Kiker's Strength-Based Learning Cohort

Our first full month together has come to a close and it's been fun to see how much progress we've already made!  This week in Project Block, we continued our critique and feedback activity inspired by Austin's Butterfly . We had the opportunity to provide and receive feedback after each of our drafts, which really allowed for us fine-tune our drawings! After seeing their drafts (and progress) in succession, our mindful artists felt prideful and empowered...and rightfully so! They gave commendable effort in both their drawings and feedback.   Our scientists have spent the week observing, describing, and measuring matter. Third grade enjoyed a round of Mystery Matter, creating riddles for each other to solve by describing properties of various objects in the classroom. Both third and fourth graders used their knowledge of science tools to measure and describe solids and liquids. Fourth graders identified two different ways to measure volume o...

http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/textbook/weightvmass.html

Our project this week has been a study of how to give and receive feedback.  We discussed how effective critique is kind, specific, and helpful.  Then we practiced giving this kind of feedback to each other.  We also noticed how it feels to receive feedback and were mindful of our positive self-talk.   We used photographs of United States and Austin landmarks as part of this feedback process. Each student chose an image, then created a first draft.  Next week we'll use our peer feedback to improve on our first draft.  While we're using art to better understand the critique and revision process, we're making the connection that lots of worthwhile work is a process that takes time and often multiple drafts.   We've also noticed that we're most proud of ourselves when we demonstrate effort and persistence to accomplish a task that was tricky at first.  Here are SBLC teammates working on a fun spatial reasoning challenge tha...

This week in project w e've been studying, diagramming, and modelling aspects of our brain! Four essential learnings: Everyone can learn to high levels Mistakes and challenge grow our brain Believe in yourself -- your mindset matters Speed is not important! Our neuron models... Our Second Graders culminated their fluency study by taking on the role of teacher! We visited Ms. Toman's First Graders and taught them how good readers know how to read smoothly, like talking, and with expression! We practiced independently, then with each other, and finally, we had our moment in the sun! Third Grade finished Wilma Unlimited , and discovered structural differences between Biographies and Nonfiction Narrative. We brainstormed a personal narrative using two different formats. Our spelling centers are well underway, as well as Mountain Language and Homonym. Fourth Grade is deep into analyzing our character, Phoebe. We have formed theori...

Happy 229th Birthday to the U.S. Constitution! What do you know about the Constitution? What do you wonder about the Constitution? Click below to watch Tim & Moby explain: https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/usconstitution/ Next, click below to take a virtual field trip to the National Archives Museum: https://www.google.com/maps/place/National+Archives+Museum/@38.8927656,-77.0252162,457m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89b7b79adcbc14d1:0x17b51a59f16166f1!8m2!3d38.8927656!4d-77.0230275 Then, click here to see where the REAL Constitution is now with two other important documents: http://www.archives.gov/museum/visit/rotunda.html Image courtesy of 

Good afternoon, neuroscientists! Click the link below to share your ideas about what you know and want to know about the brain! https://padlet.com/jennifer_blake/ob8vzsaygf9a Below is a link to the video about how mistakes grow your brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxrPy1fjVU4 Image courtesy of https://www.youcubed.org/think-it-up/mistakes-grow-brain/

Yesterday, we read  September Roses  by Jeanette Winter and learned about the kindness shown by two sisters after 9/11. Think about how you could comfort someone in need. Click the link below for your grade level to add your ideas to the Padlet. Fourth Grade https://padlet.com/jennifer_blake/d3pwaygq03g9 Second Grade https://padlet.com/jennifer_blake/b1o1e6hz5zpf Third Grade https://padlet.com/jennifer_blake/j1iyckd9t5jv Image courtesy of  georgeshannon.wordpress.com

Labor Day was a wonderful day to relax, but we've hit the ground running! Our authentic project has been creating our Lunch Families and practicing expected etiquette for the Kiker Cafe! We presented to one another and gathered research on past experience, discussed, brainstormed, and put our ideas into motion.  We've been getting in the groove with our Instant Replays (daily and weekly reflections) which you'll get to see this weekend. Our writers have been documenting such wonderful snapshots of their year so far! Some of us are still working on mindfully reflecting within our given time, so this is one of those growth mindset learning moments we mentioned earlier in the year. When your child shares his or her Instant Replay with you, recognize that great effort and encourage them to complete any unfinished work. That sense of accomplishment will be worth the time and effort! Our Second Grade readers are mastering fluency, and preparing to share their expertise by...

Ten days of school in the books! Today we enjoyed the last event in our decathlon challenge, a series of ten daily teambuilding activities. This week's Project Block included a dice game, Scattergories, and an addition trick. We finished with a ten-station rotation and celebrated our teamwork over the past two weeks.  We even calculated that there were a total of 6,500 exercises completed throughout the SBLC for Decathlon Day 10! We also made our first visit to the library and enjoyed some bonus independent reading time. Hooray! We are building our reading community by discussing wonderful books! Mrs. Forrest is conferencing individually with us to adjust our Independent Books. It's so exciting when we find a great match and we are completely lost in our character's world. In reading, you as a parent can: *ask questions about the character's journey *listen in -- if they are struggling with more than 5 words on a page, encourage them to meet w...