1. KNOWING THE MIDDLE YEARS LEARNER Tuesday, January 13

2. LEARNING CENTERS Explore a set of Science Learning Centers as a student. What are the strengths of learning centers for Middle Years Learners? What are the challenges of learning centers for Middle Years Learners?

3. Essential Elements of Middle School Learning 20% due Tuesday, January 20 Working individually or in teams of 2 or 3 1. Create a personal definition of Middle School and Middle School Learner. 2. Develop a list of essential elements for successful student learning in a Middle School. 3. Create a tool to guide your observations of the day to day activities of a Middle School and their effect on student motivation, engagement and learning. 4. Use your tool to analyze your school site; Which programs and practices are successfully supporting Middle School learners? In what areas do you see room for growth? What ideas do you have for your own teaching and learning practices?

4. LEARNING CENTERS Explore a set of Science Learning Centers as a teacher. What are the strengths of learning centers for the teacher (in terms of planning, teaching and learning, and assessment)? What are the challenges of learning centers for the teacher (in terms of planning, teaching and learning, and assessment)?

5. Essential Elements of Middle School Learning 20% due Tuesday, January 20 Working individually or in teams of 2 or 3 1. Create a personal definition of Middle School and Middle School Learner. 2. Develop a list of essential elements for successful student learning in a Middle School. 3. Create a tool to guide your observations of the day to day activities of a Middle School and their effect on student motivation, engagement and learning. 4. Use your tool to analyze your school site; Which programs and practices are successfully supporting Middle School learners? In what areas do you see room for growth? What ideas do you have for your own teaching and learning practices?

6. Planning? Teaching and learning? Assessment)?

7. BRAIN RESEARCH APPLIED TO MIDDLE SCHOOL David Sousa – “all information comes into the brain through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch” Wait time? Allowing students more time to think. Wolfe and Brandt – “create engaging and relevant learning experiences”, “repeat concepts and skills”, “in interaction rich environments, thinking ability and memory increase” The “Big Truths” – within the first 5 to 10 minutes of class, summarization and reflection activities at the end. Bloom’s Taxonomy – knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

8. SOCIAL STUDIES CENTERS 1. Select a grade level and specific learning outcome. 2. Review our “Characteristics of Middle Years Learners” as well as the ideas from Chapter 3, Brain Research Applied to Middle School. 3. Working as a team, design a set of centers in which students will learn about this outcome. 4. Consider; What is the learning intent? What will the students do? What will the teacher do? What planning is involved? What materials are needed? What are the strengths of your center? What are the challenges? How will you know if the students have been successful? 5. Prepare to share you center idea with the class.

9. 1. What is the learning intent? 2. What will the students do? 3. What will the teacher do? 4. What planning is involved? 5. What materials are needed? 6. What are the strengths of your center? 7. What are the challenges? 8. How will you know if the students have been successful?

12. REFLECTION #1 DUE THURSDAY, JANUARY 15 What is important to you to learn about your students in the first days of school? How might you learn it?