Mr. Ackerman's Blog

I had a great time working with some grade five students on their geometry presentations. Each student was given an Ipod Touch and asked to go on a geometry scavenger hunt in the school. The students were asked to take pictures of any geometric pictures they saw which related to their current geometry unit. Students then placed the images in an Ipod Touch app and narrated the show. This was a great way to get students to see how geometry plays an integral role in design, and how what we learn in school relates to the “outside world.” Here is one example of a student’s work:

I thought I would show an example of the Scratch program which I have introduced to some grade three students.  The program combines creativity, computer programming, problem solving, and perseverance. I had zero interest in learning basic computer programming when I was a kid, but if I had been exposed to Scratch, I may have liked it more. Here are some grade three students’ work. All of the movements were programmed by a 9 year old. Think about what they’ll be able to program when they are adults? Impressive, huh?

Learn more about this project

And another one. . . . .

Learn more about this project

With the new year in place, there is lots going on at Lane.

• I am so impressed with the work of some of our grade three students using the Scratch program from MIT.  This fun and engaging computer programming language is a great way for our students to integrate problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity, all for a world wide audience (the final projects get published on the Scratch website).
• Our school council is working on a mission statement for the Lane School. I want something snazzy and memorable which captures what we do at Lane.  If you have any clever ideas, please let me know.
• I think our music teachers are awesome. Mr Maffa, Mrs O’ Toole, and Mrs Lang are second to none. Our Grade Three students visited Lexington this past week to watch the Lexington Symphony.  A big thanks to our Music Department for making sure our students are getting well-rounded education.
• I think schools don’t do a good job of informing parents of what teachers do on Professional Development Days or “Workshop Days.” So I am going to put a stop to that : )

Last week we had a full day Professional Development Day. Our focus was on giving the different subject areas time to work on lessons and units which emphasized higher level                thinking as we sought to align our curriculum with the new Massachusetts State Frameworks (ELA and Math).  Teachers collaborated with other teachers from different grades                and schools. The final products are a big “win” for the Bedford students, as we continue to look for ways to improve the K-12 experience.

One of my favorite days is Wacky Hair Day. It’s great what kids can creatively do with their hair. Plus, it brings some positive energy to our school. Here is a picture of some of our winners.

This month we are doing a parent book group with the book, Raising Resilient Children. Lots of info out there on the importance of resiliency.  I came across this today-

I just answered a question about stress and children and shared seven essential ingredients of resiliency. But what does it look like to really nurture resilience in children? How do we increase our children’s self esteem while making sure that they develop the emotional tools to navigate hardship and challenge? The good news is, we can do both at the same time! Here are some tips to get you started:

via Parenting Tips and Parenting Advice from Dr David Walsh.

Here is a class picture of the avatars from our comic strip  class, held during WIN (What I Need) blocks.  These are all created by gr 4 and 5 students.

(click to enlarge)

Which one is Mr. Ackerman?

What a great way to head into the Holiday Weekend.  A performance filled with song and dance by our grade three students this morning.  With hundreds watching, the students demonstrated what they had been working on this Fall in music class with Mrs Lang.

The audio clip below gives you a taste of this morning’s music.

colonial2

Mrs Lang leads our students in a colonial dance

Last week the Madrigal Singers and the BHS Marching Band came to Lane. It was a great opportunity to showcase the talent and programs at our High School. While viewing the show I was reminded how important the music program is at Lane to build the foundation for programs at the High School.Hats off to Ms Lang, Ms O’Toole and Mr Maffa. Also, this is another example of how excellent school districts are about much more than MCAS scores.

BHS Color Guard performs at Lane School