Recently a video produced from this administrator’s blog has gone viral, and for a good reason.  I’m sharing it here and also linking to “The Fischbowl” – a high school administrators blog who states it’s purpose as “A staff development blog for Arapahoe High School teachers exploring constructivism and 21st century learning skills.”  It’s a site worth exploring and they have a wikispace that I recommend exploring as well.

There are lots of higher level math videos at Khan Academy but also basic arithmetic.

Sorry for the late notice, just getting back into the swing of things.

Join NCS for a math enrichment.  Math AT 699 starts this Saturday – 9:00-11:00 AM!!! Please confirm participation by email to:  jkaechele@neighborhoodcharter.com

There are still some space if you forgot to register.  So, join NCS faculty and fellow parents for this three-session adult-centered math experience.

You’ll be a math home enrichment pro in no time at all!  Remember…9:00 AM sharp this Saturday and again on January 24 and February 7.

Thanks to Ms. Booth for this link to Generation YES Blog: Thoughts About Empowering Students with Technology.  The blog author talks about her encounter with Constance Kamii, a math educator who studied under Piaget and a strong proponent for constructivism.  There are great tips and strategies in this article on working with your kids at home as well as a good explanation of (parts of) the theory behind constructivism.  An excerpt…

Dr. Kamii makes me question everything I think I know about math and how children learn. What I do know is that the way that most children are taught math here in the US is successful for far too few people. But people seem to feel that it’s the only way. Here in the US, it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “I’m not good at math” and acknowledge that fractions mystify most college freshmen. Yet still we cling to our beliefs that somehow, if we just keep reciting times tables, handing out more worksheets, and doing “math minutes”, eventually, the kids will get it.

It seems obvious to me that we have to question assumptions about teaching and learning math — especially in the face of overwhelming evidence that something is very very wrong.

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There is a Student Learning Sub Committee meeting on October 1st at 6 pm in the NCS Media Center. From the email:

The Student Learning Sub-Committee gathers information and makes recommendations about the school’s curriculum and other educational issues.  In 2008-09 we will establish the framework to advocate for curriculum innovation, become a portal for parental learning, and foster a strong parent-teacher partnership.  Our first meeting will an open discussion on how we can move from ‘Good to Great’ in student learning.

I encourage anyone who’s interested in molding our curriculum to please come.

Below is a link to a tool from the AJC that allows you to compare CRCT scores among Georgia schools.  We had a rougher year than I thought.  Keep in mind that the test changed and all of Georgia had it a little rough.

Georgia CRCT Scores 2008.

Let’s work together to make sure everyone at NCS continues to get a great education!

Other links from the meeting email:

Below are some links to “constructivist” teaching philosophy to help us all start on the same page.

• Aurora School
• Thirteen
• Funderstanding
• Miamisci
• 21stCenturySchools

I think I may have mentioned these experiments before but he’s redone his site and added video.  It’s worth a look.  I get his emails weekly describing science experiments you can do at home.  They are well written, organized and easy to do and teach an interesting lesson each time.

Robert Krampf’s Science Education!

Enjoy.

Found this cool interactive tool while looking for something to help me with my math class.  There’s cool stuff for ALL  levels of math here.

Interactivate

Cheers!

I noticed a few weeks ago that Southside High School over by Glenwood Park had changed it’s name to Maynard Jackson High School. What I didn’t realize was that the inside had changed too! Have a look at this AJC article that explains how they’ve changed their usage of space and their curriculum too.

Jackson High lures students with academics

This is exciting news for the neighborhood! Excerpts from the article:

This year, Jackson High became the fourth high school in Atlanta City Schools to transform into smaller learning environments. The campus, formerly called Southside High, was renamed to commemorate the city’s first black mayor. A ceremony marking the name change takes place Thursday

Converted high schools contain different academic themes, similar to a university with distinct colleges. Jackson High offers three — information technology, engineering early college, and fine arts/media communications. Students pick an academy and spend their time with teachers and classmates in those areas. Each academy has its own math, English, science and social studies teachers, in addition to instructors tied to the academic theme.

I don’t know about you but my kids are thrilled to be back in school…could be because I dragged them all over the southeast in the car (unexpectedly) for the summer logging almost 4,000 miles.  Multiply and divide that by $4/gallon and see how glad I really am to be anchored to one place!

Lots of changes going on with a new principal (welcome Ms. Kaechele) and some new and departing staff. Overall I think we are poised for a great year. I hope it can be a great year for math as well.

It has been a scandalous summer for math in the Atlanta Public School system (learn all about it in the AJC) but I suspect, due to a lack of outcry in the neighborhood, that little of that hullabaloo has affected us.

So let me say: welcome back new students and old! Let’s get this math party started!

So far we’ve done none of the things I thought we would but it’s been a great summer anyway.  The kids went to camp in Tennessee with their grandparents and we all went camping up there afterwards.  It’s nice to camp in the mountains and wake up COLD in the middle of summer.

This video has had us entertained this week.  It is truly awesome and awe-inspiring.  Enjoy.