Check this out! What a fun-filled learning day at the University of Values!
Thanks to Ms. Sylvia for remembering to get the video camera and doing such a great job interviewing everyone!!...and thanks to Shaquomm Dodd, my summer intern, for editing the video.
As I came into the office today, I noticed that the After-School Academy window that is usually brightly lit up like this:
was very dark, as if no one was there. Though there were no lights, it seemed darker than usual.
Perplexed...and, I admit, a little concerned that the teachers weren't doing their job...I started to walk in.
As I opened the door, little voices started chattering, "Someone's coming in!" and one of the dark black curtains hanging from the ceiling, encircling the kids, slightly opened so the kids could see their intruder.
"It's Ms. Janet!" they exclaimed. And quickly started telling me, "We're having a campout!"
Indeed, it was very dark...like a campout. And I looked down to see their "camp fire" in the middle of the circle (baby carrots on a piece of white tissue paper with a flashlight underneath to make it glow).
The kids had read their morning story, Bear Snores On, and were role playing and learning about kindness.
Shines go out to Nazareth, their teacher for the day, who stepped in for their regular teachers. I'm glad I walked in when I did. Sometimes it's the little events that help me realize how much the kids are learning and how much the teachers (many of them high school students...and Nazareth, a former student herself) are teaching.
Thanks, everyone!
As I left my office last night, I noticed something hanging outside the door.
Odd.
My first thought was to wonder why maintenance put that there. Then I remembered seeing these strange strips earlier in the day in Ms. Bert and Ms. Brandie's classroom.
The kids are studying Air Quality as a part of their Environment/Recycling program this week. I'm guessing it has something to do with figuring out how clean/dirty our air is. I believe Ms. Lauren and Ms. Nazareth's class did something similar because I saw them setting jars outside earlier this week.
Maybe Monteyvion, Niemen, Hayzul, Ishmael, or someone from one of those classes can explain to us what they are doing and what they find out. I would love to know!
What do you know about technology? This summer the kids will be learning about taking pictures and videos, putting them on the computer, playing computer games about recycling, using voice recorders, doing interviews, and much more.
We have a great group of ExxonMobil Green Team ambassadors who teach the classes.
This is the Tech Geniuses class. Expect great things out of them! They will be documenting the program and creating awesome videos for us to watch by the end of the summer.
One-on-one attention. The University of Values provides opportunities for kids to get to know their teachers and the teachers to get to know their kids.
This summer the kids will engage in active learning. Today they went into the aparment complex to pick up "trash." When they came back, they separated it into trash and things that could be recycled. We had full bags of recycled items by the end of the day.
Welcome, Aviant, Angel, Jailyn, Niemen, Kwane, Jordan, Joshua, Monteyvion, Hayzul, C.J., Lewis, and Justice. We are excited you are here!!
Wow it is going to be a challenge and real opportunity to develop our skills for coaching the kids using these extraordinary tools and techniques. But we are doing no less than what we ask our kids to do. Jump in and swim!
We'll be operating on courage and self determination for a little while but very soon, I predict, we'll have our wings and so will our kids. To orient myself for new learning I'll use the "WOWSE" concept to remind me I have a personal responsibility to pursue excellence when it comes to presenting this opportunity for an imaginative and intellecutually stimulating summer program.
We'll prove you can have lots of fun while learning!!
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