Take a look at my role play biography.
I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet, work and talk with teachers from other schools and in different grade levels during our writing cohort. It has helped me step out of my classroom and look at things from a different perspective.
I have also appreciated having time to chat with other teachers who teach the same grade and subject areas I do. Case in point, being able to check in with Janice as to what she is using for our MN project!
I liked Janice's idea of having students specialize in a particular area of Minnesota. I could see having students choose a city, lake or area of Minnesota and create a sort of travel brochure persuading people to visit their area. Janice used Flicker slideshows about the BWCA (beautiful pictures).
Another possibility would be to have students journal an imaginary trip through Minnesota. They could use the photos from Flicker to add to their presentation. They could also use Google Maps to both track/plan their trip.
So many ideas...so little time!
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I think the best thing about being in a cohort is definitely the collaboration with teachers you wouldn't normally interact with. We so rarely get a chance to think about our classrooms in the context of the district as a whole...that kind of perspective shift can only make our teaching better. Or overwhelm us with things we feel like we should be doing :) (this is my week of being overwhelmed!)
ReplyDeleteYour comments about cohort learning, especially cohorts within a district, has me thinking a lot about professional learning opportunities, how to design them not only for others but for myself.
ReplyDeleteI've recently started a professional reading group with some other grad students. We get together every month to talk through/discuss professional articles we've been reading outside of class. Much like a book club, it's different from attending a class in that we do it at each others house with drinks and food. It is a new model of learning for me but one I'm excited to explore.