Day 134 - The Annual New York City Art Field Trip - Ms. Djordjevic - BHS Art Dept.

This post originally appeared on Ms. Djordjevic's site

This year Mr. Mistler and I escorted 49 fantastic art students on a trip to MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) and the galleries in Soho, NYC. It is one very long day of travel starting at 6:30am and ending at nearly 11pm, but every year it is worth it to watch our students see art that they have studied and looked at on computer screens and actually have a chance to experience the works live and in-person. New York is host to some of the most incredible art museums in the world and that is what prompted the BHS art department to start this annual field trip nearly a decade ago. The exhibits at MoMA are always impressive and this year we were able to see a lot of pop art (Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Rauschenberg), abstract expressionists including Pollock and Kandinsky, works of Van Gogh and Picasso, and many other amazing artists. 

Here are a few images of the trip taken by my students (and a few of my own) that I pulled from Instagram! 

Day 125 - AP Spanish Class Visits Sprouts - Mrs. Dacey - BHS Foreign Language Chair

Last week, Mrs. Dacey’s AP Spanish class traveled to Burlington’s Sprouts preschool classroom to share their Spanish knowledge with the little ones.  The seniors taught the preschool students a Spanish lesson during an hour long session.  The lesson began with a welcome song in Spanish, followed by engaging craft making activities.  First, students made musical instruments, called rain sticks, which are believed to be from the Mexican aztec people.  Next, they learned how to say various body parts in Spanish, while playing a “pin the tail” like game with Señor Papa.  Finally, the students decorated and folded fans and watched a group of four AP students dance the well-known Spanish Flamenco dance.  Both the “big” and “little” Burlington students had a blast!

Day 49 - A Procedure For Reading Difficult Documents - Mr. Milton - BHS Social Studies Staff

This post originally appeared on Mr. Milton's Blog 

As you would not chug a hot cup of tea, you also should not speed through a primary document! You risk a burnt tongue and not fully understanding what you just read. Try reading Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal quickly! You may walk away with a very disturbed understanding of what you have just read.

I typically start most mornings of with a loose-leaf tea. Except on Fridays when I make my weekly pilgrimage to Starbucks for their expensive yet delicious Reserve coffee.

As many of my students initially often read for speed rather than for understanding, primary documents tend to trip them up – particularly when there are a number of difficult words in them. In my inclusion grad class, we have been discussing the need for procedures for some students that enables them to tackle tasks with a clear path forward.

With that in mind, I’ve been working on one to address reading primary or dense secondary documents – a procedure to get a general understanding of a letter, piece of legislature…really anything that is written. Note: This is not intended to be the only thing we do with primary documents, but it will simply be our first step.

This is my procedure so far:

• Read to get initial reactions or ideas from passage.
• Replace troublesome words with definitions or synonyms.
• Reread with the replaced words. Does this make more sense now?
• Reflect on the importance of the document, the author, and the time period. Is this a new or contrary idea? What argument does it address/set up?
• Rewrite the passage in a smaller chunk to demonstrate your understanding.

If at this point the student is off-base, I can easily see where they are and how I can offer additional support!

Thoughts? What are some ways you teach reading primary documents?

Day 33 - Latin III 2014-2015 September Scavenger Hunts! - Greg Stringer - BHS Foreign Language Department

This September, Latin III students practiced their speaking and their mastery of prepositions in Latin via two "venationes thesauri" or "scavenger hunts." In this one, groups of three students and a furry friend were given a list of 20 Latin sentences which they had to interpret and then recreate out and about around BHS. Due to an absence, Magister Stringer had to fill in to help out Sophomores John Francis Hornicek and Anusha Datar.

Two weeks later, students completed another "Venatio" in the BHS Science Center, thanks to the generous hospitality of Wendy Pavilcek.  In this second hunt, once again in groups of three students were given Latin sentences which they had to interpret and recreate.  However, this time the animals were real!  Are Anusha, Brad Basham and Steven Blathras up to the challenge? Find out!

Day 29 - BHS Welcomes Our New Teachers - Jenn Scheffer - BPS Mobile Learning Coach

This post first appeared on the BHS Help Desk Blog

BHS is proud to introduce this year’s new teachers and staff. We have five, new faculty members joining the Burlington community, along with a new permanent substitute teacher. Please take a moment to learn more about each of our new faculty members.

Krista Anderson-BHS Business/Marketing Teacher

Krista Anderson- BHS Business Department 

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?

“I teach all grades. I have mostly Freshmen and Sophomores in my Intro to Business Classes and Juniors and Seniors in my Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Intro to Marketing Classes.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?“This is my 10th year. I taught previously at Wilmington and prior to that in New Jersey when I first started teaching. I was glad to return to MA, the state where I grew up.”

What did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?“Prior to teaching I was in Sales and Marketing for Baxter Healthcare, AT&T and Experian.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?“I love the freedom and convenience the technology gives here. The students also work hard in my classes and I like that work ethic.”

Are you involved in any clubs/organizations or coaching positions at BHS?“I am involved with running DECA and helping out at the school store. DECA will start up with a kick-off meeting October 8 and is open to any student who has or is taking a business class. The DECA students will be involved in business competition at the local, state and national levels. I’ve been running DECA clubs every year I’ve been teaching.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“Family time with my husband, son, daughter and dog. Mostly I’m driving to and from and watching my kids sports events. Our family loves fishing and water skiing on our boat during the summer. I love to read and take long walks with the dog in the woods all year. I tend to spend too much of my free time doing home improvements so I often have paint somewhere on me!”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?“@mrsandersonbhs (I mostly tweet out business articles relevant to my classes and some DECA stuff)”

Michael Ress- BHS Science Department 

Michael Ress, BHS Science Department

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“I teach 10-12 grade biology & environmental science”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“I taught for four years at Leominster High School.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“The kids are well mannered & come to class ready to learn each day. Also, the administration & other teachers are very helpful & welcoming.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“I like to go camping & keep in shape.”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?I have a Google site for my class which is bit.ly/RessRef

Kyle Blanchette-BHS Math Department

Kyle Blanchette- BHS Math Department 

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“I am currently teaching Algebra I and Geometry.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“This is my second year teaching and before teaching at BHS I taught at Wilmington High School.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“The staff, students and technology.”

Are you involved in any clubs/organizations or coaching positions at BHS?“I coach JV lacrosse at Wilmington High School.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“I enjoy golfing and fishing.”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?
My web address is bhsblanchette.wix.com/mathblog

Christine Concesion-BHS Health & P.E. Department

Christine Conceison- BHS Health & P.E. Department
What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“Sophomore Intro to Wellness and Senior Wellness to Seniors”

What did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?“This is my first  year teaching. After graduating from college, I served with AmeriCorps for two and a half years. I served with one program traveling in the southern region of the US doing different service projects for one year and after that lived in New Orleans rebuilding homes for Hurricane Katrina survivors.

What do you like best about BHS so far?“The overall atmosphere. Having graduated from BHS, there are some days I feel like I never left. I am now learning from and working with teachers I had as a student and I am getting a whole new perspective of the school. Overall the welcoming atmosphere daily makes it a great place to work.”

Are you involved in any clubs/organizations or coaching positions at BHS?“I am the JV girls volleyball coach this fall and will be helping out with the girls ice hockey team in the winter.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“Coaching youth sports and if anyone knows about youth hockey, it takes up most of my free time!”

Breanne Sette-BHS English Department

Breanne Sette- BHS English Department 

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“I am a part-time teacher at BHS, teaching the 9th and 12th grade English.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“This is my 7th year teaching.”

What (if anything) did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?
“Before I taught, I worked in customer service for a mutual fund company and an insurance company.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“I like the people and how willing they are to work with me and help me out.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“I spend my free time with my daughter, Lily, who is turning two this month!”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?“I use Google Classroom and Google Sites.”

Angela D’Allesandro-BHS Permanent Substitute Teacher

Angela D’Allesandro-BHS Permanent Substitute Teacher

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“All of them; I’m a permanent substitute.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“I have taught English since 2004, off and on, at Danvers High School, Bedford High School, Chelsea, and Stoneham Middle School.”

What (if anything) did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?
“I have worked as an Administrative Assistant and a Corporate Trainer.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“The students; they have been so great, well mannered and well behaved. They are all around great kids which makes my job much easier and fun.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“As an English teacher, my hobbies need to include reading and writing but I also make jewelry, enjoy hiking with my dog, and spending time with my family.”

Day 50 - Teaching the Constitution: Superheroes and the Branches of Government - Michael Milton, BHS Social Studies Staff

by Michael K. Milton

This post originally appeared on Michael's Blog

As a new teacher to both the US History I curriculum and to teaching 9th graders, I was struggling teaching students about the difference in the branches of governments. I tried a variety of ways to do this: I gave an overview of each branch, students completed a graphic organizer for the branches, students sought answers to questions using the Constitution [ex. Can Mr Milton run for President? Why/Why not?*], and I created a board game to show the arduous quest for a bill to become a law. Still, I did not feel that it connected to my students. I felt like my job of bringing the Constitution to life was not yet finished.

During a free period, I popped into a colleague’s classroom to discuss the Constitution. It was here that she said one phrase that really sparked my brain into gear. Let me preface this by explaining I have recently been thinking quite a bit about superheroes and supervillains – particularly how they carry out mundane things like grocery shopping or online dating**. My colleague said, “…powers of the branches.” Obviously, my mind immediately jumped to “superpowers of the branches” and went into overdrive. I explained the concept to her and collaboratively we came up with the Super Branches of Government!

From my colleague’s classroom. This student focuses solely on the Commander in Chief role of the President.

Super Branches of Government!

The Prompt: What if each branch of the US government was a superhero? What would it look like? What superpowers would it have? What weaknesses would it have?

Use the US Constitution to create the new American hero!

Part 1: The Creation of a Superhero

Brainstorm and create a superhero. What powers would it have? How would you represent the powers?

• Students were put into small groups, given a large piece of paper, an assortment of markers and colored pencils, and given their branch!
• I guided them slightly, mostly reminding them to use the tools we had developed [notes and graphic organizers] as well as the Constitution itself.
• I attempted to help students focus on the powers of the branch and how to best represent them.
• I did add to my initial instructions for students to make a key to explain what the elements represented.

Part II: The Switch

Switch with another group and examine the superhero they created. What powers are missing? Add them! What limitations does the hero have? Add them to the image.

• At first, students were reluctant to add to another’s image. However, most groups seemed to embrace playing with a new superhero.
• I may not do this step in the future. I am currently discussing this with colleagues who added the limitations to the first part of the project. For me, the purpose of this part was for students to interact with all of the branches of government but I am interested in finding an alternative.

Part III: Discussion 

Examine the superhero for the branch that you did not help create. Then, if you had created a superhero for the remaining branch, what would it look like? What powers would it have? How would you depict it? What would you include that was not included in the one you just examined? What limitations does it have? How would you depict it?

• I am currently at this point in this project.
• Students will use Canvas, a student management system, to write individual answers to this prompt in a discussion forum.
• When completed, students will comment on two of their classmates posts.

Overall, I have been pleased with the discussions of the groups. My favorite impromptu discussion between students in rival groups discussing which superhero was stronger. I was beaming but remained silent during this exchange as it is something as a society we still wrestle with. I am really looking forward to the debrief discussion!

Alternative: Two of my colleagues are in the process of doing this activity and chose to have students solely responsible for one branch of government and for the students to present it to the class.

So that is one way that I am teaching the Constitution, how are you doing it?

Next Week: Teaching the Bill of Rights using improv!

* I cannot. Article II Section 1 states that you must be 35 years old. I can, however, run for US Senate.

**I imagine this exchange between a superhero and supervillain at the grocery, “So, I know we’re sworn enemies and all but my cart is pretty full…fight tomorrow? Oh, I have an extra coupon for those paper towels! Here you go!”

Day 47 - Ms. De Sousa & Mrs. Dacey Present “iPads and the Foreign Language Classroom” - BHS Staff

This post originally appeared on the BHS World Languages Blog

Last month, BHS Spanish teachers, Ms. De Sousa and Mrs. Dacey, presented a four-hour workshop on “iPads and the Foreign Language classroom” at the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association’s annual conference.  Last year, they won “Best of MaFLA” and were invited to lead a workshop this year that focused on applications used in language classes that enhance listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Check out this blog post created by Kevin Murphy, an instructional technology teacher at Frontier Regional High School in  Massachusetts.  Kevin attended Ms. De Sousa and Mrs. Dacey’s “iPad and the Foreign Language Classroom” presentation at the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association’s conference in October 2013.  His blog post explains the various applications that he learned at the presentation and how he implements them in his classes.