Reflection Friday: What is your favorite after school activity you've run, this year?

Nellie (Highlander):My favorite after school activity that I've taught this year was Garage Band. I loved being able to teach basic skills about the program and give suggestions but it was very student driven. The students were able to help and provide constructive criticism to their peers and showcase their work.

Leah (International):My favorite after school activity I've run this year has been my Brianteaser class, which has expose students to many different and unique ways of thinking. The theme of the class is "thinking outside the box", as we have done rebus and logic puzzles, optical illusions, and impulse control games among others. The kids really seem to enjoy the class, even finding more riddles and puzzles on their own to share with everyone!

Deyan (Serve Rhode Island): I've mentioned before that Pokémon Showdown holds a special place in my heart, but another of my favorites was Create-A-Creature. The reason Create-A-Creature was such a success is because I was able to work together with my students to perfect the curriculum. While I had imagined my students drawing and writing about their invented animals, they had loftier plans in mind: clay dioramas! I love when my students speak up about what they want so I can find ways to make it happen.

Francesca (International): My favorite after school activity I've run this year was during Urban Garden Club. The night before the club, I ventured to local beaches where I picked up earth materials such as twigs, branches, rocks, leaves and shells, which I brought to class the next day for my students to build garden tools with. They were extremely creative with products ranging from rakes to watering cans.

Yairy (Segue): My favorite after school activity I led this year, along with another member, was volleyball. We led it twice this year.

Dianny (International): My ultimate favorite activity that I have run this year is the science club. I enjoy science club because you don't need to be a genius or a student in an upper grade level to experience the art of science and learn the scientific method through hands-on and fun science experiments, the only thing you need is a spark of curiosity! I also enjoy how even some of our most difficult kids are having a blast and are excited about future experiments.

Jill (Highlander): My favorite after school program this year was the retro gaming class because it brought together kids from all grade levels to enjoy fun activities.

Brandford (Highlander): I don't have a favorite after school program. I enjoyed all of the after school opportunities afforded to me. Each activity provided its own obstacle, excitement, and memorable times. Overall the students have been a pleasure and brought something special to each of my after school activities.

Science Club Makes Rockets!

by Dianny (International)

3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF!!!! It was another typical afternoon of science club...that's it if is typical to make non- Newtonian liquids and blast off rockets. Last Friday in our science club we made rockets out of paper and film canisters, yes you heard it right...FILM CANISTERS. They might be useless for cameras now a days but for our rockets the film canisters were the engine that help them lift off. But an engine without fuel is nothing; in this case our fuel was a mixture of water and Alka-Seltzer tablets. For every rocket we needed exactly 5mL of water and half tablet of Alka-Seltzer.

Although we all used the same measurements and same materials, not all of our rockets had the same success. The results varied significantly among the rockets: some went as high as two meters while others never took off. The variables to be consider for the malfunction of the rockets that never took off, that went sideways, or that went up just a few mere inches are: the wind’s intensity, how fast the students placed the lid on the film canister, and how long it took the student to place the rocket on the ground. We knew that we had to cover our film canisters as fast as we could but this didn't mean that all of them would be cover at the same time or same rate, after all we are human not robots.

We didn't have much control over these factors but we did have control over how much fun we allowed ourselves to have. And overall, we literally had a blast!!! We learned, we put into action our theories, and we went outside...it can't go better than that.

Stay tuned to hear more about our ridiculously awesome experiments, until then don't space out too much!

Camp Transformations

by Nellie (Highlander)

Since February vacation camp was such a great surprise for me, I was looking forward to see what April vacation camp had in store.  I was excited because I was going to be able to work with older students than I what I did last time, which is more in my comfort zone.  I was also anxious because I would be working with people that I normally don't, and they don't seem to really communicate, so I wasn't sure at all what I was getting myself into.  It was fun getting to know some of the younger students than I am used to working with and develop  stronger relationships.  I was able to  teach art which I really love doing and since we were studying cultures it was nice to be able to open the students and myself up to new ways of doing art.  My favorite part of camp was seeing how our group transformed and got closer as the week went on.  They also were really excited to find out from day to day where we were traveling.  This camp was a great success and was much better executed than February camp.

April Adventures

by Kimberly (Highlander)

So far the month of April brought its own adventures.... Each day there was something new to laugh about with my students whether it was a joke that the students made or a silly random dance... my Kindergarten students are great for me to work with. For example One of the students danced around and asked me to dance with them at dismissal time and they wanted to dip me. I thought it was great.

Drawing Conclusions

by Jill (Highlander)

This month, my favorite unit in literacy had students learning about the Moon and Mars. Through our literacy curriculum, our students have really been able to shine, sharing a lot of prior knowledge with each other, and facilitating other students’ abilities to draw conclusions. My favorite moment of the unit was when we were talking about meteorites hitting the moon, and we began to wonder together why the moon’s surface is much more scarred than the surface of the Earth, and why meteorites burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. One of my students, our resident astronomer, as I began calling him, had a lot of information about the atmosphere of the Earth and the Moon. As he shared his information (“The moon has only one thin layer of atmosphere, and the Earth has seven dense layers of atmosphere”) we could physically see the faces of the other students light up as they were able to draw a conclusion about why meteorites don’t burn up before they hit the moon. Since our skill for the week was drawing conclusions, one of the hardest skills to teach to ten year olds, it was a complete break-through for our whole class, and it left both teachers and students feeling proud and accomplished.

Reflection Friday: What is something memorable you heard from a student, this year?

Kimberly (Highlander):Some of the memorable things that I have heard from students are, “I love you Miss Kimmy. You’re the best.” It is memorable because it didn't just come from one student it came from many students.

Leah (International):It's hard not to hear memorable things when you work with kindergarteners in after school every day. One day a kindergartener came up to me out of the blue and, very genuinely, said "Ms. Leah you're so beautiful, can I take you home with me?" Safe to say he was disappointed when I told him I had to go back to my own house after school...

Francesca (International):The students at ICS have said many memorable things during my stay here as a Charter Corps member, but the most memorable comes from a fourth grader on the first day of school. When asked what she hoped to learn in science this year she responded, "more about the symbiotic relationship between humans and animals." I was totally blown away by her vocabulary at 9 years old.

Deyan (Serve Rhode Island):Less than a week after I started working with the students at Highlander, not one but two different 3rd grade boys came up to me and told me, “Mr. D, you’re like the big brother I’ve always wanted!” One of those 3rd graders went on to become my mentee, and we worked together to create a fabulous comic about bullying and tough decisions (featuring Ninja Turtles). I feel proud to be the honorary big brother of such a fantastic kid.

Dianny (International):The most memorable thing I have heard from a student, this year is from a kindergartener during the first days of school: "I'm rich, I'm rich, look I have money". With this economy, how much money could this kindergartener possibly have? To my surprise (and what makes it more memorable) he had a nickel. A nickel and he was rich! This is the beauty of genuinity.

Nellie (Highlander):Something memorable I heard from a student this year was I am a great role model.

Jill (Highlander):My favorite student quote was from a student in my math class. The kids made up an evil twin for me, named Phil. One of my students was gone for a few days while this was happening, and when he returned, the others told him about Phil. His response: "What do you mean, 'evil'? Phil never makes us do math. Phil is the nice twin."

Yairy (Segue):Something memorable I heard from a student this year was about how much they learned and they were happy about it.

Itza (International):"Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8(ate) 9!" Context: A group of kindergartners to second graders hearing and understanding this joke for the FIRST time. It was adorable.

April Vacation

by Yairy (Segue)

During April vacation I taught kindergartners and first graders basic math. The theme for the camp was different countries. A country was assigned per each day. On Monday, the country chosen was Mexico and the students improved their measuring skills by making a fruit salsa. Tuesday was dedicated to Japan, and students learned to count one to five in Japanese and worked on there adding and subtracting skills. On Wednesday students learned about kangaroos because it was Australia day. Students did a jumping activity that involved them to measure their jump. Thursday was Africa day, and students worked on their bar graph skills. The data was collected by organizing African beads and recording the different colors. Students also worked on their organization skills. On Friday the students made bracelets and an African fruit salad that was showcased to the other students.

Urban Garden Chronicles: Part 3

by Francesca (International)

Urban Garden Club has come to a close as we continue through the school year, but the students were given something to remember us by during their journey to Spring! This week in Urban Garden Club we had further discussion about seeds and then planted some herbs in biodegradable vessels- toilet paper rolls! The filled their rolls with potting soil, then sprinkled on a natural fertilizer made from fish bones and earth materials. The children then chose from organic basil, chives, and cilantro seeds to plant and made labels on popsicle sticks for their different herbs. Now all of the students in my club can have an organic urban garden of their own!

Urban Garden Chronicles: Part 2

by Francesca (International)

This week during Urban Garden Clubs, the students had another opportunity to play with their food in a much more hands on fashion! We learned about seeds and the different ways they propagate. Students were given apples, cucumbers, and pears to explore for their seeds (and eat!) We talked about how seeds journey from their fruits and vegetables and into the ground. We also talked about how seeds needed water, sunlight and carbon dioxide in order to grow, and examined the relationships humans have with the plants and trees we share the Earth with.

Urban Garden Chronicles: Part 1

by Francesca (International)

Urban Garden Club is in full bloom during midwinter with talk of preserving vegetables the old fashioned way. During my after school program, students learned the benefits of preserving their own, locally sourced vegetables to enjoy throughout the winter months instead of buying fruits and vegetables from different parts of the world. We talked about how buying produce from other, sunnier countries was not only detrimental to the environment due to the fossil fuels used for their journey to our local supermarkets, but really just didn't taste good! The students then had the opportunity to can their own locally purchased cucumbers and carrots in an apple cider vinegar canning liquid. They also had the opportunity to add different natural flavorings such as garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Here are some pictures of the pickling process!

Reflection Friday: What is something great you've done with technology, this year?

Francesca (International): Because every room at International Charter School is equipped with a projector and iPad, I am lucky enough to use them during my after school program, Wellness. Watching my elementary school students synchronously perform step aerobics was pretty amazing for them and myself.

Leah (International): Something great I've done with technology this year has been using our Nexus 7 tablets to make recordings of the students for our Books on Tape project. This service project produced an impressive binder of poetry that was read and illustrated by the kids at ICS. The recording app was very easy to use, and the kids did great!

Nellie (Highlander): Something great that I have done with technology this year is helping my teacher track student progress using Metryx. This was important when we were studying this book. Another good thing that I did with technology was share music and lyrics as part of my lesson with them.

Kimberly (Highlander): Some great things that I have done with technology are holding an after school lesson with the smart board having the students grow a plant controlling heat and the amount of water that they put in. It had to be an even amount of both water and Sunlight so that the plant grows to its full beauty. The students were excited and had a great time while at the same time they learned the importance of growing plants and how there had to be a balance of both water and Sun to grow their plant.

Deyan (Serve Rhode Island): While I was working at Highlander, I ran an after school program called Pokemon Showdown, where students had a chance to build their own Pokemon teams and challenge each other using an online video game simulator. As they built their teams, they learned how to use an online database (the Smogon Strategy Pokedex) to research the Pokemon and strategies they were using. Playing Pokemon may seem like just fun and games, but the online research skills my students gained will benefit them for years to come!

Itza (International): With the greatest tool, my camera, I've captured so many sweet moments, funny faces, and awe inspiring accomplishments from my students.

Dianny (International): Unfortunately, at my school site we don't have the technological resources to be able to do "great technological things". We don't have smart boards, iPads, or classroom computers that actually work. The only technological resource we have is a prehistoric computer lab with about 19 laptops for the entire school's use. But soon this is going to change!

Yairy (Segue): Something great I've done with technology this academic year is learning about the site that allows you to track students.

Jill (Highlander): This year my students earn iPad time when they have a good week in after school. They enjoy doing Academic enrichment on the iPads.

Brandford (Highlander): The sixth grade classroom that I serve in has been able to benefit from the use of technology with the implementation of the MyMetryx system. Students have been able to monitor their progression in literacy. I use MyMetrix to track my students in fluency, reading comprehension, and tone/articulation. This is useful because students can see the areas that they need improvement in and work to improving them.

Opening Minds

by Nellie (Highlander)

Since the beginning of the year my teacher and I start our language arts class with a quote. The class has to read it aloud and then we select people to interpret what it means or how they can connect it to something in their lives.   The quotes started getting a bit boring so we wanted to try something that would freshen things up.  We opened it up for the students to be able to be teachers for about fifteen minutes of the class and showcase something that they are good at and want their peers to learn.  Each student would teach something for one week, and they would also be responsible for some sort of assessment of the class to make sure they are engaged and learning.  Our first student is very into vocabulary and even goes on a website everyday to improve her vocabulary.  Each day she would teach a new word to the class and then the class would have to try and use it in a sentence to see if they understood it.  At the end of the week she made up a quiz with all the words she taught and they had to match the words with the definition.  For the second part of the quiz they had to choose a certain number of words and then use them in a paragraph, to show mastery.  To this day students are using her vocabulary, and have more of an interest to use words that they might normally not.

Earth Day

by Jill (Highlander)

Earth day is the one day of the year that everyone sits down to think about how they are impacting the Earth. With kids, the best way to do this is hands-on: pick up litter, plant a tree, or just get outside and take a look around. At camp this month, my science class talked a lot about our impact on the Earth, and we enjoyed our activity that taught us about pollution and the oceans. I highly recommend that you try this out with kids, but try to do it outside if you can - it gets very messy!

You will need a large-ish plastic or metal tub or bowl filled with water (at least an inch deep), a spoon or two, some sand or dirt- about half of a cup, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, and some small bits of sponge (you will have to cut these up small).

In your basin, you have a small bit of the ocean. Notice how clean and clear the water is! This is a pristine ocean. As we know, however, accidents happen. This includes oil and trash spills, and we know that sometimes these things are spilled on purpose as well (think: garbage barges). Take the sponge pieces and "spill" them into the water. Talk about what sorts of trash can be found in the ocean, and how it affects animals and their habitats. Take a few minutes to try to scoop the sponges out with a spoon. Can you clean your ocean completely? (probably not)

Then, spill some sand/dirt in the water. Sometimes, water can carry dirt and garbage into the ocean (like sewer water). Can the sand be cleaned out? Try it!

Finally, oil spills happen all of the time. When you spill the oil in the ocean, can that be removed easily? Try it out!

From this experiment, children can easily observe what can happen if we don't throw our litter away, advocate for responsible disposal habits of our city trash, and decrease our reliance on oil.

Happy Earth Day, ya'll!

Extreme Team Fun

by Brandford (Highlander)

One of my after school programs was called Extreme Team Fun. Students worked together to complete various activities that demanded communication, listening skills, team work, and strategy. One obstacle that students played was called Lone Island. Working together students would have to get from one side of the gym to the other. There were 11 students and they only had 9 place mats as their traveling source. The gym floor was transformed into hot molten lava and the only thing they could use was the plates to get across, but the plate only worked if there was contact from a human. So if students dropped the plate and did not have a foot or hand on it I would take it away leaving one less place mat.

When I first introduced this game to the students some stated that they wouldn't be able to make it across but as I assured them that they could it would only take communication, patience, and excellent ram work to make it possible. Two of the older students began to exemplify their leadership skills and organized the group. They begun to strategize a plan to make it across the molten hot lava and with the succession of their planning almost all of the students made it.

Even though students didn't make it all the way across I assured them that sometimes the accomplishment is in the journey itself. You all first believed that you wouldn't be able to make it half way. Not only did you surpass that but given if we had more time you all would have made it.

Reflection Friday: Why do you serve?

Dianny (International): I serve because I knew it was the right thing for me to do. Serving through Charter Corps allows me the opportunity to be a positive role model in the life of many children and hopefully inspire them to do the same in the future. Not only am I giving, but by serving I am gaining experience and discovering my true passion(s) in life; service is reciprocal.  

Leah (International): I serve because my presence and engagement in the classroom and in after school has mattered to hundreds of kids. These two years have been vital in developing my interests and investment in working with children in my career, and without them, I would have a much more superficial understanding of what meaningful work really looks like.

Itza (International): Why I serve is best summarized by Mahatma Gandhi, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

Kimberly (Highlander): Why Do I serve? I serve because I want to make a difference in my community, and show that things may never be perfect but you can always take one step forward towards a better future. 

Francesca (International): I serve because it is an excellent opportunity to give back to my community while exploring possible career choices in my future.

Deyan (Serve Rhode Island): I serve because I believe young people deserve to be listened to and respected. Through my service, both directly with youth and through the lesson plans and trainings I develop, I am helping to build an environment where that kind of respect and cooperation is possible. I strive to learn as much from the young people I serve as they do from me.

Yairy (Segue): I serve because I enjoy helping others. Service to others is a way others can benefit from my strengths. 

Jill (Highlander): I serve because I want to make a difference in the life of my students. I want to inspire and educate them, and help them be the best they can.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

by Leah (ICS)

The International Charter School is certainly a very unique place, and a feature that adds to that distinctiveness is the ICS Children’s Garden. The garden was started in 2007 to promote the idea of an “outdoor classroom” at ICS, and it serves to bring hands-on experience of planting and tending to a garden as well as the appreciation for where our food comes from. The kids are very proud of their garden, as it plays a significant part in the ICS student identity.

The fourth graders recently had a garden clean up day, where they plucked and pruned all of the overgrown weeds and debris that accumulated over the winter. The idea was to clear away any unnecessary stuff that might get in the way of organized planting, and they did a heck of a good job. I figure it would have taken me days if I had to do it myself…! Alright, weeks.

ICS fourth graders exerting the same energy per minute that Ms. Leah exerts per month (in joules, respectively).

The students were supplied with big bags, rakes, and brooms before they began clearing out their garden space. Then, they went to town. It was an impressive thing to watch, as I didn’t see a single kid out of the 34 total that pulled back out of boredom, laziness, or fear of the dirty-dirt. They were so into it!

I think the students were so quick to clean the garden because it’s something that they’re proud of. They know the food it yields, and that the food belongs to them. This year the fourth graders made french fries out of the potatoes they planted last year, and this spring they’ll be planting again to enjoy another treat to look forward to in fifth grade. The typical products that come out of the garden are corn, salad greens, tomatoes, sunflowers, and happiness.

This now desolate, barren flatland will soon be glowing with lush vegetable extravagance.

This garden is just another thing that makes ICS so awesome. Especially in a world so saturated with ipods, cell phones, and video games, it’s nice to have the kids connect to something of the earth. The garden is something they can call their own, and for them, that’s just one more thing that strengthens their community.

And honestly, who could say no to french fries?

After school kindergarteners admire the budding flowers that have started to grow this month…

just call them kinders in the garten.

Math Fair!

by Brandford (Highlander)

How could you make addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, positive/negative integers, fractions, probability and percentages into a game? Having the ability to work closely with the Math Fair organizing lead teacher I was able to see students from 6th - 8th grade engage in a side of math that I wasn't accustom to seeing.

Students that would struggle with math during school or had tutors all focused and became young mathematicians and engineers during the process; which was the most impressive thing for me. Students built a Planko Board, designed a Dinosaur world with a time machine, and constructed a ski ball machine.

Students had approximately 20 schools days to design a game using math concepts such as: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, positive/negative integers, fractions, probability and percentages. Students games would have to be able to be played by both kindergarten through 5th grade and parents.

During the math fair I also had the privilege of being one of the judges. I had to play as many games as possible. The best game that I played which was also the first place winner from my 6th grade classroom was a game called Call Me Maybe. When you sat at the game you would first have to solve ten problems ranging from fractions, multiplying/ dividing positive and negative integers and percentages. Once you solved the ten problems you would take your ten answers and place them on a giant phone board, If the ten numbers was correct you would win and get a ticket for the raffle.

Measuring Spacesuits

by Yairy (Segue)

During February vacation I worked with third and second graders for a week. One of the activites we improved was measuring and converting measuresments. Students were in pairs. They each traced eachother on butcher paper and then measured the length of eachother. Overall, the students enjoyed the activity.

Reflection Friday: What is one thing you learned from a teacher you worked alongside this year?

Leah (International): Working with Mr. Ben this year has taught me the value of giving kids frequent cycles of mind and body rejuvenation. Between just about every lesson he plays a game, sings a song, or gets the kids moving in some way - and it really helps them focus! He is not afraid to be silly, and that's something I'm more than happy to emulate. His practices have taught me the importance of those little in-between moments, and how even transition times can be spent in effective ways.

Brandford (Highlander): One thing that I learned from a teacher that I worked along with is to laugh when things are funny, laugh when things are serious, and laugh when you don't know what to do. Embrace the moments of the day and don't stress over the little stuff.

Jill (Highlander): My cooperating teacher spent the year encouraging me to work independently, and working with her has allowed me to learn more about perspectives in student learning. Although she is obviously the primary teacher, I am given a lot of chances to co-teach and teach independently, and through various methods, we work together to teach concepts in a variety of ways to play into student's varied learning styles. This has allowed me to learn how to teach from different angles in order to best facilitate student learning, and it has allowed me to become a better educator.

Francesca (International): Connie has been a terrific teacher to work alongside during my service in the Charter Corps. She has taught me how to work towards the perfect balance she achieves between disciplinarian and a warm, welcoming teacher.

Deyan (SRI, formerly Highlander): I learned the value of rotations while working with Mr. Bovay, this year. If there are enough teachers in the room to lead 3 or 4 stations, there’s no reason not to make rotations a part of your class routine. The small groups at each station make it so much easier to give students the individualized attention they need!

Nellie (Highlander): One thing that I learned from my teacher that I work with is to take some time during class for silence. Not as a punishment but as a way of getting centered, focused, and relaxed before starting the lesson/day.

Yairy (Segue): The one thing I learned from a teacher I work with this academic year is about systems. The systems' goal is to get students on task and to improve. One of the systems is the token system, where the student receives two talk tokens as a reminder to participate during class. Once the student participates the teacher rakes the token away and so on for the next token. The goal is to have the student participate twice for every class.

Dianny (International): This year I learned that you need to improvise when plans don't go the way you foresaw and that your agenda needs to be flexible in order to accommodate these changes. Basically, you need to be prepare for anything and everything to happen during your class!

Itza (International): Communication is key.