"And in the end, the learning you take is equal to the teaching you make:" The last blog entry of the year

I am currently teaching a core extension class entitled "Musical Misery." The focus of the class is to examine music as artistic works of poetry and engage in a thematic analysis. While it has been great to punctuate my day with discussions of loneliness and heartbreak with some great works of art, I am confident that the greater value of the class has resided in reclaiming my love of The Beatles.
I have always possessed a healthy respect for them. As far as I can remember a love of music, The Beatles had been a part of it. When I was an adolescent (chronologically, not behaviorally, which I am still in, sadly), I was a Paul man and really enjoyed the hard rock aspect of the group. While I might have found my college years one of drifting from the sounds of the Fab 4, I kept them at a healthy distance when I entered into teaching. In discussing ideas such as differentiation, standards based educational reform, federal and state mandates, and authentic assessment, as well as keeping up with ideas such as grading, lesson plans, and syllabi three weeks in advance, I never found a real opportunity to integrate The Beatles into my framework of teaching and learning. I think that my Core Extension on Musical Misery has done just that.
In recognizing how much of the music of The Beatles represents poetic works of art, I have been able to identify a suitable metaphor to describe what has been an amazing year on 7-1. We began the year with so much optimism, so much pure hope, and so much unbridled energy. There were trace fossils, concept attainment lectures that involved teachers yelling, "I'm as mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore" out of a window. There were explorations into who we are as thinkers, and deep seeded analyses of the American Revolutions, roses to battle plans and all. There were intense discussions about Constitutionality and a five day final exam. There were forays into teaching and then rapid paced, thoroughbred-like coverage of the growth of a nation. What started as something of excitement turned into maturation and growth, similar to the music of The Beatles, and even the 1960's, as a decade.
And, now we are facing the last and closing tracks of the "Abbey Road" album.
We are going to be closing out the year this week with a study of chapter 14 and 15, and students will be able to choose in which direction they would like to take their last steps of 7-1 Social Studies, and their first steps into 8th grade.
The Beatles' music is a metaphor is not only an effective tool to close out this year, but also to close out a wonderful run of teaching on 7-1. As I make my way in ending one facet of my teaching journey and beginning another one, I take with me the ideas of hope that seemed to line and weave nearly every Beatles song. While I might not be "the teacher I used to be," I know that the one I will always be is one who will know how to "carry that weight." The title of this blog entry, the last one I will write as a 7-1 teacher, speaks eloquently to how I have felt about my teaching, student's learning, and this entire process we call "education."
Grades will be updated as of Monday, and this should be a fairly accurate guide as to how students will have fared in the third trimester. To all of the supportive 7-1 students (former and current) and parents (current and former), please accept my deepest thanks for all of your kind words in allowing me the chance to successfully teach on 7-1. To see these student evolve into the pantheon of scholarship has been a singular honor.
Happy hunting as our journeys will continue,
Mr. Kannan

The Final Turn of the 7-1 Horse Race

There are a handful of items for which I hold a true sense of passion and zeal. Finding a way into my life, my daily practice, and my core values, these entities have withstood my temperaments and states (sometimes altered) of reality. It would not surprise many to see teaching rank high on such a list (a homage to the recently completed and submitted Top 10 Lists for Chapter 12). I suppose that ideas and "L"iterature would also take their rightful places on such a mythic arrangement. Clint Eastwood films and their mythology, as well as John Coltrane music, and, of course, the themes behind "The Matrix" would be present on this collection of "my favorite things."
Horse racing would also occupy a prominent slot on such a playlist of identity. One of the "rites of spring" for me is the elusive pursuit of racing's Triple Crown. From the first Saturday in May, amidst the mint juleps and the twin spires of Churchill Downs to the Black Eyed Susans and the wistful melody of "Maryland, My Maryland" to the day in June when New York becomes the center of the universe, I mean, the horse racing universe, I am enthusiastic about horse racing. The history of thoroughbred competition has also been a topic of fascination. From the majestic and dominance of Secretariat, to the Kenyon College tinged narrative of Seabiscuit, from the fabled lore of Man-O- War, to the great battles between Affirmed and Alydar, to the tantalizingly close accomplishment of Real Quiet, to the pain of Eight Belles and Barbaro, I have a deep affinity for horseracing. I think that I am able to draw upon the horseracing dialectic to see deep running paralells to my own life and practice.
I had been paying attention to Rachel Alexandra. Her performance two weeks ago at the Oaks was stellar, almost Secretariat- like. I loved the call: "What is it? About 20 lengths?!?" I was aware of the drama between jockey and owner, and how some form of showdown with history emerged: The first filly in over half a century trying to win the Preakness, the first horse to try to win it from the outside post, the horse that stood in between Mine That Bird and his phenomenal finish in the Derby. I knew it all. Yet, I also knew that she was special, and this was confirmed in the first ten seconds of the race, when she took the lead and never relinquished her dominant performance to anyone. She was tremendous and I believe that she is very special.
Rachel Alexandra's performance on Saturday reminded me of some of our 7-1 emerging scholars. They entered this year and, in particular, in this classroom, with a great deal of weight on their shoulders. They entered with their own sense of "a showdown with history"... literally! The time they have spent with me has been one immense conflict, and one that is reaching its final turn. Many of our students have run, like Rachel Alexandra, with dominance and strength, but as jockey Calvin Borel noted, "The more I asked of her, the more she struggled." Indeed, I can relate in terms of teaching our emerging students, your children: The more I have asked of them, the more they have struggled, but the sweeter the triumph that has emerged.
Now, we are in the final turn. Students are either fighting through the pursuit of 75 outcome sentences or a DBQ on the Mexican- American war. I do hope that students can continue to keep fighting through, and like Rachel Alexandra, close out their races of dominance with a victory.

Here they come around the final turn... We await the outcome!
All best and happy running,
Mr. Kannan

The Sprint Towards the End

This will be a truncated entry. The primary reason for this is that there is a mad dash hitting 7-1 Social Studies students over the next ten days. It is hard to believe that our journey that has been filled with intensity and focus will be reaching its natural end, but the final point is in sight. This will translate to students hitting their strides as they head around the last turn with nothing but might.
This is the basic breakdown of how things will run over the next two weeks:
* Tuesday, May 12- All Chapter 12 Work Due.
* Wednesday, May 20th- All Chapter 13 Work Due.
* Thursday, May 21- All DBQ Revisions Due.

Students will be working throughout the next two weeks on the completion of chapter 12 (The Age of Reform) and chapter 13 (Westward Expansion). In addition to this, students will have several opportunities to earn "additional credit":
* Moodle Rewards for the next two weeks.
* Four Points of Additional Credit for any student who brings in a box of Kleenex or Hand Sanitizer over the next two weeks. (Limit 12 points per student).

Naturally, students will be working with a level of focus and intensity that might be reflective of what has been given throughout the year, but I suspect a heightened sense of activity as we approach "the fierce urgency of now."

As students work towards the end of our journey, I avail myself to all students and parents/ guardians. Please do not hesitate to contact me at school or at my home.
Best wishes as our students "come around the turn."
Mr. Kannan

Moodle and a new dimension to complexity

I had been dabbling in it for quite some time. As excited as I was about it, I was not very certain of how to incorporate it into our unit on growth in America. I felt that they were already enduring enough, so to add another burden on their weary, but broad shoulders would have been too much. For some reason, I had just decided to not take them to the computer lab. I figured I would bring it out in class and pick a student to demonstrate how it would work and allow the proverbial chips to fall where they would. What would happen is what would happen. It is what it is.

I picked an unassuming but highly perceptive student in first period. She gladly and willingly decided to dance to my syncopated and “jazz” tune and obliged me.

She started something that became a new aspect of our journey.

We broke through this week with Moodle and the initial burst of excitement was fairly impressive. Students took up conversations and engaged in discussions with their colleagues in an online learning environment. I monitored all the posts and the fervor with which they were posted. There were discussions, questions, opposing viewpoints, collaborative ventures, and very real signs of scholarship emerging. I found myself talking to students in a much more open and intellectual manner about ideas that would normally be limited in a traditional classroom discussion. Students engaged in discourse about economic reality, material exploitation, the issues of social control, and what defines what we know and how we know it. I was enchanted to see students, normally silent in class, open up in an empowering and strong forum. I was delighted to participate with students, and then also, take a seat back to students talking with one another. People studying for the exam were asking one another whether there was a fundamental difference between Northern control of factories and Southern control of plantations. People writing DBQ’s were asking one another which primary source was best for their thesis and engaged one another in testing out the validity of their ideas. Students were encouraging one another to “think” and “look beyond” what was there. I was impressed with how students integrated other people’s point of view as complementing their own or even diverging from their own. Students were taking advantage of down time on team and off team to ask “Can I Moodle from here?” How interesting is it when students appropriate an static noun and transform it into an eclectic verb?

I am not naïve to pretend that this will continue to be the state of affairs on 7-1 Social Studies. (I might have been yesterday, but it was at a rather early hour.) Students were enticed to post their comments on moodle with a “reward” that could have been cashed at the conclusion of this week. Another reward has been offered this week for the same. In a trimester that is rapidly ending, and as we enter our last two chapters of graded work, these rewards can be vital. I think that the more students who can display the savvy of posting online comments and engaging in discussions about the content outside of the classroom setting enhances comprehension of it. In addition to this, I believe that frequent and consistent participation in Moodle will allow students to possess an online savvy that will make them more competitive in their future classes or “cyberendeavors.” My hope is that all parents/ guardians will transform the language of their children and ask them, “Hey, did you moodle today?” At last count, we had over 70 7-1 students logged into accounts and participating. By the end of chapter 13, I hope we can generate more students so that every 7-1 student is a member of this online learning community, where we are able to move from the classroom into another pantheon of scholarship.

As we enter the first full week of May, parents/ guardians know that the summer breezes can be felt. I think that gearing our conversation towards success despite its inevitable end is of vital importance. Students should know that progress reports in Social Studies will be sent home this week. Option one people will receive a report on Monday, while Option two people will receive a report as their DBQ #1 is graded (This writing task is due on Monday.) The next graded task is going to be assigned Monday and is due on Tuesday, May 12. This will be another 350 points. I hope that students rise to this challenge. All stakeholders are reminded to remain in contact with all students/ teachers regarding their child’s academic performance.

On a final note, please know that I think it would be wonderful if some of you, our parents/ guardians, would look at some of the discussion threads from the Moodle Site. As your child logs in and surveys the intellectual field to graze, join them. I mean, what speaks to parent/ child bond better than talking about if the drive of money controls them or if they control it? What more in a relationship could one ask for if they can talk about what does rights in America actually mean? Hallmark does not make a card for such moments, so come on down and join us in the world of Moodle, a domain that has shown a complex journey to possess even more intricacy.

Happy Moodlin’ and happy hunting!

Mr. Kannan

They came, they saw, and hopefully, they were not conquered!

The start of class on Thursday was priceless. They entered class to an arrangement of desks that were in a semi circle. The desks themselves looked the same, but the configuration was something that was new to the students. They examined the set up and took their seats, but they did so with a sense of understanding one truth that seemed to hit many of them simultaneously:

Things are different now.

We started the unit on Growth in America. Students took their seats and declared their choices. In making their choice to option one or option two, students began to understand that they were bound by their choices. This allowed them to begin the process of harnessing their energies in working towards one goal: Understanding how America “grew up” in this time period.

In thinking globally about it, much of this unit resonates with our students. This journey of scholarship has caused many of them to “grow up” so that it would make sense that students would sense parallel experiences in how America has grown up, also. Contained within this unit is a story of growth, pain, discomfort, triumph tempered with a sense of unknown, as well as the notion that all answers are met with more questions. One mountain scaled is met by another mountain in wait. While this would be a good way to describe America at the outset of the Civil War, I would also think that such a classification could encompass many, if not all, of the students on 7-1 and their voyage into American History. There is much in this unit to speak to our students.

Long term growth can only be accomplished with small term advancements. Bearing this in mind, all students should focus on the comprehension of the items presented in chapter 11. Option 1 students will have their note taking guides and Check Your Progress Questions due on Thursday with their Chapter 11 Exam on Friday. Option 2 students have their first DBQ due on Monday, 5/4. Their focus should be on completing the reading in chapter 11 and complete engagement in the process of drafting as often as possible.

We eagerly anticipate how students will meet yet another challenge, another mountain to be climbed.

Happy Hunting!
Mr. Kannan

The Choice Awaiting All 7-1 Emerging Scholars

With the completion of the teaching assignments, students will have to make a choice this week. Our upcoming unit on Growth in America that centers chapters 11- 13 will force students to have to decide the method in which they wish to address it. One method is based out of the textbook while the other is based out of primary sources. In the attempt to provide full disclosure and attempt to illuminate the choices of our students, I shall use this week’s blog entry to clarify. Much of this decision will be based on the central question that has to be put to all students: What do you love? Both methods of covering the unit will compel students to deliver high quality work in both process and product. However, the question of what students want lies firmly embedded in the rock of love. That is to say, does a particular student love history? If a student cannot commit to the love of history, perhaps the complementary question should be, does a particular student love their grade? The posing of such questions should prompt a strong discussion, within which the answer lies.

Option one is rooted in textbook analysis. Students will be assigned a chapter a week, and will be asked to identify critical points in each section through a reciprocal reading format. They will be responsible for completing the Check Your Progress Questions that are present at the end of each section. The method of assessing each particular section will vary from a standard exam, to the composition of a “Top 10 List,” and Outcome Sentences. The mode of instruction will range from student collaboration to direct instruction via lecture and will happen only about twice a week. Yet, the challenge here is being able to pace oneself in their work while addressing elevated topics from the textbook. Due to this level of inherent challenge, the methods of assessment and form of instruction have been designed to integrate such difficulty. This translates to students being highly responsible for completing work on their own recognizance within class and outside of it. If students are comfortable with the direct approach of the textbook and prefer a pattern of consistency in the work expectations, then this approach might be quite seductive. This is because the student has the textbook as their primary guide and, after a year of its company, there might be a certain comfort in continuing this trend. There is little risk featured in this option. Students are responsible for budgeting their time appropriately on their own and ensuring that they can meet articulated deadlines. In addition to this, students will be able to sustain their grade through voyaging through fairly familiar terrain, albeit with new content. For the student who seeks a secure method to covering the material and ensuring a certain level of control combined with a minimal risk approach towards grade maintenance, this option might prove quite enticing.

Option two possesses more risk but can deliver more of an upside for students who seek a future in history. Students who undertake this option will be responsible for reading the material, but then engage in composing an essay through a Document Based Question format, or DBQ. The DBQ is the basis for all historical based scholarship. Whether in 8th grade or in high school, the DBQ and a student’s ability to compose one effectively compose one will help differentiate talented students from scholars in history. One of the defining characteristics in Honors or Advanced History classes is based on a student’s writing ability, and in particular, writing DBQ’s. This option is a challenge, a risk, because students will use the textbook as a pure secondary source, and rely on their composition of each chapter DBQ from a set of Primary Sources of that time period. Students will have to considerably more reading and writing in this particular task, as they are reading both textbook and multiple primary sources and composing a DBQ essay for each chapter. The students who love history or possess a sense of love regarding scholarship should undertake this option. Add to this recipe of challenge that the student who undertakes this option must budget their time in order to read two sets of readings (Textbook secondary and Primary Source) and draft, perhaps multiple times, a DBQ essay, and one senses how different this option is from the first one. Students who select this option are doing so because their future in history or scholarship drives them past where others might see.

Both options are going to be difficult. Extra credit in Social Studies has disappeared, and as we enter our last phase of our journey of scholarship, this moment in our shared time will be the most arduous. This unit sets the stage for our final unit on The Civil War. The problem, our students might see, is one of choice, but it is also the source of great notions of liberation and personal responsibility.

We all await the choices of our students, our emerging scholars.

Mr. Kannan

What Lies Ahead After the Teaching Assignment

For this week’s blog, I have decided to print a copy of the letter that students will receive once the chapter 9 Teaching Assignments have reached their inevitable conclusion. Timelines for completion will be given to students at the time of receipt of this letter. I hope this letter will start the process of dialogue between parents and students to ensure that choice voiced is choice respected.

April _______, 2009

Dear Parents/ Guardians:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our upcoming unit on Growth in America. The focus of this unit is to analyze the development of Modern America from economic and social points of view. Some of the concepts addressed will be industrialization, immigration, social awareness, differing approaches to economic growth, Westward Expansion, as well as the growing divide between North and South with regards to the institution of slavery. The chapters covered in our textbook will be 11, 12, and 13. As with so much this year, change is a compelling concept. In past years, I have engaged in a series of direct instruction lectures designed to accomplish the comprehension of content in these chapters. However, this year I am proposing a different way to grasp the essential concepts that arise from these chapters. This differentiation will rest on the broad shoulders of our students who will choose which option best fits their particular talent sets.
There are two options for this course of study and students will have to choose one. These options are presented in more detail at the bottom of this document. One option is a textbook based, secondary source analysis, while the other is an American History primary source analysis. Intrinsic to both options is the reading and absorption of all sections in chapters 11, 12, and 13. There will be individualized tasks within each choice. The point values will be the same for all students, but the specific tasks will be different. For example, a student who chooses the textbook based secondary source analysis will have a different set of tasks to complete than the American History primary source student. Direct instruction will be conducted by groupings, so not all students will receive directed instruction each day. On the days when students are not engaged in direct instruction, they will have class time to work on their specific task at home. Underscoring this is that students will have to make efficient use of their time outside of class. Students will be asked to make a commitment to their choice on _____________________.
I have outlined the two choices to all students. The choice is going to be left to them. I encourage you, as parents/ guardians, to discuss which option is best suited for your particular student, your emerging scholar. While the problem here could be the choice, it could also be the source of liberation, as students can strive to find their academic voices through an appropriate choice. I stress to all students that their choices are for them, and them alone, and they should choose what they think is best for them. These tasks will be done individually, so collaboration with colleagues will not be an option for this unit. As with all choices, it is my hope that students make the right choice, for the right reasons.
The last point I would like to make here is one based on the notion of differentiation. Over the year, I believe that I have taken special strides to differentiate the content in American History in order to reach every student. However, I have always claimed that a large component of differentiation of content is contingent on student choice. When students choose to find their academic voice, choose to inject their passion and zeal into their work, and choose to display their heart within the paradigm of intellectual discourse, differentiation has been accomplished as content has gained more purpose. In this particular unit, groupings have been offered and within each designation, further differentiation is even more evident. Yet, students will have to choose which task is best suited for them. Every student will be granted equal access to all options. All students are entitled to a pasture within which their intellectual sojourn can take place.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at school or at home (__________________________). In the final analysis, as we begin our mad dash towards the end of the year and the Final Assessment, it is the choices of our students, your emerging scholars, that will be able to demonstrate the best chance of success.

Thanking you in advance,
Mr. Kannan
P.S. Students will receive the calendar of events, a sequence that lists due dates of all specific assignments, once choices have been declared. Our journey begins with all students reading chapter 11, so if students wish to move at their own pace, they could begin here. In the words of the great coach, “Is this fun or what?!?”

Unit: Growth in America
Chapter 11- North and South Take Different Forms
Chapter 12- The Age of Reform
Chapter 13- Westward Expansion


Two Options:
1) Textbook Based Secondary Source Analysis
2) American History Primary Source Analysis

Requirements:
* All students will have to read all the sections from the texts and compose notes on said reading.
* Direct instruction will transpire each day with different groups. Grouping calendar will be distributed. Different deadlines for different groups, and each group will be responsible for meeting their specific deadlines.
* Each grouping will have to complete different tasks on chosen items.
Description of groupings:

1) Textbook Based Secondary Source Analysis
In this grouping, students will have to do the following:
• Read each section of each chapter
• Take notes on each section (to be submitted at the end of each unit)
• Complete the Check Your Progress Questions from each section (to be submitted at the end of each unit)
In addition to this, as each chapter is concluded a unique assessment will accompany completion:
Chapter 11- Multiple choice exam
Chapter 12- Top 10 List for Age of Reform
Chapter 13- Outcome Sentence Assessment on Westward Expansion

This is a very straight forward and direct method of analysis on chapters 11, 12, 13. For those who can follow the direction of the textbook and ideas presented, this will be a good option. The end of the chapter assessments will challenge students in understanding how to synthesize what is understood in the text which application in different arenas.



2) American History Primary Source Analysis
In this grouping, students will have to do the following:
• Read each section of each chapter
• Complete one set of Check Your Progress Questions from each chapter (to be submitted at the end of each unit)
• Read the Primary Source Documents on each topic
• Complete the questions for each Primary Source Document
In addition to this, as each chapter is concluded, students will be asked to compose an essay on a Document Based Question (DBQ) from each chapter. Document Based Questions, or DBQ’s, assess the ability of each student work’s comprehension of historical sources in multiple forms. These are writing prompts/ essays which ask students to analyze meaning, point of view/ biases, and historical evidence as students develop and support a thesis. (Taken from www.edteck.com/dbq/testing/dbq.htm)
This is a very strong option for the student who enjoys examining history in “real time.” The student who likes to make connections between history in the textbook with real life narratives would enjoy this option. The writing of the DBQ would be challenging and serve to provide the basis of “how to write in history.”



I do hope this starts the dialogue. The wordle above is composed of my narrative comments of teaching assignments delivered to classes thus far. My hope is that students can find their own assessments or their colleagues’. Best wishes for the chapter 9 exam on Friday.

All best and happy hunting and choosing.
Mr. Kannan

Living as a teacher, yet making choices as an emerging scholar

With our return from Spring Break, our teaching assignments will take flight. No doubt, students will have some interesting stories to tell about their foray in teaching a class, assigning and grading homework, assessing student performance and administering an exam. This should be unique, to say the least. However, the real interest will lie in what confronts students after the teaching assignment. In covering the topics addressed in chapters 11, 12, and 13, students will be faced with a choice. They will have to decide if they wish to approach the content within a standard textbook framework of through the composition of Document Based Questions. I think that both will be challenging, but students are going to have make a choice about whether they have a passion to explore their talents in history and writing. This will be where I think the more interesting aspect of our students’ choices will lie.

For now, let students be teachers. Let them experience the dizzying highs an painful lows of being an educator. Let them live at the hyphen, replete with its discomfort and anxiety. Once they are done with this, we will stand back allowing them to choose. In the next couple of weeks, blog entries will be focused on both options.


For now, though, happy hunting.

Mr. Kannan

Wordles, homework, teaching and learning

The week before Spring Break brings with it a sense of excitement and anticipation regarding our teaching assignments. Students will have a series of deadlines this week that will help determine the overall success of this task:
• On Monday, all homework assignments, study guides, and lesson notes will be due. If students wish to have these items photocopied for their classes, Monday would be the day to submit them.
• At the end of Tuesday’s class period, all visuals must be completed.
• Wednesday and Thursday will bring with them the submission of a “wish list,” or items students need for their teaching assignment.
We will also spend Monday and Tuesday in the auditorium during core extension in the auditorium listening to panel presentations from former 7-1 students. These individuals will engage in a discussion based on their experiences with this assignment. This type of discussion will lend itself to an open question and answer forum with our current students. For former students to see a younger version of themselves and for current student to see a prospective vision of themselves will represent a very compelling juxtaposition of time. I believe that such a forum will allow our students to have a better understanding of the course they will chart and how to navigate the real pitfalls that might be present. While we do approach Spring Break, our focus is on the successful completion of work and ensuring that our attention is present in this domain. On a more pedestrian level, please keep in mind that signed report card envelopes are due on Tuesday in Social Studies for a homework grade and that 3rd trimester progress reports go home on Monday with a signature due back on Wednesday. From teaching to group designations, construction of visuals, designing of wordles and graphic organizers, to developing lessons, instruction, and homework to different types of learners, we are approaching a sense of “Show Time” moving closer and closer. Once we return from Spring Break, students will engage in their teaching of students. This should last about two weeks and then we will be examining the ideas that arise from Chapters 11- 13, Industrialization and American reform, and Westward Expansion. Over spring break, I will post via the blog some thoughts as to the form this course of study will take. I believe that our intensive journey will reach a zenith with the ideas presented in these units. Please consider helping our students, your emerging scholars, achieve their maximum by asking them pertinent questions about where they are, where they need to be, and their thoughts on from where to where we have come. For example, an excellent topic of conversation would be for parents/ guardians to ask students how things are progressing in their groups. Who has been doing a really good job or who has been lacking in matching the group’s intensity are excellent topics to discuss. Asking students how they envision teaching the class, grading the homework, or how to maintain classroom order would all be areas of fertile chatting. I do hope that the discussions we are starting and initiating in class can be carried on outside of it with family members and parents/ guardians. Our journey is reaching its natural conclusion. While we have so much to go before our end, it is imperative that as we note from where to where we have come. Our voyage towards scholarship has developed quite a distinctive and beautiful arc. Happy hunting and all best. Mr. Kannan

Teaching

We enter our second week of the student led teaching assignment on chapter 9. Our classrooms seem to emulate much of a modern school. Throughout the classroom are questions that seek to define what constitutes “essential concepts,” queries that hope to analyze how students “get it,” and the proverbial issue as to how students learn. I think this assignment models much of what teaching in the modern setting embodies. There are some very inspired notions of how teaching can be transformed. Scavenger hunts, games, innovative lessons, and classroom designs are being forged. At the same time, there are teaching assignments that are striving to be heard. Just as in the modern educative setting we have teachers who demand to be heard and some teachers who need assistance, we are seeing all forms emerge in our teaching assignment. The most important element that must be pursued in all of our students is the idea that teaching must embody some commitment to outside of class time. When students do this, there is a greater chance of good things happening in the classroom realm.

The focus of this message is to outline how things will progress while students are assembling their teaching assignment. Monday will mark the first week of using our daily points rubrics. Students will be assessed daily on how well their focus is presented in class and will also receive points of mandatory credit for working well during class and ensuring that their focus is on instruction. In addition, students will be receive updated third trimester progress reports on Monday, 3/23. These reports need to be signed and returned by Wednesday, 3/25. At this point, students who have made the commitment to their teaching assignments are progressing quite well into third trimester. Those whose commitments are not as strong are seeing their grade advance as such. My hope is that one of the most fundamental aspects of teaching is revealed through this assignment. The need to follow through on one’s commitment is the only way to academic, personal, and intellectual salvation.


Naturally, all stakeholders can access student grades through mygradebook.com. A log in widget is present on the left hand side of this blog. In addition, students are encouraged to access the class wiki in the hopes of advancing their commitment to the discussions that are ongoing in class. Finally, students have been made aware that signed syllabi for extra credit will be phased out in the upcoming weeks. While I will still offer writing based extra credit, I will be phasing out this aspect of the extra credit domain. We are advancing towards the end of our journey. While we progress towards this end, we should not tiptoe in inches, but rather strive in yards with our heads held high and a sense of striving complemented by an air of triumph has to be evident.

March on, you intellectual soldiers, purveyors of “the good, the true, and the beautiful.”

Mr. Kannan

P.S. As you sojourn in a powerfully compelling demeanor towards your goal of scholarship, don't forget that you might need some help along the way. Hubris is fatal in a journey of this magnitude. I have some ppt lessons that students have composed for their teaching assignments. You can find these under the link of "Recent PowerPoint Lessons" and look for the folder called "Student Exemplars." In addition to this, check back to the blog, as I will be featuring some links below to a website called, "Teachertube.com"- a forum for teachers to post examples of student work. Some of these items might help you in your quest to prepare a lesson. Enjoy!

Living at the hyphen: The Student Led Teaching Assignments for Chapter 9

With ISATs coming to a merciful end, we are now able to fully focus our energies on what lies ahead. I think an appropriate line of inquiry might be to ask what could top the final exam? What could be more taxing than a five day exam that covered two trimesters’ worth of work? What could be conjured that would demand more than an exam worth 58% of a student’s overall grade?

One word: Teaching.

Teaching.

Teaching?


As long as I have taught, I have believed that after a certain point of time with students, they need to be let in on the process, they need to “crack the code” and experience life on the other side of the podium. I cleave to the fact that teaching allows them this opportunity. Students received the next task on Thursday/ Friday, a nearly 20 page document on how to design, implement, instruct, and assess a lesson from chapter 9, the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Students had one assignment over the weekend: To annotate the document and generate as many questions as possible so as to gear our discussion on Monday. My hope is that students arrive to class on Monday with as many questions as possible to make a more worthwhile endeavor.

These student taught lessons on chapter 9 will prove to be the most challenging endeavor yet. Part of the reason that it will be so challenging is that students are not in complete, absolute, total control of the final product. Over time, I have come to understand the dynamic of pure teaching and learning as something that compels one to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. There is no totality in the process of teaching and learning. Students arrive into the classroom with their own set of cognitive, metacognitive, personal, psychological, and mental baggage and the teacher becomes a sort of “intellectual doctor” who must assess and diagnose the particular conditions in the hopes of achieving a worthwhile lesson of instruction. I feel that I have tried my best this year to live at this particular zone that allows me to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. This notion of teacher- practitioner sees me living at “the hypen” and it has made our journey one that has been uniquely distinctive. Now, I think the time is right to hand over the reins to the students. They have spent enough time on the bench. Now, it is time for them to experience game situations in “real time.”

Students will have to choose a topic from chapter 9. Then, they will have to design a 40 minute lesson that instructs their students on essential concepts within that topic. Students will have to be responsible for content instruction and classroom management. Students will be responsible for attendance, and ensuring each of their “pupils” are on task. Students will be responsible for issues of discipline and managing focus. Students will be responsible for creating a visual that embodies their content. Students will be responsible for designing, distributing, and assessing homework. Students will be responsible for designing and composing a portion of the chapter 9 exam. Students will be responsible for running study sessions and developing study guides. Students will be responsible for achieving a class average of 70% on their component of the exam. Students will be responsible for ensuring that they assess the overall learning performance of each student. The theme of this unit would be that of responsibility. This task will be one of the most challenging that students have faced because they have to be in control of their decision making skills and then account for the choices of their colleagues. Once again, it becomes a challenge to live comfortably in the realm of discomfort.

Students will be give a timetable for completion of tasks this week. This can also be found on this blog, under the “Handouts” link. I believe that the process of constructing lessons on chapter 9 might allow our students another opportunity to demonstrate their talent in advancing their journeys towards scholarship. In this process, I think it would be worthwhile for students to contribute their thoughts to the class wiki, whose link can be found on the top right hand corner of the blog. The notion of living at the hyphen can be enhanced when we engage in worthwhile dialogue about what it means to reside in such a challenging neighborhood.

I know that this is fun.

All best and happy hunting!

Mr. Kannan

“And now what do we do?” Life after the Final Exam

I know I have referenced this before, but given where we are, I think its reference is appropriate. The film, The Candidate, has always intrigued me. Robert Redford plays a man running for Governor of California. The race between he and his establishment foe, Crocker Jarmon, is an intense one and on election night, when polls indicate that he has won, there is a celebratory mood around campaign headquarters. In a vintage Robert Redford moment, he pulls his campaign advisor into a private room and asks him the very same question that many 7-1 students might ask themselves now with the conclusion of the Final Exam:
“Now, what do we do?”

Celebration, spirits, and absolute pandemonium drown out any hopes of a meaningful answer.

While there is much to be mirrored from 1970s American cinema, I can only hope that we, as 7-1 stakeholders, answer our question differently.

The Final Exam is done. There are some students who will need additional time due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances to complete their exam. Yet, the vast majority of 7-1 students completed the week’s worth of testing their understanding of concepts in American History and showed a great deal of character and strength in the process. The use of the small piece of paper, the focus, and the discussion amongst peers about questions such as, “What did Harlan mean by that quote?” or “Who talked about freedom and chains?” were the types of discussion starters that I hoped would be generated by the exam. I also felt very proud about how students fought through an exam that constituted the very essence of “challenge.”

The grades for the exams have been posted at www.mygradebook.com and have been sent out to all stakeholders in an email “blast.” The trimester grades posted right now constitute where students would be if the trimester ended today. Obviously, in the short term, students might wonder what can be done to move their grades upwards or, perhaps if within close proximity, how to advance their status. I would think that one option that can be pursued would be to undertake the Constitution Extra Credit tasks that are going to be due on Friday, 3/6. This gives students just under a week to complete work samples that would expand their understanding of the Constitution and the issues related to it. Another option would be for students to complete a series of short answer prompts that will be assigned this week concerning chapter 8 reading. These are not mandatory, but will be worth about 10 to 15 points each. Finally, students will receive a progress report on Tuesday and is due with a parent/ guardian signature on Friday. This will be worth 20 points. These can be undertaken in the short term.

If students are concerned with a long- term focus of what to do now in the wake of the Final Exam, there are options available in this domain. Students have been given a copy of the Final Exam. If students make appointments with me, I am happy to go through a student’s answer sheet against the exam so that students can understand why their particular choice was incorrect, or engage in a conversation about “what happened.” If approached by students, I will be happy to rework their exam with them in an individualized manner. It should be noted that there will not be any revision opportunities for the exam, but if students are interested in sensing how they can improve in the multiple choice test taking domain, I would be happy to facilitate this process. Another option would be for students to harness their energies into the next assessment. After the week of ISATs, we will be starting our next unit, a student led teaching assignment on Chapter 9. This will be detailed in next week’s blog. In total, this assessment will be worth over 800 points into 3rd trimester.

If there is any lingering legacy from the Final Exam, I think it would lie in the validation of the importance in completing extra credit and additional work. Students who undertook extra credit opportunities prior to the exam found themselves the benefactors both in points and knowledge. I witnessed instances where students who completed the extra credit opportunities present before the exam did not need a strong exam score in order to maintain their high standard of work. I also witnessed cases of students who completed extra credit opportunities and fared very well on the exam (A record number of “A”’s were scored on this exam. In years past, we only saw four “A”s on this exam, while this year we saw over 10 A’s alone.) These students who scored so very well also were mavens of extra credit. Finally, I saw cases of students who might have not fared very well on the exam, but had completed extra credit in such strong quality and quantity whereby the exam’s effect was benign.

Yet, there is a flipside to this coin.

For students whose focus were elsewhere in the weeks leading up to the exam and failed to undertake extra credit, adequate preparation, or nightly study during the week of the exam, the effects were quite disastrous on a student’s grade. In addition, students who failed to complete any of the extra credit made available, there was a sense of opportunity lost and a sense of regret entering their psyche. Perhaps, this was the lasting testament of the Final Exam. While there will always be looming and rather large assessment, there will be an equal amount of opportunities made available prior to such high stakes assessment. At some points, all students have to make choices in demonstrating their commitment to success. This is the reality that confronts all learners, and played itself out in the life of 7.1 Social Studies Students.


We have short term and long term options that lie in front of us. Students will choose their paths and it is my hope that they choose well. Naturally, all of us await the choices of our students, 7.1’s emerging scholars. To all of them, I can only wish the best in their choices as we approach the last leg of our collaborative journey.
All best and happy hunting,
Mr. Kannan

P.S. In the attempts of gearing student choice towards taking a more active role in class discussions or ideas, please invite your students to visit and add to the class wiki whose link is found in the top left hand pane of the blog. As we strive to integrate technology and teaching into a new form or “teachnology,” contributing and adding to the class wiki might be one such way to bring together both domains.

The calm before the storm: The moments before the Final Exam

If you listen closely, you can hear it. You can sense it in the air, feel it in the water. It is the sense that all 7-1 students share in a collective entity at this time, at this precise moment.

The Final Exam approaches.

The last month and a half of blog entries has been devoted to the Final Exam. What it is, why it is present, how to prepare for it and what to expect during it. This is what we have building towards from the start of the year.

The exam starts on Monday and continues until Friday. Students should use the interim to review essential concepts and important points that are on the exam. In addition to this, students can also work on the extra credit tasks on the Constitution that are due on Wednesday, March 4.

I wish all 7-1 students all the best in completing this exam and in rising to one more challenge in their 7-1 experience.

All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan

“Here they come around the turn…” One week before the Final Exam

The following is a reprint from the blog entry exactly one year ago today. The focus for that blog entry, as this one, is preparation for the final exam. I find it interesting that similar challenges from last year’s (now former) scholars, are ones faced by this year’s emerging scholars. I have altered some of the dates to fit in with this sequence, but the helpful tips are still highly applicable. Next week’s blog entry will be a small sampling of words of wisdom while the following week’s entry will be thoughts observed in “real time” as students complete their exams.

We are closing out strong. The Social Studies final exam starts on Monday, 2/23 and lasts until Friday, 2/27 For this week’s blog, I thought I would focus on 10 things that can be done this week for all students to enhance their chances of doing well on this important exam and help strengthen their status in the class for second trimester. All of these items should be integrated into student academic habits not merely this week, but throughout their remaining time in this class.

* Focus on this week’s in class and on nightly assignments- With one week to go, students should pay attention to all the nightly tasks this week. Our discussion will address the Civil Rights amendments and final points that need to be made on the Constitution. I believe that while students are studying all that will be present on the Final Exam, there might be a tendency to forget the items discussed this week. This would be a mistake, so being mindful of this week’s content might prevent such a miscalculation from happening.

* Work on the study guide each night- Students were given a five page study guide which addressed all pertinent items on the final exam on the week of 2/9. (Extra copies can be found on this blog under the hyperlink of “Handouts.”) It is strongly advised that students make nightly progress on this packet, one section at a time. Students should use their notes, any work they have created, as well as their textbook in addressing what each concept is and why it is important. Naturally, since the format of the test is multiple choice, students should be able to state specific facts relating to each concept as well as its overall general importance or significance. The study guide is comprehensive, so time should be devoted to it on a nightly and incremental basis.

* Generate questions about study guide and compose them on a separate list, segmented out by chapter/ concept. As students work on their study guides, any areas of question or wonderment should be noted in a separate list. My hope is that they understand much of the study guide, as it is review of material that we have discussed throughout the trimester. Yet, areas that require further analysis should be noted on a separate list, and as these areas are addressed, there should be a stronger sense of confidence developed about these topics.

* Attend study sessions with questions to be answered. There will be lunchtime study sessions held this week, as well as a Thursday and Friday morning study session. This puts the number of study sessions at 4. Students can attend any and all of these, as all study sessions will be generated by student questions which make them all uniquely distinctive and different. The study sessions could be excellent opportunities where student questions can be answered. While these are informal question and answer sessions, where there will be no formalized reteaching of concepts, attendance will be taken. Students who are having challenges with the format of the exam, or the concepts presented should use these sessions as opportunities to open the dialogue and minimize confusion about what is being presented. Passes will be made available on the chair outside of my room. It will require a sacrifice from students, as they will have to make a choice between the opportunity to socialize with colleagues and gain further understanding about the exam and what is expected form students on it. This is a choice they will have to make. The opportunities to maximize student success are there, and the hope is that students will seize it.

* Examine the blog- Complete some of the extra credit offered this week. As we are taking stock of where students are and what is laid in front of them, the reality is that at the time of composing this blog, there are over 1200 points for this trimester. In addition to this, there have been over 200 points of extra credit offered. Perhaps, this week would be one week where students might seek to bolster their standing in the class before the final exam by completing some of the extra credit offered on this blog. The “Wacky Metaphoric Analysis” could yield up to nine points of extra credit for well composed written answers, and identifying the speaker of the quotations has proven to be quite lucrative for a handful of 7-1 students. Finally, if we generate 100 votes on this week’s poll question, every student on the team will receive 10 points for exercising their democratic sensibilities. All of these could be dismissed as “easy points,” but the looming storm of a 640 point exam might require students to secure their grade before it hits. I see little wrong with building up some “rainy day” points, in the event it pours next week.

* Extra credit, part 2- As long as there have been teachers and students, there has been the question of extra credit. I think there is little doubt as to where I stand. Extra credit is an opportunity for all students, made available to all students, and designed in order to assist all students. At this point in their academic careers, I believe students must understand that academic success can take different forms. Students can be proficient at taking tests, demonstrate strength in their writing, and excel at assembling projects. I also believe that students should strive to go beyond the content in acquiring as many points as possible. Perhaps this means doing more work, or opening a dialogue with parents/ guardians about what is transpiring in the classroom via obtaining signatures. This week, students will be given a series of extra credit tasks offered on the Constitution and the current political climate. Exploring one or more of these options could prove to be both academically lucrative and intellectually enlightening for all students. The due date for completed tasks to be submitted is Wednesday, March 4, 2009. While these reside in the long term, students can get this week’s syllabus and progress report signed for extra credit. Again, this opportunity is made available to all students in the hope of helping all students.

* Completing the daily points- Another opportunity open to all has come in the form of daily points. Over the last two weeks, students have been greeted with their entrance into class with “Daily Points.” These are random questions on the Constitution and serve as an excellent source of test question material on the Constitution. Each student receives one random question and a successful answer yields fifteen points. If a student wanted to test their knowledge base on the Constitution, many of these questions have been given to students in the packet received last week. In a larger sense, completing these questions helps to gauge student understanding on a concept that will be prevalent on the Final Exam.

* Examine the blog- As long as I have taught, I have always featured a “Final Exam.” I think there is something quite powerful about demonstrating what is known in one setting, displaying focused energy throughout. This week, I will be posting previous Final Exam questions from the last couple of years on the blog (under the handouts link.) Former final exam questions will be on the exam. These questions will be posted on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night. I will have the answer keys posted in the Team 7-1 Team area, so students can check how they fared with these and any questions can start a discussion. While the questions will be different on this year’s final exam, I think it might help to serve as a good guide to familiarize students with topics covered. Exam questions will be posted on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night.

* Pay attention to the guide on how to study- Students were given a handout last week which outlines a method on “how to study” for this Final Exam. I realize that all of our students have their own methodology for exam studying. Yet, in giving students some of my personal advice on how to prepare for this comprehensive assessment, I believe that it might help students engage in a worthy internal discussion of metacognition; How do I know what I know? I believe that some professionals simply “assume” students “know” how to study, and while this might be true for some, I believe that other students simply have been told to “study.” This document might offer some strategies on how to proceed with this element of being told to “study.”

* Make the commitment and keep the commitment to doing well- As students focus on wanting to do well on the final exam, the reality is that students will have to work as hard as they can to do so. I have told students to assume or take as a fact that this exam will be the hardest exam they have ever taken. I sense that a tendency of 7th grade students is to demonstrate a sense of pride, sometimes hubris, indicating that little can surprise them. My hope is that we can seek to minimize this. Students who anticipate challenge and embrace its reality are lifelong learners and true scholars. 7th grade students who choose not to study because they believe that they “know it all” demonstrate arrogance. One need only examine literature such as Sophocles or Shakespeare or examine the narratives of American History to see what happens when one demonstrates hubris when modesty should be displayed. I sense that if students want to do well, they must make a commitment to doing their best in preparing and ensuring comprehension of the components on the final exam. If they do and are willing to uphold their commitments in the face of those who might not possess the same sense of zeal, they will find success.

When I envisioned all the goals for this year’s Social Studies classes, taking this final exam was one of the benchmarks that would serve to measure our journey. We continue our voyage this week with final preparations and execution next week.

The nightingales are waiting to sing their songs. In the silence of preparation, one can hear emerging notes whose harmonies remind us of the promises and possibilities of what we do and to what idylls we commit ourselves.

Happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan

P.S. Due to a family emergency on Tuesday, I was not in school. Students were advised to continue to work on their study guides and prepare for the final exam. There will be study sessions tomorrow (Wednesday) during lunch and Thursday and Friday in the mornings. Extra credit due on Tuesday will be due on Wednesday and progress reports in Social Studies will be sent home on Wednesday, with a parent/ guardian signature for extra credit due on Friday.

“It is accomplished:” The Final Exam has been written

This blog entry will be truncated. There is not much left for me to say.

I have finished writing the final exam. The exam ended up at being 33 pages, 160 questions. I feel very comfortable with the material presented on it. I sense it is challenging and quite a daunting assessment. As it is sent off for duplication, I will be giving students a study guide and introductory letter for it this week. We will start the process of concluding the unit on the Constitution, and my hopes are that students will start the process of conferring with me on issues that need clarification. I hope students will heed my advice in advancing in their cause of scholarship by enhancing their advocacy skills through asking for help and ensuring that no academic stone is left unturned.

Study sessions for this week will be held on Thursday morning, 2/12. Next week, there will be study sessions Tuesday morning, 2/17 (the last one for extra credit), and during lunch Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There will be one last morning study session Friday morning, 2/20.

Next week’s blog entry will be devoted to what should be done to prepare for this exam, one that might prove to be the most difficult any of our emerging scholars have ever had the pleasure to confront. Another milestone approaches, and another benchmark reached.

Is this fun or what?

Mr. Kannan

Gordon Gekko and 7.1 Students: Truly “The Odd Couple”

At the time of posting this blog, the final exam is within three weeks. It is an exciting time to be a 7.1 student, even if they fail to recognize it. I believe that this is such an exciting time because we are in this intense drive to gain more knowledge, foster more understanding, and delve deeper into the Constitution. Each day in class exposes some new aspect of this document, and similar to the rose that opens only to illuminate the world with more complexity and intricacy, we end each class with more understanding and wonderment about its broad applications into the real world. I think that students are beginning to sense more power in what they are learning and the byproduct of this empowerment is the ability to raise more questions and seek to understand more of the world around them. There are few topics in middle school that possess this combination of wonderment and empowerment like the Constitution.

Yet, like all challenging topics, there is much within the Constitution that cannot be afforded to be deferred or put aside. One need only read Langston Hughes to recognize what the consequence of such a poor decision is. I believe that 7.1 students have to be vigilant of the Final Exam, of which the Constitution is a significant part. I believe that vigilance should not be confused with paralysis. If students take an active role in doing the best they can to reckon with a formidable adversary, then I believe that they will stand a better chance in defeating it. Naturally, studying and reviewing each night the concepts associated with the Constitution would be one such avenue where students can demonstrate a level of intellectual maturity. Another venue would be the policy of “stockpiling” points towards their grades in Social Studies. This would allow them the opportunity to protect their grade in the event of a showing on the exam that falls short of their high standards. This can be done in a myriad of ways. Completing nightly assignments, completing extra credit tasks, utilizing the skills of advocacy to secure more points towards their grade, and even entering the classroom with a sense of focus are all potential avenues that can be marched down with a strong and purposeful cadence. I would say that the last avenue has been the most revealing. I have seen a strong tendency in the nature of our students to await instruction in the entering of the classroom. Rather than fritter away the first five or six minutes of class, I have seen students enter the room and pay attention to an instruction that yields extra credit opportunity and actively seek it. This has resulted in syllabi that have become quite weighty with points at the end of the week. I stand by this appropriation of points for if students can acquire the habit of seeing classtime as an exercise of focus and actively embrace it, they should be recognized for such a professional demeanor. We are reaching a point in the year where our students are closer to the end of their journeys than the beginnings of it. Students must be challenged to achieve more for there is more expected from them. They are no longer the young cherubs that they might have been at the start of the year. They are entering the domain of leadership, increased responsibility, and greater perils associated with maturity. In honoring the trait of professionalism in our students, we seek to honor the best in what it means to be a scholar.

An icon of the 1980s, Gordon Gekko seems to loom large in my mind when I sense how students should approach class in the next three weeks. Standing in front of a group of corporate shareholders who seek nothing more than an answer to the question of how he intends to make more money for the company (and, of course, himself) he takes the microphone in that jet black suit and white shirt and looks into the eyes of an auditorium as well as a nation as he says, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good, Greed is right.” He continues to expound on this philosophy and in his explanation, I believe we find the 7.1 Social Studies student right now, at this point in their lives: “Greed in all its forms: Greed for love, greed for knowledge, greed for life, greed for understanding. Greed captures and clarifies the essence of humanity. Greed is what will fix not only this corporation, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S. of A.” While the model of corporate irresponsibility is reprehensible, and as our President stated this past week, represents “the height of irresponsibility,” I hope our students embrace Gekko’s vision of a world where students pursue a greed for knowledge, for points, for understanding, for seeking to develop a better vision of the world and their place in it. I believe that this notion of “greed” will allow our students a better chance to grasp “the good, the true, and the beautiful.”

All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan

“I can feel it in the air, I can feel it in the water:” The 7.1 Social Studies Final Exam

This week’s Inauguration of President Barack Obama provided a singularly powerful moment of convergence between American history and politics. This singular instant was “superhistorical,” something that exists in the moment and simultaneously transcends it. In discussing its relevancy in the following days, I felt that 7.1 students understood its powerful nature and grasped the idea that we, as participants in history, stand within it and possess the potential to stand outside of it. In this setting, we turn our attention to the study of the United States Constitution and the 7.1 Social Studies Final Exam.

I have always felt that there is an intellectual holy triad of what students possess when they depart 7.1 Social Studies. The first component would be the study of American Revolution and Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. The last piece of this puzzle would be Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The link between both would have to be the United States Constitution. It is the connective thread that brings together the hope of independence and the complexity of freedom. It bridges the chasm between, what now President Obama termed, “the promise of ideals” and “the reality of the times.” I feel it is in the study of the Constitution where we see our students mature in front of our eyes, emerging into the pantheon of scholarship as they grapple with the intent of the framers, constitutional penumbras, and a startling combination of absolutes and subjectivity. I look at teaching the Constitution as a highlight of not only the year, but an honor within my profession. In identifying the concepts that I feel define the essence of “education” and my sense of being as a “teacher,” the U.S. Constitution is within the top five. (I must admit that I felt that my students last year missed out on another moment when I did not close the year with my recitation of Whitman’s “O Captain, My Captain.”)

Our study of the Constitution is a challenging one. We move at a rather quick clip, knowing very well that what we touch can only start a journey and never end it. I have indicated to students that with this material, their lives will be forever changed. One way to reaffirm the significance of this content is with the Final Exam. Our exam is scheduled for the last week of February and will consist of about 200 multiple choice questions from chapters 5, 6, 7, and the Constitution. It will take five days to complete. It will be a challenge for the study of from where to where we have come is also a challenge. I have said that it is this final exam that will test the mettle of our students, and examine how committed to scholarship they are. I have also stated without equivocation that this exam will be the most difficult exam they will take this year, and possibly, in their Julian careers.

Naturally, the looks on student faces were priceless.

As we study the Constitution and its implications, we have our eyes fixed on both the present with a gaze that is situated towards what lies beyond. The exam is roughly a month away and steps are being taken to ensure that all students find success, and that no child is indeed left behind. The first measure that is being offered to all students is a greater opportunity to complete extra credit. All students should be working nightly on Social Studies work related to the Constitution. However, students have been reminded that within their conception of work, extra credit resides. For example, if an assignment calls for a student to compose 5 outcome sentences, this would be the minimum. A student can earn extra credit if they compose more than the minimum. This stresses the idea to students that work done can only be enhanced with it being done well and with attention paid to detail. In addition to this, signed syllabi are being weighed with premium value. For example, students who enter class and follow instructions posted with absolute focus and dedication might be told to add a certain number of points to their syllabi. Obtaining a signature and returning it signed would make that syllabus quite a lucrative venture. Students are being reminded at multiple turns to engage in extra credit opportunities that are featured on the blog, such as the wacky metaphoric analysis, establishing the speakers of quotes featured, and garnering 100 votes for the weekly poll. Finally, study sessions for the Final Exam are being offered every Tuesday morning at 8:00 and during Thursday’s 4th period lunch. Students who attend these study sessions will find it helpful to ask questions, seek clarification, and gain more insight into concepts that will be assessed in great detail on the Final Exam. For students who attend the Tuesday morning study session, an added benefit will be 10 extra credit points for each morning study session attended. I will extend this same offer to the Thursday fourth period study session for the first week, but after that, I am looking to see if students can make the necessary arrangements in showing the needed commitment to pursuing academic integrity and increasing their intellectual capacity.

Students will be pushed within the next five weeks to give more of their hearts and minds in the battle for intellectual and academic supremacy. I don’t know what it says when I have to quote President Lyndon Baines Johnson when I say that the price for victory in this war will require more cost, more sacrifice, and perhaps more loss. I am hoping that the outcome is certainly better for old LBJ, but the message still remains intact: The cost of academic victory in this setting will be measured by how much commitment students show to their learning and ensuring they are making the most of the time they have before this exam seeks to test the most they have within them.

Students who are aware of their history will know that throughout intellectual currents there has been a sense of understanding about the magnitude of certain events. It can be seen in literature, as in when standing in the presence of the ring of power; one certainly feels its aura. It can be seen in poetry, as in when one reads Langston Hughes or a Shakespearean monologue. It can also be seen in history. For example, those who stood at the Inauguration last week knew they were standing in the moment of history, while those of us watching it knew immediately that we were basking in the glow of historical development. When confronted with the reality of significance, of purpose, and of meaning, one feels it all around them. It is felt in the air, it is felt in the water, it is felt in the heart. At the same time, the sentiments of battle rear itself for in this moment, we feel compelled to ward off the feelings of doubt that downplay this moment, that tell us this moment is nothing more than a moment. When trapped in a moment of purpose, of meaning, of relevancy, one must cast off the shackles of doubt and accept it for what it is: A moment in time, perhaps never to be repeated, while completely impossible to forget. I feel that in the experiences of our 7.1 emerging scholars, this time, this instant is one such moment in time.

To not give it the proper respect it deserves could be catastrophic and would indeed rise to the level of tragic condition. My deepest hope is regardless of outcome, students pay homage to such a moment that will test them. Similar to the Inauguration, this type of moment of convergence may never come again.

All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan

P.S. Updated progress reports will be sent home with students on Tuesday, 1/27. They can be signed and returned for extra credit on Friday, 1/30, the same day that Preamble Recitations will be assessed. Is this fun or what?

The State of 7- 1 Academic Union Address

This is a fairly big week for important speeches and addresses. In this same vein, I thought I would use this week’s blog entry as a type of “State of the Union Address” for 7-1 stakeholders. This address would be a barometer indicating where we are, from where we have come, and where we need to be in order to reach our goal. (One can imagine the audience members’ applause/ derision or not.)

We assemble here today at the half way point of our journey. From this point on, each step we take brings us closer to the end than the starting point. We are realizing that time is no longer on our sides. Some say that the best time for reflection is at the end of a journey, but I am of the mindset that reflection is best served at every possible moment before the conclusion of any endeavor because more can be remembered, greater amounts of precious details in their exactitudes can be recalled, and more meaning can be gained. I feel we are at such a point right now, at this time, in this moment. With second trimester midterm progress reports sent home on Friday, we are officially past the half way point and could be a good moment to ruminate, reflect, and in some case, recalibrate our efforts in the hopes of achieving the academic “good, true, and beautiful.”

I think that one truth that has emerged from the first half of our journey is that we have seen scholarship emerging, maturation being evident. For the most part, students’ fears and insecurities that have opened the year have become replaced with a sense of confidence and belief that while challenge is present, the desire to find success must be the tool used to meet such arduous and probing work. I believe that most of our students have become accustomed to the idea that difficulty will accompany them each step on this journey. There will be very little that can be discarded as “not important” and even less that will be seen as “easy.” Whereas at the start of the year this was frowned upon and even seeing tears shed because of it, students are now developing a sense of mental toughness or, what the scholar A.C. Bradley would call, “intestinal fortitude,” about what needs to be done in order to find success and the demands being placed upon their broad shoulders. For the most part, I believe we are seeing students rise to the challenge of scholarship asked of them at the start of the year. This evolution has to continue in these students and must take place in all of our students by the ending of the year if we are to have any hope of calling this year of teaching and learning “a success.” I believe that this is one of the benchmarks that we have to use and one that we can use each and every day when students are immersed in the process of teaching and learning. Each student can gauge this for themselves. At the end of each class, each student should ask of themselves the following question” “Have I utilized my time effectively as a scholar would?” If this question can be honestly answered in the unequivocal affirmative, I believe that students can sense their own evolution and grasp their own maturation.
I believe that this hopeful vision of student evolution and maturation will be put to its penultimate test in the next five weeks. On Wednesday, we start the lesson on the Constitution. This unit will be the last one before our final exam. This exam will cover chapters 5, 6, 7, and the Constitution. It will take five days to complete and will demand much of the students. It might be the toughest exam students have taken and will take in their time at Julian. In order for success to be evident on this exam, students must grasp the notion that every battle is won before it is ever fought (Thank you, Sun Tzu). It is inconceivable (Thank you, Princess Bride!) for students to do well on this exam if they have not committed every ounce of their energies and resources to doing well now. I do not believe that this exam can be met effectively if students do not understand that the emerging scholars they embody before the exam will be the quality producers as they complete it. I think that there are some steps to which each and every student on 7.1 can either recommit themselves or begin to process of commitment. The first step would be for students to keep up the nightly work that is assigned in Social Studies. This might consist of reading in the textbook, answering questions, composing outcome sentences, or even reflecting on what is being asked of them from a particular class. I believe that if we are to see our students discover greater and more varied notions of academic success, and then we must see them give more to their studies outside of class. What I strive for in this suggestion is for students to naturally complete work that is assigned, but in a larger sense, engage in some type of meaningful reflection about what is being taught, why it is being taught, how it can be relevant, and how it can have meaning in their lives. I think that if students can develop some type of intellectual imprint on their work through internal reflection, there will be a greater sense of satisfaction in their education and meaning to and in their work. This might be where we must start in seeing our students commit themselves to an education that has meaning, and to a school life with purpose.
Once this purpose has been established, I think that students have to confront themselves with another question: “What is out there that I can utilize in order to find success on the demon like assessments that lie in wait for me?” Throughout literature, mythology, and history, the greatest of leaders and heroes have been insightful enough to sense that tools that lie in front of them can be utilized in order to defeat challenging adversaries and snatch victory from the jaws what would have been likely defeat. In hearkening back to the protagonists of both old and new, I sense that our students are much the same. I think that there are some rather obvious tools students can use to help them on their quest. Embracing the policy of revising work that is unsatisfactory or less than what students are capable of producing would be an excellent place to begin. After this, students might have to ensure that the pedestrian extra credit is something that is integrated into their weekly modus operandi. Obtaining signed syllabi for extra credit, completing extra credit made available on the blog, or completing extra credit outcome sentences could be avenues that will open up greater opportunities for students and ensure that they are in the best position possible before embarking on an exam that will require a great level of sacrifice, of cost, and personal strength. I think that students can probably spend more time in their week examining the blog and its contents as well as downloading items from “Recent Powerpoint Lessons” and “Upcoming Tasks/ Assessments.” Simply put, each hero has something that lies in front of their eyes and proves to be invaluable in their quests of success and feats of glory. Revisions, extra credit, and the Social Studies blog might operate in such a way for our students.
I think that one of these elements that lie within so many of our students is their commitment. I believe that our students want to do well. When they see their progress reports, and witness a bevy of “A”’s and “B”’s, I notice a great deal of pride that is beaming. It should be noted that most middle school students are very coy about showing pride about academic work (But, strangely are much more demonstrative about how many people said “Hi” to them in the hallways.) Despite their concealment, I sense that there is a sense of pride in accomplishment. We must tap into that. We must find way to extract this and allow our students to be demonstrative about how strong in academics they are or the level of pride that is inherent in the amount of focus a student shows is in class. I think that tapping into this might be something that parents and teachers can encourage, but our students will have to do the heavy lifting on this task themselves. To this end, I believe that taking advantage of Social Studies study sessions might help. Starting from January 27, I will be offering Tuesday morning study sessions. Students who attend these study sessions and demonstrate focus and compliance will earn five points extra credit in Social Studies. I will also offer study sessions during lunch on Thursdays. These will not be extra credit, but material will be covered as well as reteaching options and greater explanation presented. I think that these sessions will be essential in helping students understand that taking pride in their work and redoubling commitment to the class can translate into success.
Sports psychologists often work with athletes in focusing on the outcome and not the result. For example, a basketball player steps to the free throw line with a chance to win the game. The positive result will be that they will be mobbed in glee by their teammates and that they will be declared the “MVP”. Conversely, a negative result will be that they will be shunned for their failures and the team will lose face. The sports psychologist would plea to the athlete that they should focus on the correct form in shooting a free throw, ensuring their body is aligned in their shot, and that they maintain the same routine that allowed them to shoot over 100 free throws in yesterday’s practice. By placing emphasis on the outcome and not the result, the athlete ends up being successful because distractions are placed out with only success as the focus. In much the same way, I think we need to do a better job of stressing to our students that the outcome is more important than the result. If students have taken care of each and every element prior to the exam, then the result of the exam will be of a lesser concern. I find that the students who endure the most amount of stress about this exam do so because they have not taken the needed steps to ensure success prior to it. This sense of drama and misplaced angst becomes self inflicted because students have not placed emphasis on the outcome. Attending study sessions, revising work, taking advantage of extra credit, and providing focus during instruction is the best way for our students to proceed into a pantheon of outcomes as opposed to a cave filled with insecure results.
The challenge we all have in front of us at this point in the year is a frighteningly clear one. What can we do to ensure that our students establish and maintain a pattern of academic success and growth? While students will be doing most of the work, parents can play a vital role by simply opening up the dialogue with their children about how this process is transpiring. Parents can serve as the managing directors of their child’s progress. If a student cannot discuss how they made steps in that day’s class towards doing well on the final exam, then this becomes a cause for concern. If a student cannot articulate what feature of the Constitution was revealed in classroom discussion, then this becomes a cause for concern. If a student cannot explain an outcome sentence they composed or cannot show a sample of an outcome sentence, then this becomes a cause for concern. In simply talking openly with students about their Social Studies experience, I think parents can play a vital role in the transformative experience in which their child is immersed. We stand on the precipice of an exciting, yet challenging time. The excitement lies in the fact that our students will be the intellectual warriors who will do something new, fun, real, and meaningful within their study of the Constitution and beyond. The challenge is that those experiences that prove to be the ones that resonate in memory usually exact a price and require a commitment. There can be no navigation beyond the intellectual beasts and demons that lie in front of our students. However, there can be great opportunity to rise to the better angels of our nature (Thank you, Lincoln!) and do something that has not been done before and might not be done after. It is in this definition where greatness lies and it is in this definition where I see all of our students.

All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan