Entrepreneurs!
1/10/2020
The second graders finished up their latest PBL project with a community event right before break. The annual 2nd Grade Store was a great success and the store opened just in time for holiday shopping. This yearly project has many different facets. Students are first tasked with coming up with a product idea that they will be able to create. These range from magnets, to ornaments, to toys amongst a variety of other things. They need to take things into consideration such as time and efficiency in creating their projects, as well as the material needs. Once they have a good idea, they begin production of their product, often gaining new skills as they learn how to use different types of tools. Students then turn their attention to advertising. They come up with a name for their business and create signs for their booths. They also utilize their knowledge of persuasive writing to write and records commercials, which are then sent out the prospective shoppers before the store opens. The viewers are then given an interest survey designed to help the producers set their prices based on the anticipated demand for their products. Thought is needed to set up each booth, with students considering space available, efficiency and aesthetics for their booth. This includes the best way to display their product as well. Once everyone is set up and ready to go, they eagerly await the shoppers! Their work isn't finished yet as the second graders are now expected to make change, sell their product and offer great customer service. Their customer base consists of first graders, third graders, middle schoolers and a spattering of teachers and parents. The shoppers fill out a customer satisfaction survey to give the second graders some feedback. This ranges from the ultra positive - "This was so amazing! I wouldn't change a thing!" to constructive comments "Maybe next time make sure you have enough product so you don't sell out or maybe make your prices a little higher if you don't have a lot of product." Once the store closes, it is time for cleanup and reflection. The second graders reflect on what went well: selling and making the product, what was challenging: making enough product, and what their favorite part of the project was; selling to all the people. They also offer advice to the first graders who are already brainstorming ideas for next year's store. "Do not sell the product to classmates before the store." "Make people interested in your store." "Make creative products." "Make a lot of things." "Think about the prices." While this project hits grade level standards in different areas, the real benefit is the authenticity and real world experience that the kids gain. While technically they were in a competition with their classmates, that didn't stop them from offering each other help and ideas throughout the process. They used their critical thinking skills to solve problems, creativity in designing product, booth, and commercials and their communication skills got a workout as well. Students were able to see the economic terms and concepts that they had been studying firsthand and apply their knowledge in order to have a favorable outcome...authentic learning at its best.
Collaborative Community
12/16/2019
What does it really mean to be a collaborative community? Our newest PBL project combined with our recent Parent Lunch gave some insight of what a collaborative community can look like at PNA.
Students are deeply involved in the current Class Store project, in which they are brainstorming and creating their own business, designing and manufacturing product to sell and working through what it truly means to play a role in the economy. This itself offers multiple opportunity for community - from feedback on anything from product ideas to business names from their peers. Students are well-versed in giving and receiving feedback with others and have been working on these skills all year. Part of being in a community is also the support that comes when unexpected challenges occur, as well as having that growth mindset to move on from frustrations and problems. At PNA, we believe in having the courage to make mistakes and then taking that knowledge and learning from it, all while feeling supported and valued, no matter our age. What made this Parent Lunch so special was watching the second graders work through these ideas of being part of a collaborative community with their parents. Typically, one would look to the oldest in the group (in this case, their parent), to lead and guide them on the project. However, the second graders had no problem taking charge when needed, offering feedback on ideas and helping to problem solve when things went awry. These are the kinds of skills that are becoming increasingly more important in today's work force, and these are the skills that PNA students learn and hone on a daily basis. Courage
12/7/2019
"Courage is not the absence of fear but action in spite of it."The word courage is an integral part of our school's mission, forming a triad with vision and integrity, that helps to guide us everyday. Courage can mean a lot of things to different people but Webster's definition is "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty."
The public performances that PNA puts on each year, from the Winter Concert, to Martin Luther King Day activities, to the Spring Shows offer an authentic opportunity for students of all ages (3 year olds to 8th graders) to practice having courage. In the recent Winter Concert for example, students found the strength within themselves to stand up in front of a huge audience and perform. Whether it was singing a song, playing an instrument, reciting poetry, or doing sign language, there was the chance for mistakes and very public ones at that. Nerves were running high, but by the way the students performed, it was hard to pick up on. For some, performing in front of an audience is easy and happily anticipated; for others, it is a worrisome and dreadful experience. However, our students continually step up and do the hard things, maybe not without fear, but definitely with courage. PNA Parade
11/26/2019
It all started with this incredible book in which the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is beautifully illustrated through text and pictures. It ended with an all school viewing of the balloon parade on Friday afternoon right before break. What happened in between was where the magic happened. This project had all the components of what learning looks like at PNA. A Guiding Question How can we, as student engineers, design and create a balloon float for our school parade? Collaboration & Communication The second graders worked alongside their fifth grade buddies to each create a balloon float for the parade. These students helped each other, encouraged each other and offered help and feedback regardless of age - 2nd graders were helping 5th graders and 5th graders were helping 2nd graders. Alignment to Standards The engineering focus from Next Generation Science Standards were the backbone of this challenge. K-2-ETS1-1.Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool. K-2-ETS1-2.Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem. K-2-ETS1-3.Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs. Creativity & Critical Thinking
There was no shortage of creativity flowing during this process. Students had amazingly creative ideas for their balloons and even more amazingly creative ways to pull off their ideas. Critical thinking was at a high as students persevered through design challenges that arose and reworked original designs until they succeeded in their attempts. Communication is Key
11/17/2019
The instructions were simple...or so it seemed. Students were supposed to sort their animal cards into groups. Each partnership set off to work... ...and quickly realized that this activity wasn't as easy as it first appeared. Some animals fit into several categories and some didn't seem to have a category at all. Some of the words were really hard to read and some seemed to have conflicting information. Some partners had a hard time deciding who would get to be in control of the cards and some wanted to take charge and not listen to the ideas of their partners.
One might wonder what students are gaining out of such an activity, especially having to accomplish it in a collaborative partnership when it could have easily been done individually. Cornell University has identified several benefits of collaborative learning as seen in this article. They maintain that this type of learning leads to the "development of higher-level thinking, oral communication, self-management, and leadership skills", among others. Communication was key here in this activity as students needed to communicate with each other in order to even start the activity. They needed to hear and understand the communication given to them by the teacher as the purpose of the activity. They needed to self-manage themselves and their individual roles (who got to hold the cards, split the cards, sort the cards, etc.). While it was evident in a couple of the partnerships who took the leader role, the other two partnerships worked in authentic collaboration discussing each card and hearing the reasonings of their partner before sorting into a group. Critical thinking skills were strengthened as students helped each other to read the information on the cards, find commonalities between animals and create groups accordingly. Higher level thinking came into play when students were given additional challenge cards where they had to utilize their newfound knowledge (and that of their partner) to place the challenge animals into their proper groups. Not only did students learn how real scientists observe, debate and ultimately categorize animals, they also had authentic opportunity to strengthen their communication skills. "Parent Lunches"
11/9/2019
A long standing tradition at PNA is that of "Parent Lunches". These gatherings of students and family happen in every grade at PNA four times a year. Over the years, they have evolved from just lunches and have branched out into breakfasts and afternoon snacks. The premise behind these gatherings remains the same however, which is having a special someone (parent, grandparent, friend, sibling) breaking bread and sharing in a classroom activity.
The benefits of "Parent Lunches" are far reaching and important. They are an excellent way for families to see what a typical activity and way of learning in the PNA classroom looks like. They offer the opportunity for families to connect with other families in the classroom, which can otherwise be challenging in these hectic lives we lead. Kids are excited to become the teachers as they explain and demonstrate things they are working on and learning about in the classroom. And of course, there is always yummy food to share and enjoy! Our first gathering was an afternoon snack that found the second grader's families listening and learning about Author's Purpose. There were some passages to read together and then decisions to make about the author's purpose of the passage. Was that passage intended to Persuade, Inform or Entertain the reader? Students (and family members) needed to use good reading skills and critical thinking to discern the difference. Then they were given immediate feedback in the form of QR codes to see if they had correctly identified the author's purpose. Thank you families for spending part of your day to come and learn with us! 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
March 2021
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