Third Grade is busy learning about inventions and simple machines. The students have investigated levers, pulleys, inclined plane and wheels. We will add the gears and screws later in the month. Creative Problem Solving was used to address a school problem, noise in the cafeteria. Next students will look at problems and the inventions developed to address the problem. Then the students will find a problem and invent their own solution.
Fourth Grade has been using Creative Problem Solving to look at the issue of natural disasters. One of the classes has decided to create a website to help others learn about natural disasters and how to manage the problems they create. The second Fourth grade class will create a PowerPoint presentation to show their solution to the Sound Tunnel problem
Fifth grade has been working hard to get ready for the FIRST Lego League qualifier on November 19th. They have investigated food contamination and invented a solution that they will present. The students have also worked hard in learning to program, and in addressing the missions.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
FIRST Lego League
We are in full gear to get ready for our FLL qualifier in November. Fifth graders will program an NXT robot to navigate the challenge field. We could use any adult help in building the lego components of the field kit. This is one thing adults can do for the group. Since our preparation time has been reduced, I am not using students to build the field set up. Their time can be better used programming and preparing our presentation on food contamination.
We have used the IIM model for researching food contamination. We set our research goals, gathered notefacts from government websites, videos and food experts, organized our notefacts, and evaluated our goals. Next we will use Creative Problem Solving to identify the problems, pick an underlying problem, list solutions, use criteria to decide on the best solution and then create a presentation for the competition.
Time is our biggest challenge. In order to give us more prepartion time, we will have practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30. Adult help is welcome.
We have used the IIM model for researching food contamination. We set our research goals, gathered notefacts from government websites, videos and food experts, organized our notefacts, and evaluated our goals. Next we will use Creative Problem Solving to identify the problems, pick an underlying problem, list solutions, use criteria to decide on the best solution and then create a presentation for the competition.
Time is our biggest challenge. In order to give us more prepartion time, we will have practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30. Adult help is welcome.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
September Happening
Third Grade-
Third grade SPACE classes finally get to start the week of September 12. For about a month, we will have one SPACE day until Ms. Laymon can finish Second Grade Child find activities. After those are complete, students will have SPACE twice a week so they can get 3 hours of GT service.
We will begin learning Talent Unlimited Thinking skills, logical thinking and the Creative Problem Solving process. We will soon start our Invention Unit
Fourth Grade-
Ms. Laymon received a grant for Power Up: Inventive Thinking. Students will learn the Advanced Systematic Inventive Thinking Model, get to use new software to develop their creative and critical thinking, and get to practice creative thinking through Science Olympiad practice problems.
Fifth Grade-
Fifth Graders have begun the FLL Robotics 2011 Food Factor Challenge. We have begun to research food contamination, the problems and solutions. We will begin building our robots and learning how to program them with Labview software. Lots to do!
Third grade SPACE classes finally get to start the week of September 12. For about a month, we will have one SPACE day until Ms. Laymon can finish Second Grade Child find activities. After those are complete, students will have SPACE twice a week so they can get 3 hours of GT service.
We will begin learning Talent Unlimited Thinking skills, logical thinking and the Creative Problem Solving process. We will soon start our Invention Unit
Fourth Grade-
Ms. Laymon received a grant for Power Up: Inventive Thinking. Students will learn the Advanced Systematic Inventive Thinking Model, get to use new software to develop their creative and critical thinking, and get to practice creative thinking through Science Olympiad practice problems.
Fifth Grade-
Fifth Graders have begun the FLL Robotics 2011 Food Factor Challenge. We have begun to research food contamination, the problems and solutions. We will begin building our robots and learning how to program them with Labview software. Lots to do!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Many Thanks
Thank you so much to all the families for the classroom donations. They are GREATLY appreciated. Yahoo!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Welcome to our New School Year 11-12
School has started. I am happy to see all the students from last year and look forward to meeting new students. I hope everyone had time to see family, relax and maybe try something new this summer. I am looking forward to all the new things we will be doing this year.
Supply lists will go home today, and any time you want to drop the supplies in the classroom is fine. We will start classes for 4th and 5th the week of August 15th, and 3rd graders will start mid September.
Supply lists will go home today, and any time you want to drop the supplies in the classroom is fine. We will start classes for 4th and 5th the week of August 15th, and 3rd graders will start mid September.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Art Work on Exhibit
Our Dream Rocket Panel has been selected for two gallery shows. The first show is August 1, 2011 to September 1, 2011 at the New Britain Public Library in New Britain CT. The second show is September 15, 2011 to November 1, 2011 at the Educational Gallery Group in West Palm Beach, FL.
Way to go Fourth Grade SPACE students!
Way to go Fourth Grade SPACE students!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Glad to be safe
I am thankful to have all family, friends and students safe after our bout with severe weather.
We are on the home stretch to the end of the school year. Third Grade had started doing our end of the year evaluations before the county lost power and school was canceled. Fourth and fifth had not started. Today one of the fourth grade groups did our notebook cleanup and metacognitive tags. The students pick work and comment on it using tags that have sentence stems. For the next two SPACE classes, we will complete as much of our report card as possible. There may be items that we don't get to, because we run out of time.
Fifth grade actually did run out of time to complete their evaluations. Because of the Camp McDowell trip and the fifth grade ceremony, I am not going to be able to meet with fifth grade this month. It is unfortunate not to be able to help the students bring closure to their elementary SPACE experience, but I will get to celebrate with them on awards day.
This severe weather experience has helped point out what is really important, and how some things are not in our control. We will complete what we can to finish the year, and all is good when we are safe and surrounded by the love of others.
We are on the home stretch to the end of the school year. Third Grade had started doing our end of the year evaluations before the county lost power and school was canceled. Fourth and fifth had not started. Today one of the fourth grade groups did our notebook cleanup and metacognitive tags. The students pick work and comment on it using tags that have sentence stems. For the next two SPACE classes, we will complete as much of our report card as possible. There may be items that we don't get to, because we run out of time.
Fifth grade actually did run out of time to complete their evaluations. Because of the Camp McDowell trip and the fifth grade ceremony, I am not going to be able to meet with fifth grade this month. It is unfortunate not to be able to help the students bring closure to their elementary SPACE experience, but I will get to celebrate with them on awards day.
This severe weather experience has helped point out what is really important, and how some things are not in our control. We will complete what we can to finish the year, and all is good when we are safe and surrounded by the love of others.
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