MSA+Dallas+2012

Thank you for attending our presentation at the Magnet Schools of America Conference in Dallas last week!

We appreciate your feedback and are pleased that the session met your expectations. Based on your feedback we'd like to respond to some questions.

Q: Where can we learn more about your school? A: Check us out at www.alainllocke.org and our wikispace http://ps208.wikispaces.com

Q: Where can I find your curriculum maps for math, specifically Investigations? A: This is our current focus of curriculum mapping so some units are available here on our wikispace and others will be coming soon. Stay tuned and check back frequently!

Q: Where do I find grants for technology? A: Donorchoose.org, local council person's office, etc.

Q: Do you have anymore eco-friendly tips? A: Check out Terracycle, Nike Reuse a Shoe, "Flip Tap Stack" lunch trays to create less garbage bags, journaling water use to reduce consumption.

Q: How do you get teachers to buy in to your theme? A: Respecting everyone's knowledge base (each person has a different entry point) is important when introducing a new theme.

Q: Do you have anymore NYC resources and partnerships? A: Cloud Institute, Parsons School of Design, Lower East Side Ecology Center, Grow NYC, Children of the Earth Foundation, NYC H20, Central Park Conservancy, New York Cares, New York Sunworks

Q: Do you have any connections between your curriculum and your hydroponic lab? A: Check out New York Sunworks and the Science Barge for information on curriculum ideas.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Q: Can you provide a list of more educational game applications for the iPad? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A: Check out ClassTechTips.com for more iPad ideas.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Q: How have you developed your projects for each unit? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A: We use the Understanding By Design GRASPS model for designing performance tasks. Some of these projects are group projects and others are individual depending on the task/class.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Q: How do you implement the stewardship part of your theme? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A: We have an environmental stewardship cluster class and embed this citizenship aspect of going green in everyday practices. You can also see how we embed the stewardship theme into our content area units on the wikispace.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Q: Do you have any favorite environmental chapter books or picture books? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A: Check out young adult fiction by Carl Hiassen (Hoot, Chomp, etc.), Operation Redwood, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Mallory Goes Green, Just Grace Goes Green, Ready Freddy Saves the Earth, many Gary Paulsen books take place in nature, Where the Red Fern Grows, Gail Gibbons nonfiction texts, My Life with the Chimpanzees, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew: Earth Day Escapade, Compost Stew, The Mangrove Tree, Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! Americas' Sproutings, Seeds of Change, Buffalo Song.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Feel free to email us with any other questions!

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Monica Burns (mburns7@schools.nyc.gov) and Tammy Musiowsky (tmusiowsky@schools.nyc.gov)

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Here is a PDF version of our Keynote presentation: media type="custom" key="18623134"