The fourth and fifth grade wings are nearing completion. It's amazing to have watched this process from the way it looked after the fire to now. It's a new part of the wing! It looks great. The next couple of weeks we'll be doing our last minute clean up and begin the task of moving back in.
I was hoping to see more progress on the gym and the new cafeteria but alas, I'm afraid it's going to be taking longer than anticipated. This is bummer. Both of those areas are crucial and not having them has been tough on everyone, the hardest hit being Mr. Moore, the PE teacher. I feel for the man.
In situations like this, where people are displaced for various reasons, it feels a bit like swimming against the current. It's hard and it doesn't feel exactly natural. It will be great when we can get back to the 4th/5th grade wing, when LAC and our preschools return, and when we can finally tear down the eyesore and think anew of what the new facility will look like.
Fingers crossed ;)
-Mr. Bowman
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Friday, February 09, 2007
Advisory Councils and Tech
So far today I've been to two sessions. The first was on integrating technology into the after school program and what some classrooms and schools are doing. This is classic stuff like using software to help with digital images and printing, newspapers, annuals (yes, even at Elementary) and which software packages are being used. There's scanning, web design, quests, and initial web portals. The presentation was excellent and I was excited to know that many of the resources these schools have, we have at Outlook as well. The potential for what we will be able to do with technology and student achievement will be excellent.
The next session was one of the best I've been to yet. It was on how to establish advisory councils which is what we'll need to do for parents in the next couple of months as we talk about goal setting and what the community might want to see in terms of their children's education.
Again, it is a privilege to be here and meet such wonderful people and to listen to their stories of accomplishment and struggle. I am humbly reminded that we are all in the same ocean, just in different ships.
It's lunchtime now, (weird eating lunch at 9 am). Time to eat.
The next session was one of the best I've been to yet. It was on how to establish advisory councils which is what we'll need to do for parents in the next couple of months as we talk about goal setting and what the community might want to see in terms of their children's education.
Again, it is a privilege to be here and meet such wonderful people and to listen to their stories of accomplishment and struggle. I am humbly reminded that we are all in the same ocean, just in different ships.
It's lunchtime now, (weird eating lunch at 9 am). Time to eat.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Dr. Maya Angelou and inspiration
I have been to quite a few keynote addresses and this, hands down, was the single best experience of them all and I so wish you all could have heard the sincere and heart-felt speech this woman delivered.
I will confess I did not know of her very well. I knew Maya Angelou was a national poet, but I was not aware of her incredible academic background or her accomplishments and struggles. I did not know she holds 16 advanced degrees. 16! I did not know that she was hurt terribly as a small child and was pregnant at 16 years old. She has lived a life of struggle yet has accomplished so much.
If I were to paraphrase (which feels somewhat sacrilegious to do) I would say that the theme of her speech was to remember that we succeed only because of the people who have gone before us, both in our personal lives and in our professional lives. I couldn't help but think of my own father and his influence and when she went into detail about her own life, it was amazing to see all she has accomplished considering how she has had to struggle. There were moments of tears, laughter, and above all, inspiration to know that we are in the noblest of professions and that we work tirelessly in the name of kids.
We even got a poem! Pretty cool. I have to thank, and I have, the NCAC for this opportunity to be here to see what is going on around our nation in terms of after school programs and how they are being successful at a whole host of levels, mainly middle and elementary.
The first session of the day I attended was called: Lead Us Not Into an Extended School Day -- Afterschool Learning is fun! This was interesting in the fact that their after school program, which serves a large urban Indiana neighborhood, first focuses on relationships with kids. The first part of their instructional time with kids after school is getting to them in a format similar to Morning Meeting. I thought that was somewhat ironic. They showed what they did and it was sit in a circle and discuss different aspects of their lives. This was a good session.
The second session was most interesting, simply because a few years back I heard about a school in Renton, Washington that is doing something called MICROSOCIETY. Basically, it a nut shell, schools all around the U.S. are using their after school and some in-school time to create a Microsociety of jobs, relationships, courts...in other words create a real world atmosphere within the school. This was fascinating to see not only how schools across the US are doing this, but to see their academic achievement scores that are tied to it. Every school exhibited growth and it is so real world. Truly, it was inspiring. I would like to take a team to go see Renton and see how they are doing the microsociety in "real time." They've been doing it since 1993 and their principal is absolutely sold on it.
Well, it's break time now so I thought I would post a bit. I have my next session in a few minutes.
Regards!
I will confess I did not know of her very well. I knew Maya Angelou was a national poet, but I was not aware of her incredible academic background or her accomplishments and struggles. I did not know she holds 16 advanced degrees. 16! I did not know that she was hurt terribly as a small child and was pregnant at 16 years old. She has lived a life of struggle yet has accomplished so much.
If I were to paraphrase (which feels somewhat sacrilegious to do) I would say that the theme of her speech was to remember that we succeed only because of the people who have gone before us, both in our personal lives and in our professional lives. I couldn't help but think of my own father and his influence and when she went into detail about her own life, it was amazing to see all she has accomplished considering how she has had to struggle. There were moments of tears, laughter, and above all, inspiration to know that we are in the noblest of professions and that we work tirelessly in the name of kids.
We even got a poem! Pretty cool. I have to thank, and I have, the NCAC for this opportunity to be here to see what is going on around our nation in terms of after school programs and how they are being successful at a whole host of levels, mainly middle and elementary.
The first session of the day I attended was called: Lead Us Not Into an Extended School Day -- Afterschool Learning is fun! This was interesting in the fact that their after school program, which serves a large urban Indiana neighborhood, first focuses on relationships with kids. The first part of their instructional time with kids after school is getting to them in a format similar to Morning Meeting. I thought that was somewhat ironic. They showed what they did and it was sit in a circle and discuss different aspects of their lives. This was a good session.
The second session was most interesting, simply because a few years back I heard about a school in Renton, Washington that is doing something called MICROSOCIETY. Basically, it a nut shell, schools all around the U.S. are using their after school and some in-school time to create a Microsociety of jobs, relationships, courts...in other words create a real world atmosphere within the school. This was fascinating to see not only how schools across the US are doing this, but to see their academic achievement scores that are tied to it. Every school exhibited growth and it is so real world. Truly, it was inspiring. I would like to take a team to go see Renton and see how they are doing the microsociety in "real time." They've been doing it since 1993 and their principal is absolutely sold on it.
Well, it's break time now so I thought I would post a bit. I have my next session in a few minutes.
Regards!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The Conference Begins
The more I'm here the more I realize I don't know much about anything. I say that seriously. There is so much that goes on within individual programs, whether that's the Migrant or Bilingual Program or in this case, After School Programs. There is so much rich detail and procedure that I haven't learned or wasn't even aware of.
I can tell you after our training today, that there are some awesome after school programs out there. Not that ours at Outlook isn't stellar, it's just wonderful to see different models and to see the real passion, I mean DEEP passion people have for helping kids beyond the school day.
If I were to sum up the theme for today, it would be two things:
1) After school programs SHOULD NOT look like in school programs. They should be structured, yes, but they should come at education for a different angle, and dare I say the "F" word here...FUN. Successful programs are ones that teach students using more innovative and fun techniques that FIRST capture student interest, then come the academics. That theme was resounding everywhere today.
2) I loved this quote from one of the presenters: "Non-formal (after school programs) DOES NOT mean unplanned." (In other words, an after school program that looks unstructured is actually well-planned and anticipated).
I also learned that we have to have (according to our 21st century grant) a 21st century rep on our school improvement team (BLT) and in terms of next year's staff development, what are we doing and planning for in after school that will come out of our building professional development dollars? Good question, eh?
An aside here: The whole time difference thing is wiggin' me out a bit.
-Bowman
I can tell you after our training today, that there are some awesome after school programs out there. Not that ours at Outlook isn't stellar, it's just wonderful to see different models and to see the real passion, I mean DEEP passion people have for helping kids beyond the school day.
If I were to sum up the theme for today, it would be two things:
1) After school programs SHOULD NOT look like in school programs. They should be structured, yes, but they should come at education for a different angle, and dare I say the "F" word here...FUN. Successful programs are ones that teach students using more innovative and fun techniques that FIRST capture student interest, then come the academics. That theme was resounding everywhere today.
2) I loved this quote from one of the presenters: "Non-formal (after school programs) DOES NOT mean unplanned." (In other words, an after school program that looks unstructured is actually well-planned and anticipated).
I also learned that we have to have (according to our 21st century grant) a 21st century rep on our school improvement team (BLT) and in terms of next year's staff development, what are we doing and planning for in after school that will come out of our building professional development dollars? Good question, eh?
An aside here: The whole time difference thing is wiggin' me out a bit.
-Bowman
Cookies and cheese and crackers anyone?
Okay, after one of the longest plane trips and on-off scenarios, I arrived in North Carolina at midnight. Yeah, left Yakima at 8:00 am -- arrive midnight in NC. There's a great math lesson there. Miles covered, amount of cookies and crackers eaten, etc.
Aside from that (Thank goodness there's wasn't turbulence) I'm very excited about the conference. There's a lot of people here and agencies. I even met and talked with the head 21st guru from OSPI. That was fun.
I will be posting information as I go, not only for the community, but for myself to remind me of important facts and ideas.
CU.
Bowman
Aside from that (Thank goodness there's wasn't turbulence) I'm very excited about the conference. There's a lot of people here and agencies. I even met and talked with the head 21st guru from OSPI. That was fun.
I will be posting information as I go, not only for the community, but for myself to remind me of important facts and ideas.
CU.
Bowman
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