As of my visit last Wednesday, and on every Wednesday until the end of my time at the UPSM I will be running the class. More specifically I am working with the students to get through a Project Lead The Way activity to design a co2-powered dragster.
The dragster is to be done in AutoDesk Inventor (a 3D modeling program that I only learned to use as an undergrad in engineering). Ms. Smylor had told me that a lot of the students had used inventor before but not all of them.
As far as difficulty of the activity - for someone who had used the computer program in the past, it would be low to medium difficulty. For a group that had never used Inventor, it would be highly difficult ---- But for a group that had some students with experience and some students without any experience, it was boarder line Nightmare!!
I tried doing the activity simultaneously with them - i.e. I had a laptop hooked up to the projector and went step by step so that we could all do it together. I figured this way, the students who knew what they were doing would be able to go at their own pace and look up if they needed help while the inexperienced students could just follow along step by step.
IN REALITY - the experienced students quickly got bored and started playing a game that the kids found on the computers (Icy House). The inexperienced students quickly got lost and started playing Icy House as well!
I ended up having to do a few steps at a time on the laptop/projector and then walk around the class room answering questions to get everyone up to speed while trying to keep everyone from totally falling off the project by playing games or going on the internet.
This difference in knowledge levels is something that is very difficult to deal with and I'm well aware that it happens in almost every subject and every grade level. Ms. Smylor gave a good suggestion and told some of the experienced students to go around helping the inexperienced ones. Great suggestion but unfortunately it didn't save the day. Nothing but students impatiently yelling "Mr. Diaz..!" "Mr. Diaz..!!"
Then I had the pleasure of repeating the experience for the class period after.
Nevertheless it was interesting to try my hand at it. The following week I had to continue with the activity, and things went much the same way. With the exception of one student who was on Facebook. I said "Charles..." (he quickly minimized the window and replied) "What?"
...
"What are you doing on Facebook?"
Ms. Smylor heard that and immediately made him shut down his laptop and put it back on the shelf. He was quite upset with me for having told on him.
Next week is their spring break so I'll have some time before I have to go in there once again and continue the activity. I will try and come up with a different way of running the activity in an attempt to curtail the madness and to ensure they get something useful out of the activity. I also threatened to not help anyone who was asking for help but was caught playing Icy House. I'm not sure if this was a great idea but with so many people needing help I didn't think it was fair for me to spend time with students who were playing games while others were quietly waiting for help. On the other hand I didn't stick too hard and fast to this "rule" because I knew that some students just get bored waiting for help.
We'll see how the last few classes go!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Science Center field trip and Middle School Drama!
Yesterday was a very different setting for my interactions with the students. The 7th graders were spending all week at the Detroit Science Center so I met them out there. Of course they were extra rowdy with it being a field trip of sorts. But there was even more drama than I expected...
One of the students was having a particularly tough time. He had just broken up with his girlfriend and was feeling very down. Worse yet, there were rumors about the girl liking one of the other boys in the class.
The boy was very sad and angry. While the class was performing a group activity, I sat and talked with him about the situation. I could tell he wasn't going to get much work done today. He really wanted to go to the bathroom, but couldn't go without a chaperone and all the teachers were busy. His ex said he probably wanted to go cry so I figured it'd be best if I finagled a way to get him to go.
What also worried me about the boy was that he was getting mildly (although not serriously) confrontational with the other boy (the one his ex is rumored to now be interested in). Worse yet, the boy (the one who had just had the breakup) always carries about 3+ pairs of scissors! I've seen him with the scissors before but figured it was just his way of being "tough" or "gangster."
I volunteered to take him down to the bathroom. It was a gamble to do this because on one hand he could take it as him feeling he could manipulate me, but on the other hand (what I was betting on) I could earn his trust and connect with him.
The gamble paid off. After he came out of the bathroom, and before returning upstairs to the rest of the class, I had a talk with him about the situation. I just tried to connect wit him and explain that breakups happen to all of us and that I understand that it hurts but that things tend to settle and subside with a little time.
Beyond that, I made a point to note that I was concerned about him and all those scissors he brandishes. Especially at a time like this when he's emotional and confrontational. I told him that even though he may have zero intention of doing anything with them, someone could see him with them, or worse yet a situation may arise where he could be in a confrontation with someone and without thinking pull them out. I added that even without intent to do anything with them, perceptions go a long way. And if someone saw him with them they might automatically think he was going to do something bad -- and that just like that he'd be in a world of trouble. I never accused him of actually planning on using them.
I stayed close to him for the rest of my day there. Just as I was saying goodbye to the students, he came up to me and said,
"Mr. Diaz.. do you want my scissors?" I told him I thought that would be a GREAT idea. He said "Ok here. Give them back to me next week."
I was very happy to see that act of trust on his part. I feel it indicates that I really connected with him. I told him I would hold on to them for him. When he was out of view I gave the scissors to the teacher I work with and told her the story and asked her to hold on to scissors.
Additionally, I also had a little talk with the other boy involved (the boy whom the girl is rumored to like now). Luckily I have a very good repore with him too and he's always coming up to me and looking for attention. I told him he should just stay away from the other boy for the rest of the day and give him some physical space. He argued that he didn't do anything to him, etc etc.
I asked him if he had ever had a rough day and he replied yes. And I asked if he liked to be bugged or annoyed on his bad days. He again replied now. I then told him that the other boy was having a real bad day and it's just not a good idea to be so close to him. He more or less agreed to it.
What worries me is the common immature misconception that fighting is an answer. They both expressed that when you're expected to get in a fight with someone they had better do it to avoid looking like a "punk" to everyone else.
I tried to explain to both (individually) that fighting never solves anything, that you could lose a fight and end up worse than you started, and that MOST IMPORTANTLY - it doesn't matter what other people say or think and that you should NEVER let others' opinions / thoughts dictate what you do.
Perhaps the above blog sounds more dramatic than it really was. I bet it was just a common 7th grade situation, but that I played a part in it provided an interesting vantage point worthy of retelling in the form of this blog! I bet it will blow over as quickly as it sparked up.
One of the students was having a particularly tough time. He had just broken up with his girlfriend and was feeling very down. Worse yet, there were rumors about the girl liking one of the other boys in the class.
The boy was very sad and angry. While the class was performing a group activity, I sat and talked with him about the situation. I could tell he wasn't going to get much work done today. He really wanted to go to the bathroom, but couldn't go without a chaperone and all the teachers were busy. His ex said he probably wanted to go cry so I figured it'd be best if I finagled a way to get him to go.
What also worried me about the boy was that he was getting mildly (although not serriously) confrontational with the other boy (the one his ex is rumored to now be interested in). Worse yet, the boy (the one who had just had the breakup) always carries about 3+ pairs of scissors! I've seen him with the scissors before but figured it was just his way of being "tough" or "gangster."
I volunteered to take him down to the bathroom. It was a gamble to do this because on one hand he could take it as him feeling he could manipulate me, but on the other hand (what I was betting on) I could earn his trust and connect with him.
The gamble paid off. After he came out of the bathroom, and before returning upstairs to the rest of the class, I had a talk with him about the situation. I just tried to connect wit him and explain that breakups happen to all of us and that I understand that it hurts but that things tend to settle and subside with a little time.
Beyond that, I made a point to note that I was concerned about him and all those scissors he brandishes. Especially at a time like this when he's emotional and confrontational. I told him that even though he may have zero intention of doing anything with them, someone could see him with them, or worse yet a situation may arise where he could be in a confrontation with someone and without thinking pull them out. I added that even without intent to do anything with them, perceptions go a long way. And if someone saw him with them they might automatically think he was going to do something bad -- and that just like that he'd be in a world of trouble. I never accused him of actually planning on using them.
I stayed close to him for the rest of my day there. Just as I was saying goodbye to the students, he came up to me and said,
"Mr. Diaz.. do you want my scissors?" I told him I thought that would be a GREAT idea. He said "Ok here. Give them back to me next week."
I was very happy to see that act of trust on his part. I feel it indicates that I really connected with him. I told him I would hold on to them for him. When he was out of view I gave the scissors to the teacher I work with and told her the story and asked her to hold on to scissors.
Additionally, I also had a little talk with the other boy involved (the boy whom the girl is rumored to like now). Luckily I have a very good repore with him too and he's always coming up to me and looking for attention. I told him he should just stay away from the other boy for the rest of the day and give him some physical space. He argued that he didn't do anything to him, etc etc.
I asked him if he had ever had a rough day and he replied yes. And I asked if he liked to be bugged or annoyed on his bad days. He again replied now. I then told him that the other boy was having a real bad day and it's just not a good idea to be so close to him. He more or less agreed to it.
What worries me is the common immature misconception that fighting is an answer. They both expressed that when you're expected to get in a fight with someone they had better do it to avoid looking like a "punk" to everyone else.
I tried to explain to both (individually) that fighting never solves anything, that you could lose a fight and end up worse than you started, and that MOST IMPORTANTLY - it doesn't matter what other people say or think and that you should NEVER let others' opinions / thoughts dictate what you do.
Perhaps the above blog sounds more dramatic than it really was. I bet it was just a common 7th grade situation, but that I played a part in it provided an interesting vantage point worthy of retelling in the form of this blog! I bet it will blow over as quickly as it sparked up.
Monday, February 16, 2009
First Day at the UPSM
Blog- 2/12/2009
It was my first day at the University Prep academy (UPSM for short from now on). I had little idea of what to expect. I knew that being a charter school, the UPSM would have less of the severe trouble makers who refuse to learn.
Before the day officially kicked off, kids had filled the room and Ms. Smylor was already interacting with many of them. I was impressed and touched to see the teacher talk to one student who seemed particularly down. She made sure he was alright.
I had forgotten just how bustling a middle school classroom is before (and after) the morning bell! And they all were curious about why I was there. After a warm-up problem it was my turn to introduce myself to the students. I had read that middle school students still absorb most of what the hear/see, even if they don’t show it all the time. Sure enough, they did. Some had remembered me from my _brief_ visit to the school the week before. One student had seen me talking to the Spanish teacher and correctly assumed that I spoke multiple languages! Of course they all wanted to hear something in a foreign language, and because they are all learning Spanish / Chinese, I went ahead and let them choose (with a tongue-in-cheek warning regarding content) what I would say.
I also tried to lean on my background in the automotive industry to get them interested. I explained how there’s math and algebra in everything they do and enjoy. I also wanted them to get a sense that they all do “math” in some form or another all the time and just don’t even know it. Shooting a basketball into a hoop, figuring out how many yards to the next first down.
I could tell which students were the rowdy ones who seek attention constantly (only about 2 in each of the two class sections). When one would be a little too rowdy with questions while I was introducing myself I would simply ask them their name and ask them a personalized question relating to what I was talking about. My hope was that it would make them immediately feel more engaged in what I was talking about as well as feed them some of the attention that they were craving. The little tactic worked pretty well.
I also made sure to ask them if anyone was interested or has thought about going to college someday. I was THRILLED to see every one of them raise their hands. I jokingly told the few unwilling to raise their hands that I’d have to have a talk with them and they raised their hands. I could tell they were as interested in college as the others, but didn’t feel like raising their hands.
The rest of the class period revolved around a group activity. I floated around and made sure everyone was making their data tables and plots correctly and offered to give help or answer questions if they had them. I also noticed that Ms. Smylor was actively encouraging teamwork so I followed suit. A simple “ok well, you look you know how to make the table, are you sure your partner knows?” helped get group members communicate when they needed a boost.
I was very surprised to see that many of the rowdier ones did the problems with ease! I will keep an eye on these to see if they fall into the ‘rowdy because they know the material’ group.
All in all, the kids were very sweet and I am really happy to have the chance to work with them. I told them they could call me Mike or Mr. Diaz but I think the teachers would like them calling anyone ‘older’ than the students as Mr./Ms. One of the students called me “Mr. D” which I personally thought was great! I'm excited about the job and look forward to the next session.
It was my first day at the University Prep academy (UPSM for short from now on). I had little idea of what to expect. I knew that being a charter school, the UPSM would have less of the severe trouble makers who refuse to learn.
Before the day officially kicked off, kids had filled the room and Ms. Smylor was already interacting with many of them. I was impressed and touched to see the teacher talk to one student who seemed particularly down. She made sure he was alright.
I had forgotten just how bustling a middle school classroom is before (and after) the morning bell! And they all were curious about why I was there. After a warm-up problem it was my turn to introduce myself to the students. I had read that middle school students still absorb most of what the hear/see, even if they don’t show it all the time. Sure enough, they did. Some had remembered me from my _brief_ visit to the school the week before. One student had seen me talking to the Spanish teacher and correctly assumed that I spoke multiple languages! Of course they all wanted to hear something in a foreign language, and because they are all learning Spanish / Chinese, I went ahead and let them choose (with a tongue-in-cheek warning regarding content) what I would say.
I also tried to lean on my background in the automotive industry to get them interested. I explained how there’s math and algebra in everything they do and enjoy. I also wanted them to get a sense that they all do “math” in some form or another all the time and just don’t even know it. Shooting a basketball into a hoop, figuring out how many yards to the next first down.
I could tell which students were the rowdy ones who seek attention constantly (only about 2 in each of the two class sections). When one would be a little too rowdy with questions while I was introducing myself I would simply ask them their name and ask them a personalized question relating to what I was talking about. My hope was that it would make them immediately feel more engaged in what I was talking about as well as feed them some of the attention that they were craving. The little tactic worked pretty well.
I also made sure to ask them if anyone was interested or has thought about going to college someday. I was THRILLED to see every one of them raise their hands. I jokingly told the few unwilling to raise their hands that I’d have to have a talk with them and they raised their hands. I could tell they were as interested in college as the others, but didn’t feel like raising their hands.
The rest of the class period revolved around a group activity. I floated around and made sure everyone was making their data tables and plots correctly and offered to give help or answer questions if they had them. I also noticed that Ms. Smylor was actively encouraging teamwork so I followed suit. A simple “ok well, you look you know how to make the table, are you sure your partner knows?” helped get group members communicate when they needed a boost.
I was very surprised to see that many of the rowdier ones did the problems with ease! I will keep an eye on these to see if they fall into the ‘rowdy because they know the material’ group.
All in all, the kids were very sweet and I am really happy to have the chance to work with them. I told them they could call me Mike or Mr. Diaz but I think the teachers would like them calling anyone ‘older’ than the students as Mr./Ms. One of the students called me “Mr. D” which I personally thought was great! I'm excited about the job and look forward to the next session.
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