Wednesday, January 12, 2011

What is ICU

What is ICU? Who needs Intensive Care? You? Me? Lol!!! What do you think?

27 comments:

  1. So...the title threw me off! I have to go and google it to see what the book is about. Now I can't wait to get some ICU!

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  2. Sounds interesting! I look forward to see what it is all about.

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  3. Hey NMS! I am on board! It will be a bit challenging b/c of coaching, but I will make it happen somehow!! Look forward to learning!!!

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  4. Happy to be part of this group.

    Coach

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  5. Thanks for posting you all! I am so very hopeful that this "ICU" is going to help us meet the needs of all of our students!! Art, we are going to have several opportunities to meet and hopefully that will help with the coaching aspect!!

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  6. I am looking forward to us at NMS starting our own ICU. Glad to be a part of this group...

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  7. Thanks for inviting me to join in on this. I'm always looking for new ways to reach the kiddos!

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  8. We will reschedule our ICU meeting soon! I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend!

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  9. Thank you for inviting me to be part of ICU. I look forward to our first meeting. Anything I can learn about helping kiddos and their parents I am there!

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  10. Remember....We are reading pages 1-41. I am excited to read about everyone's thougts!

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  11. Learning is the most important concept in this reading. are we teaching students how to be responsible and how to reach a deadline or are we supposed to be teaching content matter? The no zero policy will work if everyone sticks with it. It will force students to be held accountable. The main goal is to have students complete their assignments thus learning the content of each assingnment. Once students are aware that teachers will not accept failure and every student must turn in all assignments I feel students will respond in a positive manner and feel a sense of accomplishment.

    Coach

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  12. Well, they definitely want to pound home the importance of not leting kids off the hook. I think that I echo what others have said in that we really need to ALL be on the same page if we are going to make this work.

    Also, I have already seen teachers working hard, especially during lunches to avoid letting kids off the hook nad requiring them to work during lunch.

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  13. Oh and apparently I spelled my own name incorrectly when I signed up for this blog.... facepalm.

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  14. I laughed out loud at you Kairs!!
    I like the quote that says, "Are you prepared to defend a system that nationially allows about a third of the students who enter kindergarten to drop out before graduating from high school?" It is kind of like we talked about with Dr. Jackson, grades just aren't a very popular currency. And... Elizabeth is right, if we were to make it work, we will all have to be on the same page!!

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  15. I laughted at Elizabeth, and I have a lot of typos, so sorry!!!

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  16. Grammer and typos is my midlle name!!!!!!!!

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  17. When I first starting reading this book, I first noticed the negative tone towards teachers about the current grading policy. Like the use of the word "Enabling!!" over and over. I was a little insulted....like the part where it says he'll just talk about it for fun, just in case the reader doesn't get it. (Teachers are not idiots.) I am on a soap box.
    Anyway,
    Just like he said though, it is the system (the current one that gives zeroes) that has been taught to us, even in college. He mentioned the kindergarten system working the best....not moving on til the students know the skill and calling parents frequently. Honestly, it is hard to remember my kindergarten days, so I can totally see how I fall back in to what I have seen done and have experienced myself. It would be kinda neat to actually see a kindergarten class for a day. I bet I could learn a lot.

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  18. i know - I felt the same way when I read the first couple of chapters also. I was like, "ouch" Not making me feel all that great. But like you said, we are all just kind of perptuating what we have been taught and how we were graded. The great thing, at NMS, teachers really give every student a lot of opportunities to turn in their work. I am hoping that by reading this book, we can create a system of some sort, that will support teachers and students in this endeavor. The remaining chapters don't make you feel like that, which is good!!

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  19. Speaking of Grammar, I am going to apologize in advance for my mistakes. Writing has never been one of my strong points.

    WOW! I think there is a lot to say about this book. As I open my copy I see pen markings all over the pages with notes that clearly reflect my mood on each day I read.

    I noticed that although I agree with many of the authors' veiwpoints the way they wrote had me automatically on defence. I questioned if our job is to just educate our students instead of to also prepare them for the future.

    In my classroom I give due dates but also allow papers to be turned in (or made up) until the end of the semester.
    With using this system in my classroom I first was annoyed somedays because I felt that the students who did there work when I asked them to do it got the same grade (or in some cases, a worse grade) as those who waited till the last minute when I had to turn in grades for report cards. I felt this was very unfair to those students who were being responsible from the start. However, I finally decided that the point was for the student to do the work and to learn the material. If the student did the work, although late, it was important to remember that THE STUDENT DID THE WORK! The point in having them do work in class is for them to do it. Even if it is late they are learning or ,at least, I can get a refection of their learning.

    On the other hand, I sometimes feel that I can't hand back students graded work becuase those who have not turned their's in yet will copy. Yet, I know that those students need the feedback on their work.

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  20. It seems that this system will be easily implemented if we can get everyone on board. I like the idea of not letting kids go with an easy out. If they know that we won't let them get away with failure. Interesting, yesterday one of my kids said "I've never had a 100% grade before in middle school." That broke my heart because it shouldn't be that way.

    Our kids NEED to feel that they are able - able to be successful. This system could really help them to do that and hopefully, become more than what the streets can offer them.

    Sheena -

    It is frustrating having kids copy other's work. One way you might be able to combat that is having the kid explain their work to you. For example, a student copied the work and you know this by questioning the kids about the work. Simply rephrasing the questions on the assignment will quickly show if the kid gets it or not.

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  21. I will say that the readings so far have made me revisit the efforts that I am putting into "not letting my students off the hook. I have always believed in having high expectations, but it is so easy to let things go sometimes b/c of time constraints! Well, I must say...I love when a book revives how I think about my duties! So far it has made me dig deeper into my soul and remind myself that I MUST make sure that I continue ENABLING my students to learn to be successful!! Which means not letting them off the hook!.... making them get it done and learn the importance of engagement and responsibility.

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  22. So I finally figured out how to log onto the blog.
    What stood out for me in the book was the quote "Maybe teachers should forfeit 10% of thier pay for every day something is turned in late or inaccurate to the office." Many of us would be broke if that is how we were treated whenever we turn in late work. I don't give my students zeros because zeros are devastating to their grade average. I am totally guilty of putting in 50s for work not turned in. The book made me realize that putting 50s is not beneficial to the student either, and that we need to make sure they get the work done. Recently we have started bringing kids in during lunch or having them stay after school to complete their work. We aren't letting them off the hook.

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  23. Reading this has made me realize that there are some things I need to change and some things that I have implemented already. The book talked about how many grades weput in the grade book.  I agree that I do put a lot of grades in but our school district tells us that we need to have a minimum of 10 grades, doesn't it?

    The book talked about giving kids extra time and I agree with that because they will learn instead of letting them off the hook but what about the kids who ALWAYS turn in their assignments on time....is it fair to them? Shouldn't they be rewarded in some way?  Just like  the book referenced,  in the real world that your boss will give extra time to finish a project because it needs to get finished, well the ones who do a good job and complete their assignment on time or before the due date might receive some type of reward in the form of a bonus or raise....I am by no means saying that we need to give kids money but their should be some sort of recognition for them taking their work and learning seriously and completing within the due date.

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  24. You all are so smart and insightful! I love reading what you wrote!! If the ad bldg. docked my pay for late stuff, most likely I would owe them money!! lol!!! I know that teachers at NMS go over and above trying to collect work for students. I think that this could be a system in place where we all support each other in getting work from all kids! Then, teachers are no on their own trying to get work. Let' keep reading - and shoot for reading through page 45. Have you all read that far yet? Or, are you past it? Let me know!!! Thanks to everyone who has posted so far! I love hearing what you all say. Thank you Thank you!!!

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  25. I really have loved the book. I have had severals teachers let me know when kids are missing work or the work is poorly done. We have coordinated to pull them during intramurals or after school to get the work turned in. It is amazing to see how much quality work gets done when they know we are going to come get them out of their favorite activities. It will be amazing to see what will happen with a school wide effort.

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  26. Okay, so I have had technical difficulties. Very frustrating. I have enjoyed the book so far (not quite finished). I agree that it is important to get back to what grades represent. I wrote one blog already and couldn't get it posted, but I do have one reservation about the book. It seems to be a bit flippant about the motivations of teachers who disagree. I don't like that. We can't judge the motives of others and while some want to check off that box, I believe most want to do what is right by kids. We have to hold kids accountable for their work in order for them to discover the connection between hard work and success and understanding.

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