Writing Like a Scientist
10/26/2019
At PNA, we highly value the skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity. While called different names over the last few years - 21st century skills, soft skills, etc. - one thing remains constant. These are the skills that employers are seeking out in their future employees. Woven throughout the day, in and out of the curriculum, we offer students the opportunity to practice these skills in a variety of ways. Our current nonfiction studies are allowing second graders to use their critical thinking, collaboration and creativity, but most importantly allowing them time and space to hone their communication skills. When you "write like a scientist", several things need to occur. You must have powerful observation skills in order to notice detail and patterns. You must be able to synthesize information coming from your data sources. You must also be able to write in a simple, yet informative way so that you anticipate the questions your reader will ask about your subject and deliver knowledge to a wide range of readers. Within our nonfiction unit of study, kids are learning how to
PBL: Wax Museum Part Two
10/19/2019
The second graders rocked this project last week as they presented to dozens of people who came through our wax museum during the "Night at the Space Museum". This wax museum presentation is an annual event for second graders at PNA and has evolved over the years to more fully match the teaching practices of a gold standard PBL as set forth by The Buck Institute for education PBLWorks. Align to Standards
This project aligns to our second grade standards in reading, writing, technology, speaking and listening. It can also hit standards associated with science and/or social studies depending on the topic for the project. This year, was focused on people who made a difference in the (space) world, which is a major social studies focus for our second graders. Design & Plan While the parameters of the project this year were stricter than normal, in that we had a specific space focus, a tight deadline and a very specific end date, the students were still a part of the designing and planning for this project. They decided on the backdrops, made plans as to who was in charge of what display pieces, decided on what the rules of the museum would be... Scaffold Student Learning, Manage Activities, and Engage & Coach These teaching practices allow teachers to be more of a "guide on the side" rather than the "sage on the stage". The teachers role in any PBL project is to organize tasks and schedules, help students meet deadlines and find or create resources that will enable students to accomplish their work. Teachers also help by scaffolding learning opportunities depending on an individual's needs. Some of the scaffolding in this project was teaching students how to access google drive folders and helping some students to highlight important ideas in a very large document that was otherwise too unwieldy for them to read. Teachers also play an important role model in learning and creating alongside the students. They are also always on the lookout for opportunities to identify and support skill-building, redirections and encouragement. Assess Student Learning Throughout the entire project, teachers are using formative and summative assessments to gauge student knowledge of content area and success skills. Self and peer assessments also take place as students solicit and give feedback on their work and identify things in which to change or strengthen. Build the Culture Projects such as the wax museum offer such rich opportunities for growth mindset. It allows time for students to meet standing expectations, such as that of attention to quality, trying your best and learning from your mistakes. The open-ended inquiry leads to student independence and growth. It encourages a spirit of togetherness and camaraderie since we are all in this together. PBL: Wax Museum Part One
10/12/2019
Here at PNA we utilize the learning and teaching method of Project Based Learning, or PBL for short. The actual definition of PBL is "a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge." according to the PBLWorks website. Our current PBL focus is on the annual second grade wax museum. Normally held in the spring, this project was moved up to integrate into PNA's first ever Space Week. In a nutshell, students will present to the Anchorage community as space related individuals in a wax museum setting.
After our culminating event in which students present their work to the public, there will be time for reflection on this project. Students will be given the chance to weigh in on the project as a whole, what went well, what could have been done differently... Make sure to catch next week's post to see how this project turned out and to see some of the student's reflections, as well as how PBL gold standard teaching practices came into play.
A.C.E.
10/5/2019
You may have heard your second grader talking about ACE in the last couple of weeks. Chances are you heard who was in their ACE group and the fun things that they did. You might have even seen some of their ACE projects make their way home. But I wonder if you've heard about the reason behind ACE and what it really means... A.C.E. stands for Academic and Character enrichment. It is an elective program in the Lower School at PNA that involves groups of multi-age students learning and growing alongside each other, while enjoying a personal interest. In real life, people interact with others of all ages and ability levels everyday and research indicates that multi-age groupings actually improve social emotional learning and class bonding. While our model is not multi-age classrooms at PNA, we can reap the benefits of these learning environments through things like A.C.E. Every three weeks or so, students are given the opportunity to hear a new round of ACE offerings, and choose their top three favorites. They are then placed into groups based on these surveys and the fun ensues... ...because the students are having fun. They are also practicing very important 21st century skills such as collaboration, cooperation and creativity. They are using their critical thinking skills and expanding their content knowledge with the use of hands-on materials and technology.
Some of this sessions A.C.E. classes include: Super Science: There is more to science than lab coats and clipboards! Come make things go whoosh, splop, bang and fizz! Learn about chemical reactions and the cool things you can do with stuff you may have around your house. Origami: Students will have the opportunity to create a lot of origami, and in the process, experiment with different types of paper and techniques. Space Week Art Decor: Make decorations that are out of this world! Come join us as we make all sorts of fun things to decorate our school for Space Week! Bring your cool ideas and an art smock. Stopmotion: Have you ever wondered how they make movies like Boxtrolls or The Night Before Christmas? Come find out how and even make your own (short!) movie as we explore stop motion animation. You will learn basic techniques if you’re new to stop motion or more advanced techniques if you’ve done stop motion before! Bead Making: Students will work with magazines, glue, and Fimo clay to create beads and string their creations to make personalized crafts (jewelry, bookmark, etc). As you can see from the pictures above, the second graders are thoroughly enjoying their A.C.E. time. Who knows what the next A.C.E. round will bring? |
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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