0 Student Created Slope Pages

This year, I was feeling a little uninspired when it came to creating notebook pages over finding slope in Algebra 1.  We'd done lots of practice.  And, most students seemed to grasp the concept.  Since my students had watched me make notebook pages for an entire semester, I decided it was their turn.  I split each class up into 3 groups and assigned them each a different way of finding slope - from a graph, from a table, and from two points.  I told each group to decide what their classmates needed to glue into their notebooks, and I would make it for them.  I gave them one 50-minute class period to design their notebook pages, and all three groups presented their pages during the next 50-minute class period.

Part of me hated this because I'm very controlling over what students put in their notebooks.  What if they do it wrong?  What if it's not clear?  But, at the same time, this would give me a grasp of what my students understood.  This was an eye-opening experience in that it really made me consider the vocabulary I use and accept during class.  Some of the descriptions in the notes were not as precise as I would have liked them, but students were simply repeating things they had heard others say.  I didn't correct the students, so it's my fault.  I need to attend to precision myself.  

Quotes heard during group presentations of notebook pages:

"Turn in your teaching licenses!"

"I'm retiring." - Said after a group had trouble getting the class to stay on task during the notes they were giving.  Now they know how I feel!


I'm not sure if I'll do this again or not...

While grading notebooks, I decided to take a few pictures of what they came up with: