Time is so flying! I guess that means we're having fun (!?). I asked the students the other day what they would suggest as topics for next year and I was surprised at some of their answers. One was A REPORT about countries...a REPORT??? My big toe! This is Enrichment, where you stick your neck out and do things NOT usually done in the regular classroom! I suggested, and I did it nicely, that no, we wouldn't even consider doing a "report" unless it was as a travel agent who had researched a complete itinerary with flights, costs, sights to see, time-tables and postcards. There were a number of "Adopt a/an ________(space, country, animal)" ideas. Which was cool this year but let's come up with something new! I tried to point them into the present by reminding them of the earthquakes and oil spills going on. Everyone seems to agree that the challenges proposed by the PBS Design Squad are a lot of fun (& they don't realize how much they are learning - about problem solving, about risk-taking, about their own abilities). So that's a good possibility!
Personally, I'm leaning toward having each class have a 6to9 week tour of duty in the Broadcast room. Whether or not they want to be On Air there is SO MUCH to learn there! Technology, graphic arts, communication/journalism, presentation and advertising, even typing are a few topics that come to mind. Lights, sound, teleprompter, cameras, action! Plus, because it would be occurring during the day in a less harried manner, it can be recorded, re-recorded, critiqued and improved. I would love to see interviews, book talks, photo-essays written, performed and produced by students and aired on our daily broadcasts. We may even get into some clay-mation....
This is an incomplete blog, I'll be back. Meet me here! XXOO!!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
WOW! The end of the school year is soooo close! and I've fallen down on keeping up with this blog. So here are some highlights to catch up on the way things are going!
Talent Pools have had many on-going assignments & projects this year - they were asked to try to find a project, near and dear to their hearts, that would help others. In lieu of this "Mess", as it was called, a project that they could work on (off & on) all year was requested.
Recently, several of the projects have really taken off - the girls who put together a donation project for animal toys for the Humane Society, the boys who had a similar donation project for clothing to the Salvation Army, and a third grade project to provide folders of learning games & activities to be used by the library, art, & music teachers for their special students who aren't able to do some of the activities with their classmates. One student received a couple of very detailed emails from a city planner when questioned about the viability of an above ground subway to relieve traffic on 280 (a BIG news topic at the moment).
A requirement of these projects was to write to "Experts" in the field. Letters went to the Humane Society, the Salvation Army, the ASPCA, a graphic designer, a cartoon artist, a Birmingham City Planner, among others. Several letters were written to Mrs. Baggett requesting permission to place boxes or signs around her school. They had to give starting dates, ending dates, how often they would check to keep things neat, etc. She has been very accommodating!
A number of projects have fizzled but I hope they are listening when I tell them that sometimes worthwhile efforts require even MORE effort than what they have invested so far. Then they have to ask themselves if they want to pursue this project farther. If yes, then re-thinking and redirecting is in order. If no, then examination of what was done and accomplished needs to be celebrated and used as a learning experience. All students are going through a "What did you learn from this activity?"
It was firmly suggested that these projects be kept at school because another "assignment" for this school year was to dig into becoming a Self Directed Learner. Talent Pool students kept notes in their journals about their talents, their interests, their pluses and minuses. It was an exercise to help them understand that life and learning is what they make of it. Parents, bless their hearts, do their best to make life good, organized, and easy for their children. Teachers, bless their hearts, offer all sorts of learning opportunities designed to produce a student who is full of knowledge. In my class students are challenged to USE (or find out how to) what they know (this "knowledge") to create what they can imagine. Learning, I believe, is Problem Solving and Creativity. It is overcoming obstacles, it is not easy, it is not (at first) organized, but by DOING they gain self-confidence, personality, and (I hope) a love of what this knowledge-stuff can do for them. It takes responsibility, it take tenacity, it takes focus, it takes being honest with themselves. It is hard work. I think it is/will be worth it.
They also were given the task of dipping a toe into Chemistry by Adopting an Element. In this assignment they drew elements out of a bag and had to (3rd graders) create a baby-book to record various information they did major research to find. They had to create a picture of the element's "family", a glyph of the element using it atomic number, a Bohr's model (ask about that!), write a poem about the element, figure out their element's future profession, a sign for the hall AND a rebus (a pronunciation picture)! The fourth & fifth graders had similar assignments but to a higher level. Wow!
In between all this, they worked on origami, pop-ups, and MATH!! Gentle Readers, do your own self directed learning and search for the 24 game, the game of SET, go on my wiki, and play along! YOU are the BEST model for your child!! SHOW them how you can learn new tricks!
Enough! Ti voglio bene! XXOO!! Mrs. Mac
Talent Pools have had many on-going assignments & projects this year - they were asked to try to find a project, near and dear to their hearts, that would help others. In lieu of this "Mess", as it was called, a project that they could work on (off & on) all year was requested.
Recently, several of the projects have really taken off - the girls who put together a donation project for animal toys for the Humane Society, the boys who had a similar donation project for clothing to the Salvation Army, and a third grade project to provide folders of learning games & activities to be used by the library, art, & music teachers for their special students who aren't able to do some of the activities with their classmates. One student received a couple of very detailed emails from a city planner when questioned about the viability of an above ground subway to relieve traffic on 280 (a BIG news topic at the moment).
A requirement of these projects was to write to "Experts" in the field. Letters went to the Humane Society, the Salvation Army, the ASPCA, a graphic designer, a cartoon artist, a Birmingham City Planner, among others. Several letters were written to Mrs. Baggett requesting permission to place boxes or signs around her school. They had to give starting dates, ending dates, how often they would check to keep things neat, etc. She has been very accommodating!
A number of projects have fizzled but I hope they are listening when I tell them that sometimes worthwhile efforts require even MORE effort than what they have invested so far. Then they have to ask themselves if they want to pursue this project farther. If yes, then re-thinking and redirecting is in order. If no, then examination of what was done and accomplished needs to be celebrated and used as a learning experience. All students are going through a "What did you learn from this activity?"
It was firmly suggested that these projects be kept at school because another "assignment" for this school year was to dig into becoming a Self Directed Learner. Talent Pool students kept notes in their journals about their talents, their interests, their pluses and minuses. It was an exercise to help them understand that life and learning is what they make of it. Parents, bless their hearts, do their best to make life good, organized, and easy for their children. Teachers, bless their hearts, offer all sorts of learning opportunities designed to produce a student who is full of knowledge. In my class students are challenged to USE (or find out how to) what they know (this "knowledge") to create what they can imagine. Learning, I believe, is Problem Solving and Creativity. It is overcoming obstacles, it is not easy, it is not (at first) organized, but by DOING they gain self-confidence, personality, and (I hope) a love of what this knowledge-stuff can do for them. It takes responsibility, it take tenacity, it takes focus, it takes being honest with themselves. It is hard work. I think it is/will be worth it.
They also were given the task of dipping a toe into Chemistry by Adopting an Element. In this assignment they drew elements out of a bag and had to (3rd graders) create a baby-book to record various information they did major research to find. They had to create a picture of the element's "family", a glyph of the element using it atomic number, a Bohr's model (ask about that!), write a poem about the element, figure out their element's future profession, a sign for the hall AND a rebus (a pronunciation picture)! The fourth & fifth graders had similar assignments but to a higher level. Wow!
In between all this, they worked on origami, pop-ups, and MATH!! Gentle Readers, do your own self directed learning and search for the 24 game, the game of SET, go on my wiki, and play along! YOU are the BEST model for your child!! SHOW them how you can learn new tricks!
Enough! Ti voglio bene! XXOO!! Mrs. Mac
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