Lesson Plan, Assesment and JA

FIrst of all I wanted to talk about my lesson plan. I looked at everyones comments about them and I appreciate them all. There were good ones and bad ones but the point is to take them all in and see how they can improve the lesson plan. I used all the comments and went back and did some good dediting. I like the finished result a lot more. Also, one of the main weaknesses that I understood after I gave the presentation and is what many of the comments said was that the presnetor, or me, was weak. Ive always had this issue, but I learn how to correct it quickly. I am really competietive with myself and now im striving to speak clearer, louder and more organized so that the people in the back of the room can hear and understand. Thanks for the insight.
Chapter 11 in the course reader I thought was great. What it said about formative assessments was really interesting. I like alot of the ideas it gave like #2 (allowing studfetns to state in their own words an economic topic or topics in a paragraph) and #8 (ask studetns to submit article from the worldwide presson an economic concept or idea that was discussed in class). I wish I would have read this chapter before the lesson plan to help give me some ideas for the plan; it would have been useful.
I start my first session of Junior Achievemnt next Wednsday at Monte Vista HS. The teachers name there is Anessa Herron who actually graduated from Monte Vista and has been teaching there for the last five years. The class is an AVID class, mostly juniors, goal of attending college, first generation college bound, and come from middle to low income families. Ive meet the students already and have a rapport with them and have communicated with the teacher about the type of program i will be presenting.
Does anyone else have the financial planning program? NEFE?
Anyway, Ill lat everyone know how the first session goes next wednsday....

thoughts on active learning

I recall when I was in high school the classes that involved active participation and I also remember the classes that I had that did not have any form of active learning were the most dull and mind-numbing; including math class and even economics class. I think I probably learned the most in classes that had some form of active learning.
Getting students involved with classmates to discuss subjects that they like and do not like is a great way for them to learn. The active learning has to be organized and not just 'get with a partner and do your assignment' type of instruction. I also tutor ESL students at Chula Vista High School and sometimes when teachers allow this it creates distractions and students can not do their work.
The Course Reader talks about cooperative learning which I like very much. I like them because students get to take responsibility for the work of each other and their own learning, and also improve their problem-solving skills.
Chapter three also talks about the use of technology that allows cooperative learning styles to be implemented into a classroom. But what about classrooms that lack certain types of technolgy? I dont think all high schools are equiped with Blackboard.

edit

on my last post i mentioned somethin about a concern i had which was something I got off of the blog of Porfessor Imazeki, just wanted to restate my initial thought of such a strange cunundrum that i myself am also confused with, it is that people should get what they desrve when they gamble. making high risks whether your an investor, a banker, or an individual who takes on a loan they fool themselves into thinking they can not pay is taking a high risk. with risks there are rewards and there are consequences. My greater fear is that im looking at this in too simple terms so maybe Ill go back and look at what the professors comments were on herr blog. (After i do the readings of course...well some...atleast half)

intorductory entry

I chose futbolhead-danielalvarez because I play soccer about 3 times a week, sometimes more. Im not obsessed with the sport but I have always played, makes me feel good, and its always been a great way to meet new people and make new friends. I especially learned this travelling throughout Mexico and Ireland. I seem to consiously remember to bring my cleats everywhere I go, or at least a ball to pass around or juggle with other futbols heads; boys and girls. Indoor season is coming up so I wont be bringing those shoes around with me everywhere all the time. Baseball playoffs are coming up so if im not rooting for the home team im rooting for the team with the smallest payroll.
Since this is an econ blog there is something that concerns me that I want to share only because I can not make too much sense about it. Ok, so lets say we consider greedy people to be the bankers or investors who make risky moves as a way to make profits or income or reveue or a higher salary or whatever. But then we see people who take on risky loans and who can not afford to pay for them as somewhat victims. Cant we just say that people deserve to have their money taken away if they gamble with it?