Day 152 - Tim Calvin, Burlington High School English Department

An idea about food.:
Nutrition and students is a huge topic in schools- what with obesity rates climbing and the health problems associated with that. As a result, Massachusetts has a law on the books that requires students buying lunch at schools to take a piece of fruit. It isn’t mandated that they eat the fruit, but it has to be on their tray when they check out.
Fine.
Except much (most?) of the fruit ends up in the trash barrel five feet away. Not eaten, not handed back- tossed. It seems a waste. And in thinking about what makes people want to eat fruit, three things came to mind:
1. Availability. Fruit that’s easy to get will get eaten more than… well, this is pretty obvious.
2. Quality. Fruit that looks/smells/feels/tastes good is nearly impossible to resist. In parties with little kids, someone always brings a platter of cookies. Someone else brings a platter of fruit. The fruit is always gone first.
3. Cost. If the fruit costs less than other options, it’ll get eaten more. Again, obvious.
So with those three givens, I propose the following move: the school fruit bowl.
We’re already buying the fruit- so that part of the cost is done. I realize we recover some of that cost when we sell the student lunch, but still. We should be able to swing this. Anyway, it’s simple. Park a big bowl (or bowls) around the school with free fresh fruit in them. Free satisfies #3, and bowls around common areas satisfies #2. As far as quality goes, I’d argue that buying the in-season fruit would help keep costs down and quality up.
Think of the problems this solves: any hungry kid, at whatever time of the day, could easily pick up a readily available free piece of fruit to eat. It’s healthy, yes, but it also provides an elegant solution to both the health problem as well as the I-didn’t-eat-breakfast-for-whatever-reason problem.
But I think the advantages run deeper- just like the bowl of fruit on the kitchen table at home helps provide a central point for the family, I think a bowl of fruit in a school can provide a similar function. It can provide a better sense of community. It can provide a location for accidental interactions- with both students and staff- that might not otherwise meet. Those chance encounters provide all sorts of fertile ground for staff and student interactions- and those interactions can lead to some meaningful connections and relationships.
And for the cost of some fruit. Seems like a bargain.

Day 131 - Ben Lally, Burlington High School English Department

Pre-Release Event for Ms. Sullivan’s Debut Novel – Golden Boy:

On June 18th, BHS’s own Ms. Sullivan will hold a book event to celebrate the release of her novel Golden Boy, which is scheduled for release by Penguin Publishing in late June. She has arranged for Penguin to send her some copies in advance of the release date just for BHS students & staff. On the 18th, Ms. Sullivan will hold a Q&A during each period that will be open to the English classes & electives, and she’s offering the opportunity to purchase a copy of the book in advance (and even get it signed!)

If you are interested in ordering a copy of the book, please download and fill out this form and bring it in to your English teacher or to Ms. Sullivan herself (Your English teacher may also have copies of this form available). BHS -GB PreOrder Form

Class of 2013 – if you are interested in ordering a copy, let Mr. Lally know and Ms. Sullivan can bring your copy to graduation (or, you can also come by to the event on the 18th)
Since Ms. Sullivan has to put in the order for these copies soon, please bring in the form and the payment by the end of this week (May 31).
For information about the novel, CLICK HERE

Thanks!

Day 127 - Keith Mistler, Burlington High School Art Department

A Time for Reflection: Student work: this image makes me long for the carefree life of High School!

As the school year begins to wind down, I am reminded that the school year never truly ends for teachers. The summer is a time to relax and recharge, but it is also a time for reflection. Reflection can sometimes by missed or skipped due to our busy schedules and fast-paced lives. Teachers can often skip reflection all together due to trying to cram everything in before the close of the school year. But taking time to reflect is a very important part of education. In my art classes, we work hard and fast on school projects in order to create, create, create! Talking about what was done really helps the high school students understand what they did and WHY. And it also helps me to understand what they thought about a particular lesson or project.

This summer, I plan on taking my time and renewing my love for teaching. Statistics state that most teachers leave the profession after only three years. I was just talking to my sister-in-law about the new rigorous educator evaluation system being put into place next year. Her question to me: "Do doctors or lawyers undergo an evaluation system like the kind that teachers are put through? How can teachers not get burnt out?" Great questions--and those answers are better saved for another post. My point is that this is my 3rd year of teaching, and I won't lie and say that I'm not exhausted! I have found that I have put so much time and effort into teaching (working what feels like around the clock), that I think I need a bit of a break. No, I'm not leaving; I just need time to reflect on the past three years and decide what works, what doesn't, and how should I continue in order to be successful in the future. During the last  summer I have taken art courses, photographed weddings, and relaxed with friends and family; this summer I plan to do the same, but with more time spent reflecting and relaxing. How am I doing and what can I do better--both in my career and in life. I cannot imaging working as a CEO for 80 hours a week with 2 weeks or less of vacation. Our bodies and minds need to rest and recharge--that is why we need to sleep 7 hours a night. I feel that Americans neglect this rest and reflection even though there have been many studies that cite the benefits. Because teachers have the summers off, we are helping our students to succeed in giving ourselves that time to recoup and regenerate.

Next year I will have my first student teacher from Boston University. I am excited to welcome here here at Burlington High School, but I am also looking forward to helping her thrive and not be the third year fed-up teacher statistic in her future.

I have accomplished so much these past three years and I am proud of these accomplishments; I should be proud of them. I often teach my students to take a step back after creating and appreciate what they've done; share the work and be proud! I love my students and my school, and I want to be happy here with them. I would have never dreamed that I would love my job so much; but I truly am in my dream job. I want to feel that way in ten years, so this summer is for you, Mr. Mistler.

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Day 121 - Christina Chang, Burlington High School Hart

Proud Teacher Moments....Visiting BHS Graduate Jason Yeadon at MLB FanCave:

It is always a delight to see former students, especially when they work at very cool spots in Manhattan! I had the pleasure of visiting Jason Yeadon, class of 2006. Jason is a graphic designer for MLB. He is currently working at the MLB Fan Cave as designer.

A note from Jason:
Now into its third season, the MLB Fan Cave is a powerful marketing platform that engages fans digitally, experientially, and socially. Through MLB player and celebrity visits, concerts, an art gallery and more, the MLB Fan Cave serves as the intersection of Baseball and pop culture. The MLB Fan Cave is both a local destination in the heart of Greenwich Village and a national content platform (MLBFANCAVE.com) directly connecting with fans like never before.

There are 9 "super-fans" also know as "cave dwellers" that watch all 2,430 games of the MLB season... yes that means they do not get a day off and are in the cave all baseball season. They regularly interview players and act in skits and funny short videos with these celebrities. The videos are posted to MLBFanCave.com and shared through social media.

As a designer for Major League Baseball I am responsible for the overall look of the Fan Cave, prop and set design, social media graphics and activation for MLB sponsors. I am also responsible for design involving the All-Star game and Postseason when it relates to the MLB Fan Cave and social media.

I graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in communication design. I took may art classes at BHS and also played football, track and hockey. My art and sports background is what attracted me to MLB. BHS really prepared me for a career in design and without the amazing teachers I had or the variety of art classes I was offered to take I would not be where I am today.  

Jason in front of the wall that he designed.

Day 102, Andrew Marcinek, Burlington High School Staff

Subtext app update:
The social reading application, Subtext, recently added new features to its iOS application. Subtext allows teachers and students to read books on the app as well as upload ePub (and PDF files coming soon). Teachers and students can also pull articles from any website on the web and save them to subtext. This feature only brings in the text and some links.
In their latest update, Subtext allows Teachers to create assignments with any text or article on the group shelf and provides Google drive integration.
Teachers can add an assignment by clicking on the + sign



And then Teachers can title the assignment, select pages for students to read, add categorical tags (such as characterization, foreshadowing, etc.), and post a introduction message to the assignment and a message when the students finish the reading.



The other new feature that was recently added was Google drive integration. Students and teachers can now access their Google drive and all of the docs while working within the pages of Subtext. At the top of every page, there is a lowercase ‘g’. When users tap on that the page will flip and users can sign into their Google drive account.



Once signed into Google drive, users can access a previously created document or they can create a new document or spreadsheet. Plus, users can create a running bibliography list, or start a rough draft for an essay they are working on. This feature also allows users to bring in their highlighted passages and use while constructing their essay or research paper. In short, it’s a great, all-in-one application for research and reading.



Since its launch, Subtext has been one of my favorite applications for beginning a close reading of a text, building discussions around a text outside of the classroom, and engaging students in the reading and now, the writing process. Their updates are directly related to what teachers and students want. If you’re interested in starting your class on a Subtext reading assignment, please let me know. You can also follow them on Twitter @readwithsubtext 

Day 68 - Andrew Marcinek, Burlington High School Staff

Google Forms get a refresh:
As part of the Google drive suite of applications, Google Forms got a major update today in both features and aesthetics . One of the first things users will notice is the new design. The design is much cleaner and looks as if it was pasted on a Google doc. All of the previous features have carried over, however; there are some great new features.
Another major update is the ability to share a form and create it collaboratively with a team. Multiple users can collaborate in real time on a form and engage in a side-bar chat window. Before, only one person could edit and create a form, now several users can use this to create a collaborative form.
Users can also select the destination for responses. Before, Google forms would automatically send the responses to a new Google Spreadsheet. While this feature still remains, users can now select one spreadsheet to have multiple forms sent to rather than having a new one created each time. So, technically, teachers can create multiple forms and have the responses sent to one single spreadsheet.
Finally, after collecting responses, users can now download a .csv file (comma separated values) to their computer. This file allows users to take the data collected and import it directly into a program such as MS Excel for more advanced data analysis.
And that’s about it for this refresh. Please see the video below for an overview of the new features available for Google Forms

Day 55, Christina Chang, Burlington High Art Department

This Friday is the fifth annual Artist Alumni Day. It is my pleasure to welcome back numerous students who will speak about their experiences at BHS, their post graduate experiences and the careers they are now pursuing. You can see the schedule for Friday here.

One very noteworthy BHS graduate who will not be attendance but is worth highlighting is Rachel Faller (pictured below). She founded a socially responsible fashion design company KeoK’jay. Here is a CNN video on Rachel's Efforts. Rachel graduated from BHS as a top academic student. She went on to attend Maryland Institute College of Art and studied Textiles and Art Education.

Upon graduation from Maryland she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and headed to Cambodia. Rachel submerged herself into the culture and studied woman who had HIV and AIDS. Rachel started teaching the women various textile techniques and how to create clothing. Her passion for fashion design lead her to create KeoK’jay. Here is the KeoK’jay website.

The excerpt below is from an article on Rachel from the the Maryland Institute College of Art website

“KeoK’jay was started in 2008 by American Designer Rachel Faller, who was studying traditional textiles in Cambodia under a Fulbright grant. Since then, KeoK’jay has grown to shops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and has also been featured in several international boutiques, events, and media. KeoK’jay seeks to grow within and beyond Cambodia as an international business that positively impacts it’s customers and employees. Quality design, compassionate production, and sustainable practices are the core principles behind KeoK’jay’s model. “

Day 32 - Todd Whitten, Burlington High School Social Studies Department Head

Going to a conference is a lot like the old saying about weddings: “something old, something new, something borrowed…” This past week, I had the chance to attend the National Council of Social Studies annual conference in Seattle, Washington.  I may, perhaps, be somewhat unique in that I very much enjoy attending conferences of this sort, in part because it takes me out of my normal routines for a few days, in part because I get the chance to meet people with whom I only have a virtual relationship (I’m talking about you, #sschat!), in part because I have the opportunity to take two days and reflect on my practice in the company of people who do the same thing I do, and in part, because, let’s face it, I’m a history nerd.  I emerge from the experience feeling exhausted (jet lag and days that run from 7am to 9pm) but invigorated, and that saying will help me to explain why.

From this conference a sampling of what I took:

Something old:  I used to use more music in my classes.  I don’t really know why I don’t do as much any more, but it has faded out of my practice.  A session led by Mr. Steve Hoffman, a history teacher at Middle College High School in San Pablo, California brought music back for me.  His first career was as a session musician for reggae bands, and, as he put it, “When [he] decided to grow up, teaching just was a good fit.”  Needless to say, his classroom is full of musical influence.  So, for his presentation, he pulled together a selection of music that he uses in his classroom, from Gregorian Chants to Underground Railroad Code songs to Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Nas and (of course) Bob Marley, all of which help his students to find connections to, inspiration from and interest in the dry, boring, dusty history that he teaches.  He does not teach in a 1:1 environment as I do, so he uses his own devices, his own speakers and his own musical abilities to inspire his students.  It was a great reminder of something old that has fallen and needs to be picked up again. I started planning new lessons halfway through his presentation that I’ll be working in to my classroom.

Something New: I had no idea that you can embed a link in a YouTube video that you can then click and go to another video.  In this way, I can make a choose-your-own-adventure video project.  If I use an app called Explain Everything, I learned that I could create a video that will encompass moving images, still images, text and sound.  And it can all be done easily and quickly.  This presentation opened up a whole world of possibilities, not only for how I can deliver content to my students, but also for how they can show me that they are understanding the material.  The presentation from Greg Kulowieck opened new paths for me as we work to incorporate the iPad into the classrooms of BHS, and gives me another way to help my students learn not only the content, but a usable skill.

Something Borrowed: One of the great things about teachers is their willingness to share.  At the end of every workshop, there were web-links, QR Codes, handouts, materials of all kinds.  And every teacher said, “Take them, alter them, use them however you like.” Unlike lots of professions that worry incessantly about copyright, ownership, profit, the education industry works best when it incorporates sharing.  I have snippets of lessons about how to integrate the Common Core (You are all going to be hearing a lot more about that very soon), how to read texts better, how to teach current events better.  All freely given, all happily borrowed.

Oh, and the only “Something Blue” would be my toes for lack of circulation during the cross country flight. Those seats just aren’t built for those of us over 6 feet tall!

The conference featured more than I can post here (and probably more than you want to read!) But having the opportunity to hear Justice Sandra Day O’Connor speak about the importance of civics; to be moved to tears by holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein’s story; to witness a citizenship ceremony in the aftermath of a nasty election that helped to remind all 4,000 of us that we live in the greatest country in the world; to participate in round-table discussions with the Department of Education; and to build bridges to colleges and universities from around the country, are all going to come back to my classroom, my department, my school and my district in countless ways.  I’m already looking forward to next year!

Day 9 - Patrick Hanafin, 2012 BHS Graduate/Percussion Adviser

I have been an avid member of the Burlington High School Music Department for five years.  During my time in music programs such as marching band, concert band, percussion ensemble, jazz band, select chorus, and the yearly musicals I have grown as a musician. The BHS music department enhanced my passion for percussion, and now I am performing, teaching, and working with professionals in this field. With the experiences I have gained in percussion performance and education, I now hope to share my expertise and give back to the community and the BHS music program as an educator.

My experiences include: being the youngest member of The Boston College Marching Band as a snare player, the pit drummer for various groups and performances such as The New England Tenors, Backyard Broadway, and the Burlington Educational Summer Theater program. I also currently teach private percussion lessons to various young musician around the middlesex region. I have also furthered my music education by attending programs such as UMASS Amherst's Mobile Percussion Seminar, UMASS Lowel's Symphonic Band Camp, and weekly instruction at AXIOM Music School.  This year, I am further developing my education at Berklee College of Music where I will be am majoring in Music Performance and Education.

As a student at BHS I undertook the role of being the drum line section leader, and also filled the void as the percussion educator for the 2010, 2011 seasons. I am excited to continue assisting and guiding BHS students to enhance their own abilities, and to further spark their own musical passion!