You've Piqued My Interest
10/8/2020
When you think back to what you liked most about your school experience as a child, it's probably not that time you completed a parts of speech worksheet. We remember the things that got us excited, the times we got to complete an interesting project or went on a field trip to the zoo. Although not everyday can be a field trip, including choice and appropriate tools and materials can help motivate and engage the minds of our students. Interest-based learning focuses on the standards that students are expected to learn while also adhering to their strengths, abilities, and interests. In order to accomplish this, assessments, projects, and assignments are tailored to the individual. The social studies project we have been working on for quite some time now is all about trade and how location affects the presence of different types of agriculture and industry. Each student created a 3D model of one resource made in their state. They had several mediums to choose from, however, clay was the favorite! After setting up a market, they bartered with their peers. They had to keep in mind how much their items were worth and what scarcity would do to the value of their product. The leftover agricultural items were "donated" to the food bank. While projects that involve creating, application of new knowledge, and a display of understanding are important for many reasons, I've also found that the little things can add a higher level of engagement and the solidification of learning. Providing students with multiple types of manipulatives and allowing them to use digital and/or traditional materials to complete tasks makes learning meaningful. This school year has been largely adapted to the circumstances we are facing; however, gearing educational experiences towards interests is still at the forefront of our mission as a learning community.
The New Normal
9/26/2020
Welcome to "The New Normal": Tackling new challenges daily, and adapting to the ever-changing world around us. Resilience Next week we will begin having art every other week! While this is a welcomed and exciting addition to our schedule, it made me think of all of the changes these students have had to go through in such a short amount of time. As a military child, I remember the good and bad about moving from state to state, interrupting what I knew and had become accustomed to. While each memory may evoke different emotions, overall, these experiences shaped who I am as a person today. I am hopeful, but know that things may not turn out how I expected. I am happy with what I have accomplished, but I know there is always room for growth. New experiences may be scary, but they make us wiser. According to the American Psychological Association, becoming more resilient not only helps you get through difficult circumstances, it also empowers you to grow and even improve your life along the way (2020). From big events like enduring a pandemic, to smaller moments, like changing a daily schedule, students are changing their beloved routines and stepping out of their comfort zone. Associating these moments of change with positive experiences will allow students see that future challenges will be manageable, even if they aren't easy. These kids have already shown how resilient they are by showing up to school everyday ready to learn and be with their friends, even if they have to wear masks and distance themselves. They have grown to understand that there is a larger purpose to these things we are doing to stay safe, and they have fully embraced what we have to put in place to accomplish that goal. My goal as their teacher is to guide them on this journey through uncharted waters. We may not know where this journey will take us, but we will be in it together. American Psychological Association. (2020, February 1). Building your resilience. http://www.apa.org/topics/resilience
Final Inquiry Projects
5/22/2020
Though no one could have predicted the effects of COVID-19 on education, PNA made the most of the situation to make online education happen on short notice. For the last few weeks of school, PNA students were excited to wrap up the year by engaging in inquiry projects. They each brainstormed a question that they were curious about and began researching. They had access to kid-friendly search engines, online books, videos, and articles to learn about their question. We learned a lot along the way! Throughout this process, students kept track of their sources through their Wakelet page. During individual conferences with students, I was able to see what websites they were using and could add any resources that I came across that students could use as well. This Wakelet page also allowed students to see what their classmates were researching. Now for our favorite part! Their final product was to display their information through an online book called Book Creator. Book Creator is a kid-friendly tool to create online books. Students were creative by incorporating audio recordings, videos, and photos on their pages. We held a virtual family event on Zoom to share our book and celebrate everyone’s hard work. One major advantage for students at PNA was being a part of a smaller class. Though nothing can replace being in a physical classroom together, students were still able to stay connected and have flexibility through this challenging time.
Online Math
4/11/2020
What does our math class look like online? Just like when we were in our physical school building, we begin our day with math after our morning meeting. To make math more hands-on, students gathered small items at home to use as math manipulatives. They were able to practice finding the fractional parts of a set as they followed along the lesson I was teaching on the screen. Because everyone was on Zoom, they were also able to show their understanding by giving thumbs-ups, providing answers in the chat box feature, and waving if they had questions along the way. We also started using Pear Deck. Pear Deck is a feature that allows me to create interactive Google slides that let every student respond to my questions and prompts. I am able to see all student responses in real time. I get immediate feedback on student understanding, and the slides engage students. These slides essentially serve as formative assessments during a lesson as kids type an answer, click multiple choice questions, manipulate shapes, and use virtual highlighters to underline important information in word problems. Later after math class, students can work on their math assignment for the day. They can go at their own pace and watch my videos of the directions and answers as they finish to check their work. Another option after math class is to stay online to get more one-on-one help with me by getting a few more practice problems. Some students work on Zoom or Facetime to work together on their math. Though we all miss being with each other at school, we continue to make ways to feel not so distant.
Distance Learning
3/28/2020
The world has drastically changed in the past few weeks. PNA is striving to maintain its commitment to keep students learning through distance learning. Teachers have been quickly adapting by learning new technology platforms themselves and creating learning experiences that are flexible enough for each family’s unique situation. Teachers also took into account that students miss their friends and need a consistent time that they see their classmates. This week, our class met every morning for our morning, just like we do at school. We have been learning together what our classroom agreements look like in an online setting and academic routines that specifically work for our class.
We are in a unique time in history that kids will remember for the rest of their lives. This week, students journaled each day about their abrupt changes in their daily lives and how their communities have temporarily changed in response to COVID-19. Students could interview different family members to help.
Each day, students had the option of joining me online to talk about something related to COVID-19 that they most likely had heard bits and pieces about at home or on TV. We looked at some pictures I took in stores around Anchorage, read parts of health mandates, watched proper hand washing videos, and discussed how their social lives had changed since before writing a paragraph together online. Our PNA community as a whole is working to stay strong and make the most of this challenging time for everyone. Forces and Motion
2/15/2020
We are excited about our new PBL unit that we recently began! After watching Caine’s Arcade, students were instantly excited about the idea of building their own arcade by the end of the unit. Our driving question is “How can we as engineers create an arcade while learning about forces?” The first step to any project is to make a list of questions that we would need to figure out in order to make this happen. They sorted these questions into groups to find duplicate questions. We have a lot to find out! One of the goals throughout this science unit is to learn about forces and motion. This week, students explored how changing the height, mass, and distance of objects affects their motion. They conducted experiments and collected data in a variety of learning stations that answered these questions:
These stations challenged students to talk through the entire process. It was great to hear them discussing surprising findings, correcting each other to make sure the experiment was set up right, and troubleshooting together. What I love about PBL is the opportunity for students to grow socially and practice communication skills as they learn key science standards.
100th Day
2/8/2020
Friday was the 100th day of school! We use 100th Day to not only celebrate that we are 100 days smarter, but also to tie in math in a variety of ways. This day is also a great opportunity for children to work alongside others in different grade levels. PNA has a strong student body community. Lower School students celebrated by engaging in stations related to the number 100. The activities had students counting, creating art, collecting data, adding, and building. These types of activities help build students' number sense because they provide opportunities for students to visualize 100 in different contexts. They had a lot of fun! Beanstalks
2/1/2020
This week in math, we used Jack and the Beanstalk to practice a variety of math concepts. The goal for this mini project was to practice measuring, data collecting, collaborating, and interpreting graphs.
After listening to Jack and the Beanstalk, groups of students created tall paper beanstalks with their own creative spin on them. They worked together to measure the height of their beanstalk to the nearest ½ inch and all of the leaves to the nearest ¼ inch. They practiced using the marks on a ruler to be precise with their measurements and learned how to round to the nearest half and quarter. Good mathematicians are able to organize their data. They practiced making line plots with all of their measurements and interpreting the results by answering questions. Kids improve in math as they practice concepts in different contexts and scenarios. It is also important that kids have opportunities to talk about their math. It was great listening to pairs of students double checking each other’s work and explaining why their answers to their partner throughout this process! More Visitors!
1/25/2020
This week we had a few more visitors! Kimber Olson, Max’s mother, came to share her experiences and knowledge of the beautiful Aleutian Islands. Students enjoyed her stories about the extreme weather and the uniqueness of some of the islands. Because Kimber works for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, she connected our class with Darling and Bobby. Darling and Bobby also shared their experiences growing up in the Aleutians and demonstrated a new language app for others to learn their language. Because only about 90 people speak this language fluently, this app is vital in keeping this language alive. Elizabeth Hensley, William Hensley, and Maligiaq Padilla (Aqattaq’s mother, grandfather, and father) were also kind enough to visit. They shared the rich indigenous knowledge that has allowed the Inupiaq to thrive for thousands of years in the North. Students looked at clothing made of moose hair, marten, fox, wolf, and seal skin. They liked seeing the harpoon with scrimshaw and the kayak Maligiaq made. We even passed around Aqattaq’s mukluks that she wore as a baby and tried muktuk (bowhead whale)! William Hensley is a former member of the Alaska House of Representatives and Alaska Senate. His book 50 Miles from Tomorrow is a great read about his story of his incredible journey that led him to his role of being a major advocate for Native Alaskans. As a connection to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students learned that there was a time in Alaska when businesses could post signs like “No Dogs or Natives Allowed” or “Whites Only.” William attended a school that physically punished him when he spoke his first language and looked down upon Natives. Alaska has its own heroes like Elizabeth Peratrovich who helped pass anti-discrimination laws and William Hensley who lobbied for the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Thank you so much for your time, Max’s and Aqattaq’s family! Mr. Baines
1/18/2020
We love visitors! This week, we had the opportunity to listen to David Baines, Elizabeth’s father. He was kind enough to teach our class some of the traditional beliefs and customs of the Tsimshian. The Tsimshian is a native tribe of the Pacific Northwest Coast. We loved hearing stories and looking at pictures of his family’s adventures in Kodiak Island, including the time a fin whale lifted up his fishing boat! Students also enjoyed seeing whale bone art, a traditional drum, an otter pelt, and a bentwood box. Our favorite part was when Elizabeth and her dad ended our time together with a goodbye song. My goal for our classroom learning environment is to expand the scope of our learning beyond the walls of our classroom and the pages of a textbook. One way that we do this is by inviting people from the community who have expert knowledge and real world connections to the content standards which we are exploring. By doing so, learning becomes meaningful because it is coming from an authentic source. These experiences are the moments that students will remember when they look back on their educational journey. Thank you David and Elizabeth! Your time means so much to us!
We look forward to many other parents and organizations visiting in the near future! |
Jessica GrahamMs. Graham graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, and is currently working on her master's in reading. She enjoys hiking, traveling, arts & crafts, and playing the ukulele. Archives
April 2021
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