The Driving Question: How can I help educate others on how to live a healthier life?
The learners made projects on “Rethink Your Drink”, about the amount of sugar in juice, soda, sports drinks, and sweetened tea, and made an alternative drink without added sugar by creating infused water with mint and strawberries. “My Plate” was about the five food groups involved in healthy meals: Fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. In “Exercise and Mindfulness” the learners promoted the benefits of exercise and conducted a guided breathing exercise for relaxation.
The learners participated in some fun craft days in October and November. They decorated their own pumpkins and made super-cute hand turkeys in November. Join us in December, when we create winter snowmen!
November 22 – 26 – Fall Break – Happy Thanksgiving!
November 29 – School Resumes
AV Exploration Upcoming Events
October 26 & 28 – Exploration Workshops begin on-site! We will hold workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am -1:00 pm. Watch your email for more information, descriptions and signups!
October 29 – Fall Festival 6-8 PM on campus at iLEAD AV. Come for fun, games, and food!
November 8 – 12 – LP 3 Meeting Week
November 11- Veterans Day – No School
November 12 – End of LP 3; work samples and attendance are due today!
November 15 – Beginning of LP 4
November 22 – 26 – Fall Break – Happy Thanksgiving!
October 19 – Fun Fall Craft Day on Zoom, 4:30-5:00pm
October 20 & 21 – Kona Ice Days 11:45am-1:00pm
October 29 – Fall Festival 6-8pm
AV Exploration Upcoming Events
October 18 – LP3 Begins
October 26 & 28 – Exploration Workshops begin on-site! We will hold workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am -1:00 pm. Watch your email for more information, descriptions and signups!
October 29 – Fall Festival 6-8 PM on campus at iLEAD AV. Come for fun, games, and food!
November 8 – 12 – LP 3 Meeting Week
November 11- Veterans Day – No School
November 12 – End of LP 3; work samples and attendance are due today!
November 15 – Beginning of LP 4
November 22 – 26 – Fall Break – Happy Thanksgiving!
How do you learn best? Learners are often identified as a certain type: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, and each type has some common traits.
Visual learners –
Learn by seeing and reading information
Often like using paper/pencil vs. computer
Pay attention to detail
Sometimes struggle with oral directions
Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners –
Respond best by doing – drawing, building, moving
Often communicate with hand gestures and touching
Remember better with movement – drawing, taking notes, building
May require frequent breaks to move
Auditory Learners –
Learn best by listening to discussions, directions, lectures
Talk frequently, to self or others
Are distracted in noisy environments
Uses tone or volume of voice to convey emotions
Which of the three is your preferred method of learning? You are likely a combination but tend to use one style more successfully than the other two. What about your family members – can you guess what type of learner each person is?
There are multiple resources online if you want to take a short quiz to help identify (or confirm) your learning style. You may want to take more than one test and compare the results. Knowing your learning style can help you make better choices when approaching new information. It can also help you understand how other people (like family members) process information.
“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” — Golda Meir
Within the iLEAD Antelope Valley education model, we believe kids are more empowered to learn and retain knowledge when learning means asking questions. That’s why we reinforce curiosity as a component of social-emotional learning (SEL).
Simply put, curiosity is a strong desire to learn or know something — a search for information for its own sake.
Curiosity is frequently the engine that drives learning and achievement. Children are curious by nature, and so much of life is a source of wonder for them.
For curious learners, it’s less important to have the “right” answers and more important to create an environment where questioning and learning can occur.
So how do we nurture curiosity in learners? We do it, in part, by modeling an interest in the world around us and asking open-ended questions. Through dynamic project-based learning, facilitators at iLEAD Antelope Valley foster and develop kids’ natural inclination to be curious. Families and facilitators alike nurture curiosity when they encourage learners to identify and seek answers to questions that pique their interests.
A component of curiosity is uncertainty. While uncertainty often creates hesitation for learners, it’s possible for it to fuel the learning process. There are several ways to respond to uncertainty, according to Jamie Holmes, author of Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing.
Address the emotional impact of uncertainty: “The emotions of learning are surprise, awe, interest, and confusion,” according to Holmes. However, facilitators can help learners respond to these emotions by encouraging them to see uncertainty as an opportunity for learning.
Adopt a nonauthoritarian facilitation style to encourage exploration, challenge and revision: By facilitating learning with a sense of curiosity and humanity, facilitators can help learners find ways to think and learn. Holmes writes, “The best teachers are in awe of their subjects.”
Show how the process of discovery is often messy and nonlinear: Instead of simply presenting breakthroughs as logical results of long treks toward understanding, facilitators can share with learners how discoveries are often made — through trial and error, missteps, “happy accidents” and chance.
How do we pique learners’ curiosity? Developmental psychologist Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell has suggested several ways:
Value and reward curiosity in learners.
Give learners practice asking quality questions.
Notice when kids feel puzzled or confused.
Encourage learners to tinker with materials, thoughts, or emotions.
Use current events as launchpads for conversation.
Give learners opportunities to show healthy skepticism.
Explore a variety of cultures and societies.
Encourage curiosity outside of the classroom.
We believe when kids know how to be curious, they know how to think differently. When they know how to think differently, they’re empowered to be problem solvers who can change the world around them.
Still Curious?
“Curiosity. It’s the most powerful thing you own.”