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| Andy, Zach, Steven, John Graham, and Ian |
Mrs. O"Donnell's fifth grade math students enthusiastically showed me how to use their Promethean Board ActivExpression tools on Monday. These small tools give students an opportunity to "show what they know" through technology applications. AE "promotes classroom collaboration by allowing students and teachers to immediately view responses and to discuss them during the lesson." Pretty cool. On this day, students were working in teams answering questions from Measure Works Game Cards. Though respondents can submit multiple choice answers, I saw students solving open ended questions and submitting text answers. Loved that component and loved the discussion Ms. O'Donnell facilitated when the answer choices were graphed and displayed on the board. Instant feedback. Best of all, the enthusisasm for doing this math activity was overwhelming. "I feel sophisticated using technology", "We all get to answer", and "Fun!" were the responses I received when I asked students if they liked using these devices. Mrs. O'Donnell uses these tools for review, pop quizzes, word problems, vocabulary practice, and more. Great way to build student engagement in all fifth grade classrooms.
Across the hall, Ms. Guimbarda and students were actively working on their historical fiction novel unit (yep, part of that 2-5 planning in language arts) while the sounds of 60's Motown played in the background - who doesn't enjoy Motown! Students are reading the novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham as the unit anchor, but also including picture books such as Sit-In by Andrea Pinckney, many Faith Ringgold selections, Langston Hughes poetry, and non-fiction texts related to the time period and the settings of the novel (Birmingham, AL and Flint, MI). Some of the related student activities include setting comparisons (today and in the 1960's), written synthesis/analysis papers, a re-enactment of a lunch counter sit-in with student journal responses from the perspective as a bystander or participant, visual thinking (think DAR) through the use of relevant art of the time such as William H. Johnson and Norman Rockwell, analysis of film clips showing the role of youth during the civil rights movement, and much more. Learning from the past, working together, keeping it real. Thanks.
We did manage to squeeze in some fun in and around the learning this week. Student Council sponsored an Hawaiian day, with many adults and kids dressed ready to hula at a luau. Check out our own Ms. Collins from second grade and some pretty nifty third graders.
And I absolutely cannot let the week go by without a nod to Earth Week, a celebration of our natural world. We had Green Monday, Trashy Tuesday, Zero Waster Wednesday, Bring it in for the Bins Thursday, and finally, WOOF! (Walk Over On Friday) to cap off the week. Our recycling program on campus has really geared up this year through our parent Green Committee's Highland Parks it In the Bin program. Mother Earth thanks you.  |
| WOOF!- Walkin Over on Friday |
