Me, Myself, and I

Guest blog post by Shani Dillon, Lakeview teacher

Our class read the timeless story, “Me, Myself and I,” (1969) written by Gladys Yessayan Cretan. One of my students gave it to me as a gift with a beautiful message written inside (saying that he just knew that I would read it to so many children in the future - whether it be my own children, grandchildren, or students).  It was such a special gift :)

It is an engaging, fun, meaningful story about the many ways a little boy views himself compared to how others might view him. He talks about all of the things he imagines he could be. At the end of the story, he knows that whatever he might become, he will always remain the special person he is. He says,

“I see all these things,

    I am whatever I want to be.

       But especially,

Particularly,

Positively….

ME”

After I read the story whole class, we discussed it, and their thoughts were amazing. We also talked/reviewed whole class about figurative language/powerful words/etc, and found some examples in the text…  By the end of the discussion, I was just about crying at their darling hearts, their aspirations and their dreams.

They began to think and write down some notes about what they see in themselves when they “look in the mirror.” They were so engaged in this and in the task of writing their poems! After their poems were complete, I told Sandy, our Digital Learning Coach, about my idea to put the poem with a picture, so that I can frame them <3 Then, Sandy came in to do her magic :)

Some of the content standards that we addressed were:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.10

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7

Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

Professional Learning Day: The Power of Believing!

Today the staff of Lakeside Union School District engaged in professional learning. The day kicked off with a State of the District address by Superintendent Dr. Lorden. He shared the steps Lakeside District has been taking, and still needs to take, to address the major reforms in educational policy in California. Dr. Lorden reminded staff that change can be stressful, but that our focus is always on doing what's best for all our students because they succeed when we believe in them. Our passion for educating students is clear, Dr. Lorden stated, and it's that passion that has resulted in phenomenal opportunities in areas like visual and performing arts, immersion, and science. 

Following his presentation, Dr. Joe Johnson, Dean of the School of Education at San Diego State University and Founder of the National Council for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) motivated teachers to continue seeking growth by telling the story of his madea, and how she always pushed him to excel. He provided three main focus areas for teachers as they continue to grow in their profession. The first is to be mindful of our lessons so that every student learns and connects with the content. The second focus is to make sure students know we care about them. And the final area is to be sure that we support and encourage each other during our professional growth. 

Teachers keep a science
notebook for lab activities.

After the speakers ended, our teachers and other certificated staff attended sessions focused on a variety of curricular areas. K-5 teachers spent the day in hands-on sessions to learn ways to best teach the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to their students. Middle school teachers focused on their curriculum content, discussing strategies to teach to mastery. Overall, it was a successful day of learning for our teaching staff. Principal Staci Arnold, Lakeview, sums it up nicely: "All the feedback was so positive.  Great to see our incredible teacher leaders sharing their expertise.  There's a whole lotta awesomeness in our district!"

Maintenance Dept was putting
out fires today!

Customer Service was the topic for many of our clerical staff. They discussed ways to build rapport with people needing assistance, how to streamline work flows, and improve communication amongst staff. 

Maintenance Department spent their day receiving training from the Lakeside Fire Department on fire hydrant safety, and the best way to put out a fire. Everyone really appreciated the knowledge that they got and the experience. The Lakeside Fire department did an awesome job also! 

Food Service personnel learn about
agriculture at Olivewood Gardens.

The Food Services department spent Professional Development Day at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in National City. They rotated through three different activities -a presentation on San Diego agriculture; a tour of the house and organic gardens; and a cooking class. Everyone had a wonderful time and came home with fresh citrus from their Center's trees and a souvenir rosemary plant.

Overall, it was a successful day for all participants. We appreciate our families supporting our professional learning and growth. To watch our opening videos, please check out our YouTube Channel.

"This is the best day of my life!"

"This is the best day of my life!" - 2nd grade student

Students in Mrs. Rodriguez' second grade class at Lindo Park are creating movies about Forces and Motion. The students did a good job starting their StoryBoards for the iMovie Trailer. Using the photography principles taught earlier, students created video clips showcasing the pushing and pulling of objects in motion. Several students declared that this has been the "best" school activity and they are all so eager to complete their movies.

iMovie is a great way to reinforce key concepts, and share what they have learned. Education is being transformed completely “into an experience rather than a thought process,” indicating that learning will become more focused on creative input and output (Gresham, 2014). In addition, research indicates that the use of both words and pictures “lets the brain process more information in working memory” (SEG Research, 2008). 

Earlier this year, we surveyed staff, students, and parents about technology and learning. When asked the extent to which students are asked to create and upload art, movies, music and/or webcasts, we were happy to see that 34% of our students are creating weekly, and an additional 28% of students are creating monthly. Students report that these types of tasks are easy for them to complete, and that using technology in learning and daily life enhances both.

Stay tuned for the final Forces and Motion movies. Who knows, we may have a future blockbuster movie director in one of these classes!

References
Gresham, P. (2014). Fostering creativity through digital storytelling. English Teachers Association of NSW, 1, 47-57.

SEG Research. (2008). Understanding multimedia learning: Integrating multimedia in the K-12 classroom. Retrieved from https://www.brainpop.com/new_common_images/files/76/76426_BrainPOP_White_Paper-20090426.pdf