We are learning to use Voice Typing. It is built in to Google Docs. Anyone can use it if they have a microphone that works. We are using it to write sentences and paragraphs.
If you want to learn more about using your voice instead of your fingers for typing on Google Docs, click HERE to see a web page about it.
9/27/17
9/26/17
Field Research Report: Office of Environmental Protection
There were several employees at the Tribal OEP (Office of Environmental Protection) when we visited on September 26, 2017. Mike Durkin arranged for students from Tiospa Zina Tribal School to go observe and learn about environmental protection.
We learned that mold can grow in your home. You should use the fan to ventilate your house while you are taking your shower. Keep it on to get the moisture out. You can also open the window.
One of the employees tests the water in ten lakes to see if it is contaminated. There can be algae blooms when too much fertilizer runs off the land into the lake. There can also be chemicals in the water as well as e coli from cow manure. E coli is bacteria in poop. If you drink water with e coli in it, you get sick.
Another employee talked about recycling. They have a big blue bin outside the building. We can recycle paper, cans, plastics (1s and 2s), aluminum and cardboard. We also have to watch out for needles because they can have AIDS or drugs on them and you can get sick if you get a poke.
Another employee talked about radon. Radon is a natural gas that comes out of the earth. It can pollute our homes. She used an air quality detector to test how much oxygen is in the air. We breathe out carbon dioxide. We breathe in oxygen.
We asked about the training needed to work for the Office of Environmental Protection. Everyone there needs a high school diploma or GED. Most employees have a bachelor’s degree in science.
Summer Youth Workers can work at the OEP in the summer. But, they usually do not have enough Summer Youth Workers to send to the OEP.
To sum it up, the Office of Environmental Protection takes care of Ina Makace (Mother Earth). Our responsibility is to help to take care of Mother Earth, too.
This Field Research Report was collaboratively written by members of the Employment 4Life Success class. This class is earning English credit while exploring employment options and preparing for life after high school. The co-writers were: Andrew L., Sheldon B., Lannie P., Kenzie B., J’Ronn S. Itancan C. and Sister Patrice C.
9/21/17
Fractions: Preparing for College
Article by: Brandon R.
This week in our class Learning 4Life Success we learned fractions. Why were we learning this you might ask? It is because we have not mastered fractions, so we have to take a step back and relearn fractions. Another reason as to why we are learning this topic is to prepare ourselves for college and future occurrences of this sort. The educator for this specific topic is Sister Patrice Colletti, and her students are Curtis Bird, Maggie Yankton, Treyton Neilan, and Brandon Redday.
We learned this topic within one week to get a better grasp on fractions. On Monday we learned about, the numerator and the denominator on the fraction, along with some practice questions. Then on Tuesday we got a grasp on fraction bars and how to write fractions. After that on Wednesday Sister Patrice told us how to reduce or write a fraction in its simplest form. Meanwhile we were also taught how to do improper fractions and mixed numbers to solve an equation. At the end of the week on Friday we were finally taught how to use that knowledge and master that topic with a mini quiz.
We were able to use certain techniques to solve equations. One of those techniques was using the candy bar draw strategy. Another form of technique that was used was number lines. A good form to use for solving a hard fraction is by using a computer. Lastly a great way to solve a difficult fraction is the good old fashion multiplication table.
As a result of all this, we were able to get a better grasp on fractions and master how they are used and solved.
A Good Math Week
Article and photos: Curtis B.
This week in Learning 4Life Success we learned about fractions. We got to refresh our brain on some old material and learned some new stuff. The class as a whole is doing very well. Everyone seems to be grasping the concept.
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| Fraction bars help us to get the concept, not just the algorithms. |
Then on Tuesday we went over some more fraction bars. We also went through the different names of fractions. First we looked at equivalent fractions. That's where two fractions have the same amount or equal the same amount. We all did problems to help us practice and keep it in our head. Then we talked about improper fractions. An improper fraction is when the numerator is bigger than the denominator and you can make a whole number out of it. Finally we discussed mixed numbers, and yes I will tell you what it is. A mixed number is when you have a whole number and a fraction side by side.
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| Equivalent fractions using fraction bars |
Meanwhile on Wednesday, we got more in depth with all the different names and fractions. This is when we actually got to work out problems. We all got the concept, at least for the most part. Overall it was fun and not too hard on the brain.
Finally, on Thursday and Friday, the class added and subtracted improper fractions and mixed numbers. We first looked at problems on the board then we watched how to solve and work through them. On Friday, we tested a new computer program as a class. This program is a math program so it is helping us learn and practice. The school would like to use it more so I would give it the go ahead. But maybe we should check it out more. The class is still trying to figure out how the whole thing works.
At the end of the week I feel good and I bet the class does too. I would like to give a shout out to my class. They did well and we all learned quite a bit. Overall it was a good math week.
9/19/17
It's all about the EDGES
Perimeter means you measure all around the edges of something.
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| A fat "L" shape made of two rectangles |
In class, we learned about measuring perimeter of different rectangles. But, our hallway is not really a rectangle. It is more like a fat "L" shape.
So, we had to make a choice. We could measure every wall, even behind all the junk piled down past the Shop Room. Then, we would add all those "edges" up.
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| Measuring the long wall |
Or, we could figure out the lengths of some walls without measuring them. We can do this because a rectangle has opposite sides the exact same length. And, we can "chop" the L shape into two rectangles.
We used our hallway measurements and the diagram above. We added up all the sides to get the perimeter.We figured out that the perimeter of our hallway is 97 whole meters and 216 centimeters.
Then, we figured out that 216 centimeters is actually 2 meters and 16 centimeters.
So, our total perimeter = 99 m 16 cm.
Our next project is going to use both perimeter (measure edges around) and area (measure square units that fill a shape.)
We are pretending we were hired as building contractors to create a K-5 playground. We have a budget of $25,000 to build it. But, the costs are very expensive for some things. So, come back and read next week to see what we decide to do!
9/12/17
Article -A- Day
How do young adults continue to become better readers?
One way that works is to read.... a lot!
For many students with reading disabilities, reading is really hard work. Still, it is important to keep exercising your brain by reading. Science has proven that if you exercise your brain by giving it challenging things to do, it continues to become stronger. New neurons (brain cells) grow. The task becomes a tiny bit easier each time. Even though our reading disabilities will never go away, we can continue to improve our brain's ability to deal with print.
This year, we are experimenting with "Readworks." It is an online reading program designed to help build vocabulary, speed, and stamina in reading non-fiction. ("Stamina" means "able to do challenging things for a long while.")
At least three days a week, we read from a selection of non-fiction articles. We get to choose which ones to read from a set. Some are about science. Some are about social studies. Some are about news.
We read them to ourselves silently. Some of the readings also have an audio text so we can listen to them, too.
Then, we use Google Docs to write a personal summary into our "Book of Knowledge." We write two or three things we learned from reading the article. We use Google Docs because we can then use:
One way that works is to read.... a lot!
At least three days a week, we read from a selection of non-fiction articles. We get to choose which ones to read from a set. Some are about science. Some are about social studies. Some are about news.
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| One article featured a Komodo Dragon. This is NOT a reptile you want to meet! |
We read them to ourselves silently. Some of the readings also have an audio text so we can listen to them, too.
Then, we use Google Docs to write a personal summary into our "Book of Knowledge." We write two or three things we learned from reading the article. We use Google Docs because we can then use:
- Google voice typing (dictation)
- Google's spell check (helps us find the right word or the right spelling)
- Grammarly (a Google "add-on" that helps us with sentence structure and grammar)
When we are finished with the quick written summary, we practice our public speaking skills. We use our written notes to do a "stand and deliver" in front of our class. Doing this several times a week is hard, but it is preparing us for our Exit Presentation. It is also preparing us for college or work, when we will have to "stand and deliver" presentations or lessons.
This activity, which we call "RAAD" (Readworks Article-A-Day) lets us combine reading skills, vocabulary development, note-taking, composition, and public speaking all in one activity.
9/6/17
"Build Week" and our Game Design Teams are ...
... hard at work on our "Homemade Arcade" games!
After talking about ideas, deciding on an arcade game, and making a written "Action Plan," our six Game Design Teams all began their builds this week.
Measuring is a skill that's valuable for building. It's a skill we'll need in almost any career.
Working as a team is one of the "soft skills" that your boss will want to see. That's why we are using this "Homemade Arcade" project to strengthen our soft skills: teamwork, communication, problem solving, planning, and persistence.
Each team has a different design for their arcade game. Sometimes, the design is in our head, and the hard part is getting the cardboard to cooperate!
This Game Designer (right) is really "into" this project. He is measuring the interior dimensions of the box as he plans.
We need our teams for ideas. We also need them so we have enough hands to do the cutting and taping!
With our rubrics in hand, our Game Design Teams are excited! Mark your calendar. Oct. 6 will be the display of Tiospa Zina Tribal Schools 2017 K-12 Global Cardboard Challenge!
[Click here to see the rubrics and the rules our class is using.]
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| Exact cutting is important. So is safety! This team knows what it's doing! |
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| Accurate measuring is important, too. |
Measuring is a skill that's valuable for building. It's a skill we'll need in almost any career.
Working as a team is one of the "soft skills" that your boss will want to see. That's why we are using this "Homemade Arcade" project to strengthen our soft skills: teamwork, communication, problem solving, planning, and persistence.
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| Teamwork means putting ideas together while putting cardboard together. |
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| Anyone recognize these lower appendages? We found them in a box..... |
This Game Designer (right) is really "into" this project. He is measuring the interior dimensions of the box as he plans.
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| This arcade game is destined for greatness! |
We need our teams for ideas. We also need them so we have enough hands to do the cutting and taping!
With our rubrics in hand, our Game Design Teams are excited! Mark your calendar. Oct. 6 will be the display of Tiospa Zina Tribal Schools 2017 K-12 Global Cardboard Challenge! [Click here to see the rubrics and the rules our class is using.]
How to Eat a Banana
You've eaten a banana, right?So, you know how to do it.
That's why our Workforce Literacy class used a banana for a lesson on writing an essay!
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| "Spider Maps" are not creepy. They're just visual outlines that make it easier to write a good paragraph! |
We also are learning how to use "transition words" to show a process. Phrases like "first" or "As you start" signal the beginning of a process. Words like "then" or "next" are used for the middle of the process. Words like "finally" and "in the end" tell us we're at the end of the process.
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| The best part of an essay? Eating the Topic! |
We'll be writing our sentences and paragraphs Thursday.
For now, we are all eating our bananas!
In Math, "Volume" does not mean how loud you play your music....
It means how many "unit cubes" fit inside something.
In our Workforce Math class, we discovered a short-cut to finding the volume of a box.
First, we had to build the right three-d shape. We used a picture.
Then, we had to count the cubic centimeters (those little yellow cubes are 1 centimeter on a side). This took a long time if the shape was large!
Then, we discovered that if we use multiplication, we can actually find the volume without the cubes by doing:
Length x Width x Height = Volume
Or, since using math language means using a lot of abbreviations: L x W x H = V
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| Building with the cubic centimeters |
In our Workforce Math class, we discovered a short-cut to finding the volume of a box.
First, we had to build the right three-d shape. We used a picture.
Then, we had to count the cubic centimeters (those little yellow cubes are 1 centimeter on a side). This took a long time if the shape was large!
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| Counting cubes to find the volume. |
Then, we discovered that if we use multiplication, we can actually find the volume without the cubes by doing:
Length x Width x Height = Volume
Or, since using math language means using a lot of abbreviations: L x W x H = V
We tested this several times to make sure the
L x W x H = V always worked.
It does!
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