Explosive Opportunities

At least, hopefully they will in Lexington.  We are currently getting quite a bit of rain and it is unclear if the fireworks show will go on tonight. 

However, that does not mean that we can not be thinking about the explosive excitement that may exist when students are provided an opportunity to shine through project based learning opportunities.  Below is a list of a select number of classes that can be created for elementary aged students and aligned towards the Common Core Standards. 

Cooking Around the World

Travel the globe through food! Students will learn proper cooking techniques while learning about cultures from around the world. Students will cook traditional recipes from Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and more! Students will gain culinary knowledge and build their cultural awareness during this food exploration.

Tile Mosaic Makin

Students will learn about the history of this ancient art form and examine modern and historical examples. Using their imagination, they will use a variety of materials to create several projects of their own. Each student will create a mosaic tile that will permanently adorn a wall at their school!

Podcasting

Students will create their school's very own internet podcast production. Writing and directing original broadcast material, recording and modulating one’s voice, and technological aspects of podcasting will be addressed as we collaborate to produce a high quality radio program.  The show will be uploaded to the internet for families and friends to download and enjoy.

Digital Photography

Students will learn to appreciate, analyze, and create photographic art using a digital camera. They will use Picasa, a photo software, to learn composition techniques, crop, adjust color, add captions and save digital images. Small teams will complete a digital scavenger hunt, and students will create a personal portfolio.

Musical Comedy Production

The class will put on a musical comedy, called “Tide Pool Condos,” which tells the story of a dispute between Elizabeth, who wants to erect luxury condominiums, and Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea. To settle the dispute, the two of them set out to visit the wonders of the ocean. The play will be performed at a school talent show.

Journalism

Students will become members of their monthly newspaper staff as they learn about interviewing, researching, reporting, writing feature articles, journalism terms, and more. Their learning will be showcased in the school paper.

Digital Presentation Design

Using such elements as drawing, images, 3D, color, animation, sound, and text, students will experiment with visual composition techniques, explore styles, and use Storyboards. Students will demonstrate their new knowledge by making a presentation displaying these techniques.

Just imagine how excited and energetic the kids will be when they are able to create and show off their projects.

What other projects can you think of that will benefit students?

Happy 4th of July!

Perseverance is Key

Everyday teachers and students struggle with different things.  Teachers struggle to find the best way to meet the needs of their students.  Students struggle to grasp new concepts.  Without perseverance and hard work, no one would be successful.  Take a look at the following famous people:

Thomas Edison
Beethoven
Albert Einstein
Ray Charles
Vincent Van Gogh
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Helen Keller

Now, take a minute to think about each of them with a disability.  They each had one that may have interrupted their successful careers.  Thomas Edison had a learning problem.  Beethoven was deaf.  Albert Einstein had a learning disability.  Ray Charles was blind.  Vincent Van Gogh was mentally ill.  Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio and was paralyzed from the waist down.  Helen Keller was deaf and blind.  Did they let their disabilities interfere with their accomplishments?  Absolutely not.  Each one persevered through their situation and made the best of it to accomplish a positive outcome.

Teachers should always reflect on their teaching styles and never give up to meet the individual needs of their students.  If we give up on our students now, then they will always give up on themselves.  If something isn't working correctly, try, try again.  If a student is not grasping multiplication with one strategy, provide them with a choice of other strategies to assist.  It is imperative that teachers show students that perseverance and working a little harder is what will help everyone be successful.

Accepting Diversity

After spending an evening with a friend, I learned a lot more about what her late husband did for his career.  He passed away unexpectedly this past January, yet had a lasting and profound impact on the Burlington Public School system.  Dan Balon was a highly educated Filipino-American who made it his mission to improve cultural awareness and racial sensitivity amongst students, teachers, and parents. 

There are many ways teachers open students minds up to different cultures, but we don't always help parents learn about new cultures.  One thing Dan did during his tenure as the Director of Diversity was invite parents to the schools to learn what a hot meal is really all about.  We take for granted that immigrants to the United States might already know what this is.  Dan recognized the importance of this and made it his mission to help parents feel more included in the school system.

With the number of English Language Learners growing at a quick rate, we must ensure that our students are aware and accepting of everyone.  One way we could do this is to offer students a choice class that will take them around the world.  Teachers need to ask parents to come in and bring items that can help students understand more about lots of different cultures.  We must continue to show our students the world in every way possible to lessen the insensitivity to other cultures.

I know speaking with Dan's wife was my eye opening experience to recognizing the impact he had on his community will travel with me back to my school.  I will offer my students a choice class that focuses on different cultures to broaden their knowledge of the world.  What can you do?  Let's make sure our future generation will be accepting of everyone around them.  I know that is what Dan would want.

Choice through Virtual Schooling

I have commented in previous posts about one way to provide choices to students in schools.  This way is the standard elective course selection and bringing it down to the elementary level.  Another way that I have learned more about recently is virtual schooling.

This is a great concept at the outset.  Provide students with an alternative to traditional schooling by allowing them to take their classes online.  Great idea, right?  Every virtual school runs slightly differently, and some are very specific for students who live within certain school districts.  I researched a school in Wisconsin, Jedi Virtual School, and found some fascinating information.  Students work closely with a Personal Learning Coach in order to develop their education plan.  The school is available for students to work asynchronously beginning in Kindergarten all the way through High School graduation.  This is something I could have possibly partaken in as a child when I moved to Japan.

However, what about the social aspect of childhood development?  Do we really want to keep putting our kids in front of screens to learn all day long?  How does this program really support technological advancement of students and what classes are they able to offer to really teach the material?  I think it could be a great idea, I still have questions though.  I am still pondering whether virtual schooling has developed enough to be truly beneficial for those that enroll, or if it is a way to "take the easy way out" of school.

This is a way to provide students with choice, however, just not your traditional choice option.

At what age...

As I sat at a meal with my 2 year old a few days ago, my husband and I became frustrated as she was refusing to eat anything on her plate.  We had to keep asking her to eat and it became a struggle for the entire meal.  The next night we changed it up.  We put a few different things on her plate and just said eat whatever you want.  It was interesting to watch her eyes go around the plate and then pick up and eat her choice.  She ended up eating almost everything on her plate (and trying new vegetables too!)  So, when forced to eat something, she refused and we all became frustrated.  When given a choice, she immediately decided herself what she wanted and we all enjoyed our meals a little more.  At what age do children learn that independence and want to be given choices?

While this article Offering Children Choices is geared towards early childhood development, it still hits on the same criteria that teachers should recognize are important even in the classroom setting.  When provided with choices, students will have a feeling of being in control, they will accept responsibility, and conflict may/should even reduce.

A sentence in the conclusion of this article really hit home for me: The wise teacher understands that children make choices all day long, whether adults want them to or not. They choose to obey, ignore, or defy rules and directions and determine for themselves whether to speak kindly or angrily to others (Grossman, 2007).  Let's make sure we provide students with appropriate choices so they are not going to defy the rules or directions as often.

Show them the world!

So many of our students do not have the opportunity to travel the world and learn about cultural differences.  As I sit in my hotel room in Toronto, I am reminded that I need to constantly provide this for my students.  It can be as simple as showing my students pictures from my personal trips, showing videos or pictures from an area that we are studying, or pulling down that map in the room to remind students about the vast world we live in.

Thinking back to a previous post about reflection, this reminded me of the time last school year that I read a book to my students about Italy.  They were having a hard time really grasping what I was talking about.  My first instinct was to pull the map down and explain where Italy was, what the culture was like, etc.  Then I thought, why not show them pictures from my trip.  Their eyes were glued to the board taking in every picture and enjoying learning about the country through their teacher's eyes.

Another reflection is the holidays around the world celebration I did at our December party.  Students were provided with a passport (and of course taught what that was) and taken on a trip around the world.  They learned about December holidays celebrated in India, Israel, Mexico, and America (Kwanzaa).  Students learned about the customs, games played, and foods eaten.  They created something through an art project at each station and tasted foods from around the world.  The students also loved this experience and were talking about it for the rest of the year.

When contemplating providing students with choices in their classes or class projects, make sure you encourage them to think creatively and use technology to learn about the world.  Challenge your students to learn more about the vast world around them.  Provide the students with as many experiences as possible to truly engage in the wonderful world around them.

Rejuvenate, Reflect, Reevaluate

These three words are what I strive to accomplish every summer.  I will provide details about how I plan on completing each.

1. Rejuvenate: Spend time with family and enjoy sleeping a little later.  I have only been on summer break for about two weeks now, but I have absolutely LOVED every single minute of it.  It is so much fun seeing the world through a 2 year old's eyes.  I am spending some time rejuvenating from the stresses of school year by sleeping in past 5:00 AM.  I might not be that good at it...my body likes to get up at 7:00.  So, the next thing I am doing...training for a triathlon 6 days a week.  Every morning is something (either swim, bike, or run) and then I come home to spend the day going to story time, painting, playing, swimming, or any of the other MANY things my little girl loves to do.  I like to think we are both loving our summer together.  It has also been great to have my husband with me to enjoy these times.  We definitely benefit from having flexible summer schedules.  He has been a lifesaver in helping me continue my education by having so much quality time with our daughter. 

2. Reflect: Take time to think back to how the past school year went and what you might be able to do a little differently.  I like to give myself some time to separate from the school year, but with plenty of time before the next, to reflect on the year as a whole.  Once I realize what went well and what needed some improvement, I then spend time laying out modifications for the upcoming year.  There is always something I can improve upon.

3. Reevaluate: This goes along with reflection.  I reevaluate my teaching strategies and make the appropriate modifications that can be done prior to meeting the new group of students.  From my quick reflection from last school year, I have already reevaluated the way I will provide students with more independent choice in their learning style.  When you provide students with the ability to make choices, they are more engaged and motivated to learn.  Hopefully this motivation will become more intrinsic during the year.

For more information on motivating students, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has an interesting article to peruse.

http://www.uww.edu/learn/motivating_students.php

What do you do during the summer to re-energize yourself for the next school year?