Pre-Conference Documentation
Joe Price
MTTC Fall 2003
Clarifying Statements:
William R. Williams writes:
Not sure that I know what I am doing yet.
I agree I hope I figure it out by the end of the course.
I agree with your answers for the last three questions.
Here is what I have for the 1st three questions.
1. I want the children to understand about the life cycle of
insects.
I would …
CLARIFY
The students will be able to list and give a brief explanation of each stage of the life cycle of an insect.
2. As a result of our experiments, I want the students to make
inferences about the effects of soft drinks on teeth and make suggestions
for proper care of the teeth.
I would …
ACCEPT
I think the goals and objectives are clearly stated here.
3. They will be studying the influences of missionaries in California
history.
I would …
CLARIFY
The students will study the relationship between the missionaries and the exploration of California. They will also create a map showing the Spanish missions, when they were founded, the city that grew up around them, and the present day city.
Joe Price writes:
Do you have a preference on which three questions you do? If not how about
I do the first three and you can do the last three? I really don't have a
preference.
Sounds good to me. Sent you an email earlier and got a strange message..."Sorry. Your message could not be delivered to: Joe Price (Mailbox or Conference is full.)" Connie said it should be fixed now. I tried to answer the last three questions. Not sure that I know what I am doing yet.
4. They will be recalling information, which we have already
covered about what living things need for growth.
I would ….
Accept Clarify
The students will be able to identify the previously covered items that plants and animals need for growth.
5. I hope my student will simply enjoyed the music -- it's a
lesson in music appreciation.
I would ….
Accept Clarify
The students should be able to explain what they liked and disliked about the music (i.e. tempo, rhythm, range of sounds, etc.).
6. We are going to see a film about the Netsilik Eskimos. Today,
I want them to listen to their observations and I'm going to write whatever
they say on the board. At a later time we will try to draw some relationship
between what they have observed.
I would ….
Accept Clarify
The students will watch a film about the Netsilik Eskimos. After the film the students will verbalize their observations about the Eskimos’ life. The teacher will write the observations on the board. Once the observations are complete, the students will compare and contrast the Eskimos’ life with their lives.
Best Wishes. ww
Questions:
Joe Price writes:
Are we supposed to video tape ourselves working with a teacher on the lesson
plan and send it to each other or do we just tell each other what we did?
I will have to reread the material. I thought the video was optional and to be created if face to face observations were not possible.
Best Wishes. ww
Environmental Information:
I have many years experience working with micro, midrange, and mainframe computer
hardware and software. Last year was my first year to teach and I just completed
(8/2003) my certification from Region 11 TPP and TATC in Basic Business (6-12)
and Technology Applications (8-12). Last year I started teaching a new program
at GPHS in Digital Graphics and Animation (DG&A). This year there was
overflow and two other teachers are each teaching a class in DG&A. I am
helping them get started and we are working together to create a curriculum
that we can all follow. Each teacher has a fair understanding of computer
technology and I am helping them with DG&A.
My Improvement Objectives:
I need to learn to be patient and listen completely to what they say before
I speak. I find myself interrupting with answers before they have completed
what they have to say. This is not polite and does not allow them to finish
what they have to say. I may even be giving answers before I really understand
the actual question or situation. This is what I need to improve.
Specifics:
I will work with one of the teachers whose room is next mine. He comes to
my room his last period and teaches his DG&A class. This makes it easier
for him as he uses the same computers and software that I use. We have a 1/2
hour lunch period before his class begins and we usually visit then and discuss
what we are doing in our classes. We will probably develop a lesson plan for
one of the following: (1) the use of digital cameras by the students to take
pictures and the manipulate the images in Photoshop, ImageReady, and LiveMotion;
(2) the use of Photoshop and ImageReady to create an animation of a children's
story (Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Three Little
Pigs, etc.); (3) the use of LiveMotion to create an animation of a children's
story (Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Three Little
Pigs, etc.). My goal is to "coach" him when and where needed. We
have been working together and doing this since early August.
Please review and advise. I am not sure about what I am doing
yet.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Best Wishes. ww
Background Information:
I am in my 10th year of teaching, 6 of those years where in Special Education.
I worked as a shortage analyst for LTV Aerospace, hating every day of it.
I went through Alternative Certification at ESC 11 and found where I belong.
I did quit for two years when my wife quit to stay home with the kids. For
those two years I worked as an INstructor for CompUSA where I learned many
different software packages and pieces of equipment and networks. I was an
A+ certified instructor which basically means I can take a computer apart
and put it back together and have it work. I am currently the Technology Integration
Specialist for Marshall Durham Middle School in Lewisville. My job here is
to handle all software problems, most of the hardware problems, supervise
4 labs, and do all the staff technology training. That includes helping teachers
create lessons using technology in their classroom.
My Objectives:
My main goal is to let the teacher/student discover the answers with my guidance
instead of me telling them. I have a tendency to say here let me show you
how it is done.
My secondary goal is to become a better listener. To not anticipate the question
but listen completely to what is being said.
Specifics:
I will work with one of our 6th grade reading teachers. She is very open to
using technology in her classroom. She uses a PowerPoint presentation to give
her warmups and other information at the beginning of class every day. I am
not sure what lesson we will create yet but I have asked her to look at her
lessons for this year and see if there is one she wants to expand or if we
should create one from scratch. We have thought about having the students
create a PowerPoint Presentation illustrating a children's story or possibly
creating a book jacket in Publisher for a book they have read. I am not sure
exactly what data I would like you to collect, I am still working on that.
I am still not sure how we can observe each other but we can work that out. I hope this gives you some idea of what I am doing.
Joe
William R. Williams writes:
My Objectives:
My main goal is to let the teacher/student discover the answers with my guidance
instead of me telling them. I have a tendency to say here let me show you
how it is done.
My secondary goal is to become a better listener. To not anticipate the question
but listen completely to what is being said.
How would you measure these goals? What indicators and/or specific items do you want me to look for that would measure them?
I would need a count on the number of times I give the mentee
direct instructions instead guidance. Ex. I might say "you need to put
a graphic here" instead of "what do you think you could use to draw
the readers attention?"
I would also need a count on the number of time I interrupt the mentee. I
tend to anticipate the question and don't let them finish.
I will be helping my mentee create a lesson using PowerPoint. She wants the
students to rewrite a children’s story from another characters point
of view and present it to the class. Ex. Goldilocks and the three bears from
little bears point of view.
Joe Price writes:
That would be a good idea. Right now I am having a tough time meeting with
my mentee for any sustained length of time.
How about 9:00 Wednesday night?
Sounds good to me.
Best Wishes. ww
Pre-Conference Chat:
Joe Price has joined the chat.
William R. Williams: hi
Joe Price: Hello
William R. Williams: I am not used to noline chats
William R. Williams: Online chats
Joe Price: Me neither especially when my ISP keeps dropping me. How did you
like the last lesson?
William R. Williams: Which one do you mean?
William R. Williams: What you sent me looked good.
Joe Price: The learner Factors
Joe Price: I will have to update it when I get to spend more time with my
mentee.
William R. Williams: Interesting...this is only my second year to teach.
William R. Williams: I am still learning the language.
William R. Williams: Spent my first year with little support.
Joe Price: I am in my 10th year and still don't understand most of the terms.
William R. Williams: I see my mentee each day for 5 to 15 minutes.
William R. Williams: We have been working together for several months now.
Joe Price: I have been able to meet with mine twice for a total of about 20
minutes.
Joe Price: I am lucky in that my mentee is very eager to use more technology
in her lessons.
William R. Williams: My mentee has been teaching one of my classes this year.
Had overflow. The program was new last year.
Joe Price: That's great that it has already started growing that much.
William R. Williams: I has 4 - 75 minute classes last year when the program
was new. Had to set up the computers and software myself.
William R. Williams: This year we had 6 class full. The mow popular Career
and TEch class at the high school. Must have done something right.
Joe Price: I don't teach any technology classes anymore. My current title
is Technology Integration Specialist. They change it everytime they give me
more duties. Basically I am the technology support for the whole campus.
William R. Williams: (Cannot tyoe very fast.)
Joe Price: Me neither.
William R. Williams: At least you can do the job - A+ certification is a plus.
Joe Price: They get paranoid if I pull out my tool kit now. The computers
are under warranty.
William R. Williams: Sometimes it has to be done.
Joe Price: Are you able to guide your mentee or do you have to lead him with
suddestions?
Joe Price: Make that suggestions.
William R. Williams: Guide him. He teaches computer repair and Cisco.
Joe Price: That ought to make things easier.
William R. Williams: He says I know at as much as he does about computers.
He is easy to explain tech issues to.
Joe Price: My mentee is a 3rd year teacher who had a lot of technology training
in college.
William R. Williams: That helps. Experience is the best. Does not always work
as per the book.
Joe Price: Has time availability been a big problem for you in this class?
It is killing me. I can barely keep my head above water.
William R. Williams: I have little time and the server frequently fails to
load internet pages
William R. Williams: I am just trying to survive.
Joe Price: I can sympathize. I am the webmaster at my school and I have continual
problems updating our sight. I feel like I am being pulled 20 different ways.
William R. Williams: Understand.
Joe Price: When does you mentee plan on teaching their lesson?
William R. Williams: He teaches lessons we compose every day. Been doing this
since the beginning of the school year.
William R. Williams: This will just be another one.
Joe Price: I have several teachers that I am currently working with on lessons.
My labs will stay full from now until Christmas break.
William R. Williams: You are going to be very busy.
Joe Price: I am trying to get the audio tape of my meetinf recorded this week.
Do you want me to mail it to you or upload it in the system?
William R. Williams: I constructed a Pre-conference from emails and put it
on my MTTC web page. If you check it out, let me know that you think.
William R. Williams: EHtier way. Which ever is easiest for you.
Joe Price: I glanced over it I like it, do you mind if I do the same.
William R. Williams: Please do. This is a share and survive environment.
Joe Price: I may be able to get one day off next week is there a day when
I could stop by your school?
William R. Williams: I will try to do a recording and either mail it or email
it to you
William R. Williams: IF you run into time limits, send some type of transcript
of the meetings
William R. Williams: I can work with whatever you can provide
William R. Williams: I was out today. Let me find out what is happening next
week and email you. Audio will work for me. Will save you the trip.
Joe Price: Ok, I am thinking of taking a day off next week anyway to do some
catch up work.
William R. Williams: You mey never catch up
Joe Price: If I ever do I am not going to tell anybody they will just want
me to do more.
William R. Williams: The never ending quest
William R. Williams: I may bow out for a while and finish todays work...
Joe Price: Al right I think I hear my daughter stirring so I better go check
on her. I will talk to you later.
William R. Williams: later
William R. Williams has left the chat.