Meetings+Notes

__August 15__

We met again during the PLC time to examine four articles found on this website. We divided up the articles and each chose one to read. Our homework for the next meeting is to read the other three.
 * 1) [|Constructing Classroom Knowledge in the Classroom]
 * 2) [|Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age]
 * 3) [|Constructivism Pt. 3: The Principles of Constructivism]
 * 4) [|Constructivist Learning Design Notes]

We split ourselves into two lunch periods (4th and 5th). We decided to hold meetings on Wednesdays. The __4th period__ lunch group will meet in __Mitch Lasseter's room (9.200)__ and the __5th period__ group will meet across the street in the __TLC (The Learning Center)__.

Please feel free to add your name to the list 9.200 || ==5th Lunch== TLC || ==We will begin our regular Wednesday meetings starting September 3. ==
 * ==4th Lunch==
 * Debora Orrick || Renee Field ||
 * Vicky Abney || Bill Martin ||
 * Maddie Robertson || David Paschall ||
 * Mitch Lasseter || Nancy Donaldson ||
 * Noni Ham || Pat Betzner ||
 * Cristi Hladish || Rocky Slay ||
 * Valerie Taylor ||  ||

We have already held this meeting.

August 11 meeting agenda and planning:

Start with coffee and food and just trying to remember each other’s names. Also possibly conversing with each other a little. (If you can bring something for the eating part of this activity, please feel free to do that.) Valerie is going to think up some activity that is not embarrassing or stupid that will help us get to know each other, trust each other, love each other, want to give each other large sums of money, etc.

Then we will look at a chapter of The Passionate Learner. The discussion group this summer looked at one chapter of this book and we are going to follow up with another chapter. We will take time for everyone to read the (short) chapter and then we will use that as an entryway into some discussion of reclaiming the promise of students as passionate learners. Here is a sample to give you an idea: "When children feel the vital connection between classroom learning and their own worth and growth as persons, learning in school becomes a shared undertaking rather than one in which a teacher issues orders and students decide whether or not to obey."

That discussion should take us up to lunch. Lunch will be ordered out.

After lunch Carolyn is going to tour us through the wiki so everyone knows what’s there, how to get to it, and how to add to it. We’ll do that (obviously) in the lab.

David has something to share. Maybe other people have ideas, problems, things you’ve read or heard or whatever to share also.

We’ll spend some time talking about the focus part of this. What is our shared focus? What do we want to accomplish during the school year? What can we try this year in our own classrooms that is both risky and promising?

If there is time we will look at several articles that Carolyn has collected. We’ll do this in small groups and come back together to share a few important points. This is a leaderless group so share in the undertaking rather than just waiting for order to be

original planning notes:

Theme for the day? We talked about 'sparking passion" or something like that? Constructivist learning--what is it? Or our theme might be defining our mission?

Booksharing--I'll have some books out we can browse through.

Readings we could use for this session--?

Technology piece? wikis?(Carolyn)

Food?

I haven't looked at the readings from Karl Fisch yet. But I really do think it would be nice to look at some other people's ideas about this. Also we could talk a little about the connection between the district focus (creativity) and constructivism. (Martin)

I read the excerpt chapter from How People Learn and I think it would be good basic stuff. This is raw material level stuff which we could try to apply to our own teaching situations. (It's not real exciting.)

I couldn't get to the other article / link. I get a message This Page Does Not Exist. (Martin)

I want to go back to the sample agenda Fisch sent us. I think that was a very good template for a meeting. (Martin)