Working Together vs Cheating; Noise Meters

Cougar Communication

Student and Teacher Conversations: Working Together vs Cheating

In one class conversation, a student lamented that collaboration is made difficult because teachers tell us to work by ourselves; otherwise it’s cheating. He continued, but in some classes it’s OK to work together and it’s not cheating.

Obviously, when I receive a cheating/copying referral, I often hear the same thing, “I was just checking an answer.” “I wasn’t sure how to do number 4, so I was looking at hers.” Sometimes these are probably excuses and at other times they’re probably legitimate.

Earlier in the year I had a conversation with a couple of teachers regarding students during formative assessments looking at what other students are doing or asking a classmate and then correcting their choices. To us it seemed like a beneficial practice (since it was ungraded) because when the teacher provides the correct answer, it simply reinforces what they’ve already learned just moments before.

What are your thoughts?

Just something to think about….

Technology for Your Classrooms: Noise Meters

Richard Byrne, who writes Free Technology for Teachers, shares two class noise meters that can be used to monitor classroom noise when students are working in your class. By using and projecting them, it might be a good way for students to monitor their own conversation levels.

The two noise meters: http://www.ictgames.com/calmCounter.html and https://bouncyballs.org/

Administrative Notes

Tomorrow is a flex day.

Next Tuesday will be the in-school performance of the talent show. The schedule will be 1-2-3-4 (no homeroom and the talent show will be during 1^st period).

Positive Referral Link: http://goo.gl/s0KXRB

Work Order Request Form: http://goo.gl/H7hFwK

Comment Box: http://goo.gl/forms/KAHNoGf5D2

What I’m Reading

How Study Breaks Boost Learning  

What it Really Means to Be a Public School Teacher

Quote of the Week:

Dylan Wiliam: “If students know where we’re headed, we’re more likely to reach the destination. As Yogi Berra says, ‘If you don't know where you are going,
you'll end up someplace else.’ But it’s a mistake to begin every lesson with a learning intention. Sometimes you don’t know, we engage students in rich lessons, but students learn different things…Sometimes it spoils the journey…Sometimes it’s just uninspired. Students aren’t motivated by content standards….Students are motivated by ideas, discussions, arguments. Skilled teachers take dry content standards and make them into lively discussions, debates and more.”