Audacity to Learn

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Teaching the financial process

Friday, the After-School Academy took a field trip to Washington Mutual.
We prepared to "act like bankers" before we went in. Four parents went with us so that their children could open a savings account. The bank allowed the children to put in as little as 25 cents to start saving. Nine children opened savings accounts.

As the kids waited,

...parents set up their child's savings accounts

...grandparents set up their grandchildren savings accounts

...parents/grandparents taught their children/grandchildren how to deposit their money

...kids were taught how to read a deposit receipt

...and kids interviewed the bankers.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Board games...the perfect teaching tool

As we played, the kids had to count the squares (which are labeled 1-100). The kids had to gain an understanding of how to wait their turn. They had to work on moving from one space to the next without skipping around the board (which, for some reason, seems to parallel the problems the often have with the way they do their math problems). They also learned about concepts of addition by helping a kid understand that if they are on square 53 and move 5 spaces, they advance to square 58. They had to learn good sportsmanship because I wouldn't allow them to quit the game because they were behind...and when Tyrese won, we each reached across the board to shake his hand and say, "Good game, Tyrese."

Overall, though, it allowed me (an adult) to have personal interaction time with the kids...which a lot of our kids, these days, don't get enough of.

As soon as I was finished, a few kids who saw me playing Chutes and Ladders quickly asked me to show them how to play Monopoly. I knew I was on to something when I explained began explaining how to buy property on the Monopoly board and Eddie, a kindergartener referred to the checkbook system we've been using for discipline...which allows the kids to earn or lose money based on their attendance, participation, and behavior...and then allows them to "buy" activities and field trips. Eddie immediately made the connection of buying the property on the monopoly board to saving and spending money from his checkbook: "It's like our checkbook! It's just like when we can choose to buy a camera or a voice recorder!"

Sometimes I think we try so hard to make sure we have "results" that we forget these natural and fun ways of learning. And we forget how much it means to kids that someone sits down with them, focuses solely on them, and teaches them lessons they can carry with them.

Anyone have any children's board games they would like to donate? If so, call/email me!

note: photos taken by Melvin, 5th grade

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Teach them and they will learn!

I usually have higher expectations than can be met. But this year, I think I've already exceeded my own expectations! I am thoroughly impressed with our group of 30 kids, our 2 Americorps members, our numerous volunteers, and Sylvia!

This year we have created a checkbook system for our discipline. The kids earn $5 simply for showing up (because sometimes 1/2 the battle is won simply by showing up!). They earn and lose "money" from their check register based on their behavior. With their "money," they can "buy" opportunities to be the photographer for the day...reporter for the day...field trips...weekend take-home activites...etc.

In addition to their daily financial lessons, they all have financial literacy classes on Monday...and this Friday we will take a field trip to WaMu so the kids (with their parents, of course) will learn about and be able to open a savings account where they can start by depositing as little as 25 cents.

I think one of the best things my parents taught me early on was how to write a check, manage my money, and make wise choices with what I had. I hope that we can do the same for the kids in our After-School Academy.

So far, it seems to be working. We "sold" two tickets to Lily's Purple Plastic Purse next Friday for $50. Two kids had enough money to buy the tickets. Others were disappointed that they, too, weren't getting the chance to go.

This particular picture must be one of the kids showing off his large balance in his checkbook. :)

All of the pictures here were taken by kids who "bought" the camera for a day in order to be a photographer-for-a-day.

These are great kids! I'll write about our Microsoft Publisher class in the next post.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Chess

It is so great seeing the kids learning how to play chess. They are very attentive and are really learning the game of chess. They have a great chess teacher. I am even learning how to play :) I can't wait to see the students in competition, I believe they will be ready, and it will be a great experience.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Bingo And Banking!!

I loved watching the older kids play bingo yesterday. Ms. Gilbert showed them how to play bingo using money and math. What they had to do was, when she called out the amount of money, they had to look on their bingo card and add up the money to equal the same amount that she called out. They seemed very excited. I don't even think that they were aware that they were learning math. She made it fun for them, so to them they were merely playing a game. Most of all, I think Ms. Doris who assisted Ms. Gilbert was more crunk than the children. It was nice to see the staff be engaged and excited, because once the children see her having fun, they will themselves get excited. Way to go Ms. Doris

Bankers of Today!!!

I love the fact that we have a financial Literacy class. The children are learning how to write checks and balance their checkbooks. We are talking about Kindergarten-5th grade, and they are doing a great job. This is helping them brush up on thir math skills also. Ms. Janet taught the younger kids yesterday on how to add and take away when using their check registers. This new way fo discipline is working out very well. The children know that they can earn money(not real money) for good behavior or they can get money taken away if the make bad choices. If they get enough money they can purchase items from the ASA to use for the day, like: a camera, voice recorder or weekend back pack full of goodies. They love it ! Three have already bought either a camera or voice recorder. Now, the other kids are working very hard to earn enough to do the same. I wish that, when I was younger, some one would have taught me how to save and balance my money. I think that bringing this class into the ASA was a brilliant idea, with the way the economy is going by the children learning this now, it will profit them in the future. One of our upcoming fiels trips will be to WaMu, so that the children and their parents can open up their very own savings account.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Good Day At ASA!

Today we had a good day with our Financial Literacy class 3rd-5th grade. The kids had a great time playing BINGO with money. So for instance, they had to find B .15 cent. They had fun while learning how to count money.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

We are moving!

Though we still have some paperwork to do before it is official, the Dallas Housing Authority has graciously allowed us to have a WONDERFUL space that will be our own.

In all of my years of working with kids, we have never had space that is brand new and solely our own to use. Knowing that we will now have this space is such an exciting time for us, filled with so many new possibilities!

Yesterday, during a staff development meeting, I took the staff (Sylvia and our three Americorps members) down to the new space so we could begin envisioning how to decorate and what classes to have where. I was so excited when the staff walked in and I watched their eyes get big with excitement and immediately started throwing out ideas. Their energy made me so proud and pleased to have acquired these four as staff this year.

Andricka (a senior at Skyline high school and first time Americorps member) couldn't believe she was going to have her own classroom for her Kinder-2nd grade kids. I kept chuckling as she continued to beg for a classroom of her own... "Please, can I have that classroom for my kids? (as she carefully choose a specific room for her class)" It took several times to convince her, "Yes, Andricka. That can be your classroom." "Really???" "Yes, Andricka. It's your classroom for your kids."

She's already throwing around new ideas of how to decorate for her Voting and Elections class and figuring out how to implement her new Math class (after going to an amazing PBS math training we received through a grant).

I love getting the right people on board. It makes all the difference in the world when people are excited about education, excited about learning, excited about teaching kids, and excited about working with parents. With Ms. Doris, Kristina, Andricka, and Ms. Sylvia, I know we have the right team!

Never lose faith!

For the last four months, our After-School Academy has been in limbo. With staff cutbacks and the upcoming demolition of Turner Courts, it has been challenging to figure out how to transition to a new program in Roseland TownHomes.

After growing a program for 8+ years, it's really hard to figure out how it all started and to replicate that. It's also hard because we and those around us expect us to start where we left off--with a full slate of 30 kids. On top of that, we have the challenge of figuring out how to restructure the program with less staff and uncertainty about a location.

We did start, though. The Central Dallas Church was gracious enough to allow us in their facility for as long as we needed. We are partnering with J.W. Ray (thanks to Ms. Brenda Powers, Community Liaison) and have two chess club rotations (thanks to Carmen Chairez, Minority Business Development Association)--20-25 kids in the first class and 8-10 kids in the second class! Jennifer Africawala (CDM Americorps program) helped me figure out how to have 3 Americorps members instead of two...and Kristina Williams, Andricka Lindsay, and Doris Thomas are absolutely wonderful!

Texas Capital Bank (Richard Mauldin) and United Central Bank (Cheryl Gilbert) provide finance classes for our elementary kids and we offer art classes through Theresa Cissell (another Americorps volunteer) and Catherine Hamrick (a Richland art major). And more people keep coming!

Sylvia Baylor has been amazing as she has been so willing to step in to coordinate the program in our transition. It is because of her, as well as the help of Marva Epperson-Brown, Danielle Evans, and Kim Johnson (other CDM staff), that we now have 26 kids enrolled and are growing every day! It is also because of Sylvia that we will now have a reading teacher from J.W. Ray Elementary volunteering with us once or twice a week!

There are more partnerships that I'll tell about in future posts. For now, we are off to a great start!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

What's going on...

Mobile post sent by janetmorrison using Utterli.

Replies. mp3

Monday, May 19, 2008

asa

Do you know the asa is fun

i past

i made command porformance on every taks i did im going to middle school!!!!!

I PAST!!!!

I past the reading,math,and made comended on writting.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Cinco De Mayo/PTA Event

I had soooo!! much fun. This was my first time ever going to one of these events. It was given by my sons school and the surrounding schools in the neighborhood. I have always wanted to get involved with my kids schools, but never did. I am glad that I went. They had it set up where you could still celebrate and mingle with the teachers, principals, students and many more. I really enjoyed myself, from playing games to doing the cupid shuffle on their dance floor. I wasn't even nervous, I love this dance so, I was more than willing to participate, plus I think that by getting involved, let my kids know that I support them and their schools. I will continue to go to these events because they help educate us as parents.