Coupla Things v1 (8/24/12)
Post date: Aug 25, 2012 6:38:19 AM
Dear 8th Grade Parents and Students,
Week one is done and has served its purpose well. The opening introductions and activities have given me great confidence that this 8th grade class will be a joy to work with and for. In this, the first “real” issue of my weekly newsletter, I’d like to tell you about some of the highlights of the week and let you know of a few upcoming events and ideas in the works.
I enjoyed meeting the kids at the Middle School Mixer. We did an introduction activity as a homeroom for the first (quiet) half, and then went outside for a game of four corners and a few rounds of tug-of-war. The energy was good and the kids seemed to enjoy the chance to reconnect and meet a few new people.
On that first day of school, oh so long ago, we jumped right into the formation of self-descriptive word-clouds using a service called “tagxedo”. The results are on the “About Us” page of my website, organized by homeroom. It impresses me how well the students can follow a multiple-step process after just a brief overview and demonstration – they certainly are adept at the tools of a digital age.
The science itself began yesterday with a few words of orientation/inspiration from me about “re-igniting their infantile intrigue” (intrinsic curiosity), and a short promotional video about science. The kids each then created a slide on a collaborative online presentation in which they simply stated something that they wonder. The results are excellent, of course (Room 25, Room 23, Room 22). Being signed in under a mydiscoveryk8 (student) account might be required to view that document.
Establishing a comfortable and productive learning environment is a high priority for all of the teachers and we are working towards that goal in diverse ways. One highlight of that type of activity was the towel-balloon toss activity that we did Wednesday and today. Groups of 3 or 4 kids were given a towel and a crate of very large water balloons. Through communication, skill, and practice, they learned to use the towel like a trampoline to launch the balloons quite high in the air and catch them again. Teams then paired up and did cross-tossing, and a few even agreed to “the soaker challenge” where, if the aim was good, they could soak each other – somehow, though, I was the only one who got drenched today (during recess). Sometime this weekend, I hope to post some pictures and videos onto that “About Us” page.
Since selectives don’t start until October, we will be using the afternoons to engage in some more cooperative group activities as well as the development of class norms, agreements, and just-for-fun activities that will set the stage for a year of challenge, achievement, exploration, and mutual respect. How that happens may look different in each room since its form is dependent upon the character of the class and the teacher. In my class, the kids entered information into an “Aspects of Us” document and we will use that information to create and play a great jeopardy-style game. I’ve heard of some great afternoon activities happening in the other 8th grade classes and hope to emulate them as well.
During my former life I ran a summer camp, taking groups of kids on camping, wilderness, and recreation expeditions. The effect of those activities is usually very positive and can have great impacts on individuals, the group, and even families. I'd like to explore the possibility of doing an optional overnight camping trip to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (in Felton, near Scott's Valley) from the afternoon of Thursday, September 27 to the next morning (returning to school -- perhaps grimy and tired -- by 9ish). Organizing this would be a bit of a challenge, since it would be done by parents, kids, and me rather than the classroom and trip coordinators. I'm putting together a webpage to house the information and progress, but as of tonight it just has a few photos. If any parents or students are interested in helping to develop the idea further, please let me know!
With sincere appreciation and enthusiasm,
Chris