“This is the best field trip I have ever been on,” exclaimed the enthusiastic junior high student while enjoying the Sunflower Science Trip. While we desire that all of our students would have similar feelings about our field trips, none of our science, English, or music field trips are selected for the entertainment value, but instead the learning factor.
Students are usually prepped ahead of time as to what they will be learning on the field trip. Be it reading the play prior to enjoying the actor’s interpretation at a local theater, learning vocabulary terms prior to attending a lecture, or participating in a unit of study which supports the field trip they are soon to take, field trips are integrated into the objectives of the school.
We invite parents to attend the field trips for several reasons. Observing their child in different environments outside of church and home can give new positive perspectives on their children. Our students exhibit advanced skills from their learning, show polite behavior along with a steady work ethic while having fun on our field trips. Children can enjoy their parents in a positive environment, observing them “being fun” while supporting the school in its learning objectives for the field trip.
No, our field trips are not Disneyland. But fun usually results because of our active learning model, carefully planned field trips, and excellent teachers, while supporting our parents in the training of their children.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Outdoor Education
In the grades 4-12 our outdoor education is a one to three day instructional time of living, learning and exploring the world God has given us.
In elementary (4-6) the students will spend one night and two days in the forest of Arizona hiking, performing team building work, performing science experiments, observing the heavens and enjoying campfires. Each year will be part of a three year cycle of instruction.
Seventh grade is a one-day trip to Tonto National Forest and the Johnston Ranch just outside of Sunflower, Arizona. The science teachers organize the daylong event of hiking, exploring, and activities. Set in teams, students work at an elevation of just over 4,000 feet along perennial Sycamore Creek. A Tonto National Forest ranger assists in the instruction.
Eighth grade explores the amazing Kartchner Caverns in southern Arizona. In this day long trip, the students spend time exploring these well preserved caverns.
Ninth grade expands their knowledge learned from their ninth grade science course of Biology by spending two nights and three days on a boat nestled in a cove off Catalina Island. Hands-on exploration and activities involving freshly caught marine animals, kayaking, and a visit to the Long Beach aquarium make this a unique and beneficial science opportunity.
Tenth grade enjoys a one-day/two-night trip to the forested mountains of Arizona for Sophomore Science Camp. Students work on expanding their science knowledge including astronomy through team work and outdoor activities with the traditional campfire and praise songs in the evening.
Eleventh grade travels to a local college to observe cadavers and learn how they are used in instruction for medical students. As the majority of our students plan to have a medical, math, or science major in college, this field trip provides useful knowledge and exposure to science in college.
The seniors, twelfth grade, exit our school spending two nights, three days with a creation scientist rafting down the Grand Canyon. The emphasis is on seeing first hand God’s amazing creation while expanding on science truths.
In elementary (4-6) the students will spend one night and two days in the forest of Arizona hiking, performing team building work, performing science experiments, observing the heavens and enjoying campfires. Each year will be part of a three year cycle of instruction.
Seventh grade is a one-day trip to Tonto National Forest and the Johnston Ranch just outside of Sunflower, Arizona. The science teachers organize the daylong event of hiking, exploring, and activities. Set in teams, students work at an elevation of just over 4,000 feet along perennial Sycamore Creek. A Tonto National Forest ranger assists in the instruction.
Eighth grade explores the amazing Kartchner Caverns in southern Arizona. In this day long trip, the students spend time exploring these well preserved caverns.
Ninth grade expands their knowledge learned from their ninth grade science course of Biology by spending two nights and three days on a boat nestled in a cove off Catalina Island. Hands-on exploration and activities involving freshly caught marine animals, kayaking, and a visit to the Long Beach aquarium make this a unique and beneficial science opportunity.
Tenth grade enjoys a one-day/two-night trip to the forested mountains of Arizona for Sophomore Science Camp. Students work on expanding their science knowledge including astronomy through team work and outdoor activities with the traditional campfire and praise songs in the evening.
Eleventh grade travels to a local college to observe cadavers and learn how they are used in instruction for medical students. As the majority of our students plan to have a medical, math, or science major in college, this field trip provides useful knowledge and exposure to science in college.
The seniors, twelfth grade, exit our school spending two nights, three days with a creation scientist rafting down the Grand Canyon. The emphasis is on seeing first hand God’s amazing creation while expanding on science truths.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Who We Are
Here are some thoughts about what makes us a unique Christian academy.
We cannot be all things to all people. We do have the ability to be very, very, good at what we do.
We are a Christian school which provides a unique and special learning environment in our culture.
Since the Bible has no mention of what a Christian School looks like, our interpretation is the following. It is a school where the staff members of the school are all professing believers whose lives reflect their obedience and love for the God of the Bible. All instruction is viewed through the lens of the Bible.
The uniqueness of the school is shown in many ways. The families which comprise it are almost all Christians from over 10 different churches. Our instructional model contains many different methods but leans heavily towards a didactic method which has also been named an “active learning” “differential learning” or “home school approach.” The teachers are provided with clear instructional guidelines and usually with lesson plans clearly laid out for them. The students have clear instructional and behavioral goals. Within our clear instructional goals and lesson plans teachers are expected to “break the rules” daily when needed to individualize each student’s education and provide maximum learning.
The school has a few basic themes with which to guide the teachers, parents and students in our school practices.
To describe the school:
*Bios Christian prepares
*Serving Our Lord One Student at a Time
Other ideas and themes include:
*all students can learn
*the staff is to honor God always as their first priority
*on our sports teams up through junior varsity, everyone plays, there are no cuts; all athletes are trained to work hard, show great sportsmanship, and always increase in their skills.
*God’s world and the understanding of its beauty is learned through skills in music and the visual arts.
In describing the basic points of our educational model the following is said:
“Our first priority is to encourage believing students or witness to those who do not believe. Second we train behaviors, and last we teach to the individual.”
Concerning our teaching of the Bible it is explained:
“There are basic ideas which guide our instruction of the Bible and these include that the Bible is inerrant, God is sovereign in all things, and salvation is only through a person’s faith in the works of Christ.”
The school prepares students to serve our God in the culture we live. The philosophy of the school is that learning entails more than book work. While book work is important to convey specific information there is much to be learned about God’s revealed world through field trips, activities, the arts, sports, mission work and from mature believers.
The “book” aspect of our school is built around basic ideas already mentioned. Additional ideas include usually much higher educational academic expectations beginning in kindergarten and continuing through 12th grade. Our learning of the “3 R’s” is structured on several educational foundations which include:
A. All students are able to learn meaningful information.
B. Large group instruction rarely serves the needs of the individual; lecture is the least effective instructional mode.
C. The instructional goals of every student in kindergarten through the senior year of high school are planned down to the day. We are not here to cover material, but to provide an educational program where students learn and apply their skills.
D. In theory, every student’s goals are reevaluated on a daily basis from the work achievements of each day.
E. Behavior training may become a higher goal than educational goals until the student is able to work consistently.
F. Primary (1st-3rd) students have a goal of 100% of the students meeting grade level expectations or higher for reading, math, and composition as measured on daily work and the AIMS test results.
G. Elementary (4th-6th) students have a goal of 100% meeting grade level expectations or higher for math, reading and composition as measured on their daily work and the AIMS test along with introductory knowledge and skills in history and science.
H. Junior High (7th & 8th grades) is essentially high school prep. Students are trained in these two years in addition to their academic skills, the appropriate methods to study for tests, being accountable to more than one teacher, and achieving at a higher level of expectations.
I. High School is focused on preparing for life after Bios and college. With clear expectations for each day’s work in each class, students are able to consistently increase their skills in all our subjects. Teachers assist and support students/parents in guiding them toward career choices.
We cannot be all things to all people. We do have the ability to be very, very, good at what we do.
We are a Christian school which provides a unique and special learning environment in our culture.
Since the Bible has no mention of what a Christian School looks like, our interpretation is the following. It is a school where the staff members of the school are all professing believers whose lives reflect their obedience and love for the God of the Bible. All instruction is viewed through the lens of the Bible.
The uniqueness of the school is shown in many ways. The families which comprise it are almost all Christians from over 10 different churches. Our instructional model contains many different methods but leans heavily towards a didactic method which has also been named an “active learning” “differential learning” or “home school approach.” The teachers are provided with clear instructional guidelines and usually with lesson plans clearly laid out for them. The students have clear instructional and behavioral goals. Within our clear instructional goals and lesson plans teachers are expected to “break the rules” daily when needed to individualize each student’s education and provide maximum learning.
The school has a few basic themes with which to guide the teachers, parents and students in our school practices.
To describe the school:
*Bios Christian prepares
*Serving Our Lord One Student at a Time
Other ideas and themes include:
*all students can learn
*the staff is to honor God always as their first priority
*on our sports teams up through junior varsity, everyone plays, there are no cuts; all athletes are trained to work hard, show great sportsmanship, and always increase in their skills.
*God’s world and the understanding of its beauty is learned through skills in music and the visual arts.
In describing the basic points of our educational model the following is said:
“Our first priority is to encourage believing students or witness to those who do not believe. Second we train behaviors, and last we teach to the individual.”
Concerning our teaching of the Bible it is explained:
“There are basic ideas which guide our instruction of the Bible and these include that the Bible is inerrant, God is sovereign in all things, and salvation is only through a person’s faith in the works of Christ.”
The school prepares students to serve our God in the culture we live. The philosophy of the school is that learning entails more than book work. While book work is important to convey specific information there is much to be learned about God’s revealed world through field trips, activities, the arts, sports, mission work and from mature believers.
The “book” aspect of our school is built around basic ideas already mentioned. Additional ideas include usually much higher educational academic expectations beginning in kindergarten and continuing through 12th grade. Our learning of the “3 R’s” is structured on several educational foundations which include:
A. All students are able to learn meaningful information.
B. Large group instruction rarely serves the needs of the individual; lecture is the least effective instructional mode.
C. The instructional goals of every student in kindergarten through the senior year of high school are planned down to the day. We are not here to cover material, but to provide an educational program where students learn and apply their skills.
D. In theory, every student’s goals are reevaluated on a daily basis from the work achievements of each day.
E. Behavior training may become a higher goal than educational goals until the student is able to work consistently.
F. Primary (1st-3rd) students have a goal of 100% of the students meeting grade level expectations or higher for reading, math, and composition as measured on daily work and the AIMS test results.
G. Elementary (4th-6th) students have a goal of 100% meeting grade level expectations or higher for math, reading and composition as measured on their daily work and the AIMS test along with introductory knowledge and skills in history and science.
H. Junior High (7th & 8th grades) is essentially high school prep. Students are trained in these two years in addition to their academic skills, the appropriate methods to study for tests, being accountable to more than one teacher, and achieving at a higher level of expectations.
I. High School is focused on preparing for life after Bios and college. With clear expectations for each day’s work in each class, students are able to consistently increase their skills in all our subjects. Teachers assist and support students/parents in guiding them toward career choices.
Monday, April 6, 2009
We Are Not Alone
This past week the Adams 50 public school district just outside of Denver received attention from two national publications, Parade magazine and eClassroom news for their unique approach to organizing their students beginning in August. In this 10,000 student district, the students will not be assigned grade levels because of age. Students will move through ten levels according to their “level of proficiency.” They may even be in different levels depending on their proficiency in each subject. The “only allowable score for a student to move on to the next lesson is a “B” equivalent,” as written in eClassroom. The article also quoted advocates of this system as saying it flips “the traditional system around to focus on mastery of the material rather than seat time.”
Surprisingly a public school has bucked the traditional social promotion system which provides almost everyone with a grade of “A” to one that sets some kind of expectations for mastery.
Relationships and nonuniform mastery would be our significant differences as compared to the Adams 50 project. Because we are built around student’s mastery of material, each subject contains different expectations for mastery.
For example, in the subject of math, mastery is a score of 85% on daily work and 80% on weekly tests. In Spanish, 95- 100% is the mastery expectation on daily work with 95% set as passing for unit tests.
The difference in expectations should be obvious. When performing thirty math problems at one sitting, missing three or four problems on the assignment does not require much in the way of time to correct. Over the twenty plus years we have instructed with these expectations, most students who have a good understanding of their math will miss no more than three problems on an assignment, plus the students seem to work extra hard not to have to repeat a lesson, so they check their work closer. Consistently a passing score of 80-85% works well in math.
Spanish requires different standards. We work under the idea that only when words are learned and applied at close to 100% will someone be able to add to their language base. Memorizing vocabulary at 80% accuracy puts a student at a great disadvantage as compared to someone who learns all of the words.
In addition to nonuniform mastery, relationships developed between a teacher and parents plus teacher and students provide a significant difference between Adams 50 and us. We hire individuals which have a history of liking people and working well with them. Our primary and elementary multigrade classrooms are designed so that the parent and teachers develop a working relationship with each other during the three years they are together in the 1st-3rd or 4th-6th grades. Similarly, the 7th-12th grade students are scheduled to be with the same instructor for a particular subject for more than one year. While the relationships are very important throughout each student’s instructional time at Bios, those relationships in high school provide support for recommendations for life after Bios.
Mastery of concepts is a major change for the school of Adams 50. For me, it has been a way of life for over twenty-five years. With nonuniform mastery and relationships developed with parents and students coupled with our many years of experience making this work, these and other reasons are part of how Bios Christian Academy works to provide an exceptional education for our students.
Surprisingly a public school has bucked the traditional social promotion system which provides almost everyone with a grade of “A” to one that sets some kind of expectations for mastery.
Relationships and nonuniform mastery would be our significant differences as compared to the Adams 50 project. Because we are built around student’s mastery of material, each subject contains different expectations for mastery.
For example, in the subject of math, mastery is a score of 85% on daily work and 80% on weekly tests. In Spanish, 95- 100% is the mastery expectation on daily work with 95% set as passing for unit tests.
The difference in expectations should be obvious. When performing thirty math problems at one sitting, missing three or four problems on the assignment does not require much in the way of time to correct. Over the twenty plus years we have instructed with these expectations, most students who have a good understanding of their math will miss no more than three problems on an assignment, plus the students seem to work extra hard not to have to repeat a lesson, so they check their work closer. Consistently a passing score of 80-85% works well in math.
Spanish requires different standards. We work under the idea that only when words are learned and applied at close to 100% will someone be able to add to their language base. Memorizing vocabulary at 80% accuracy puts a student at a great disadvantage as compared to someone who learns all of the words.
In addition to nonuniform mastery, relationships developed between a teacher and parents plus teacher and students provide a significant difference between Adams 50 and us. We hire individuals which have a history of liking people and working well with them. Our primary and elementary multigrade classrooms are designed so that the parent and teachers develop a working relationship with each other during the three years they are together in the 1st-3rd or 4th-6th grades. Similarly, the 7th-12th grade students are scheduled to be with the same instructor for a particular subject for more than one year. While the relationships are very important throughout each student’s instructional time at Bios, those relationships in high school provide support for recommendations for life after Bios.
Mastery of concepts is a major change for the school of Adams 50. For me, it has been a way of life for over twenty-five years. With nonuniform mastery and relationships developed with parents and students coupled with our many years of experience making this work, these and other reasons are part of how Bios Christian Academy works to provide an exceptional education for our students.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)