Algebraic thinking:
We continued our Hands On Equations with some new challenges! As the lessons get more difficult, it is crucial for the kids to show their work. This is especially true for our Virtual Learners. We can't tell where they go off track in their thinking because we can't see their equation set-ups like we can in the classroom. This is why we ask for the kids to print out the Lesson pages and do the work on their papers. After they upload the completed papers to Seesaw, we can pinpoint misunderstandings and get them back on track.
Unit Study:
The kids are making good progress on their Genius Hour Projects. We spent most of our time this week on Peer Coaching. The kids shared their project with a partner who offered constructive criticism and feedback. This can jumpstart their creation process and really get them moving! We'll be doing this again on Feb 11th.
Novel Study:
The kids are enjoying reading more about our characters and learning some history along with our novel. Some of the events and people discussed are The Cold War, Jonas Salk, Robert Oppenheimer, WW2, and Galileo. The kids have done a great job digging into the background research and sharing their findings.
Stations:
We've stretched our convergent skills with several logic puzzles. The kids also had opportunities to use their divergent thinking to create something new out of a goldfish image and changing a goldfish in a variety of ways. There were some outstanding creations! Remember that Virtual kids are expected to add color, details, backgrounds, and descriptions on their creative work when sharing on Seesaw. Drawing their creations on paper and uploading them with the Seesaw camera seems to work best to showcase and share their work.
Affective Skills:
We finished our discussion of Diana Nyad's "Extreme Dream" of swimming from Cuba to Florida. Then we learned about the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle Missions. Our discussion revolved around how some "Big Dreams" may carry some risk, but the astronauts lived out their passion and commitment until the end. This was very timely, since it was the 34th anniversary of the Challenger disaster.
HW: Seesaw Novel Study Question
Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger