Two weeks ago my class chose their group to work on their Halfway project. Each group chose a halfway place to meet the Norwegian students. After a brief presentation, the class chose one destination to share with the students at Damsgard skole on November 9.
Kristin and I have video connected via Messenger and Skype twice in the last five days to check our audio and video connections and to confirm our agenda for the meeting. I am grateful to be working with such a resourceful, creative, and passionate educator. Mahalo Kristin Skage!
Tim Toyoshima, Kris Astle, and Edmar Manarang from SMART are visiting Hawaii this week. As we were talking about this project, I shared some of my observations:
- Not once has any student asked me if anything they have done would be graded.
- Norway went on daylight savings time on October 3, a week before the U.S. I asked why that might happen. Without hesitation a student replied, "because it gets darker sooner."
- When looking at the daylight and temperature workspace, the same student wondered how it could be possible that the temperatures could change so quickly in such a short time. A discussion ensued which included converting 5 and 12 degrees C to F. This was a great question but more impressive was the observation and interest in the data.
I believe that in 10 years, our students will not remember the problems they struggled through or the grades they received but they will remember this experience of learning about others so different, yet so similar.
This project has already far exceeded our expectations as teachers and we still have more to come. Stay tuned.
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