Final ImagineIT Report
As I write this somewhat of a reflection, I realize that time really has flown by as a fellow in this cohort. My ImagineIT has taught me that scheduling is really a major factor. I say scheduling and not preparation because you can be prepared all you want but if the tools and/or materials you need are not readily available, you will not meet your goals. I feel as though I was genuinely prepared to tackle NGSS # 2 but the scheduling with technology was very tricky.
My colleague and I have chatted on and off pretty much since November about our ImagineIT projects. While her project does not rely on technology 100% either, I get the sense that she is irked by the lack of technology and its availability in our building. I have learned through conversing with not only my colleague but also other science teachers and administrators that NGSS #2 is overlooked, a lot. I think it’s overlooked because our curriculums are generally scripted and they really don’t loan themselves to creativity. We both agree that it's only after you have taught something for many years that you can determine where to cut something out from the book so that you can bring in something new.
I have learned that if we give our students time to be creative, they turn out some pretty cool stuff. Maybe the key is to say that we don’t have to get through all of the material and focus more on the quality instead of quantity. I learned that the best students on a paper and pencil test aren’t necessarily the best at design. This project has validated, to me, that sometimes we need to let go of the control and let our students think outside of the confines of the classroom.
As I write this somewhat of a reflection, I realize that time really has flown by as a fellow in this cohort. My ImagineIT has taught me that scheduling is really a major factor. I say scheduling and not preparation because you can be prepared all you want but if the tools and/or materials you need are not readily available, you will not meet your goals. I feel as though I was genuinely prepared to tackle NGSS # 2 but the scheduling with technology was very tricky.
My colleague and I have chatted on and off pretty much since November about our ImagineIT projects. While her project does not rely on technology 100% either, I get the sense that she is irked by the lack of technology and its availability in our building. I have learned through conversing with not only my colleague but also other science teachers and administrators that NGSS #2 is overlooked, a lot. I think it’s overlooked because our curriculums are generally scripted and they really don’t loan themselves to creativity. We both agree that it's only after you have taught something for many years that you can determine where to cut something out from the book so that you can bring in something new.
I have learned that if we give our students time to be creative, they turn out some pretty cool stuff. Maybe the key is to say that we don’t have to get through all of the material and focus more on the quality instead of quantity. I learned that the best students on a paper and pencil test aren’t necessarily the best at design. This project has validated, to me, that sometimes we need to let go of the control and let our students think outside of the confines of the classroom.