time for our group. Are there any of you out there that would like to see more of this training also? Jackie

-- Anonymous, December 01, 1998

I am very interested to find out what everyone else is working on. I think the ITP's will be a great showcase. I'm a little concerned that our audience is going to be quite large in number. I've never been on the delivering end of ITV, only the receiving end. I hope this goes well. And of course there is the PowerPoint presentation itself. I started developing my slides today with the help of a very capable (and nice looking, I might add) senior student at my high school. We have all the equipment there for me to produce and run the program before I have to do it "for real." I gave an outline to my guest speaker so that he can become familiar with my project and formulate his speech around it. Does anyone have any ideas for organization of all the literature review that you have collected? I found myself spreading papers all over my kitchen table and having a difficult time remembering where I read what. I've also had some success in the response from schools to share the information that I requested from them. Now I need to spend some time studying each schools survey results and identifying points of interest. Onward and upward everyone. Dana

-- Anonymous, December 02, 1998

I am wondering if any of you have any questions or comments about our ITP "Building Blocks for Literacy." I thought it went pretty well, and had some fun with it! I would really appreciate anything you have to say, and we can try to answer any questions you may have! Thanks for being such a great audience! :)

-- Anonymous, December 04, 1998

Congratulations to Sarah, Sandy, Gloria, and Barb for their EXCELLENT presentation!!! 'Twas interesting and enjoyable. I could really tell that you all have delved into this research with "full guns" and have discovered information that will indeed allow you to develop that worthwhile and very usable curriculum you want. Kudos to you to strive to produce something that sounds beneficial to your "clients."

I'd love responses about Dave, Ann, and my presentation as to your interests, opinions, and concerns of the on-line instructional delivery. Also a request for any current article you run across about on-line courses for college credit.

Rebecca

-- Anonymous, December 06, 1998

Hello All Cohort 2! I was VERY, VERY impressed by the three ITP presentations that we had the pleasure of seeing on Thurs. You all did a wonderful job! Talk about an impressive group of educators! WOW! You have set a very nice standard for the rest of us. Here's hopeing that we all do as well. Jackie P.S. The food was great also....let's have that more often too!

-- Anonymous, December 07, 1998

Dana, I have no great ideas,but I will share with you what I am doing. Every time I read something that I like or think will be useful I write it down on an index card, with all the book info right on the card. I have also put our topics into 5 different categories. That way I put a number 1 through 5 on the card, depending what the topic is and then put it in the appropriate pile. All the notes that I first did,however, I am now having to reread and put into their correct pile and then look up again. Talk about a complete waste of time and a great example of hindsight! Jackie

-- Anonymous, December 08, 1998

I can't believe that I neglected to congratulate Georgia, Joanne, Ed, and Rhonda on their presentation! Congrats to all of you! You have gathered a TON of statistics and will be able to use them in your paper. I imagine your students were very interested in contributing their comments about their perceptions. Good luck in continuing your work with this interesting project.

Rebecca

-- Anonymous, December 08, 1998

As each ITP is presented I realize how much more I have experienced and learned through this cohort than I ever would have doing this on my own. The quality of research presented indicates the high expectations we have learned to set for ourselves and we have all benefitted. The group and individual ITP's have been excellent in content and professionally presented. The cohort has allowed us to identify and build on our strengths.

-- Anonymous, December 17, 1998

The ITP"s on Dec. 17th left me once again focusing on how to meet the needs of the students who do not fit into the regular structured classroom. Whether we are talking about culturally, emotionally or behaviorally diverse students, we need to expand and open up to reaching them daily. It is evident that schools are not doing this as I listened to Gail, Dana, Peg, and the guest speakers. Awareness is the start, but a plan for action on the part of individual teachers and school districts need to be developed and where they exist, assessed to see if they are effective. Our survey on students' perceptions also seem to identify that some students feel there are students who are receiving preferential treatment based on their status in the school. These perceptions may play a role in how students respond to school staff and efforts to reach out to them when they see their status as inferior and less valued. As Gail stated, we all need to value and appreciate our culture and have others value it too, not only in words , but in actions. This could be applied to students of different gender and academic ability , as well as those who display behavioral differences. I also want to comment on Melanie, Wade and Jackie's presentation on breathing to help students control behavior, focus and be content. It makes sense to me as I see students too energized or too upset to focus on learning. Here's an idea I am interested in trying in my classroom. I think it is a skill that will benefit many, including myself. I hope to try this after reading more about it. I'm glad I stayed to listen to the presentation. It was well worth the time. Teacher mentoring is something I am feeling a need for as I begin my first year in the Duluth Public Schools. I am reaching out to the other second grade teachers, but this is on my own and I have been fortunate to have them willing to help out with my questions. It took a while to develop this relationship and when you start the day before school starts, it would have been nice to have a structured mentoring program in place the day I started. It certainly is a project worth researching. It has the potential of raising awareness in the schools surveyed and in this district.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 1998

What a great learning experience all of the ITP presentations were. Not only did I learn alot doing my own, particularily Power Point, but I learned so much from everyone else. Our topics are so varied and valuable, worthy of our research. I think we can be proud of how far we've come in the past year and a half. I'm always really "pumped"when I leave class each time. That's proof for me that I've just experienced something great. Dana

-- Anonymous, December 29, 1998

I want to thank Jackie, Melanie, and Wade for their presentation and their delving into a "new age" topic. Although I haven't made a diligent effort to personally use the breathing techniques each day, I have certainly experimented with them during semi-stressful times. (Like seeing my in-laws--not really, they're lovely people) I have tried to breathe deeply and slowly to try out the "peaceful" feeling it brings. It works!

Matter of fact, I used it today as I resumed teaching Business Math at Grand Rapids High School. A student tests my limits so many days, today being one of them. After I tried to answer her question calmly (and successfully, I might add), I walked away breathing slowly and deeply. It did calm me.

Now, I might not be using the correct techniques, but I can certainly see how students would benefit by having the chance to became calm before their learning of the new day. Good luck to all of you!

-- Anonymous, January 04, 1999