Last year in July, I and a representative from each grade level in our primary and elementary schools, as well as one middle school and one high school teacher and 4 administrators spent 4 days in an amazing school corporation, New-Albany Plain near Columbus, Ohio, learning how to do project based learning (PBL) through PBL101 and PBLWorks, a group originally known as the Buck Institute for Education. They do "gold standard" PBL, which must contain student learning goals, essential project design elements, and project based teaching practices that meet specific criteria designed to best engage and empower students to learn through an exploratory process. I came back to my classroom in August, and dove into the process, finishing our first year with incredible success.
Check out this video of our journey and our public presentation! What a proud moment for these students. It was an amazing journey, and these kiddos amazed and impressed me daily with their dedication and success. This past May, our administrators brought in Teresa Dempsey, a national faculty member for PBLWorks, to train our entire staff in Gold Standard PBL, because our goal is to become a full-fledged PBL school. I and 2 other PBL Leads returned to New Albany Plain this summer for another PBL training, PBL 201, which focused on improving the quality of student work through coaching, peer feedback, and peer collaboration. I have a new 3rd grade team this year and we are tackling a great project that supports not only our academic standards, but social-emotional learning, and philanthropy. It will give students an opportunity to advocate for something bigger than themselves, and the studies could have worldwide implications. More details to come soon on what our future scientists and researchers will be working on!
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To introduce year 2 of our Getting Families Reading initiative at Central Noble, our principal tied this year's book to a local family facing some large hospital bills. At last count our students, teachers, administrative staff, and the community have supported those efforts to the tune of over $1,000 in Lemonade sales in just a bit over a week! THAT is a lot of lemonade! The last day for the stand will be Tuesday, October 23, 2018 11:30AM-1:00 PM. We hope that people in our community continue to reach out and help a neighbor, friend, or even stranger when they need it. We believe in our classroom that kindness and love prevail over all and we were blessed to be part of something so amazing!
This is a great time of year for me! I have everything set up and ready to go, and I am eagerly anticipating back-to-school night and our first day of school! I am nervous, hopeful, proud to serve, and humble. I want to be my best so I can provide your students with the best.
This year we are implementing big things at Central Noble: Project Based Learning classrooms, K-2 and 3-5 split schools to enhance age-appropriate and school-wide creative, collaborative, and real-life learning that is highly focused and individualized, and Maker-Space and Art curriculums that will use 3D printers, laser etchers, power tools, and a whole lot of student input to make learning relatable, fun, and successful for your students. It is an exciting time for all of us here, and I can't wait to get this year rolling! At certain points in our school year, we will be inviting the public in to see the work being done - I hope you will be able to come see what amazing things your students can do!
Baseball, days on the lake, shuffling kids back and forth to camps, vacations, sleepovers, library clubs, and sitters while you are still working - it all takes a toll on our joy and happiness during the summer months. It's important to remember though that your children are on vacation and that they need downtime - and quality parent time - as well!
Keep plans simple, get everyone (even parents!) off of the technology, and get back to core things - real face time, curious conversation, and engaging outdoor activities at home that allow you to truly connect with your child. They look to you for support during their working times, but also need you to show them it's okay to relax and enjoy simple family time as well! |