Jump to content

Menu

Ideas for a co-op class for middle school-- notetaking? public speaking??


Recommended Posts

I was going to suggest the Great Courses How to be a SuperStar Student or something like that.  I taught high schoolers last year and am teaching this year at our co-op and I really am seeing how we've missed the boat on preparing them for how to study or how to take a test, etc.   Just a thought.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was going to suggest the Great Courses How to be a SuperStar Student or something like that.  I taught high schoolers last year and am teaching this year at our co-op and I really am seeing how we've missed the boat on preparing them for how to study or how to take a test, etc.   Just a thought.

 

oooooh---- will definitely look into this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think skills classes are great!

 

I did a public speaking/communication class for 8-10 year olds last year at co-op. Only they all thought it was Lego class. It was called Legos Class, and we build and shared Lego but MY focus, which I shared with them, was communication skills. I think it went really well.

 

I think note taking, public speaking, and group project work are all awesome skills to build in middle school. I think you'll get the most engagement from students if skills-based classes are delivered via content they're already interested in.

 

My son is taking one right now called Ninja Scholar Skills, and they have training missions (2-4 week units) on various topics like mythology, Latin & Greek, etc that overlay their skill building (typing, email and web ap use, personal goal setting/achieving strategies, etc). It's the class he's most motivated about.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm teaching Rocketry to a group of middle schoolers at our co-op this semester. It's not academic in the sense of having homework, but we are learning principles of physics and motion. Next semester we will do mostly conceptual physics, and our first project will be paper roller coasters from paperrollercoasters.com.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think skills classes are great!

 

I did a public speaking/communication class for 8-10 year olds last year at co-op. Only they all thought it was Lego class. It was called Legos Class, and we build and shared Lego but MY focus, which I shared with them, was communication skills. I think it went really well.

 

I think note taking, public speaking, and group project work are all awesome skills to build in middle school. I think you'll get the most engagement from students if skills-based classes are delivered via content they're already interested in.

 

My son is taking one right now called Ninja Scholar Skills, and they have training missions (2-4 week units) on various topics like mythology, Latin & Greek, etc that overlay their skill building (typing, email and web ap use, personal goal setting/achieving strategies, etc). It's the class he's most motivated about.

We have a FLL team and ds has learned amazing note-taking and public speaking skills from it, it is just something that has to be learned with the work they do. I've been shocked really, not that it is practical for everyone to do FLL but I definitely agree with trying to find a way for them to have the focus not be on notes on speaking but on them wanting to remember facts and having info they want to present it goes much easier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a FLL team and ds has learned amazing note-taking and public speaking skills from it, it is just something that has to be learned with the work they do. I've been shocked really, not that it is practical for everyone to do FLL but I definitely agree with trying to find a way for them to have the focus not be on notes on speaking but on them wanting to remember facts and having info they want to present it goes much easier.

 

What is a FLL team?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son is doing Mini Society.  They basically set up their own government, create a currency, create businesses and all the kids have jobs and earn money (their currency).  They learn about all sorts of things:  types of government, how to interview for a job, running a business, etc. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

My son is doing Mini Society.  They basically set up their own government, create a currency, create businesses and all the kids have jobs and earn money (their currency).  They learn about all sorts of things:  types of government, how to interview for a job, running a business, etc. 

 

This sounds interesting.  Do they use a particular set of materials?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Middle school co op things I've run the last few years:

Mock trial using the Fairy Tales on Trial book

Forensic science labs & solve a mystery (ordered teacher books off amazon)

put on a play

book club (prep for a library run 6 book trivia competition)

art classes (ok, not run by me, but a local art teacher homeschool mom)

Harry Potter

Dr. Who History (used a curriculum)

creative writing workshop

arts n crafts (cartooning, Sculpey Clay figures, book/movie characters out of perler beads, paper mâché, holiday wreaths)

Shakespeare (modern adaptation play for a small group)- another mom is running this later in year

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Middle school co op things I've run the last few years:

Mock trial using the Fairy Tales on Trial book

Forensic science labs & solve a mystery (ordered teacher books off amazon)

put on a play

book club (prep for a library run 6 book trivia competition)

art classes (ok, not run by me, but a local art teacher homeschool mom)

Harry Potter

Dr. Who History (used a curriculum)

creative writing workshop

arts n crafts (cartooning, Sculpey Clay figures, book/movie characters out of perler beads, paper mâché, holiday wreaths)

Shakespeare (modern adaptation play for a small group)- another mom is running this later in year

Can you please share the name of the Dr. Who curriculum?

Also the names of the forensic science labs and solve a mystery books?  

TYVM!!!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't read the whole thread but a possible skill to include--if it can be brought down to age level--is the Cornell note-taking system. It has you rule your page of notes in advance to allow space to the left and the bottom of the main notes to make a boiled-down version to study from.

 

I will be looking this up, thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you please share the name of the Dr. Who curriculum?

Also the names of the forensic science labs and solve a mystery books?

TYVM!!!!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sample-Lesson-Traveling-Through-History-with-Doctor-Who-1394730

 

The forensic science books are on Amazon.

Science Sleuths - Solving mysteries using Scientific Inquiry

Forensic Science for Kids- CSI Expert

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have access to computers: technology for learning. There is so much out there and it is so useful: sites for planning and scheduling an essay, tools for collaborative brainstorming, tools for referencing, cloud storage so they never again lose a paper because 'the computer ate it', presentation tools, how to critically access websites.

Edited by nd293
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have access to computers: technology for learning. There is so much out there and it is so useful: sites for planning and scheduling an essay, tools for collaborative brainstorming, tools for referencing, cloud storage so they never again lose a paper because 'the computer ate it', presentation tools, how to critically access websites.

 

 

 

 

I feel like kids learn better and retain better when they do things hands on, paper and writing it out long hand.  Once you have a idea of how you organize by hand, if you want to switch over to technology, then it is easy to do.  I personally do not use technology for organization, so I would make a poor teacher!

 

This might make a great idea for someone else though, as many of the ideas on this thread are. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...