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This has to be the greatest picture ever!

Using Math Everywhere I Go

In the After School Academy, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade class have been focusing on developing faster math skills. Each day there is a new fun activity for them to engage in to enhance their math skills such as math bingo, math race, and timed math puzzles. We as a class have been discovering the importance of having fast math skills and how we use these skills in everyday life. Many still use their fingers to do math problems and some feels it slows them down when taking timed math tests in school. The daily math reinforcement has been very effective among the students because they have begun to compete with one another to become the math king and queen for the week. I have encouraged them to assit their parents in daily math activities within their home even if it is as simple as adding the total while grocery shopping.

Clarissa(3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teacher)

This has been an incredible summer. How fitting to end the summer blogging with this picture of Neisha tackling the ropes course at the Urban Impact Camp.
All summer the youth explored many avenues dealing with the environment, “going green” being the set theme. It goes to show you, that with some discipline, a burning desire to achieve, and a lot of determination sets a path with endless opportunities. Trial and error plays a big part too, but one has to be willing to go that extra mile.
See, Maya Angelou stated that:

“You may not think you can reach it,

climb anyway.

You may not think you’ll be heard,

speak anyway.

You may not think you can change things,

try anyway.”

That is exactly what they did. From Aviant, a 2nd grader, who has motivated his family to recycle to a bunch of Kindergartners and 1st graders learning the importance of eating right, to Neisha who was determined to succeed and make it to the top.

Plain and simple, I encourage all of you, especially those who work with youth, to repeat the mission statement at least twice week, “equipping youth to envision who they can and one day will become.”
Hello new school year!!!!

P.S. It is true; a picture does speak a thousand words…

Young Photographers: Roseland Through Their Eyes

Photography is a wonderful activity especially for young children. On, this particular occasion I implored the children to really “see” their surroundings and take note of their environment. After discussing some picture-taking tips, I asked each child to take at least 3 photos of the environment and 3 photos of anything they found interesting.

I wanted the children to know that they have the power to make their environment look better or worse through their actions. However, for this lesson to become real, they had to pause and see the impact humans have on the environment. In this case, they were able to see their environment through their pictures.

*Note: This activity took place around the same time we talked about pollution so several of the pictures are of litter.

Chrystalin W. (3^rd,4^th, and 5^th Grade Teacher)

Trinity River Audubon Center

Today the ASA took an unforgettable field trip to the Trinity River Audubon (North America’s largest urban bottomland hardwood forest). The Audubon Center was once an illegal dump. However, after years of work and dedication the area where the Audubon is located was cleaned up and turned into a 6,000 acre educational environmental oasis.

While on the field trip the children hiked along the forest trail, studied a man-made pond using the scientific method, examined fish, snakes, insects and fossils, lastly the day was ended the by petting a box turtle. Below are pictures of our adventure.

Chrystalin W. (3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher)

Critical Thinking at the Morning Meeting

Each morning the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade class have a "Morning Meeting". The "Morning Meeting" consists of a Greeting, Message and Activity. On this particular morning, the activity for my class an engineering contest. The contest was to see which team could build a table that was at least 8 inches tall only using tape, eight sheets of newspaper and an 8” x 11” piece of cardboard. Also, the table had to be able to support a 3.6 pound book. After nearly 30 minutes and multiple tries, the boy’s team won. However, the girl’s team did not give up. The girl’s team continued working until they too had built a table that could support a 3.6 pound book. Though this activity was some what frustrating for the class, they all were able to complete the task. In the end, the whole class learned that perseverance, critical thinking, and cooperation are keys to accomplishment.

Chrystalin W. (3rd, 4th, 5th grade teacher)

Showing me the Works

So today, Sheena and I were sent on a mission to go out to the Roseland Community and tell the residents about ASA, MTU, the Farm Stand, and the different events going on through Central Dallas Ministries. I have been around the area, but I have not really been AROUND the area. Luckily, I was blessed with three guides who helped me along the way. Niemen, Joshua, and John were three young gentlemen who are apart of our programs, and were my help along the way. Niemen pretty much took us where he left off from a previous advertising walk, and we went door-to-door from there. I let them introduce themselves, and they did it very well, and in a respectable manner. I heard them tell me which homes had kids, and which homes had dogs (i.e. the homes they would knock and then run back, leaving me to face the canines haha). They presented the information and flyers well, and whatever they left off, I would make sure to mention it.

We received compliments from the residents about how good the kids were, and I even got a compliment for spending the time with them to go out and and pass out flyers with them. As said by one of the residents "I see a future in these young men." I believe that with all my heart.

I have to say it was a pleasure completing this successful mission with these gentlemen. I enjoyed their help and company.

- Dranoel

Hands on with Solar Energy

Video by: Danielle Davis

We went to college yesterday

The news never stops...

Camera Operator: Kwane

Just another day on the farm...

Insects, Bugs and Crustaceans….

Last week my 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade class discovered Sparky (an escaped insect from Ms. Danielle’s class). Rather than be upset that Sparky was disrupting my Morning Meeting, I asked the class if they wanted to catch him. They responded with a resounding “YES”.

Originally, I had planned for the class to continue a study of Rain Forest and Ocean habitats. However, after noting their excitement over Sparky; I asked them if they would like to go outside and catch other bugs. Thus began my class’s infatuation with all things creepy and crawly. In the past seven days I have learned more about centipedes, millipedes, lady bugs, worms and roly polies then I had ever learned in 16 years of formal education.

Below are the Top Five Facts the kids have taught me. Also, note that some of the information we learned through observation as the children have built a habitat for the roly poise.

5. Centipedes eat roly polies.

4. Roly Polies eat dead leaves and grass.

3. Lady bugs can be red or orange with black spots.

2. Roly Polies are crustaceans not bugs or insects.

1. Roly polies breath through their “feet” . They have gill like structures not lungs.

- Chrystalin (3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teacher)

Our first summer adventure... Wild Walkabouts

Dallas Arboretum – Garden and Wild walkabout

Above is a montage of photos from the ASA first field trip. They went to the Dallas Arboretum.

-Chrystalin (3rd, 4th, 5th grade ASA teacher)

Life is a garden...Dig It!

Ms. Tameshia's Wild Class

Check out the "Wild Self" avatars created by some of our After School Academy students. Enjoy!

"Miss Tameshia is stuck in the computer!"

Over the past few days, I've been dealing with a nasty stomach virus (gastroenteritis) but of course I didn't let that stop us from having Digital Connectors. On Monday and Tuesday, I held class from my couch via Skype.

As Mr. An setup the webcam for Digital Connectors, he allowed some of our After School Academy students to speak to me on Skype. Iesha, was walking in the hallway when she heard my voice. She was completely confused because she hadn't seen me all day and she didn't see my car. She quickly ran into the computer lab (Connect U) to investigate where my voice was coming from. She soon realized that my voice was coming from the computer. Then she grabbed Mr. An and exclaimed "Miss Tameshia is stuck in the computer!" She even offered to jump in and save me.

Soon after, Ta'Kyra and Amaryee (Kindergartners), asked how to spell my name. I quickly spelled it out for them. Within a matter of 3 mins, I saw a piece of paper held up to the camera. Unsure of what it said exactly, I asked Ta'Kyra to read it to me. "Tameshia, I hope you feel better tomorrow!", she said. It wasn't spelled correctly but it's the CARING that counts.

As the Digital Connectors filtered in, I continued to speak to Ta'Kyra and introduced her to my family including the dog. I wanted to sure her even more with Skype, so I had her pose for a picture and then shared my screen with her. I showed her the picture, I had just taken of her. Completely amazed, she asked Shannon (Digital Connector) to help her take a picture of me with their webcam. Mr. Phillip and Mr. An had a hard time pulling them away from Skype.

During our Digital Connectors class, I conducted a scavenger hunt of Web 2.0 tools. I created a video and had the students re-create it. I watched what they did via screen share and answered any questions they had.

Thanks to technology...I was able to conduct classes while I'm at home sick!

How We Became Flat

Prior to Miss Janet leaving to Guatemala, the students in Ms. Katrina's and Ms. Tameshia's classes read "Flat Stanley". After the reading, the kids were challenged to write their own stories of how they became flat and create their very on "Flat Friend". The snow days trumped our flat friend creations, so Ms. Katrina and I created two flat friends in the images of two our students (Lamarcus and Tytiana) to travel to Guatemala with Ms. Janet.

Enjoy some of their stories below....

"I was fighting with my brother and he sat on me to make me flat."--Lamarcus

According to Niesha, our class has become flat on many occasions....

"Once we were at the NBA Jam Session playing basketball against Dirk and the Mavs. He fell on our entire team while trying to dunk and smashed us all flat."

"Another time... we were walking to the After School Academy after school when a very STRONG wind blew us into the side of a building and smashed us. In order to get normal, we rode through the wind on a giant leaf to the nearest gas station. At the gas station, we used the tire air pump to get back to normal."

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Soon, we will be sending out the rest of our "Flat Friends" to other places around the world. If you're interested, in hosting our "Flat Friends", please email: roselandasa@gmail.com. (Please include "Flat Friends" in the subject line)

"Dr." Iesha taking care of Lamarcus

Lamarcus was complaining about his knee hurting, so our very own "Dr." Iesha took a moment to share some of what she learned at physical therapy with Miss Janet. She gave his knee a massage and shortly after he exclaimed "My knee is better now!"

Kids Workshop at Home Depot

Lamarcus, Joshua, and Hakim attended the "Kids Workshop" series at Home Depot with Mr. Phillip and Mr. Casey. For the first workshop the boys made a car display rack. Check out the pictures below. Next month, they will be creating rain gauges.

Hakim showing off his rack......

"The Too Cool Brothers" Lamarcus and Joshua

(Photos Courtesy of Mr. Philip)