Important on first day of school...
Year 10 teaching ...
Teachers turn into organizational managers over the summer. At the family homestead, sitting in my most favorite chair, working late into July evenings that stayed light past midnight, I tapped out a mobile web site that I hope will be the students' go-to place for their daily learning chores. Honestly, based on student usage, I have had more failures in developing learning management systems than successes. Invested lots of time, created many online lessons, and later found them rarely used by the students.
Student feedback would be: "Too much" or "Too confusing."
The fact is that high school students do not spend a lot of time listening or trying to figure out the daily learning objectives. Like a creating a television advertisement, a teacher has a quick opener to gain the students' attention and earning their commitment to effort. Don't get their attention from the beginning and they are thinking about turning the channel.
I'm working without the distractions of wi-fi. I gain quality time without distractions. If only the classroom was the same.
Must deal with reality, and I think of the environment back home that is a competitive market for a student's attention.
My main goal for the site to be part of the daily rhythm of the class. Students visit the site automatically and get used to using the learning material. So far the lessons for Web I are started and posted. Here's the link: Mr. Sommer's Classroom
