Above and Beyond for April 27-May 1 (Week 31)

  1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night.
    • Check out the new reading choice board for scholarly, agentic readers.
    • Reflect on your reading:
      • on Seesaw.
      • by completing the online reading log OR one on paper (Copies are available in class).
      • by having a thoughtful conversation with another reader.
  2. Option: Use the Pobble 365 prompt to inspire your writing.
        • Use lined paper OR the Google Doc in your Google Classroom.
  3. Reflect back on your Week 30, and complete the “Reflection: Learner Profile & Approaches to Learning” form.
  4. Explore the recommendations on IXL.com.

**A Scholar has a goal: During our first week of Virtual Learning, we:

    • answered 1,226 IXL questions.
    • spent 11 hours 17 minutes on IXL.
    • made progress in 47 IXL skills.

Challenge: IXL has issued a Learning Showdown! The classrooms that answer the most questions on IXL through April 30 will be rewarded with a prize. Interested?

 

We’re on Twitter!

Follow TASOK @TASOKinshasa

Follow TASOK PYP @TASOKPYP

Follow Fourth Grade @Scholarsare

Hashtag #TASOK

New Hashtag #VirtuallyTASOK

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – BALANCED

**Check back later in the week for additional resources related to our virtual learning explorations

Above and Beyond for April 20-24 (Week 30)

  1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night.
    • Check out the new reading choice board for scholarly, agentic readers.
    • Reflect on your reading:
      • on Seesaw.
      • by completing the online reading log OR one on paper (Copies are available in class).
      • by having a thoughtful conversation with another reader.
  2. Option: Use the Pobble 365 prompt to inspire your writing.
        • Use lined paper OR the Google Doc in your Google Classroom.
  3. Reflect back on your Week 29, and complete the “Reflection: Learner Profile & Approaches to Learning” form.
  4. Explore the recommendations on IXL.com.

**A Scholar has a goal: During our first week of Virtual Learning, we:

    • answered 664 IXL questions.
    • spent 7 hours 51 minutes on IXL.
    • made progress in 25 IXL skills.

Challenge: IXL has issued a Learning Showdown! The classrooms that answer the most questions on IXL through April 30 will be rewarded with a prize. Interested?

 

We’re on Twitter!

Follow TASOK @TASOKinshasa

Follow TASOK PYP @TASOKPYP

Follow Fourth Grade @Scholarsare

Hashtag #TASOK

New Hashtag #VirtuallyTASOK

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – BALANCED

**Check back later in the week for additional resources related to our virtual learning explorations

Above and Beyond for April 13-17 (Week 29)

  1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night.
    • Check out the new reading choice board for scholarly, agentic readers.
    • Reflect on your reading:
      • on Seesaw.
      • by completing the online reading log OR one on paper (Copies are available in class).
      • by having a thoughtful conversation with another reader.
  2. Option: Use the Pobble 365 prompt to inspire your writing.
        • Use lined paper OR the Google Doc in your Google Classroom.
  3. Reflect back on your Week 28, and complete the “Reflection: Learner Profile & Approaches to Learning” form.
  4. Explore the recommendations on IXL.com.

**A Scholar has a goal: During our first week of Virtual Learning, we:

    • answered 888 IXL questions.
    • spent 5 hours 45 minutes on IXL.
    • made progress in 36 IXL skills.

Note: A few topics in science and social studies related to our unit of inquiry (engineering design process and economics / supply & demand) have been suggested for you to explore.

Challenge: IXL has issued a Learning Showdown! The classrooms that answer the most questions on IXL through April 30 will be rewarded with a prize. Interested?

 

We’re on Twitter!

Follow TASOK @TASOKinshasa

Follow TASOK PYP @TASOKPYP

Follow Fourth Grade @Scholarsare

Hashtag #TASOK

New Hashtag #VirtuallyTASOK

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – BALANCED

**Check back later in the week for additional resources related to our virtual learning explorations

#VirtuallyTASOK

Well… the day is almost here. April 6. TASOK is going global. Rather than riding the bus, tackling the traffic, or walking the trails, we will be strolling to our sofas, settling ourselves at the kitchen table, and building a bureau in our bedrooms to ready ourselves for reading online resources, tuning in to video lessons, and engaging in scholarly digital discussions. While it will certainly be a shift, I know we are set for success.

As I think about the initiation of the continuous learning plan, which will officially begin on Monday, April 6, I can’t help but think that you, Scholar, have been in training all year long for a time like this. Reflecting back on our year so far, we have inquired into the following central ideas:

  • Individuals approach problems in order to reach solutions. 
  • Movement is a change agent. 
  • People respond to circumstances differently with different results.
  • Structures impact individuals, communities, and societies.
  • Industries are impacted by creativity. 

In one way or another, each of these can be contextualized in our current circumstances. Now is the time for action. How will we put our learning into practice?

As we discovered in our first unit, problems can be opportunities, and that is how I hope we can approach this learning adventure together. Surely, there will be struggle; however, we will not only survive but thrive. Structures we put in place will sustain. And, as many schools around the world have already discovered, creativity will be a key to our success

Prior to break, we spent some time in class ensuring we were familiar with the online platforms and forums we will be using to stay connected and to curate evidence of learning. 

Embedded in these, there are links to a number of other resources that I think you will both find valuable and enjoy. This week, you will get to use:

Note: I’m not sure they will all work the first time, but… we’re going to give it a try and problem solve as we need to. Please be patient with yourself as we try to smooth out the bumps in a road that will be both rough and rewarding. 

As we prepare for learning, our desire is to maintain as much consistency as possible. Each week will include some routine-building tasks and learning experiences including:

  • Daily reading
    • Independent reading, read alouds, read with family members
  • Weekly word work
    • Vocabulary tied to units of inquiry
  • Offline explorations
    • Learning engagements to be completed without devices
  • Online research and reinforcement
    • Inquiry-related investigations and skill practice
  • Seesaw
    • Documentation of and reflection on learning

Scholars, you are encouraged to self-manage as much as possible. This week, we will be working together to develop a daily schedule and introduce accountability tools that you will be able to follow and manage. Portions of the daily plan will include time of unstructured play, the value of which we experienced on Global Play Day. In addition, our single-subject teachers will be providing ideas and information weekly to help us all maintain balance. (Note: Single-subject slides are included at the end of the presentation, but you can jump to them from the schedule at the beginning of the presentation).

As we prepare to embark on a new learning journey, I want to thank you for joining me. I look forward to learning with and from them. Remember:

  • establish a learning space and schedule for yourself.
  • set up scholarly routines and maintain BALANCE.
  • take time to explore before diving in.
    • Imagine your are doing a picture walk BEFORE you read the book.
  • log in to YOUR Google Classroom for access.
    • Note: I will not grant file access to anyone outside our tasok.net domain.

Student Agency: Choice Boards

As we shift from school-site to self-managed, stay-at-home learning, you have a great opportunity to develop student agency. How are you going to exercise your voice, choice, and ownership to grow as a learner?

I really love these posters created by Cindy Blackburn @MsCindyPYP.

Below are a few choice boards you might be interested in exploring to supplement the learning shared in Google Classroom. How can you use some of these options to express yourself as an inquirer, thinker, learner… scholar?

 

 

Above and Beyond for April 6-10 (Week 28)

  1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night.
    • Check out the new reading choice board for scholarly, agentic readers.
    • Reflect on your reading:
      • on Seesaw.
      • by completing the online reading log OR one on paper (Copies are available in class).
      • by having a thoughtful conversation with another reader.
  2. Option: Use the Pobble 365 prompt to inspire your writing.
        • Use lined paper OR the Google Doc in your Google Classroom.
  3. Reflect back on your Week 27, and complete the “Reflection: Learner Profile & Approaches to Learning” form.
  4. Explore the recommendations on IXL.com.

**A Scholar has a goal: During Spring Break we:

    • answered 3,934 IXL questions.
    • spent 27 hours 39 minutes on IXL.
    • made progress in 128 IXL skills.

Note: A few topics in science and social studies related to our unit of inquiry (engineering design process and economics / supply & demand) have been suggested for you to explore.

Challenge: IXL has issued a Learning Showdown! The classrooms that answer the most questions on IXL through April 30 will be rewarded with a prize. Interested?

 

We’re on Twitter!

Follow TASOK @TASOKinshasa

Follow TASOK PYP @TASOKPYP

Follow Fourth Grade @Scholarsare

Hashtag #TASOK

New Hashtag #VirtuallyTASOK

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – BALANCED

**Check back later in the week for additional resources related to our virtual learning explorations

Home Learning for March 16-20 (Week 27)

  1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night.
    • Check out the new reading choice board for scholarly, agentic readers.
    • Reflect on your reading:
      • on Seesaw.
      • by completing the online reading log OR one on paper (Copies are available in class).
      • by having a thoughtful conversation with another reader.
  2. Option: Use the Pobble 365 prompt to inspire your writing.
        • Use lined paper from your binder OR the Google Doc in your Google Classroom.
  3. Reflect back on your Week 26, and complete the “Reflection: Learner Profile & Approaches to Learning” form.
  4. Explore the recommendations on IXL.com. These connect directly to what we have been learning in class.

**A Scholar has a goal: This week we:

    • answered 917 IXL questions.
    • spent 6 hours 18 minutes on IXL.
    • made progress in 44 IXL skills.

Announcements

  1. Library is scheduled weekly on Thursdays.
  2. P.E. is scheduled weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays.
    1. Come dressed to SWIM – swimsuit, towel, dry clothes
    2. Bring a water bottle
  3. Check your lunch card balance weekly.
  4. NO ASAs this week.

Coming Soon

Below is a list of upcoming events of which to be aware.

  • March 20 – P.E. Swim Lesson Viewing – 12:30 p.m. (TASOK pool)
  • March 20 – Assembly (Grade 1) – 2:30 p.m.
  • March 23-April 3 – Spring Break
  • April 17 – PYP Exhibition
  • April 18 – TASOK Gala
  • April 29 – Student-led Conferences

Condor Sports

  • March 19-21 – MS Mozambique Soccer Tournament
  • Apri l5-18 – SAISA Soccer Tournament
  • April 22-25 – SS Soccer Tournament
  • April 25 – ES Basketball Tournament

We’re on Twitter!

Follow TASOK @TASOKinshasa

Follow TASOK PYP @TASOKPYP

Follow Fourth Grade @Scholarsare

Hashtag #TASOK

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – RISK-TAKER

**Check back later in the week for additional homework related to in-class discussions and activities.

 

Expressing Ourselves – Multiple Means and Methods

After French this morning, we spent some time reading Homeless Bird. One group was able to finish the book and proposed a number of ideas for expressing their thoughts and feelings in response to the book, including writing a letter to the author and writing an alternate ending. Students will also be working on a visual plot diagram to document the main events in the story, changes in the character, symbols included by the author, and themes developed.

Once again today, we went to the CAC to refine our performances for tomorrow’s Arts Festival. Getting on and off stage like professionals takes practice.

After recess, we had an opportunity to venture over to MS4 to see Grade 10 students share their design projects. Their challenge was to create a functional pieces of furniture, which were designed and crafted with community needs in mind.

While we expected it to be a great learning experience, we didn’t realize just how much it would tie into and support our current inquiry into how we express ourselves and our central ideas: Industries are impacted by creativity.

When we returned to the classroom, we debriefed our experience and had a great discussion about the term “industries.” Several students used multiples sources to help define the word and gain better understanding of what industries are and how creativity impacts them. We realized even the furniture industry is impacted by creativity.

Multiple Sources

 

This afternoon, we continued work on our poster consolidating our understanding of the relationship between fractions, angles, and division.

Hungering. Whispering. Creating. Searching.

The hunger for Homeless Bird was insatiable today. Students were ready to read immediately and reluctant to stop when time was up. As we near the end of this text, the author has us all hooked. What will happen to Koly in the end. As readers, when we find ourselves completely enveloped by the story, we must ask ourselves what is it that the author did to capture and hold our attention? This analytical approach enables us to understand the story more deeply and consider techniques we can use ourselves as writers.

Part of the reason for a premature pause in reading was our first practice for Saturday’s performances. At 9:30 a.m., students from Grades 2-5 gathered in the CAC for our first run though. Of course, being in a new venue with additional performers cause a few bumps. Thankfully, with a compete team of teachers and student problem solvers, we worked out the wrinkles and will try again tomorrow.

Our first performance of one of our songs, though, was a huge hit. Shhh…

In math, we continued our work on our fraction posters. Using the fraction circles and a variety of other multiple sources, students wrestled with the concept and worked hard to document thinking.

After music this afternoon, we headed to the library for another lesson about text and graphic features. Working with our research partners, we used the clues provided to comb through the nonfiction texts and find examples of each feature.

Multiple Sources


As you look through nonfiction texts and even websites, notice the variety of text and graphic features used. Consider why the author incorporated these and who they help you understand and interpret the text.

 

 

Home Learning for March 9-13 (Week 26)

  1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night.
    • Check out the new reading choice board for scholarly, agentic readers.
    • Reflect on your reading:
      • on Seesaw.
      • by completing the online reading log OR one on paper (Copies are available in class).
      • by having a thoughtful conversation with another reader.
  2. Option: Use the Pobble 365 prompt to inspire your writing.
        • Use lined paper from your binder OR the Google Doc in your Google Classroom.
  3. Reflect back on your Week 25, and complete the “Reflection: Learner Profile & Approaches to Learning” form.
  4. Explore the recommendations on IXL.com. These connect directly to what we have been learning in class.

**A Scholar has a goal: This week we:

    • answered 890 IXL questions.
    • spent 4 hours 32 minutes on IXL.
    • made progress in 38 IXL skills.

Announcements

  1. Library is scheduled weekly on Thursdays.
  2. P.E. is scheduled weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays.
    1. Come dressed to SWIM – swimsuit, towel, dry clothes
    2. Bring a water bottle
  3. Check your lunch card balance weekly.

Coming Soon

Below is a list of upcoming events of which to be aware.

  • March 14 – TASOK Arts Festival: Expressions (Students need to be at school at 10:30 a.m.)
  • March 20 – P.E. Swim Lesson Viewing – 12:30 p.m. (TASOK pool)
  • March 20 – Assembly (Grade 1) – 2:30 p.m.
  • March 23-April 3 – Spring Break
  • April 17 – PYP Exhibition
  • April 18 – TASOK Gala
  • April 29 – Student-led Conferences

Condor Sports

  • March 19-21 – MS Mozambique Soccer Tournament
  • Apri l5-18 – SAISA Soccer Tournament
  • April 22-25 – SS Soccer Tournament
  • April 25 – ES Basketball Tournament

We’re on Twitter!

Follow TASOK @TASOKinshasa

Follow TASOK PYP @TASOKPYP

Follow Fourth Grade @Scholarsare

Hashtag #TASOK

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – RISK-TAKER

**Check back later in the week for additional homework related to in-class discussions and activities.

 

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