Goal Getters

Taking some time to reflect on our progress toward our learning goals...

NOTE: The following reflections are either for goals related to academics or habits of mind (aka life skills that support success and achievement). Read on!

One of my academic goals is to become a more fluent reader because reading is hard for me. I have been trying since first grade and I am going to keep trying and practicing because this is a life goal for me. An example of when I showed progress working toward this goal is when I spend time reading at home and staying up at night to keep reading. I am determined to reach my goal.  - "Bling A"

One of my habits of mind goals is to be better organized. I am working on this both at school and at home. I am working toward achieving this goal both at school and at home by cleaning out my storage bin at school more often (at least 2 days a week) and helping my mom clean the house, including my sister's room.  - "Clover"

One of my habits of mind goals is to become more of an intellectual risk-taker. I am working toward achieving this goal by raising my hand more, even when I'm not positive of the answer, and saying my answer loud and proud. An example of when I showed progress working toward this goal was when we did the readers' theater and I had to talk loud so that everyone could hear me. Also, I raised my hand another time when I was not sure of what the answer was, but had a pretty good idea.  
- "Water"

One of my habits of mind goals is to have more self-control. I am working toward achieving this goal by not talking when the teacher is talking or when we are supposed to be listening to someone. If someone talks to me, I will move away from that person. An example of when I showed progress working toward this goal was when we were reading the book Rules and someone was whispering to me and I did not answer them and I gave them the "shhh" sign.  - "Soda"

One of my academic goals is to master my multiplication facts through 12. I am working toward achieving this goal by using flashcards 3 times per week. An example of when I showed progress working toward this goal was when I worked on my facts for an hour one day and got a lot better at learning my facts.   -"Yah"

One of my academic goals is to read with more expression and with different voices. I am working toward achieving this goal by reading more often and to practice reading with expression to my grandparents and my parents. When I read out loud, it actually helps me get the voices right and then I understand who is talking in the story. An example of when I showed progress working toward this goal was when I read my book to my mom and she said I did great. Also when I read to myself, I now understand who is talking in the story instead of having to go back and look at the names on the back of the book.   -"Mango"

One of my academic goals is to put full detail in my writing. For example: If I said I went in the pool, it would sound better if I used more information to describe how I went in the pool. I am working toward achieving this goal by thinking more about how I can add more detail every single time I write. An example of when I showed progress working toward this goal was when I wrote about my friend and me going on a vacation together and I put full detail in my work and checked it again to see if I could add even more.  - "Lam"

Guest Bloggers Reflect On Their Learning

My best learning experience this week was broadcasting the Flipgrid Breaking News story. I think it is very cool to learn how people around the world live in their environment. An important learning skill that I needed to use in order to complete this activity were discussing with my peers about their thinking. I like hearing what other people took away from the learning experience. We are learning about plate tectonics because in the real world, you need to know where it is safe to live and where the world's most active volcanoes and earthquakes occur.   - "Glisten"

My best learning experience this week has been participating in math and understanding it. Some important learning skills that I needed to use in order to complete this activity is 1) having a growth mindset and 2) practicing math and being determined to get it right.  We are learning about math because I will need to know how to pay for things and how to measure things for baking. Everything demands math!    - "Aloha"

My best learning experience this week has been reading the book Rules by Cynthia Lord, because we get to learn about how people with autism experience the world. Some important learning skills that I needed to use in order to complete this activity were self-control so that I was listening attentively, and staying engaged and focused so that I could discuss the story with the class. We are reading this book because if we meet someone with autism, we'll know what to expect and how they might react to certain things. It helps us understand and appreciate our differences.   - "Riana" and "Italy"

My best learning experience this week has been the different plate tectonics activity rotations because I got to get a different taste of knowledge about plate tectonics at each station. At the Breaking News Story activity about the Ring of Fire, I got a taste of what it is like to be a news broadcaster. At the plate boundaries make-a-model activity I learned what the different plate boundaries are and how they move and how they change the Earth. Some important learning skills that I needed to use in order to complete this activity had to do with self-management, like following directions and staying focused. We are learning about plate tectonics because in the real world we need to know where to live and how to avoid disasters caused by earthquakes and volcanoes.    - "Linkidinki"

My best learning experience this week has been learning about plate boundaries in a variety of ways. I really liked making models of them and the sorting activity. Some important skills that I needed to use in order to complete this activity were to stay focused and on-task. I also had to read directions and work hard. Collaborating with my partner was helpful, too. We are learning about plate boundaries because in the real world you would need to know where plate boundaries are and where there are volcanoes and earthquakes so that you can avoid them (in places like California and Hawaii).    - "Mango"