Helpful Sites

In the last post, there was mention of upcycling and re-purposing.  If you're a homeschooling parent, a teacher, or just curious, here are some sites that have proven helpful.

• Craft Gossip's section about recycled crafts
• RePlayGround
• Instructables 

Value topic: INNOVATION

Yesterday, in the big kids' Values class, we talked about that famous innovator of the teachers' and parents generation, Angus MacGyver; who could do everything with anything he finds wherever he is at the moment.

One of the seven year olds hung around the big kids' class while he was waiting to be picked up.  He was one googly eye in his hand. 

"What is it for?" we asked.  

He answered, "I don't know yet, but I'm going to do something with it."

That was not the first time he has "done something" with stuff he finds.  Once, he made a little fishing pole out of a twig and a piece of string that he got from the frays of his clothing.  He is constantly picking up odd things (rubber bands, forgotten pieces of erasers, paper clips...) and putting them in his pockets; sometimes he does something with them right away, sometimes he puts it away for later use.  

Inspired, I rummaged through the stuff shelf and found old CDs, distributed them, and tasked them to "do something with it."

Photo from Phil B. at Instructables

When the seven year old heard the assignment, he smiled proudly and said, "We did that.  Me and [my brother] used old CDs to invent a game.  We call it Photon Tag.  It's Habulan (tag) but with light."

Teacher Tom writes about re-using old stuff and turning them into something else, particularly for his pre-schoolers.  We practice this as well at the Center For Blended Learning. The teachers often bring their old stuff from home, hesitating to throw anything away as there might be some use for it in a class.

The teachers' friends have also gotten into the habit of giving the teachers their old stuff because we might be able to use them - our favorite question: "Could you use these?" to which "yes" is always the answer.  If the items have been stored too long, then we make a lesson plan that uses them specifically.

This practice has made for less waste, as well as less expenditure for the parents. And all it takes, is the unlearning of the bias against second-hand or used items.

Doing the best we can

ONLINE LEARNING: Should you or should you?

I found this on a site which showcases different kinds of info-graphics.
Short and succinct, it might be helpful if you are thinking about online learning for yourself or your kids.

Inspired!

Travelling . . .  learning (with no grades and academic forms) . . .
add teaching to the mix and the guy is living the dream!


LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

A re-post

It's exam week.

There's all types of questions this week: multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching. But the weight of exams in the way my students are assessed and graded are small, almost insignificant. It's the essays and projects and journal entries; and the "reporting" (where each child gets a chance to be teacher for one session, and it is up to them to teach the class a certain topic) that count, because how they explain it will tell me if they understood. If they understood, and can relay it to their classmates, and can apply it to everything else - that is what counts. The more creative the presentation (one student presented his topic - oceanic island habitats - as though it was a tour. He was the pilot, and all of us were passengers and he explained the islands as we "passed over them in his tour plane"), the better.

Admittedly, we give them tests just so that they know how to take them. We do not focus on the exams, or make a big deal out of them, really. Interesting thing, though. They took a standardized test at the end of the year and, wouldn't you know it, all of them rated "above average" and "excellent" and there was even one or two "superiors."

I am glad and flattered and relieved that the teachers at my school are allowed to let the children lead; and that our jobs do not depend on how well the child will do on a standardized test.

The kids at our little school may not have memorized all the capital cities of the world; or the dates when the world's events happened; but they can tell you the similarities and differences between religions and cultures; and how we are all different, and yet, all the same. They may not be very good at computing percents and decimals; but they can tell you, from first hand experience, about social entrepreneurship. And the oldest one of them turned 12 two weeks ago.

I came across this post, from Teacher Tom (whose blog is in my Google Reader):

A must read for teachers, for parents, for standardized testing supporters.

Teacher Tom: This Is What We Are Up Against




We may be in a different place than Matt Damon and Teacher Tom; but the troubles of education are the same.

Journal Prompts and Responses

Today's Journal Prompt:

You are in front of a mirror, and your 21 year old self is looking back at you.  What questions would you ask?  How would your 21 year old self answer?

Some interesting responses from the 9 - 12's:

Q: Are you a good artist?

A: Yes, and we're still better than mom.

Q: Do you have a job?

A: I'm still looking for one, but I applied to graduate school.

Q: Do you still like to read?

A: Yes.  I treasure books.  I kiss their covers.

Q: Do you still see our friends from when we were kids?

A: Yes.  Always.

Q: Are you still interested in Lego?  

A: Yes, but mostly for display.

Q: Future self, is the world clean now?

A: Yes it is, thanks to you.

Journal prompt extension:

Describe yourself at 21.  

What are you wearing? Where do you live? How do you feel?

A: I wear jeans and t-shirts.  When it's a casual day, I wear shorts.  I solve for x just for fun.

A: I have black hair and green eyes (ah, the wonders of science!)  I feel fabulous and joyous everyday.

A: I have short black hair with silver highlights.  I'm wearing black jeans, black t-shirt.  I have my guitar.  I'm chillin.'

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This exercise was originally meant for adults, "What would you say to your 21 (16, 8, 10, etc) year old self?  What advice would you give?"  But I turned it around to suit the kids, as we are currently learning about identity - understanding ourselves and, eventually, others.

Which got me thinking, if I faced my 21 year old self in a mirror, what would I ask her?  The answer: What were you thinking!? Then we'll laugh, and marvel at how everything turned out pretty good.

Eco-words and practices

There are a lot of fun and interesting eco-words that have been popping up on the internet for a few years now: My Favorites are:
1. Repurposing, or using an item other than it's original purpose.
and
2. Upcycling, which is "the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value." (www.thefreedictionary.com)


This is something we practice at our school, where the kids and teachers bring in paper and newspapers from home, empty containers, and restaurant take-out cups (lots of them).  

• Empty containers (yogurt, cheese, peanut butter jars, ice cream containers in funky shapes) are often re-used as storage; although we have, on occasion, used them as palettes, or water bowls for painting.  We have also used them as molds for making candles.  Larger containers are sometimes used as prep trays, where we put materials that we are going to use for a particular class.  They have also been up-cycled (using glue and colored tissue) as pencil-holders, eraser holders. Oh, those Chillz cups with the dome cover? we have one currently in use as the writing prompt holder (also works as Pictionary prompts).  We shake the cup and pull one prompt out of the hole at the top.    
• Bottle caps of water and juice bottles make excellent bases for little sculptures.  We used some to make our totems/avatars out of plaster of Paris strips; and then we use them as game pieces.
• Egg Cartons are best for sorting activities, although one dad made a little school bus out of an egg carton once.
• Small sortable items like empty pen caps, odd beads, small toys from birthday party loot bags.  Keep them in a big container, then use them for sorting activities or to teach place value (in the lower grades we do this for math).
• Fabric scrap, or textured scrap (like sandpaper, wall paper swatches) make for interesting stamping or painting tools.  As do old pre-paid load cards.
• Old combs for adding texture to clay.
• Styrofoam containers and trays make great stamps (use bottle caps as a base)
• small baby cologne bottles can be used as squeeze containers, when the kids are using "special" mixes like paint and soap (it's nice and runny, very Jackson Pollock); glue and food coloring.  Baby powder bottles are excellent pretend salt and pepper shakers.

When the empties are not in use, and sit on the shelf, we can always use them to play grocery-grocery as Teacher Tom did.  My toddler niece loved the grocery-then-cooking-then-pretend picnic game; and couldn't have cared less whether she was using the commercial, store-bought kitchen toys or the upcycled, repurposed pretend ones.  The big kids at school sometimes look at a piece of recyclable - the odder, the better - and dream up things that can be done with them.

Go ahead, try it (Be sure you wash everything out before you use them).

Enjoy!

Unscheduled post number 2

Just my luck, a sick day is also a DepEd-cancelled class day.

Teacher Perk number 14: DepEd cancels classes when the weather is bad...

Of course, most of us use the day to either do errands or catch up.  Even if we wanted to sleep all day, when an idea for class hits you, you don't rest until you've written it out (or typed it up).  The class even plays itself out inside your head!


Rainy Day Things you can do by yourself (me-time for teacher) or with your kids.

• I was up very early today, and at this time I had already sent out all the rainy day online, off-campus work. Stumbled upon a site called 750 Words, which encourages you to write 750 words a day. It's very similar to Julia Cameron's Morning Pages in The Artists' Way, and if I'm not mistaken, that's what inspired it.  It's daunting, at first.  It gets easier after a few minutes, once you get into mind-dump mode.  It actually counts words. This is also the first site I've seen that includes statistics: like state of mind while writing, frequently used words, it even reminds me that I type, on the average, 21 words per minute. 
• Make something out of clay.  Make clay out of flour, water, salt.  A little oil makes it more malleable.  Flatten with a rolling pin (or wine bottle if that's what you have) before toasting in the oven.  Otherwise, it'll bubble up.  Paint; then coat with fixative or clear nail polish to make it nice and glossy.
• De-clutter.  Then give away stuff: Toys to friends or the Loyola Heights Toy Library.  Upcycle old clothes or turn them into Chinese jack stones (since you can't find those anymore).
• Clear out book shelf of books-you've-read-but-are-unattached-to.  Then swap with friends. 
• Bake. I try to. I fail, but I try. 
• Upcycle magazines.  I have these magazines that have the kind of art I like, and the paper (thickness, texture, matte-ness) is great.  After I read the useful and informative articles, I take a metal ruler and line it up against the spine, and use a cutter (regular box cutter with an adjustable blade to cut the spine out.  Just keep the cutter blade lat against the ruler, and cut in light long strokes, over and over, until the blade runs smoothly against the ruler and the friction is gone.
• I fold the magazine into envelopes, or make scratch paper sketch pads with the some of the pages.  Luckily, this magazine uses a light-colored font.  I draw right on the page even when there is type on them.
• You can make your gift bags out of them, too.
• Read and Roll! 
• Read a story, then roll one with your kids. You start, then they add.  At school our rolling story circle only has 1 rule: Nobody dies before 2 rounds are completed.
• If you have a Filipino-language challenged learner, the rolling story (in Filipino, or any other language they're learning) makes for a good review tool.  It encourages the child to think in the particular language.  You can translate as you go along, too.  When we did this in the first week of school, the kids asked to do a second story!

New Discovery

This unscheduled post is just to inform you of a new discovery!
Very helpful for the math teacher who's background is art education!

http://patrickjmt.com/

My inner geek is happy about this discovery.

Maybe yours will be, too.

Flashback!

 

I found remnants of my first and only adventure teaching art at a traditional school, where I had started the high school art program.  I finished my contractual obligations, then I left; and never looked back. 

These were backdrops for a party, or a soiree, or something. Concept and some execution by the Art Club. The photos are by Mary Anne, who was a high school junior at the time.  Taken in the second semester, SY 2004 - 2005.

 

I hated that school.  Wearing the uniform and withstanding a department head that knew little about the subjects in his department was only worth it because I got to stand in front of eager, interested faces (some of them were, anyway), and talk about drawing, and colors, and the Renaissance.

Teacher Lei

Catching up on my reading.  Very happy to see that Teacher Lei updated Pinoy Weekend Warrior.  Here is an excerpt, where he trains for a marathon, and helps a young person out by accepting [the young person's] offer to help.

As some of you already know, my full-time job is not the typical M-F, 9-5 workweek, which wreaks havoc on a training program that is best followed to the letter. Right now, I get a run in whenever I can, and fortunately, I have found a little help from a friend.

I told the young person I am working with about my plan to run my first marathon in September, and since he found out, he has taken on the role of being my personal coach. It's incredible. If I am on shift, at half past eight in the morning, he would tell me to lace up and go for a run while he rides his bike beside me. We do this twice a day, once in the morning, and again in the evening. In terms of training, this is great for me; but with regard to personal development, this is a step towards the right direction for him. The set-up we have could not have worked better.

For the fund raising portion of the run, I have found inspiration with some of the kids I used to work with at Kids Ahoy. Together, they have all raised money to contribute to the organization I'm running for, by performing chores around the house, or doing some fund raising of their own. I am grateful and truly inspired by the support they have shown.

• Full blog post here

• Help out his organization here

 

Off Campus Reading List

Part of the Blended Learning curriculum, are off - campus supplement work.  Even the teachers do this. Since today is a non-working holiday, I'm catching up on a lot of reading, via Google reader, where I store a few blog subscriptions.

Here are my most-read and must-read.

• Imaginative Bloom - great visuals, great stories about people who hand-make; the independent craft makers and sellers.  It makes me want to make stuff.
• Cut out and Keep - Again, handmade heaven! And this site teaches you how.
• Peppercliff - like minded teacher keeps blog.  Shameless, shameless plug.
• Teacher Tales - Like minded pre-school teacher. Another Shameless plug.
• Moonlight Chronicles - From the author of Radical Simplicity.  The articles are a bit old, but I never tire of reading them and looking at his drawings.

• RePlayground - Easy and cheap how-tos
• Design Sponge - when my interior-design-consultant past comes back to remind me of good design.
• The Art of Nonconformity - You already know most of what is written here, but often forget it as you go through the frustrations of have to as opposed to want to; when you want to strangle that salesperson. Chris Guillebeau's posts are short and underwritten, yet packs that punch that you want.  You'll keep re-reading until your day is all better. 

• Ben Does Life - He's funny, he's inspiring. Best when read in the morning, right before or right after you look at Marc Johns artwork.
• Marc Johns - see Ben Does Life
• Danny Gregory and Nina Johansson - The sites that got me drawing again.  You'll want to start after you see them.
• The Hero Handbook - the name speaks for itself, yeah?
• Pinoy Weekend Warrior - Possibly the coolest, nicest, kindest person I have ever met.  The kind of person who embodies heroic attributes; a hero if I ever saw one. A good writer, to boot.  The blog isn't regularly updated, but when he does update, the posts are nice and lengthy.

Hopefully there are some good reads there for you as well. The weather is just right for a reading day, isn't it?

Routine Week

By Monday all the Mise en place was done, teaching materials bought, cut, personalized, signs and labels written, schedules set.  At least 2 weeks in advance.

And on Tuesday we met our students.  

We spent the first day laying down the schedule, the routine, designing name plates for each cubby hole. In the big kids' class (9 - 10 year olds) we wrote out the rules.  For each of the values we will learn, the students were asked to come up with a rule; written without the words, "Do not" and "never" and "no."  We call it THE CODE.

The values are: Peace, Spirit-lifting; Generosity; Persistence; Humility; Courage; Innovation; Responsibility; Concentration; and Ecological awareness.

And here is the code as the kids define them.

1. Keep [the environment] clean and all the inhabitants.

(Ecological awareness)

2. Think of other ways to solve a problem. (Innovation)

3. Keep on trying. (Persistence)

4. Practice quiet pride. (Humility)

5. Do a good job! (Responsibility. Not the enthusiastic punctuation mark)

6. Try something you've never done before. (Courage)  

7. Focus (Concentration)

8. Help other people, and they may help you! (Generosity)

Earlier, it was announced that there are only 2 absolutely unacceptable, non-negotiable behavior: Violence towards others; and Disrespect (Peace and Spirit-lifting)

Everyone agreed, and signed.

Reading through the list again, rules written in this manner appears easier to follow and is even encouraging. 

If only all rules were written as such.

It makes me look forward to teaching (and learning) from the kids.

Welcome back, Teachers

Teacher Ria at The Accidental Teacher wrote a post on the benefits of becoming a teacher.  I thought I'd add to her list a bit, since today is, generally, the first day of school.  Some schools started last week, but you'll know so much more schools are starting today from the difference in traffic and the difficulty of catching a jeep that isn't full.


Teachers, let's remind ourselves, as we should at the beginning of each school year, of all that is great about being a teacher.

1. Watching the students' faces light up when they get what the topic is about.
2. The accomplishments! Their accomplishments are yours as well.
3. Knowing that you had a lot to do with the positive change in your student, even if most of the time you will not get the credit.
4. You have a good excuse to buy more nice notebooks and pens.  
5. You get to test all the games and toys you will be using for teaching.
6. Getting into that creative groove as you make handmade signs, badges, labels for your classroom
7. Planning and going on field trips, and doing recon (or ocular inspections) before the class takes the trip. 
8. Receiving portraits of yourself, done by your students (this is especially true for art teachers);  and having a nice, warm chuckle as you look at yourself in clothes and accessories that you've never actually worn before. 
9. Flattering messages from parents, with anecdotes of their kids (your students) doing something at home - something you taught them.
10. Despite the countless movies and books about teachers, you know that the only people who'll really get what it's like to be one are other teachers themselves.
11. You make at least one difference a day, 5 days a week, from June to March.  Year-round if you teach in the summer also.  
12. Teachers are regarded as social and economic equals of doctors and lawyers. In Finland, anyway (Coyle, D. The Talent Code).  But, hey, if it can happen there, it can happen here.
13. Everyone else gets older, and you never do.

I'll leave it at 13, for now; as there are a few lessons yet to be planned.
There will be no "not-great" things about teaching.  We all know what they are, and we will teach in spite of them, so no point in making that list.

Have a good year!

The Unexpected

We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.

-Paulo Coelho

So I spent the last vacation Saturday at a place called Backdoor Blues.  Good live music, good company, good food.  I used to spend one day a week at such places just to relax.  The kind of chilling-out that doesn't involve noisy conversation, where most of the time I stare into space while the music plays.

photo from talk.philmusic.com

Last night was going to be one of those nights, but I ended up talking to a veterinarian, whose clinic is next to a doggy day care.  The conversation started with us talking about behavior modification and then animal psyches, and then the doggy day care; and ended with him saying, "You should bring your students there..." and then started up again with, "Hey, I work with one of the Mind Museum consultants - he's in animal (or did he say mammal?) conservation, I'll send him over..."


When the first set ended, one of the guitarists joined us and talked about an exhibit he just set up for Filipinas Heritage Library, that runs until September.  It's set up for school tours... 

You can imagine what went on in my resting head after that: visions of field trips, and exhibit tours, and passionate guest lecturers who have no other motive but to advocate life outside malls and computer games. There were no mention of x-deals or marketing opportunities - just how great it would be to see, hear, meet, and experience.


In less than an hour, 3 different learning possibilities were discussed, and the ball is rolling as we speak. I've spent longer hours, days even, looking through the internet and talking to "professionals" looking for learning opportunities; but sometimes, one just needs to sit back and relax.


Somebody brought in a cake to celebrate the bar owner's birthday, who cut it up and gave everyone a big slice with lots of icing.  And we all had cake and ate it, too.

Prep Time

The French have a term, mise en place (pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs), which refers to "having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking." (Epicurious.com)  Ingredients are sliced, diced, clarified, put in little containers so the chef can cook efficiently and the food good and ready to serve in a matter of minutes.


Teachers, like chefs, have our own mise en place.  We call it "prep" - maybe "planning" in more traditional schools - and it is essential to every lesson.  Blended  teaching practitioners slice, dice, and clarify information from several sources.  The difference, I suppose, is that even when the learning ingredients have been mise-en-placed (I'm not sure if mise en place is a verb, but for now, I will use use it as such), the meal will turn out different every time because of those who digest it.  


Chefs need not take into account the age, background, and psyche of their diners.  Teachers always do.


And so we water the ingredients down, if we must; and add as much flavor and spices (in the form of visuals, games, and multi-sensory activities) to satisfy the taste of the learner so much that they will always remember what they digested, and keep asking for more.  

--------------------------------

We are currently at the mise en place stage of the coming school year.  Resource speakers have been invited, the room has been rearranged, schedules set, and materials prepped.


Bon Apetit!

Back to School

"For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be."  

- John Conolly (The Book of Lost Things)

Over the summer I watched and listened to my students as they entered their "tweenage" years, and I had to face the fact that there will be less cuteness (if at all!), and more angst.  When I read Teacher Thea's latest Tale, I wax nostalgic about my students' cute years.  I wouldn't go back, of course, but from time to time, one wishes for a classroom without side comments, without the snickering, and with so much less disquietude.  Then I snap out of it, and suddenly look forward to the interesting things they have to say, their opinions, their observations; and perhaps get a glimpse of the adults they will eventually become.


And get those "aaaw" cuteness moments from the sixes and sevens (the lower grades)

-----------------------------------

I may be in for quite a ride this year, but so will the Blendies.

Make-cation in it's final weekend, I find myself gearing up for SY 2011-2012.
I've got first-week of schools plans brewing in my head, and I'm coordinating with guest speakers already.

I'll be teaching two classes I haven't taught before, and the journey looks to be an exciting one.  There will be a lot of blending in terms of methodology and more inter-curricular crossing!


I'll be posting some of them, in case somebody out there wants to use them at home.  


Stay tuned!

Break

School's out this week, for myself and Teacher Z, at least.
The summer sessions over, we're resting up and gathering energy for the coming school year. A vacation turned make-cation, my materials are gathered an it's time to roll.

On the Make list:

• Update blog
• try out the Makin's Clay
• Try white poster paint in place of acrylic gesso (price and availability limitations) to prep pages and get rid of lines (it works.  the pen slides smoothly across the surface)
• Drawings. Lots of them.
• Envelopes out of magazine pages - this was a class project that turned out nicely, I thought I'd do them at home.
• Chinese Jack Stones.  

Other things on the relax-you-deserve-it to do list:

• Watch the new X-men movie (in the theater!)
• See people I don't otherwise get to see.
• Read!

I am uncharacteristically late showing up this week. I've taken off my watch and don't plan on wearing it again until Monday.

Most Likely to Do Everything

Rough sketch of a badge for a kid in school voted most likely to do anything.

 

Christmas greeting cards 2010

Made these for my students before we were off for the holidays.