Thing 5

I found several interesting things while reading the feeds that I subscribed to. I would like to discuss the idea of a mini-term. This student seemed to really get a lot out of this project that deviated from the normal routine of bells and rotating from class to class. I think it would be nice to see something like this in my school, but I do see the drawbacks from a teacher standpoint. It would take away from critical classtime, takes a lot of creative thought, well-thought and detailed planning, and requires highly skilled and pationate teachers. The instructors would have to totally buy-in for the project to be successful.

Teachers would have to develop a "hands-on" project like the one described and be very well organized. I read a few of the comments on his story and one said that it was too teacher-centered. While I agree with that statement, I understand the reasoning behind that fact. It was the first time trying something like that before. If the program is deemed successful, then I suggest it become more student-centered as they modify and change the program to improve it.

I also really enjoyed the fact that the writer, Anthony, could assess his learning at such a deep level. He gets the big picture of learning. This idea would probably be a very successful move for those students that feel confined or are board with the routine found in a typical schedule. I am not sure how successful this program would be if it were done more than twice in a year. We would lose out on the time necessary to cover all the material necessary for a student to have the foundation for college. Otherwise, I like it and would like to try to find a way to do something similar.