Day 144 - Marshall Simonds Middle School, Grade 6

Geometry Scavenger Hunt Projects:

Instead of taking a traditional test to wrap up the geometry unit, 6A students participated in a school wide scavenger hunt.  Students took pictures on their iPads around the math classroom, hallways, auditorium, Learning Commons, school entrance, and a courtyard to find different types of angles, lines, polygons, and perform some calculations on either volume, surface area, or area.  Students were surprised that so many of the geometric concepts we have learned about surround them everyday.  Here are some examples of the students’ Geometry Scavenger Hunts made on the Explain Everything app.

 

Day 126 - Sean Musselman, Burlington Science Center

How Much Does the Gray in an Elephant Weigh? Supporting Science Practice through Children's Literature:

 One of my favorite storybooks as a child was, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." As a youngster, its imaginative storyline and humorous illustrative details kept me pouring over the pages and reaching for it again and again. Over the past several years I have spread my joy for this story as a gift at baby showers and birthday's for young readers. Besides taking pleasure in writing, "hope you grow up to be a great 'meat'eorologist!" on the inside cover, the author's soft-edged storyline highlighting the challenges humans face from extreme weather events are particularly relevant given climate projections for our next generation. Never mind the fact such hurdles for humanity come from precipitating food!

This week I found myself looking for a change-up at the local Barnes & Noble. With my former selection feeling a bit stale (nyuk-nyuk) I combed through the newer titles in search of a suitable replacement. I ultimately came across an enchanting rhyme book titled, "How Much Does the Gray in an Elephant Weigh?" by Erik Van Os, Elle Van Lieshout, Alice Hoogstad, and Mary Chris Bradley. The story follows a grandfather and his grandchild through a zoo. As they observe each animal, the grandfather openly wonders about the characteristics of each animal. Why does the giraffe have brown spots? Do the zebra's stripes go up or down? Do polar bears "beat the heat" with frozen treats? While many of the questions can be characterized as silly, the accompanying illustrations and clever rhymes will undoubtedly keep young readers interested and coming up with unusual predictions for answers!

Better still, the grandfather (and author by default) models one of the eight science practices being emphasized in the Next Generation Science Standards. Of course, "asking questions" has been at the foundation of scientific inquiry for a long time. But as science educators we are constantly looking for opportunities to model these practices and give students the chance to try them out for themselves. By reading picture books to kids that model these practices we are supporting student scientific literacy and a life-long love for reading simultaneously. Such picture books can also act as springboards to an investigation or exploration. This concept is by no means novel. The NSTA has been publishing recommendations for science and literature tie-ins for years, publishing monthly and annual recommendations.

There are plenty of titles available for kids that support science (the Ms. Frizzle series stands out in my mind as an obvious choice.) But I often find myself identifying books for the exposure to science content they provide. As our standards focus more on the practice of science I'll have to keep a keener eye out for books that include characters who are curious and exploratory, observe carefully (Encyclopedia Brown?), collect data and put their predictions to the test! If you have any already in your early reader repertoire please share in the comments below!

Day 103 - Lauren Kippenberger, Memorial School Grade 3

Fraction Fun:

We are learning about fractions! As part of our math program, the students play a game called "Fraction Cookies." Today we learned how to play. The first person to collect 12 cookies wins!

Day 73 - Dennis Villano, BPS Director of Instructional Technology

MSMS is now 1:1 iPads:

Marshall Simonds Middle School is now 1:1 with iPads! The BPS EdTech Team and MSMS staff have completed the 1:1 iPad distribution. All MSMS students now have their own iPads to use at school each day. MSMS has almost 850 students in grades 6-8.

Students received their iPads last week during special brunches. The best part of the deployment was how excited students were to receive their iPads. Several students mentioned that they couldn’t wait to get to school for the distribution days.

MSMS classrooms quickly featured lessons and activities using Evernote, Explain Everything, Notability, Haiku Deck, and DoodleCast Pro. Students clearly needed little explanation about how to use the device. I was very impressed at how engaged students were and how much they looked forward to using the devices for academic work.

Thank you to the BPS EdTech Team and BHS Student HelpDesk for their assistance. Thank you as well to the MSMS staff. MSMS teachers have been getting ready for the 1:1 environment for over a year and their students are already benefiting from their preparation. A special thanks goes to MSMS Library Media Specialist Andy Dexter for his support for the 1:1 initiative. Andy has developed a Student HelpDesk Activity Block and is working closely with all Homeroom Tech Leaders.

I am confident that MSMS will continue to develop an outstanding 1:1 environment for students and teachers. I am looking forward to helping the MSMS community during this new experience.
Please continue to follow this blog for details about the 1:1 program at MSMS. We will feature some the experiences, projects, lessons, and activities of students and the 1:1 environment at MSMS.
Dennis Villano, Director of Technology Integration
For more information about the 1:1 program at MSMS check out:
Preparing for 1:1 at MSMS
MSMS 1:1 Program Details
MSMS Blog
MSMS Learning Commons Blog
BPS EdTech Apps – Middle School Apps

Day 56, Crystal Keating - Memorial School Grade 3 Teacher

Bears in Memorial School

We are so lucky to have a wonderful Science Center to put on fantastic displays in our lobby.  This year, the focus is on the Bears.  The students really enjoyed learning about 3 of the 8 different species this mammal and seeing actual (stuffed) bears and a replica of a polar bear.  Ask your child which bear was their favorite!

The Polar Bear

One of the Black Bears

Working on the Questions

(Kodiak Bear in the back)

Learning about What Bears Eat

Day 41 - Wendy Pavlicek, Burlington Science Center

Is it snowing outside? No, it’s winter moths!

The winter moth, an invasive insect originally from Europe, was introduced into the United States through Canada and Nova Scotia before the 1950′s. You can see these moths throughout eastern Massachusetts in huge numbers.


The adult winter moths (Operophtera brumata) emerge from the ground in November or December, but only the male is able to fly. The female climbs to the base of a tree or building and attracts the male through the pheromone (scent) that she gives off. After mating, the female lays a cluster of approximately 150 eggs under tree bark or in tree crevices, and her life is now over. In March or April the eggs hatch into a smooth green inchworm with a narrow white-stripe running lengthwise on each side of the body. The caterpillar spins a strand of silk, which, with the help of air currents, takes it into tree canopies in a dispersal method known as “ballooning”.

Once there, the damage to the tree begins as the caterpillars work their way into the tree buds and leaves to feed. In Massachusetts, the tree species frequently affected are maple, oak, ash, as well as fruits producers such as apple, crabapple, and blueberry. Winter moth caterpillars can also drop from trees to nearby ornamental shrubs such as roses. When feeding ends in mid-June the caterpillars migrate into the soil to pupate and emerge as moths.

What can we do to control this moth?
No natural controls are known to be present in Massachusetts, but researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst are actively collecting and rearing a parasitic fly (Cyzenis albicans) that was very effective at controlling winter moth outbreaks in eastern Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, effective biological control is many years away.

Source:http://extension.umass.edu/

Check out these links for more winter moth information:

http://extension.umass.edu/landscape/news/warm-winter-2012-and-what-expect-winter-moth-massachusetts
http://extension.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/winter-moth-overview
http://extension.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/winter-moth-identification-management
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/winter_moth.pdf

Day 36 - Alexis Dwyer, Fox Hill Elementary School Counselor

Sometimes the Fox Hill children and staff call me "The One," which I can tell you is not true because I am not the best at anything. ‘The One’ is based on Kathryn Otoshi’s book titled One, which was the inspiration for Fox Hill’s school-wide initiative focusing on standing up for yourself and others in a respectful and responsible way.

This story teaches us about accepting each other's differences and that it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count. Our first school-wide assembly in November was devoted to the theme of “Be the One.” This assembly included some 5th grade children and me interpreting the book on stage as a way to introduce the theme and bring the story to life (See the video below). All the children who were part of the show did a fabulous job designing costumes, acting out a character or narrating the play.


one from Mr. Murphy on Vimeo.

Once the children understood the idea of our school theme, they were asked to consistently practice the positive message behind the main characters actions.It was important to set behavioral expectations and for the children to be rewarded with a sticker for showing "Be the One" behavior that is depicted in the story. Some examples of behavioral expectations or criteria include, when a child stands up for a friend who is left out of a game at recess or uses kind words to tell someone how they feel. Children are earning stickers to be displayed on big “One” cutouts in their classrooms. Since we are asking the children to embrace this motto and buy in to its powerful message, it makes sense for us to practice what we preach and behave as we believe.

I believe in being the “One” to make everyone count and be accepted, even if it’s not always the most popular option. Hopefully the children will continue to call me “The One" because I’m doing my best to send this message and not because I wear a huge green “One” costume in school regularly to remind everyone of the importance of standing up for what is right. Sometimes all you need is "The ONE."

Day 34: Melissa Parnell and Karen Hoyt - Pine Glen Kindergarten Staff

We love sharing what is going on in our classroom! Recent posts on our blog include photos from our trip to the zoo, Thanksgiving and more. Be sure to see our Animal Research Project video! Thanks to special hep from our LTC teachers Mrs. D'Elia and Mr. Callahan, we were able to research specific animals, draw them on our ipads and then record a voice over of the facts we know about them.


Pine Glen Room Kindergarten Room 101's blog can be viewed at www.pineglenroom101.blogspot.com

Day 29 - Nicole DePiano, Fox Hill Grade 1 Teacher

My first grade students have been learning how to write a report as part of informative writing. We worked together to create a class report about birds, which was our science topic during the month of October. I made this quick video of my students to highlight the learning process they went through for report writing. The kids had fun being the stars of this movie!

 
Writing a Report from Mr. Murphy on Vimeo.

Day 21 - Patrick Larkin, Assistant Superintendent for Learning

It is hard to believe that I am entering my sixth year in Burlington! Moving to my new post in central office this year has certainly brought a new set of challenges as I am feeling like the "new kid" who is trying to learn all of the  names and navigate new hallways.   However, there are tremendous learning opportunities available when you step out of your comfort zone and accept a new challenge.  I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to accept this challenge in a place like Burlington where education and educators are supported.

As an administrator and a parent, I am impressed daily by the learning taking place in our schools. While none of us purport to be the perfect educator, there are so many examples of high-quality learning experiences taking place every day. Fortunately for me, I get to see a number of them first hand!

But there is good news for those who can't be in our classrooms each day to witness the happenings. Because more and more of our staff members are sharing a window into their classrooms with blogs and other online spaces, there are opportunities for others to follow along.