Reflections 9/26/12

Just a quick minute to jot some things down.  I really need to keep this blog going to do these reflections but I just can't wait until I "have time"  because that is never going to happen!  

1. So its the end of the first mini unit, they have the test today.  I am not thrilled with how the assignment sheet went at all.  They need so much more structure, less choice.  Some choice is good, but too much is not!
   It is too much for me to grade!  I wanted to check every single problem, but it is too overwhelming.  So I need to rework my whole assignment sheet.  I will post it when I finish.
   
2. I am going to start putting more content into the videos.  Basically all I had was vocabulary words for them to copy.  Now I am going to add an example of a basic problem and they will have to do 1-2 problems (basic) for me to check as homework.  Not all are getting on Edmodo, so they only thing I worry about is them copying the answers from each other.
   But the reason I'm doing this is because I have to get them doing meatier work in class, like zero basic computation problems.
   
3. Next the best thing I noticed, my 8th graders have started out with a geometry unit, angle pairs, triangle angle sums, etc.  and they are writing and solving these very complex multi-step equations.  I am so proud of them!!  The reason it stands out to me is because they don't question their ability to do it.  I just start them off a little bit and they get right to work.  I think about how if I was teaching "solving multi-step equations" they would struggle, but since there is more of a goal to finding the solution (what is the measure of the angle?) they persevere.