A Peek in to Aspen Academy - Day 2

Last week the teachers at Aspen Academy learned and now we are busy passing on our knowledge to the students who eagerly come through our doors.  Every day presents a new opportunity to think and learn and grow - whether you are a student or a teacher.  It is the best part of coming to Aspen Academy - hearing the sound of excited student and teacher voices, watching eyes eagerly follow instruction, testing out science theories, learning where we live and even just spending quality time learning to work together as a community.

What does learning look like this week?

In third grade, I stopped by to see a fun lesson on finding our place in the world.  Students discussed the city where they lived and how it might differ from where Aspen Academy is located.  They worked together to remember their state and country and more about where they can find themselves.  But more than that concrete knowledge, they began to understand the importance of listening and following directions so that learning can always occur.

In fifth grade, learning is quiet and individual.  Students explore through writing.  But they also learn that learning doesn't always have to happen at a desk, even as it might seem in this picture.  Throughout the room, I saw students scattered at different spots on the floor, each learning and working where they were comfortable.

In middle school Science, learning means taking a risk to be the first to try an experiment and demonstrate the understanding that it offers.  Students are learning that Science is more than just a  passive subject full of knowledge to absorb, but in reality is a hands on try and fail activities that require one to create, research and support hypotheses of all kinds.

Venturing over to middle school Social Studies, we see that learning needs some demonstration.  How can you know what to try if you don't have a model to work from?  Students absorb information, ponder answers to questions and attempt activities so that they too can learn to generate a map that shows all that they learned.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg!  Stay tuned to see what more is learned throughout this exciting year!