Blog Entry #4

 I have observed Mrs. Porritt engaging her class in many ways.

Mrs. Porritt applied for a grant and received funds to hatch fish in a tank at the school. Once per week the students go to the tank and measure different metrics. They see if there is any visual change in the fish. Examples are: Have they grown? Are they more energetic? Are they being social or keeping to themselves?  They also take measure the temperature of the water and take water samples. When they get back to class they add chemicals to the water to measure the levels in the water and make sure it is healthy for the fish. They then broke into groups to discuss the differences they noticed and to predict what changes they may see the next week. The types of learning used in this multi-week activity are project-based, hands-on, and conversation.

Another ongoing class project is hydroponic gardening. Mrs. Porritt wrote another grant to purchase a seven-foot-tall hydroponic growing center that is in the back of the class. The students studied soil and hydroponic growing before they started the project. They discussed as a class what would grow the best and what they would like to grow. Students take turns watering and pruning. They are very excited about the lettuces they have grown during this hands-on project. I noticed many of them ripping off leaves to eat during the day. 

Technology is used in many ways in their class. The students all have laptops that are left at the school. During their math block, they played a game of finding things in the room to round for their worksheet. After they finished the worksheet in groups they logged into their laptops and played a rounding game that reinforced what they had just done themselves in real life. I think this helped them apply rounding to real-world use. 

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