Many times I find folks are so absorbed in their education that I have a moment to sneak candid shots of them owning their story. This is what it looks like when people are taking charge of their learning!
Do I need to place any other photo to summarize this past year? Over 100+ attendees (educators/administrators) at a Hybrid camp on Zoom; educators learned how to upcycle and recycle their lesson design strategies, build community, and revisit assessment and feedback in today’s changing world.
A large part of my practice is involving educators in an end-of-year celebration named Reflect and Share. In these wonderful events, educators in our instructional coaching cohort create beautiful portfolios that showcase the teaching and learning they have accomplished in the year. We align our technology and pedagogy goals to the ISTE standards. These portfolios are used as a resource in the subsequent years for other educators, as a means of showcasing ambassadors of learning in the school community! This video explains one school’s Reflect and Share, followed by a heartfelt tribute to their coach 🙂
From Food to Poop! A fun, interactive, and grossly entertaining lab revolving around the Digestive Process. Students were asked to bring leftover food to participate in the fascinating journey of the digestive system. This is a shot of the last step in the process…looks like it turned out pretty accurate! (Elementary School)
A huge part of being in the educational sphere is learning about social justice and standing up for truth. Students partook in a walkout in the middle of the school day to protest climate change, and earlier, gun control. We support that. (Middle School, High School, College)
Dawn of the Virus of Ebola and Patient 0. Students partook in an interactive project-based learning arc where they chose a virus of their choice (after learning about cells in class). The then wrote a script and storyboard, and constructed an episode that was geared towards a younger audience. The video told a dynamic story that included the virus history, method of transmission, symptoms, and treatment/prevention. These two videos about Ebola are absolutely incredible. (Middle School)
Part of the learning process involves showcasing what you already know before you officially study it. Students were asked to trace their body and recall as many organs/systems as they could in the body before we began our Human Body Unit. Check out the accurate heart and brain! (Elementary School)
We spend an equal, if not more, time talking about Social Emotional skills than we do academics. Each of our classrooms was named after a habit of mind…growth mindset is top of the list (Elementary, Middle, High School)
The Great Gingerbread House Project! Ratios, proportions, scaling, quick maths (Middle School)
What’s common between a banana and this yellow paint stuff? Potassium! A demonstration for my 11th graders about the merit, and power, of double displacement. (High School)
Once Upon a Crime project for Forensics Students. Students had to create a Fractured Fairytale and create testimonial and physical evidence as well as a news report. The results then were turned into a Mock Trial. The overarching question for the year is “who is considered a crime, and who do we punish?” Social justice meets science and math. (High School)
Fact? Or Friction? A student-led inquiry lab where students had to design various surfaces that demonstrated the effects of friction on a surface. So many materials to choose from! (High School)
The scientific process requires careful documentation. Students are watching the effects of soap on milk as an exploration of the scientific method. Plus, it makes for some beautiful artwork! (Middle and High School)
Genotypes, phenotypes, DNA…oh my! Students received randomized genes are were asked to cross them using meiosis and make their own “marshmallow babies.” This little one in particular was named Norbit. (Middle School)
Cross the line! There is no better way to build community than go on retreats (Middle School)
7th graders ready to take on the day. Goggles on…ready, set, lab! (Middle School)
A person’s first dissection is nothing short of a rite of passage. Students are diligently working to carefully pin each quadrant of the sheep heart. (Middle School)
Flame Test Lab! A lesson on how to identify Alkali Metals on the Periodic Table just by looking at their colors when ignited with ethanol. Science is about lighting both mental and physical fireworks! (High School)
An organized and quiet start to our day. Students are responding to the math warm up on the board. The topic of the day was large-sum addition. (Elementary School)
Strawberry DNA! (Middle School)
The Infamous Mentos and Diet Coke experiment. A lesson on variables, predictions and hypothesis: how does the number of mentos affect the height of the explosion? Apparently, six mentos is a big deal. Did I mention we love to have fun when we learn? (Middle and High School)
There are so many different ways to learn a certain topic – who says lecturing is the only avenue? After making an Incredible Edible Cell for a lab project, students then utilized technology to create a 3D model of an animal cell… using MineCraft! (Middle School)
A beautiful end-of-the-year photo of my 10th graders in 2010. The smiles on their faces show just how cool science is. (High School)
One way to make learning about velocity exciting is to skateboard across the school blacktop. We have our distance, we have our time, we have our momentum…ready…set…roll! (High School)
WAKE UP! An extensive, interactive Rube Goldberg project where students had to create a 12-step contraption that accomplished a simple task using design thinking. Isn’t it so cool how the contraption worked on the first go? (Middle and High School)
Learning should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, or circumstance. Two students are playing an addition/subtraction game on the tablet where they keep track of money. Bring on the decimals! (Elementary School)
Sometimes science can be so exciting that you feel the need to wear Minion goggles even when they aren’t needed. The infamous Marble Ramp Lab (see lesson in the Sample Curriculum Tab). This student took the challenge to a whole new level by creating a roller coaster ride for his marble. I want to see that in real life! (Middle School)
Since anything, essentially, is science, why not turn the topic of Spiders into a craft project? Students are lined up in the classroom making their own telaraña, or spiderweb. After they finish, they pop the balloon and hang up the newly made web in their room. (Elementary School)
The Periodic Table is so intuitive, so organized, that you can actually make a board game out of it! These students designed a Monopoly Style game utilizing the periodic table and it’s unique properties. (High School)
Laboratorio de Jabon, or Bubble Lab. A lab activity done in the Tashirat Orphanage as an introduction to independent and dependent variables. That bubble looks huge! (High School)
Posing with our class mascot, Tobias. He is one of 15 pets that we own as a way to foster student stewardship. His Captain America outfit makes for a heroic addition to any learning environment. Taking charge of your education is brave!
EMAN HAGGAG 