5 - 7 - 5
4/27/2019
The last parent gathering of the year for the second graders happened this past week. Parents joined us for a yummy taco bar lunch and then took on the role of the student as their second graders taught them how to write haikus. We are currently working in our last Lucy Calkins writing unit which is all about poetry. Haikus are a great way to introduce what Calkins calls "Seeing with Poets’ Eyes."
Students are introduced to the idea that poets "see with both their hearts and minds, and they write about the world in fresh, unusual ways". They continue honing their poetic craft as they develop the idea that poets are intentional with their line breaks and white space. They also learn that poetry is about passion, where they can put strong feelings and concrete details in their poetry to tell a story. They learn that the idea for poems can come from pretty much anywhere and that poetry takes on many different forms. Haikus are a great form for students to practice with as they offer opportunity to touch on each of these components that the Lucy Calkins poetry unit of study teaches. Utilizing the writing process, second graders work through their various forms of poetry, eventually publishing their work. Wax Museum 2019
4/20/2019
The 2nd grade annual Wax Museum was held as an exhibit as part of our first school Science Party this week. Students look forward to this project each year where they are able to choose a person of importance, study and learn about them, and then portray them as an exhibit in our wax museum. While this is quite a fun undertaking, there are plenty of opportunities to throw in some real authentic learning at the same time! After students have chosen the person they want to learn more about, they begin their research. The first step is to think about what they already know about their person, activating prior knowledge. They then come up with questions they have about the individual and dive right into their research. A combination of printed books, websites and other forms of text are used so students can form a picture of their person, including their history and achievements. Students then take that information and use an app on the computer to make a word cloud about their person. This word cloud contains adjectives and nouns that relate to that person. They really strengthen their critical thinking skills with this part of the project, as they have to be able to defend their choices with evidence. This word cloud poster is what the viewers see as they come to the presentation. What the viewers do not see is the back of the word cloud posters which contain succinct speeches that the second graders write. Students have to employ their summarizing skills in order to get the main gist of the person and their achievements in only a few short sentences. Once a museum visitor presses the "on" button located on the poster, the student "comes to life" and recites their speech, hopefully educating visitors about some of the scientists, mathematicians and inventors of our world. Another quite large component of the project is the backgrounds each student creates. These backgrounds also provide information about the individual as students have to really think where they should "place" themselves for the exhibit. This is where creativity of each student really comes into play. They are given a few parameters such as the backgrounds have to be made entirely of paper, they have to have their names and be a specific size. Collaboration and communication skills happen naturally here as students jump in to help each other create and solve problems together. Finally it is time for the opening of the wax museum. This provides a real world opportunity to hone communication skills as students are interacting with a large variety of visitors and working on their public speaking skills such as speaking loudly, clearly, and maintaining eye contact. Plus they get to celebrate all of their hard work with their friends and family!
Testing...1, 2, 3
4/12/2019
A question that we often ask ourselves at PNA is how to better serve our students' academic needs. One way we identify areas for improvement in our instruction and curriculum is to study the results of the yearly ERB test results. The administration of the ERB test to grades 2-8 allows the faculty an opportunity to look for strengths and weaknesses across the curriculum, the school in general and in each individual student. By using a standardized test such as the ERB, we can compare the performance of our students to the performance of the Independent School Norm, comprised up of more than 2,000 member schools whose students take the ERB test. In an article entitled "Benefits of Standardized Testing for Students and Teachers" by Cambridge Educational Services, several main benefits of standardized testing were discussed and identified. Standardized tests objectively compare student skill levels across schools As mentioned above, one key benefit to using a standardized test as a benchmark is seeing how our school and students are performing compared to our peers. Standardized Testing is paired with standards to ensure mastery of grade-appropriate material Standards help ensure that all students are learning the same content and skills within the same timeframe and help to prevent gaps in curriculum and instruction. When the tests are paired with state and national standards, they can provide information on whether students are on the right track in their educational journey. Standardized testing can serve as motivation for students While this may seem counter-intuitive, testing can provide a different lens for the students themselves to see how they are performing. When the test results are used in this way, students are being brought in as an active participant in their own education. They can see where they fall in comparison to their peers, which benchmarks they are or are not hitting, and help them identify areas for improvement. Educators can then provide support and guidance to help students set safe and attainable learning goals based on this information. Standardized tests can help students prepare for the real world There is still a debate whether the benefits outweigh the cons to standardized testing. Some feel that these tests are too high-stakes or stressful for the students, or don't offer a high enough amount of useful information to justify taking the test. However, testing is a way of life for our students. They will be tested throughout their academic years, into high school, college and beyond, as many career paths require the passing of specific tests. By setting students up early with good test-taking skills and giving them an opportunity to strengthen their growth mindset about testing, we are helping to ensure future successes. The testing attitude and environment set forth by individual teachers and the school itself plays a huge part in a successful testing experience. Things such as skills prep, practice test-taking (learning how to actually fill in the test) and encouragement to just "show what you know" all help to lessen student stress. When standardized testing and subsequent results are used thoughtfully and with intention, a valuable source of information for teacher, school and student alike is provided.To see more research and read more about the benefits of standardized testing, please visit
https://www.cambridgeed.com/BenefitsOfStandardizedTesting |
Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
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