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TEA Collaborative Learning Group
Annual Report
Rosenberger
2003
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How did your work with your team help you meet the professional growth goals you
set for yourself?
One of my goals was to maintain regular meetings for the year to increase productivity and inclusion of polar science into the curriculum. In order for this to happen, the TEA must take the initiative, and, in my case, travel to my Associates' site for the meetings. Using the total of our knowledge and input has certainly made for a very creative environment for brainstorming new ideas and reworking old activities.
How did your work with your team impact your content knowledge and pedagogy?
When three teachers get together, the result is a powerful setting for creative ideas. Two of us are experienced teachers and one is relatively new to the field. The other experienced teacher has taught Environmental Science for several years and the new teacher teaches Marine Science. Since I will be teaching Environmental Science for the first time next year, we often discuss curriculum of these classes. Polar science fits nicely into either class and I sometimes can sneak it into chemistry as well.
What materials / resources / workshops did you
use / produce / host with your team members over the last year?
I took an activity that I had created with added input from the Marine Science teacher to the TEA workshop in New York in July, . At the workshop, with input from other secondary teachers, the activity, entitled "Water Layering and Density in Ocean Water," was reworked to more closely follow the inquiry based model discussed. It has been submitted to the website but not yet posted (to my knowledge). Using the ideas and information from this TEA workshop, our team has spent time since then reworking other old activities to more closely fit the inquiry based model. We have all shared inquiry lessons and how-to's with other teachers at our sites as well.
Based on the past year,
what ideas do you have to improve the effectiveness of
your team interactions?
Again, regular meetings are a must. There is a certain group momentum that is difficult at first but, once it gets going, becomes easier. When the team members know that you meet at a certain time and day, it makes it easier to plan your week. Teachers are busy people!
Total hours of collaboration with each team member:
Colleen Robinson - 170 hours total since 6/12/2001
Bill Cleves - 114 hours total since 6/24/2001
Debra Byrd - 91.5 hours total
Additional reflections:
The mentoring team has definitely been a great experience even though it has been a tough road. I am so glad we have MADE ourselves meet these last few years since so many good ideas and experiences have resulted. I hope to continue with our weekly collaborations.
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