Jade Band Learners Create Documentaries
At the end of October, Jade Band embarked on a historical research unit in Literacy Block. In this rich unit the learners completed in-depth research on historical periods and trends — with a focus on comparative analysis and the understanding of patterns rather than the acquisition of facts. For many of the learners, their substantial research was in the form of print sources, online sources, and interviews. The kids also got to practice the archival detective-work that professional historians conduct…
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Build Week 10: Micro-Farming, Composting, and Vertical Gardens
Over the course of several weeks, many Campfire discussions focused on issues of climate change, with Greta Thunberg helping drive deep interest for many of the learners around the issues, debates, and challenges of climate change. Thus, as Build Week approached, the teaching team knew they needed to plan an experience that would help the learners understand the individual impact they could have on climate change.
The first morning of Build Week finally arrived and began with Ellu Nasser, a climate science planner, teaching us more about the greenhouse effect…
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Cobalt Band Scientists Explore Electricity and Magnetism
Scientists in Cobalt Band are currently engaged in authentic sense-making activities meant to deepen their understanding of magnetic and electric forces, including how these two types of forces relate to each other, and how they are used in everyday devices such as electronic circuits, electromagnets, and motors. The learners are practicing thinking abstractly about the mechanisms that they cannot see that lead to observations such as a light bulb lighting or a magnet repelling the like pole of another magnet. They are starting to build a more robust mental model of the nature of matter, especially around the concepts of atoms and electrons…
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Tips for Supporting Young Writers
When it comes to literacy development, parents often have a better idea of how to help their child grow as a reader than as a writer. Many parents know the importance of providing access to high-interest books, reading to their child daily, keeping an eye on reading volume, and offering a variety of texts. However, encouraging writing development can be a bit trickier, especially if you don’t have the child who already has three journals going, a plan for a story he/she wants to write, and a special stash of writing pens. Thus, we wanted to offer five suggestions for how you can help your growing writer…
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Help the Long-View Team Be in the SXSW EDU Lineup
In addition to our work with students at our micro school, we work with educators from around the nation to catalyze innovation in education. Help us spread that reach by ensuring the Long-VIew Teaching Team is part of the SXSW EDU 2020 lineup. Public voting contributes to the selection of sessions, so we ask you to help us out by casting your vote by Friday, August 23. Voting is easy….
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2019 Long-View Cardboard Boat Regatta
It’s a quirky and fun annual tradition for us…the Long-View Cardboard Regatta. This tradition started as a Build Week but moved to a community activity that is jointly run by the kids and staff of Long-View. The challenge? Design and build a human-powered boat that can carry one crew member (“the captain”) to the middle of Lake Austin and back, navigating the regatta course along the way. The boat may only be made of cardboard and duct tape…
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Field Experience: Art Interpretation
Tomorrow will be a busy morning, as all learners will be going out on field experiences focused on art interpretation. Teal & Indigo learners are headed to The Blanton, while Auburn & Navy learners are taking a walking tour of a handful of sculptures from UT’s Landmarks Collection. All bands have been preparing for these trips through a series of Campfire conversations over the last weeks….
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Field Experience: Data Visualization
Studying graphs and thinking about data visualization has been a thread across the year, most especially during Campfire conversations and in Science Block. We’ve regularly analyzed and discussed some of the amazingly beautiful and fascinating graphs highlighted in The New York Times’ “What’s Going On With This Graph?” program, and our young scientists have had many thoughtful lessons and discussions related to how scientists use graphs to analyze and communicate data (great example can be found here). Yesterday, Auburn and Navy Banders walked over to The University of Texas’ VisLab to learn more about data visualization.…
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Learning Within A Larger Ecosystem
If you’ve visited Long-View, you know we are situated in a retro-style building that has floor to ceiling windows on all external walls. Every academic space thus has a big view of the world outside our school; depending on which room you are in, your view may encompass the leafy branches of a tree, cars on a busy street, or cyclists headed home. The school feels open and connected to the world beyond our walls, and truly is connected. In every way we can, we think of Long-View as a porous organization, and work to use and be part of the wider ecosystem of learning that exists around us….
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Field Experience: Environmental Science
To kick off their environmental science unit, Teal and Indigo Bands headed out this morning for a half day excursion to Whirlpool Cave through Austin Watershed Protection. They climbed deep into the Edward’s Aquifer via caves to explore Austin's unique Karst topography and learn more about our city’s watershed. This experience will be helpful as they later move into a project focused on water quality in which the learners will develop their own water filtration systems.….
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