Learning Lab Notes
Homecoming Week= Fun Costumes
Homecoming Week Themed Days
A Fun Themed Week
This week, students showed a lot of creativity with their costume creations for Homecoming Week and showing school spirit. It was fun for us to see students work while in costume (especially Superhero Day).
Superhero Day
Decades Day
Math Workshop
Kimmel (5th Grade Curriculum)- Mathematicians worked very hard learning the traditional method of multiplication this week. Students practiced using this method of computation (most students have focused on the lattice method of multiplication) because middle school teachers prefer it.
Jones (6th Grade Curriculum)- This week, mathematicians in advanced math focused on learning and using formulas and graphs. We used a new tool called Edpuzzle, where students interact with video while solving math problems and showing their math thinking. Students also reflected and evaluated their math projects deciding whether to abandon or continue working on them.
Can you solve the bridge riddle? - Alex Gendler
Collaborative Problem Solving
All math students worked together to solve the Zombie Bridge Riddle. Below you will see video of their thinking about solving the problem. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/ICE9DQfHgmk
Explaining the Zombie Bridge...Cam
IMG 2964 1
Collaboration to Solve the Riddle
Emily, Eva and Brookelin
Making Thinking Visual
Abby pouring out her math thinking
Math Partnerships
Trestyn and Paige work together during a Nearpod lesson to solve a graphing problem.
Reading Workshop
Zooming in on Responding
This week readers really worked on using thinking stems to start their responses. We really want them to not only support their thinking with text evidence, but also show their own thinking about the text. Readers are getting feedback from teachers about what they are doing well and which area they need to improve (using thinking stems, backing up thinking with the text, showing their actual thoughts). We are seeing some excellent and creative ways to respond and look forward to helping each reading grow next week while they respond and read. Small group work will help support this important area of reading.
Reading and Responding
Getting Lost in Books
Building Stamina
A New Tool for Marking Up Text- Liquid Text
Liquid Text- A New Tool
On Friday, students used a tool where they can have the text (two pages from our read aloud, Wonder) in the app and highlight and comment on parts of the reading making it interactive. Several students also started modifying it to meet their thinking needs. There was some color coding going on to identify types of thinking as well as merging comments. We are very proud of our readers for being open to trying this out and can see it being used in small groups and for individual reading responses.
More Responses
Book Creator
Lucas
Keynote
Abby P.
Old School Notebook
Aiden F.
Adrian Working Hard on His Response
Inquiry Workshop
Wonder Wall
This week, our learning and research about Native American people continued and focused on tribes of the West. Along with this research, we want our learners to begin asking specific questions that they are truly interested in learning about and investigating further. Later in the week, we started seeing thinking develop and deepen as students wonder about totem poles, why horses weren't used by Native Americans until the Plains Indians, etc. We can't wait to see where these wonderings lead students' learning.
Ava
Posts a Question to Ponder
Emily and Eva
Share their research on the Inuit.
Abby and Abby
Inquiring Minds
Writing Workshop
Narratives Tell Your Story
This week, writers focused on studying the mentor text, Eleven by Sandra Cisneros. They learned how to use their "writing antennae" to notice good writing moves she made in her narrative. Writers focused on metaphors and similes, repeated lines, showing her thinking and feelings and also creating the outside picture so that the reader can imagine it as he or she reads. Writers are getting good at giving feedback to other writers and setting goals for improving writing. We can't wait to hear and see how the stories come alive next week!