​The ImagineIT process has been a little different for me than for others, I’m sure. I was so excited to focus on connecting the different representations of Algebra and helping my students understand it more effectively. Then the school year started and I was teaching World History and had to switch gears. Between necessity and effectiveness it made sense to change the way history was taught at my school and I have had a successful year using this strategy. The most effective lessons during the school year were the ones where I gave the students more choice in content, presentation, and timeline. Students remember information about these lessons when I informally quiz them much more than during traditional read, annotate, and write summary lessons that administration pushes me to implement. The student focus groups agree that the student choice aspect of class has made this a great year, and celebrated when I told them about their final student choice project for the school year that they will begin in May.
I spoke with the two other history teachers at the school, and they have begun to implement more student choice in their lessons as well. They have made small steps, like giving the students the choice of which time period to study for a project about a certain theme or country. But, for the most part, the status quo of teaching history by teacher choice remains in place despite the excitement and productivity shown by my students.
Through this practice, I have learned a ton about how to teach math next year! I am so excited to give students more choice with how they attack problems and then working with their choices to help them make it smoother and more effective. It should create more student to student interaction, and push student thinking beyond rote memorization of steps and to them creating the process of solving with me as a support.