HZN165

Day 89: Amy Wray, 2nd Grade Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 00:13:00 +0000

Are you having a laugh?

http://www.kansasbob.com/2013/05/lol-its-good-for-you.html

My laugh is something that people "remember" about me. I can't say I am always proud of it ;-). Some say it's infectious, some say it brings a smile to their face, and some (possibly my teenage daughter) say it's loud and annoying.

However, it's a part of me and my daily life. We spend a large amount of our time at work and with our kids. I feel like it's important to incorporate humor and fun into each and every day.

Recently a former student came to read to my second grade class. When he was finished my class commented on his reading and asked some questions. When the kids were finished asking questions, it was my turn. Even though I like to have fun, I have high expectations! I asked my former student if he felt prepared for third grade. He said he did feel prepared. I asked if he thought I was too hard on them?

"NO WAY!", he said. "We always had fun in here!"

That meant more to me than any test any day!!! Laughter is the best medicine! Find a reason to laugh today!

Day 88: The Geek Hero

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 19:22:00 +0000

My First "Cool Dad" Moment

Over the weekend, I received the ultimate honor that could be bestowed on a father by his children. It happened in one glorious moment when my children said to me, “You are the coolest dad ever!”

From http://www.squidoo.com/fathers-days-day-gift-ideas-from-chloe-the-kangaroo

I soared with pride. I was beaming. (Where is my wife?! Of course she isn’t around to hear this!)

I’m sure all sorts of scenes are playing out in your head right now:

A dad cracking a baseball over the fence with ease.

A dad throwing a perfect spiral pass for the game winning touchdown.

A dad scoring tickets to the biggest concert.

However, it was nothing like that. No, I was being heralded a hero because I had just beaten "World 1-3" on Super Mario Brothers Wii.

From https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/videogames/detail-page/B002BRZ9G0.03.lg.jpg

For a second, I really did feel good about myself.

Little did my daughters know that their dad had spent the better part of 1989-1994, otherwise known as “The Awkward Years”, playing video games. (Ages 10 to 15 can be so tough.)

Yep, I still had it.

And then the reality of the moment sank in and I began my descent back to Earth. My kids thought I was cool because I could play a video game. That doesn’t even register in my mind when I think of "cool parents".

Looking back on my “cool dad” moment, I realized that I should be proud of what happened. Little moments like this build the strong relationships fathers have with their kids. These moment turn fathers into heros.

My father is a hero to me because he always works hard and he can fix anything. However, thinking of my dad as a hero didn’t happen over night. It wasn’t a single moment when he worked really late. It wasn’t a single moment when he fixed something that was seemingly impossible to fix. It was all of the moments when we spent time together working on a project or throwing the baseball around in the backyard. That’s what makes dads cool, and that’s what turns dads into heros.

My “cool dad” moment didn’t last long, but I am thankful for another opportunity to continue to build a strong bond with both of my daughters.

Day 87: Tabatha Stover, 1st Grade Teacher at Hilliard Horizon Elementary

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 10:31:00 +0000

What my students have taught me!

And how many of these lessons have been more beneficial than 100's of hours of course work.

From http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8545067064_4b3f5f8a6b_n.jpg

I have been blessed to be a teacher at Hilliard Horizon for almost twelve years. When I started teaching I was eager to share my knowledge and love of learning with my students. I quickly discovered they had more to teach me than I had to teach them.

I have spent hours, days, and years reflecting, refining, and learning how to be an effective teacher. However, it was my students who taught me to listen enthusiastically and to embrace everyone's ideas. They taught me to see the joy in the smallest accomplishment; to take time to celebrate ourselves and others.

I have learned that learning is a journey full of bumps, mistakes, and re-dos. I have learned to enjoy each new personality, to take a moment to learn something new about someone else. The most important knowledge I gained for my students; learning is a collaborative process and I am merely a participant.

Day 86: Denise Estep, 3rd Grade Teacher at Hilliard Horizon Elementary

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 17:23:00 +0000

Connecting the Community to the Classroom

3rd graders at Hilliard Horizon participated in a Community Fair on Friday, October 11th. Our goal was to reach out to our community members and ask them to come into our classrooms to show the kids what impact they have on our local Hilliard/Columbus community.

Although we didn't have quite the turn-out we had originally thought, it was an extremely powerful event for all involved. We had a local nurse,

a local firefighter (who is stationed right on Feder Rd.),

2 cancer researchers from the OSU James Cancer Hospital,

a local Hilliard police officer,

a Boy Scout troop leader from Horizon,

and a post office worker from the Hilliard Post Office.

This event was extremely hands-on with the kids being allowed to use a microscope to see how cancer cells are studied, holding & even trying on a bullet proof vest (and much more), touching a firefighters helmet, asking questions and having great dialogue among all community members.

Now that we are unable to take field trips, it is so important to bring the "trips" to us. We are so very appreciative of all people who volunteered their time, our third graders learned so much about what makes a strong community and it includes all of our great volunteers.

Denis Estep is a 3rd Grade Teacher at Hilliard Horizon Elementary.

Day 85: Jamee Smith, 4th Grade Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 23:54:00 +0000

O.R.E.O. Project--So much more than Cookies!

A few weeks ago, I was looking through tweets on my Twitter account and came across something that looked fun and interesting. Several clicks later and I found my way to the O.R.E.O. Project. O.R.E.O. stands for Our Really Exciting Online Project.

This project, developed 15 years ago by teacher Jennifer Wagner, involves a simple bag of original Oreo cookies. Students are asked to make a predication of how many Oreos he/she can stack with out making adjustments before the stack tumbles. Sounds simple enough, right?

My fourth graders made predictions, tallied their stacks, and we graphed our results. I was proud to our learning community that was cheering each other on as their stacks grew higher and higher. The students were engaged and smiling!   But, that was only part of the project. Upon completing the project in our classroom, we posted our results in a Google Form, viewed a map of the world that highlighted where others had participated in the same project across the globe, and received a certificate of participation. And, at this point, we still weren't finished.

The last part of the O.R.E.O. project was to use the cookies from the stacks to make a sculpture. Yes, a sculpture out of the cookies and cream. Quite honestly, I wasn't so sure where this part of the project was going to go. But in the end, I was so impressed!

My 9-10 year olds made amazing sculptures--someone made a panda, several made mountains, several connected to sports. They were problem solving, being creative and…PLAYING WITH THEIR FOOD! This project will continue into this coming week as we follow the results of other classrooms. We were part of a global project! How great is that!

You can find more information at http://op2015.weebly.com/index.html.

So what did I learn? So much--the power of Twitter and what one can find from a simple tweet, the power of fun at school, and the power of playing with your food!   I walked away from school on Friday with such a love of teaching! I had a smile on my face and a pep in my step! I hope my students did, too!   It is days like this that reinforce why I love my job and why I can't imagine doing anything else!

**You can see more of our sculptures on our class Twitter account @FourthGradeHZN!  Follow us as we continue to connect with others doing really exciting online projects!

We are signed up for the Global Read Aloud that starts September 30 and we will be participating in Jen Wagner's Holiday Card Exchange in November and December.

Jamee Smith is a 4th grade teacher at Hilliard Horizon Elementary.

Day 84: Deb Lairson, Intervention Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 23:19:00 +0000

Front Porch Reflections

Hi everyone! I am a teacher at Ridgewood Elementary. I am friends with Mr. Higginbotham and he told me all about this blog last summer. I was really excited about the opportunity to share new learning, so I told him that I would post on the blog. Here it is!!! :)

When I think about learning, I think about so many different things. I learn something new almost every day. Most of the time, learning feels great! Sometimes though, learning is tough. That’s when the learning happens the hard way… When you learn something the hard way, it does not always feel so good.

I love to learn by watching things on YouTube! I learned how to install a new light in my daughter’s bedroom. When I was done, I was so excited! I did it all by myself! I was able to learn how to do something without a professional nearby. My teacher was a man on a video. I felt so accomplished, that I decided to give it another try.

The paint on my front porch is beginning to peel away from being there for a long time in all kinds of weather. I got on youtube and looked up “How to repaint peeling trim on a house”. Sure enough, there were many videos to watch. I watched three and felt like I was ready. I went to Home Depot to get the things I would need. Then I prepared my things and got started. I was using a tool to peel away the old paint and it was working just like the man on the video said it would… until I went a little too far and left a gash in the woodwork. :( I was very sad. I learned a very important lesson though.

I am still working on my project, but I am approaching it in a very different way. I didn’t just learn how to take old, chipping paint off of the trim. I learned that you have to do it slowly and carefully. You can’t rush. I may have learned it the hard way, but I still learned. :)

Remember that when you are frustrated with something that you are trying to learn. It might not always feel good, but when you learn it, it is worth all of the hard work.

Deb Lairson is an Intervention Teacher at Ridgewood Elementary in Hilliard, Ohio.

Day 83: Herb Higginbotham, Intervention Teacher (WE'RE BACK!)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:02:00 +0000

It's relationships, not just technology, that make a difference.

http://techonomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/SharingHands.jpg

We are back and ready to continue sharing our stories of learning! I wanted to start by sharing something I learned over the summer.

In August, I was fortunate enough to host a session at the Ohio Innovative Learning Environments Conference . I was eager to present on the topic of blogging in schools and sharing how Hilliard Horizon participated in the #learn365 project by blogging about what our community was learning each day.

Since the Ohio ILE Conference has the word “innovative” in its title, it made me think that technology was going to be a major theme for the conference. That also made me think that people were going to be expecting me to talk a lot about how we used technology. Blogging this school year did involve a lot of technology use in order to share our learning and I was ready to put the focus of the session on the technology and web-based apps we used.

However, when I look back on the posts we did, the themes that were most common had nothing to do with technology. Our learning community shared stories of relationships, collaboration, hopes, dreams, and reflections. We did share a couple of posts about technology, but within those posts were ways we were using technology to connect with others in order to learn.

Learning about how we can utilize technology in our classrooms is important for us educators to do in order to strengthen our instruction. However, I believe that there needs to be a larger purpose that drives this learning.

Last year, I learned that there is amazing power in connecting with others through technology and sharing what we are learning. This affirmed my belief that it’s the relationships and the connections we make with other learners, not the technology, that really matters most.

Day 82: What We've Learned from HZN165

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 May 2013 15:50:00 +0000

The Finish Line

In September, we set out to start a blog that would share the learning that takes place at Hilliard Horizon Elementary. The idea came from a couple of other blogs that set out to share what they were learning everyday. It has been a great experience and we have learned so much about ourselves and each other.

We are officially at day 165 on the project timeline. So at the end, I'd like to share what we've learned from this project.

165 days was ambitious, but a worthy goal. With 82 stories, it's easy to see that we didn't quite make it to 165. However, I can tell you that even though we didn't post a story of learning every school day, great things happened at Horizon everyday -- more than what can be counted or captured in a story.

Failure is natural and should be embraced. Did we meet our goal to publish a story every school day? No. But it's important to remember the original vision of the project: to share our stories with the world and to show that a learning community goes beyond the walls of the school. In that respect, we succeeded. We connected with 24 different countries, making our audience worldwide. When we continue this project next school year, I doubt we will be as ambitious with the number of stories we aim to publish. But how would we have known what was possible without setting a goal? So did we fail? Yes, but failure is a natural part of learning and it can be a powerful force if we choose to learn from our failures.

Connecting our learning community to social media helped us to be lead learners. Through this blog, we modeled how to interact with social media for our students and our community. Let's face it: there are more poor examples of how to interact through social media than there are good examples. By using Blogger, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitter to promote what we were learning and doing as a learning community, we modeled responsible use of social media for our kids. We hope to build on this experience and continue to be the lead learners in this area to help our students engage with the world in a positive and productive way.

Finally, thanks to those of you who shared in our learning this school year. We appreciate the support for the blog through your frequent visits. You helped prove to us that our stories matter. And, of course, thank you to those of you who published a story on the blog this year. We couldn't have done this project without your support.

Have a great summer and we'll see you next school year!

Day 81: 2nd Grade Animal Study

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 May 2013 21:27:00 +0000

2nd Grade Habitat from HZN165 on Vimeo.

Day 80: 1st Grade Nonfiction Books

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:01:00 +0000

Celebrating Young Authors

Mrs. Remington and Miss Tucker's 1st grade classes have wrapped up a study of nonfiction writing. Students learned to research questions about a topic, record new facts, and use the facts they collected to create an informational piece of writing.

The students will celebrate their hard work with an Writing Celebration this week.

Below are audio versions of books written two young authors. Listen as they read their last release!

Day 79: Mr. T's New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:01:00 +0000

1st graders have been learning about habitats and how they support life. One of the important concepts 1st graders have learned is that habitats have to be appropriate for the animal or plant in order for them to thrive.

You don't see bunnies swimming in the Pacific. You don't see fish hopping in a meadow.

After really understanding this concept, 1st graders noticed a habitat in the school that wasn't appropriate for the animal living there.

"Mr. T" the turtle lives in a tank that sits on a table in the primary hallway. Mr. T's tank wasn't exactly fitting for him. Turtles like Mr. T need a source of heat and a place to rest. Mr. T had neither.

So, the first grade classes decided to host a brownie sale to raise money for an appropriate habitat for Mr. T. The classes earned over $200 for a new habitat for Mr. T. Now he has a warming lamp, a place to rest, and a source of fresh water.

Mr. T is a happy turtle.

Day 78: 2nd Grade Student Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:29:00 +0000

Learning the Power of Setting Goals

A student in Mrs. Potter's 2nd Grade Class wanted to share how he set a goal for himself to go above and beyond when it comes to meeting the expectations for behavior in his class.

Here's his submission:

"One day I set a goal for myself and I learned [I] learned to try to get a certificate and I reached my goal. I learned that if I try I will reach my goal."

He shared that it was hard sometimes to work towards his goal. "I got frustrated when I saw others [doing well]. But I set my goal and I got to be student of the month."

This 2nd grader has learned that setting goals for himself can help him stay focused on what he wants to accomplish and that hard work pays off.

Day 77: There's a Giant in the Hallway...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Mrs. Wray's 2nd grade class has been working on learning how to measure. We have talked about estimating our measurements before we do the actual measurement. We have also discussed quite a lot about proper tools to use when measuring.

We have also been reading and comparing various fairy tales. We decided to combine the two lessons. We read Jack and the Beanstalk by Richard Walker and Niamh Sharkey. After reading the book we decided to create a life sized giant.

First, we decided what parts we would add to the giant. Then we made a "model" of a giant and estimated the size of each part, keeping in mind that we wanted the giant to be proportionate.

Next we broke the class into teams to make the parts of the giant. Once each part was finished we glued the whole giant together.

Not only did the kids have fun but they worked together and really learned which tools would be best used to measure all the different parts of the giant.

Day 76: The Secret to Success May Be in the Words We Use

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:44:00 +0000

Helping Kids Create a Dynamic-Learning Mindset

Those of us who work with children or who have children of our own have been in a situation where a child has shut down and declares, "I'll never be good at this."

Typically, we adults empathize with the frustrated kid because we know that learning something new can be frustrating. So what do we usually say? "Don't worry, you'll get it. You're smart!"

We say this because we know it's true: The child will get this because they've figured things out before. However, when we say things like "you're smart", we are actually doing more harm than good.

In his book Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives, Peter H. Johnston makes a compelling argument to be careful about how we respond to kids. Johnston explains that when we say things like "you're smart", research shows that we are actually telling kids you are either smart or you are not. We are reinforcing what Johnston and Carol Dweck call a "fixed mindset". This is a state of mind from where the phrase "I'm not good at this" comes. Kids (and adults) believe that you either get it or you don't when research actually suggests otherwise.

Johnston suggests that the words we use can help kids change their mindset to more of a "dynamic-learning" mindset, where the possibility of learning and getting better at something drives us to keep at something that is challenging. Instead of saying "I'm not good at ________", we should be teaching kids to think "I'm not good at this yet." Doing so will reinforce many positive outcomes:

Kids will take more risks with their learning;
Kids will not be afraid of failing;
Kids will discover that learning is mostly an experience in not knowing at first.

To underscore these outcomes, Johnston cites a study by Dweck of children and fixed versus growth mindsets. Researchers had two groups of students take a "non-verbal-reasoning" test. One group of children was told after taking the test, "This is your score. It's a very good score. You must have worked hard." Researchers told the other group of students, "This is your score. It's a very good score. You must be smart."

Next, both groups of students were told that the next day they were going to take more of the tests but that they could choose the next one. They could take an easy one, like the one they already took, or one that is more challenging but one from which they might learn more.

We would expect the kids who were told they were "smart" would have a boost in their self-esteem and take the challenging test. However, only about one-third of the "you-must-be-smart" group took the challenging test.

On the other hand, more than 90% of the "you-must-have-worked-hard" students took the challenging test (p. 12). Furthermore, the "worked-hard" students did better than they did on the first test. And the "you-must-be-smart" kids? You guessed it - they did worse than they did on the first test (p. 13).

Such a small difference in language can have profound effects on how kids see themselves as learners and how we adults can help create a foundation for success. I highly recommend parents and teacher read Opening Minds.

Day 75: Painting to Rediscover the Joy of Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:59:00 +0000

There are moments when even the things that brings joy and happiness into our lives gets a little too familiar. It happens at our jobs, at home, or with our everyday routines. This sometimes happens to readers too, especially young readers. We forget why it is we love reading - our excitement dwindles and we stop looking forward to picking up a good book.

Recently, 2nd graders in Mrs. Ley and Mrs. Baker's class stepped outside of their routine in order to reconnect with their love of reading. With the help of Mrs. Wendt, students created paintings inspired by the book Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney. The book is a story about a woman who wanted to bring joy and beauty into the world by planting lupine, a beautiful purple flowering plant. The excitement of painting generated by the students helped rekindle their love of reading.

Finding a unique way to reconnect to the joy of reading taught us that sometimes we need to break free from the routine to help ourselves remember to find joy in the things that we do everyday.

Day 74: Roger, 5th Grade Student

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Fractions Were the Worst Thing in My Life.

"I couldn't get anything right. I didn't understand it. It was confusing. I felt like I would never catch up and that I failed myself."

Many of us can relate to the feelings Roger, a 5th grade student in Mrs. Humm's class, felt about fractions. When we don't understand something, it can affect us in different ways. If we know it is important to understand something, yet find ourselves constantly not "getting it", it can make us feel very defeated as learners. This is where persistence pays off.

Roger worked with Mrs. Humm to keep at it when it came to understanding fractions. "Mrs. Humm found a way to make it easier. [For example], I always thought you had to subtract the denominators from each other. Like 1/5 - 2/10 would be 1/5. She said not to subtract the denominator and that cleared up everything. That one thing opened the door for me." After that, Roger felt confident about the work he was doing with fractions.

Lessons like these stick with us as we continue to grow as learners because we proved it to ourselves that we can set goals for ourselves and achieve these goals.

Day 73: Dana Humm, 5th Grade Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:56:00 +0000

Kidblog: Why my students enjoy blogging about their reading with total strangers.

I have learned that no matter how enthusiastic, energetic, funny, or entertaining I try to be, I will never be completely “cool” in the eyes of my students. It’s something about the fact that I am the one assigning work, giving out homework, and nagging about forms that are due that make me seem almost like a second mom. Do I think my students like me? YES! Do they want to blog with me about the books they are reading? NO!

Enter Kidblog: a website that safely lets students blog about books with total strangers! Ok, not total strangers. Currently my students are blogging with students at Columbus State Community College. The college student and my 5th grader read the same book and then blog weekly to each other about what they read. They ask each other questions about the book, answer questions from previous blogs, and talk about themselves. (The whole time I get to monitor their posts to make sure they are appropriate and withhold any personal information). The quality of writing and book analysis that comes from my students when there is a real-world purpose for it is phenomenal (not to mention that they get to use the laptops!) I even find my students using their newfound audience to talk about other books they are reading and to make new book suggestions. It is nice to see them engaging as real readers over real books. Now if only I were as “cool” as their book buddies!

Student Blog:

“March 7, 2013 at 10:32 AM

Hello again you should get a chinchilla their so cute! I agree about how Jay is selfish. The book Hoot is really good im really far in it. Its probably going to be like Lost and Found a book that you never wished ended. You should read it its an awesome book. Ya I agree never knowing what happens next in a good book is what makes a book so good. Thats what happens in Hoot if I leave off at a good part I just wanna keep reading on. If I were Melissa and I knew the secret then I wouldn’t tell anyone even if I trusted a friend not to tell. Because like what happened in the book everyone was only telling friends they trusted,and then thats how the secret got around. Because every one just had to tell one of there close friends who they trusted. What would you do if you knew RAY and Jays secret? hmm would I tell melissa the secret if I were Jay? I think I would because Melissa seems like she could keep a secret, but like what happend in the book I think I wont tell Melissa my secret ,but I would because Ray even said he felt good to tell someone so maybe I would tell Melissa my secret. What would you do?

I do think that the whole school is going to find out. Because its getting around really fast, and sooner or later the whole school is going to tell because it is a cool secret. So yes I think the whole school is going to find out. Their going to get in trouble probably by there parents. I cant wait to hear back from you. Bye!!!!!!!!!”

Day 72: Mrs. Hall's 3rd Grade Writers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:31:00 +0000

Persuasive 3rd Graders

Recently, students in Mrs. Hall's class worked with our Literacy Coach, Mrs. Wendt, and explored the genre of persuasive writing. Students learned that there can be power in words, especially in a well-written persuasive writing piece.

Here are a few new understandings Mrs. Hall's students have learned:

"There's a lot of steps, like revising your work."
"You have to use good words to get people to read it."
"You need to use words like 'finally', 'first', 'second', 'third' and 'in conclusion'."
"The conclusion is important and you need to use the word 'should' in your conclusion."
"You need at least three ideas to support what you think."
"You need to get your reader's attention by having a strong opening."

Check out the hall display outside of Mrs. Hall's room for more persuasive writing!

Day 71: Reflecting on Math

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:04:00 +0000

Doing my taxes helped me understand kids who sometimes struggle with math.

I don't know what got into me. One beautiful, cold January morning, I decided to begin working on filing my income taxes. I didn't know it would take me 5 solid hours, which made me regret even starting on the task. However, I found myself thinking the same thought the entire time: This must be what kids feel like when they don't get math.

I can't count how many times I was frustrated and didn't know what to do next. I crumpled paper, grumbled, and got up just to get away from the problem. Midway through, I began to keep track of all of the things I had to do just to get through my math problem:

Got up/moved around
crumpled paper
bent paper clips
worked out math on scrap paper
asked a question on Google
looked up two forms on the IRS website
talked to my wife
played Angry Birds online
searched for child care documents
used a calculator
got a drink of water
ate lunch
took a break by checking Google News
reorganized personal files

Looking back at the list shows me that I like to have the chance to get away from the problem to give my brain a break and that I needed lots of tools to complete the task (one other tool I didn't mention was that I used an online tax prep service to "tutor" me through all of this).

When I think about my experience, I started to think, "This is probably the same way kids are feeling sometimes." Also, look back at all of the things I needed just to be successful on my math problem. It helped me understand just how important it is to give kids access to tools and allow them enough time to be successful with their math problems.

Day 70: Learning about Bullying through Opera

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:17:00 +0000

"Brij Closed"

On Friday, March, 8th, Opera Columbus performed The Three Billy Goats Gruff for students at Hilliard Horizon Elementary. The trio of opera singers have been working with Mrs. Romine, our music teacher, and some of our building's finest singers. Through amazing music and singing, the show taught us about bullying, how we can deal with it, and why people sometimes bully. Here is a description from Opera Columbus:

Bring opera into your school and teach students about the effects of bullying with an operatic version of the well-known story of The Billy Goats Gruff set to music by Mozart, Donizetti, and Rossini. With Opera goes to school! your students have a chance to share the stage with professional opera singers. An after-school game of hide and seek is ruined for three billy goat friends when a big bully blocks a bridge, preventing them from being able to go home. Each of the goats chooses how to deal with the conflict, but in the end, all three learn that compassion turns a would-be adversary into a new friend.

Check out some clips from the performance!

Opera Columbus at Hilliard Horizon ES from HZN165 on Vimeo.

Opera Columbus at Hilliard Horizon, part 1 from HZN165 on Vimeo.

Day 69: Simple ideas can lead to big changes.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:16:00 +0000

"Honk If You Love Someone"

Photo from http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-09-02/lifestyle/35494321_1_happiness-positive-emotions-signs

I ran across this blog post by Jason Markey that describes how he is developing a vision for his school around the simple idea of being kind to others. Markey says,

"Be Kind, Find Your Passion, and Commit to Excellence. This is my new personal vision for education. This is the sentence that I will share repeatedly with every one of our students and more importantly I will bring these thoughts to every conversation and decision I’m a part of."

I really like this video that Markey included. It features the story of Massoud Adibpour who wanted to make a positive impact. Adibpour got some folks together and put simple messages like "Honk if you love someone" and "Smile" on signs and stood alongside busy Washington, D.C. roads. I love this idea of doing something simple to try and make a big impact.

There's been lots of research done to see what initiatives can make the biggest difference in schools, but it seems the best approach may look more like the vision of Jason Markey and Massoud Adibpour. Maybe the most influential initiative we can undertake is to show kindness every single day. Simple things like saying hello to a student or smiling at them can make the biggest difference.

Day 68: 3rd Grade QR Code Book Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 01:56:00 +0000

Scan and Review

Mrs. Bates' 3rd grade students just completed a project that involved book reviews and QR Codes. QR stands for "quick response" code and can be read with most smart phones with a QR code reader app.

Take a look at some of the book reviews that are displayed out in the hallway at Hilliard Horizon. You can scan the QR code with your smart phone if you are using another device to read this post.

Enjoy!

Day 67: 3rd Grade Historians

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 03:36:00 +0000

Interactive Local History

Students in Ms. Watson's 3rd grade class created an interactive local history presentation as a way to share what they have learned about the changes Hilliard, Ohio have seen throughout history.

In the video, students share what they learned. Listen to it as you explore the project made with Google Docs.

Local History Project from HZN165 on Vimeo.

Click on one of the images below to learn more about the topic during a specific time period.

Day 66: Student Goal-Setting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:38:00 +0000

Students Set Goals In Order to Motivate Themselves

Most adults spend each day working towards accomplishing goals. It could be a goal to run to the grocery for a few items, completing your taxes, or finding time to read. Whatever it is, creating a goal to complete a task can be motivating.

One of the most effective ways to increase motivation with students is to have them set learning goals for themselves. Goals for students are slightly different than goals most adults set for themselves. Student goals are tasks students want to be able to do independently to help them accomplish something larger, like solve complex math problems or increase their ability to comprehend.

Recently, Mrs. Litterer, a reading intervention teacher at Hilliard Horizon, helped student reading groups set goals they would work towards in order to help them make progress with strengthening their comprehension. These goals are very specific and within the reach of each student. This helps students feel motivated to work a little harder while at the same time strengthening their ability to comprehend texts more effectively.

Take a look at some of the ways Mrs. Litterer and her students set goals and celebrate their achievements.

Student Learning Goals from HZN165 on Vimeo.

Day 65: What Adults Can Learn From Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:42:00 +0000

"To show you care, you listen." -Adora Svitak

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3385/3196467127_4933825d4c_m.jpg

Each day at school, I get a reminder of why I wanted to be an educator. Kids are amazing people with endlessly fascinating thoughts and ideas. I feel that part of our job as teachers and parents is to give kids a chance to share their ideas and to help them find a way to creatively work out what's on their mind.

There are times, however, when we forget this notion that kids can teach us something different about an idea or concept we thought we knew so well. I'd like to think that most of the time it's not totally our fault. Our lives are busy, we have other things to get to, or we just don't have the time. But is that really true every time your child comes up to you to share something they thought was interesting?

How many times have we said, "Not right now" when our little one wanted to ask a question. Yes, we do have that adult intuition of when a child is just seeking a little attention (usually when we are talking to another adult). However, I know that I am guilty of sometimes saying "no" before I really thought about what a child might have to say.

Check out this TED Talk by Adora Svitak. I believe she is about 10 or 11 in this video. What she has to say might help you pause for a second before saying "no" to your child and instead listen.