“Hey Mr.V, why…?”
“Changes, they are a’coming.”
These changes are subtle is is not readily visible from the reader’s perspective, but changes are being made that will spill-over into the class. Fueling the change is the introduction of newer technology and incorporation of a new textbook (Beck, Roger B. World History: Patterns of Interaction. Orlando, FL.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Print.).
Certain activities will be introduced to satisfy a purpose once reserved for the Index Card. To this I would include technology like the Promethean Board & iPads, which will expand our repertoire of credit generating activities. In addition, the dropping of the lowest test grade, which involved classes competing for highest exam averages, is similarly being changed. All classes will now have the lowest TEST/ EXAM grade dropped in the last marking period. This, of course, will not apply to quizzes. However, quizzes will no-longer produce two scores. Instead, the quiz will only produce the quiz score and not a corresponding lesson, assignment, or map score. These changes will begin with the most recent quizzes and T04.
Therefore, the benefit students once attributed to the Index Card will be derived from credit generating activities facilitated, at times, by technology. The competition between classes to achieve the highest average on exams has been eliminated. Every class now benefits from the dropping of the lowest TEST/ EXAM grade. Quizzes will now produce one grade- the actual quiz score.
While these changes have an immediate positive impact on all students, it doesn’t lower the bar of achievement. Students have been experiencing an increase in ‘POP’ quizzes over the past couple weeks. This increase is part of the changes described above and places a significantly greater emphasis on having a well-organized notebook. More so now than before, the notebook will influence a student’s performance during the term.
So, there you have it!
Mr.V giveth and he taketh away.
