A Long Awaited Update...

So, now is the time to take action! Wait... what type of action needs to occur?

Well, planning. Really. Just planning. Obviously, there is no way to teach a Quad D lesson if we do not take the time to plan a lesson or activity that involves our students moving passed a basic awareness mode of thinking to a real world reasoning. Our students constantly ask us what we (teachers) are teaching that will help them when they are in the real world. Maybe we should ask ourselves the same question.

The conversation of relevance will eventually turn into a matter of strategy. All great ideas can only exist with a successful execution. On page 51 and 52 of your Rigor and Relevance Handbook, instructional strategies are listed and described. These strategies are very familiar to us; we use brainstorming, discussions, note-taking, writing, and research without even acknowledging that we are doing so.

Answer these questions: Which strategies do you prefer? Why do you prefer one strategy over another?

After you answer those questions, really think about your responses. Now answer this: What strategies do your students prefer? Why do they prefer one strategy over another? Do these answers change based upon the individual student? Why does variation occur?

On page 53 and 54, these strategies are charted in a manner that showcases the effectiveness of the strategy in the quads. Do you agree with this chart? Are there specific strategies that you would alter?

Let's generate a discussion based on the material written in green and the questions in yellow. Post your responses and try to comment on other responses. Also, feel free to post links to other sites that further address this conversation or the RR Framework.

The link below concerns teacher portfolios. Check it out. How would you feel about creating a portfolio that documents the effectiveness of your teaching? Would this be an effective tool for teachers? http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no11.pdf