CatchUpWeek

Much to your chagrin, this is NOT a free week.

I have SUCH high expectations of your work (and your wiki!) that I am sacrificing instruction in one amazing tool to let you work on your wiki.

The good news: --no instruction, no assignment

The bad news: --expectations of you wiki have doubled (and they were ALREADY high).


Here's what you can do to help yourself:

1. Check the online gradebook. Is it correct? If not, DO THE ASSIGNMENTS you are missing and let me know when they are complete.

2. CAREFULLY read through the wiki instructions, ensuring your wiki organization, navigation bar, and inclusions met with the expectations set forth.

3. Visit the "Project Examples" link: usually these are "A" projects. Can you equate yours to theirs?

4. Do you have an inviting front page? Is it engaging and exciting? Does it give the message of what your classroom is all about? Does it have a Blabberize or podcast that introduces the site and the navigation of the site?

5. Do you have a page called "All About Me" (or something to that extent) that introduces who you are as a teacher, includes a resume, your educational philosophy, a well-written paragraph or two reflecting your philosophy on integrating technology into your teaching and student learning, and a WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE ME component (you may have chosen to do this as a digital story).

6. Do you have a "Parent Information" page (to include pertinent information that you would want parents of students in your classroom to know--schedules, your policies, etc. Think about this!!! The day is just around the corner when you need to have this CEMENTED in your head and published. What ARE the things you want parents to know!!!

7. Do you have an "Our classroom" page (this is a page directed at your students and provides information that THEY need to know.) Some of the information overlaps from the parents, but much of it is different and certainly the **tone** of the page is different. What can you say to the students to put them at ease and make them confident 21st century learners?

8. Do you have your "Example Unit of Instruction" page (this page will include, at a minimum: your Scope and Sequence chart (embedded), COPY AND PASTE of the Unit Outline, leaving room for your technology tools, with an annotation describing how you believe the use of this tool will change learning in a way that would not occur without the use of the tool;

Spend MOST of your time on the Example Unit of Instruction. a. Is your Scope and Sequence embedded on the page? b. Is the Unit copy and pasted into the page (not embedded!) c. Are all of the lessons filled out? Do they "flow"? Do they make chronological sense? d. Are all of your technology products embedded IN the lesson where they belong (only exceptions MIGHT be your podcasts). e. Are the technology projects ANNOTATED with a description of why they will change the learning environment by using this tool (as opposed to a pencil!)? e. Will I see a link in your lesson plan to your class blog? To the unit websites?

9. Do you have a CLEAN linked navigation bar (with ONLY these inclusions: Home, All About Me, Parent Information, Our Class, Example Unit of Instruction, Podcasts, Class Blog, Cool Websites of the Week)?

10. Do you have some appropriate and interesting widgets?

11. Can you say "this is my very best work...pls 10%!"

12. Now, download the rubric for your class and OBJECTIVELY grade your work.





NOW, go read a book or work on a quilt or prune a rose bush or do whatever will give you one hour of uninterrupted peace and serenity!