Presentation Comments

"Strategies for Teachers of Secondary Students," Kansas City, Missouri, January 2006.

What was most valuable to you in this presentation?

• All was valuable.
• Presented information that is "old" in a new, useful way.
• Importance of front loading.
• The flow method and how it was presented.
• Concrete lesson plans that can be immediately transferred. Explained everything without catch phrases.
• Understanding the purpose of essential questions.
• Suggestions in Romeo & Juliet, which I teach.
• The role playing activity. The variety of activities. Hands on activities that I can take back to my room.
• Useful application to classroom.
• Strategies for activating student interest.
• Essential questioning, essential question.
• Examples and role modeling.
• Incorporating the learning theory of active participation for students with teacher guidance.
• Learning philosophies of learning and teaching.

What was most meaningful to you?

• The many, useful ideas and application topics along with cross discipline ideas.
• The strategies that were introduced. The practice of some of the strategies. The strategies to be applied in the classroom.
• Concrete lesson plans that can be immediately transferred.
• The need to have teacher direction.
• Front loading concept and better explanation of "essential question" that I've had before.
• The different kinds of models.
• The learning centered theories.
• Input from colleagues.
• Getting the students to connect to their lives using humor.
• When we discussed how to use ideas with certain texts.
• Making those inquiry questions.

What were the strengths of this presentation?

• Presenter's ideas, personal examples, experience, involvement, enthusiasm, knowledge. Engaging, entertaining.
• Continual monitoring of activities. The handouts and the flow method.
• The materials and lecture. Role playing.
• Practicality/useability. Gave many examples of how to utilize the strategies in the classroom.
• Research based, current theory and relevant.