Drill with Drill Rifles

One of the suggestions for improving cadet involvement in our Navy JROTC program is to conduct more rifle drill in class. The above short 5 minute video is a Navy JROTC unit conducting a portion of an Armed Drill routine. We will be conducting platoon unarmed and armed drill as a class period this year based on the cadet suggestion. In the past we focused on the after school drill teams while conducting drill during class periods but not with as much emphasis, we will change our focus. What that means to your class period is each individual cadet needs to focus and put more effort into drill than perhaps they did in the past. Your class period's ability to conduct both unarmed and armed drill is a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound) NJROTC goal for each of you. Our goal will be to conduct the platoon drill card for the Bethel Drill Meet by the end of the first Marking Period. 

Class Activity: You will draw drill rifles and a class leader will be designated to go through the basics of individual armed drill. 

Basics: 
Fall In.
Position of Attention.
Dress Right Dress.
Right, Left, and About Face.
Parade Rest and Rest.
Port Arms.
Mark Time March.
Forward March
To The Rear March.

Overview of Manual of Arms: :

• Do's and Don'ts of carrying a Drill rifle
• Professionalism, Maturity, and Safety
• Order Arms
• Port Arms
• Right Shoulder / Left Shoulder Arms
• Present Arms

Individual Areas of Focus When Performing Armed Drill:
Rifle positioning: placement of the hands, distance of rifle from your body, elbow placement, etc.

FOCUS and MAKE an EFFORT TO IMPROVE. 

Your Feedback on Improving Cadet Involvement in our JROTC Program

EACH CLASS PERIOD WILL REVIEW THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PICK THE TOP THREE RECOMMENDATIONS AND DEVELOP A SPECIFIC PLAN ON HOW TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN. 

CLASS LEADER FOR PERIODS:

2:  Cadet Suarez

4:  Cadet Walsh

6:  Cadet Vacas

7:  Cadet Stevenson

READ:  BASED UPON WATCHING "REMEMBER THE TITANS" AND YOUR ANALYSIS OF THE TECHNIQUES USED TO BRING THIS TEAM TOGETHER, YOU DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS:

• COMPETITIONS BETWEEN CLASS PERIODS
• MONTHLY PFT & COMMUNITY SERVICE COMPETITIONS
• POST WINNER
• WIN A SWEATSHIRT
• PARTICIPATION BY-NAME ROSTER OF ALL CADETS 
• PROMOTIONS & AWARDS IN THE AUDITORIUM MONTHLY
• UNIT READ BOARD
• PARENT MEETING
• MONTHLY PARENT NEWS LETTER
• UPDATE OF UNIT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS TO PARENTS
• GET TO KNOW THE PLATOON COMMANDERS BETTER
• CLASS LEADER BRIEF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
• AFTER SCHOOL EVENTS NEED TO BE BETTER ADVERTISED AND ORGANIZED BY CADET COMMAND ELEMENT.
• A TOP GUN CALENDAR NEEDS TO BE PUBLISHED
• POWER-POINT BRIEF OF OTHER JROTC ACTIVITIES
• COMMUNITY SERVICE, DRILL COMPETITION, FLAG CEREMONIES
• HOW THE UNIT WORKS: STAFF MEETINGS, ETC
• INTRODUCE THE CHAIN OF COMMAND
• REFORM THE PLATOONS
• ROTATE THEM AFTER A MARKING PERIOD
• DRILL:
• RE-INSTITUTE ARMED DRILL. 
• HAVE A DRILL EXHIBITION.
• CONDUCT RIFLE DRILL / DRILL IN CLASS.
• HOW TO PREPARE YOUR UNIFORM FOR UNIFORM DAY (MALE /FEMALE UNIFORM DAY PREP)
• SOCIAL ICE BREAKER  & COMPETITIVE GAMES AFTER SCHOOL
• ASSIGN EVERYONE TO BE AN OIC  /ASST. OIC FOR A COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT
• MORE THOROUGH BRIEFING OF HOW TO GO TO BLT OR LA/ST. ALSO, HOW YOU GET A RIBBON.
• TEACH NAVAL FLAG SIGNALING
• HAVE INVOLVED CADETS TALK TO NON-INVOLVED CADETS ONE-ON-ONE
• CLASSES ABOUT ALL OF THE ARMED FORCES AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
• TOP GUN: BASKETBALL 3 x 3, WIFFLEBALL. 

Learning to Write Code (Computer Programming)

I went to a teacher conference at the end of last week and they talked about an area that is key to innovation, and it is called Coding. This area is becoming a lost art. How does one program a computer to do something or solve a problem. Coding. It is about computational thinking, how to see problems and then how to solve or fix problems using technology. It is an area where many future jobs will be available in every field. Lets take a look at this...

There is this campaign sponsored by Computer Science Ed Week, called an Hour of Code, it runs from Dec 9 to Dec 15 so lets take a look.

Location of the Web-sight for the Tutorials: Click on Link below

Coding Tutorials

Homework Assignment: 
1. Determine Where you will do your Hour of Code? What computer & location will you be using?

2. Which Tutorial will you watch from the above Link?

3. Go to the Website and do the Hour of Code! It is okay if you program with a pair as a team, just let me know. 

4. You need to answer the top three questions by Tuesday (Close of Day on Dec 10th) by making a blog entry with your class period and first name & name of partner if you are pair programming.   

Let Us Grade Homer

Purpose of this Task in Class: To become more familiar with the school-wide rubric (assessment tool) which will be used for you to assess and evaluate yourself, your peers, and that the teacher will utilize to assess and evaluate you. 

Administrative Instructions: 

• Provide every student with their own hard copy of the rubric (BMHS Problem Solving / Critical Thinking / Innovation).
• Have students write their own name and class period on the top of the rubric.
• Rank the criteria in sequence from (Step 1) Define the Problem through (Step 6) Develop A Plan of Action to familiarize them with the process. 
• Write the name of "Homer Hickam" on the upper right corner of rubric sheet. (He is the "student" they the "teacher" will conduct a summative assess on from the movie the October Sky. Homer Hickam was one of the West Virginia Rocket Boys who through his passion for space, creativity, and innovative spirit launched amateur rockets in high school. 
• Have each student split each criteria assessment box in half by drawing a line. See below picture. 
• Conduct a quick review of the rubric criteria (6 criteria) and assessment ratings (basic, goal, developing, exemplary)
   

CLASSROOM TASK:  The discussion associated with the assessment ratings is more important than the assessment ratings themselves. 

Step 1: (Your Summative Assessment of Homer Hickam) Review rubric content and scoring criteria by yourself. In the teacher evaluation column grade Homer in each of the six rubric criteria and assign one of the following assessment ratings (B,G, D, or E). (Individual Summative Assessment)

Assessment Ratings: Basic, Goal, Developing, Exemplary (refer to rubric for definitions of each rating for each category)

Step 2:  (Group Collaborative Feedback on Hickam Summative Assessments) Form into 4 person small groups and discuss your grades with the group. Annotate the group grade on the rubric sheet. Taking the BMHS Problem Solving / Critical Thinking / Innovation school wide rubric, in small groups you will grade Homer Hickam's performance in his big idea project.

Steps 1 and 2

Step 3: (Formative Self Assessment on Your Big Idea Project) Remain in your small group seating arrangements. Now that you are somewhat familiar with using this rubric to assess someone else (Homer Hickam) as well as discussing how other in your small group used it to assess Homer Hickam, now you will conduct a formative self assessment of your performance thus far on your Big Idea Project using the rubric. Do not collaborate during this step. Your candid assessment of yourself is key. Your assessment DOES NOT EQUATE TO YOUR GRADE. 

Steps 3 and 4

Step 4: (Group Collaborative Feedback on your Formative Self Assessment) Once your self assessment is done, now you will collaborate and share your formative self assessment (Big Idea Project) per criteria with your small group. Collaborate and give each other constructive input on how each can improve.  

Step 5: (SNSI Teacher Formative Assessment of Student's Performance on their Big Idea Project). Teacher will use the rubric to assess each cadets present level of learning on their Big Idea Project at this time. Their assessment rating score will be entered in the bottom quadrant of the student score box for this evolution. 

Note: If you were absent see the teacher to make up this assignment.

The Rubric is a tool to evaluate and assess student learning and can be used to measure the effectiveness of student centered activities. It assists the teacher in how to navigate the depth and direction 

Invisible Bike Helmet...? Whose Big Idea Is that????

Invisible Bike Helmet

Click on the Link above, talk about innovation and thinking creatively....an invisible bike helmet!!!!

NOT THE PICTURE ABOVE

Having a creative interest in an area or a problem you want to solve coupled with a deep desire to learn how to solve it or improve a process can result in amazing things. 

These two ladies loved riding bikes but didn't like wearing the available bike helmets, but they needed protection if there was an accident or they fell off of the bike. See what they came up with to solve this...it is amazing.   

Developing a Personal Learning Network (PLN)

What is a Personal Learning Network and why are we talking about it...?

Let us start with a definition from Wikipedia of Personal Learning Network as a start:   A personal learning network is an informal learning network that consists of the people a learner interacts with and derives knowledge from in a personal learning environment (PLE). In a PLN, a person makes a connection with another person with the specific intent that some type of learning will occur because of that connection. Learners create connections and develop a network that contributes to their professional development and knowledge. The learner does not have to know these people personally or ever meet them in person. 
      

One aspect is that the learner contribute and derive knowledge in a PLE through various nodes. In this way, the learner chooses which mediums (digital, F2F, P2P,) and social media to build a PLN. Specifically, the learner chooses whom to interact with in these media and how much to participate. Learners enters the PLE with certain goals, needs, interests, motivations and problems that are often presented to the people they include in their PLN. Moreover, the learner will collaborate and connect differently with various members. The learner will establish stronger relationships with some members and have a low level of connection with others. Not all nodes will be equal. Some of the member roles include searcher, assembler  designer of data, innovator of subject matter, and researcher.

PLNs are becoming an important part of professional development in several fields with some businesses creating their own e-learning content and PLEs for their employees. In addition, PLNs have become prevalent in the field of education and are rapidly becoming adopted as centers for the diaspora of field related information (in this regard, they are also often referred to as PROFESSIONAL Learning Networks).

WHY DEVELOP A PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK?

This is one of the best ways of using all available resources to improve and manage your own learning. Any network is about PEOPLE, PROCESS, and SYSTEMS (TECHNOLOGY).

PEOPLE:  Anyone you can interact with to help you learn. Friends, fellow students, family, teachers, mentors and coaches, and subject matter experts (SMEs).

PROCESS: HOW, WHEN, and WHERE do YOU LEARN and COLLABORATE. Is it digital, Face to Face (F2F), or Person to Person (P2P)? Do you learn during school (07:30 am to 2:15pm), at home during homework time, at work, or throughout the day? It isn't all about technology, sometimes you meet people to talk with them about things you want to learn. 

SYSTEMS (What Web 2.0 types of technology do you use?): Internet, Blogs, wikis, social media, etc. How do you use information technology to gain access to info about things you want to learn, to learn faster and more in depth?  Besides texting, Google search, twitter, and Facebook what Web 2.0 technologies do you know?

Developing a PLN will help you now as a student and in your future life as a professional, so lets get started!!  This will also help you in your Cadet Innovation Project....

CIP 2013: How can a Teenager Who Never Went to Medical School Create A Better Test

Teenager invents a better test for Pancreatic Cancer

Click on the above Link

Cadet Innovation Project....I know you think I am crazy...what can you a teenager do to affect the lives of others, let alone the world. 

After watching this YouTube video, how can you still think that....? Remember it all starts with with YOU being curious about something that you are interested in or something that bothers you that you want to fix.

What are you curious about? What do you have a passion for learning about or a particular challenge or problem you want to fix?

You need to use your imagination...? 

WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson

     

Part of your Cadet Innovation Project is to open your mind to the concept of innovation itself.  Let's look at a some definitions of Innovation according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary says :

A. the introduction of something new, a new idea, method, or device

B. In technology, an improvement to something already existing. Distinguishing an element of novelty in an invention remains a concern of patent law.

There is a tendency to think that INNOVATION is about IDEAS...well that is only part of it. INNOVATION is about applying action and your talents to that great IDEA and through a series of trial and error experiments discovering what works and what doesn't, and refining your idea and innovative concept. 

Sometimes by collaborating with another person or group, your idea combined with someone else's idea results in Innovation as well. Let us look at an example.

The Band Aid Story.