SmartStart - building culture & academics

Smart Start - the concept.

By creating an optimal experience for kids in the first few days of school, we can enhance academics. For students to be engaged, creative and passionate learners, they need a place of learning that is: welcoming, open and consistent.

Let's Start School LIKE THIS!




The domains we'll be addressing:



Example question: 
Do kids know the exact things they can get expelled for? If they don't, how can they make decisions?


What might the days look like?




https://rmjohnson45.wordpress.com/2015/08/19/designing-a-new-way-to-start-the-year/

New update from Riley Johnson, LeadWild Admin and Principal at Napa New Tech HS


Some sample Mini-mixers, fifteen to twenty minutes of culture building and 
academic skills that will be useful for later projects.

The Airplane Crash Scenario



How to make the Worst PowerPoint Ever!
A SUPER way to get kids presenting.


http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/10-team-building-games-that-promote-critical-thinking/






http://marshmallowchallenge.com/Instructions.html



Marlena Hebern's AWESOME "Things That Rock" session blog... 


http://theoppbj.weebly.com

Classrooms around the world are invited to participate. 
Classrooms will need to have each student stack oreo® cookies as high 
as he or she can and then average all their individual results to achieve a final Class result. 



GREAT IDEAS FOR MIXERS at the PROJECT OF HOW
http://projectofhow.com/methods/

A great game for each class to play!
Human Hungry Hippos!
Buy one set and let them share



Examples of Tech Trainings



Smart Start Slides! 




Especially for 7th and 8th Grade
The Shooting Gallery



Great and engaging videos for quick lessons!!
VSAUCE - use these with Edpuzzle
https://www.youtube.com/user/Vsauce/videos



To end the week:

A video should be shown school wide, in each classroom, that builds a sense of empathy and community.

The video is followed up with a 3-5 question online survey for students to do immediately online, using Google Forms. Incentives for kids providing divergent and innovative ideas and thoughts are to be encouraged! A Wordle or Tagxedo of the responses can be an amazing insight to what kids are thinking and be a really fun way to share their responses.


OTHER GREAT IDEAS!

First 5 Days: Day 1 from Alas Media on Vimeo.



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