Happy New Year and Welcome Back!

The Dollar Daze and Thrifty phenomenon continues with more neat teaching ideas based on a featured monthly find. Thank you for your contributions as we continue to embrace:

"Reinvention is the new Mother of Invention"

The intent is to develop activities where the teacher is talking less and students are doing more.

December Feature

Plasticine

Purpose:

 To help students construct meaning and understanding of a concept with models.

"Making physical models in the creation of non-linguistic representaions stimulates and increases

activity in the brain". (Gerlic & Jausovec, 1999)

Modeling Meaning and Understanding to Reinforce Concepts...

“I make therefore I am.”

Suzanne Ramljak from Crafting a New World, Utne Reader,

Jan/Feb, 2010

In the article entitled Crafting a New World (Utne Reader, Jan/Feb. 2010), Sociologist Richard Sennett explains to Suzanne Ramljak the value of craftsmanship and how creating with your hands is an opportunity for reflection and critical thinking. Creating an object is a concrete representation of our thoughts and understanding and according to Sennett “satisfies a psychological desire for closure and tangible results.”

With teacher demands to cover a vast amount of classroom material less time is available for student reflection and self-analysis of completed tasks. According to Sennett, “We go by the notion that once you’ve solved something, the actual experience of doing it is secondary. That whittles down attention…..First and foremost people believe the most important thing about work is making as much money as possible.”

How does this concept translate into the classroom?

1. Offer students an opportunity to make…to construct meaning and
    understanding of a concept with models.

2. “Ban all-multiple-choice questions in tests, which encourage people to
    get to the quickest answer possible rather than to dwell on
    the problem (Sennett, 2010).”

Ramljak, S. (2010, Jan./Feb.). Crafting a new world. Utne Reader, Retrieved from
http://www.utne.com/Spirituality/Crafting-a-New-Word.aspx

One plastic dollar store piggy bank + plasticine =

Model of the Human Brain

One styrofoam head + plasticine = Model of the Human Brain

One Dollar Store Picture Frame + photo of digestive system

+ plasticine = Model of the Digestive System

The photo can be replaced by a number of other illustrations such as other Organs, Maps/Biomes.

Other possible models...

Consider phases of the moon and your imagination...

Next Month's Challenge

From: http://www.gcgideas.com/2009/06/19/the-dreaded-box/

Please share with me...

Books of Interest and Inspiration...

1. Art Journaling Magazine

What a great magazine with wonderful ideas that will serve your imagination...

for creating, reinventing, recyling and writing...

Resourcefully yours,

Julia Andreacchi

All Rights Reserved

Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds

©2010

Reinvention is the New Mother of Invention

“Creating an environment of innovation can encourage people to break routine and pursue revolutionary ideas”. Jeremy Gutsche(2009) from Exploiting Chaos.

Our dialogue continues on repurposing dollarstore and thrifty finds to develop activities that engage students in thinking and doing. Teachers need to be talking less and students need to be actively involved in their learning.

The item for last month:

Card Sleeves

Possible activities…

Time Lines
• students can record information on cards that fit into individual pockets
• Topics…
1. a biographical journey in the life of an artist, historical figure, composer, athletic, scientist etc.
2. the history of an event(fashion past and present), scientific discovery (DNA, mapping of Genome to stem cell research)
3. events in a story to aid plot development and comprehension

Chart—Compare/Contrast/Similarities
• Ist column 2 items(eg. characters in story) for comparison in each sleeve
• 2nd column features that contrast between each group of items(eg. characters in a story)
• 3rd column features that are similar between each group of items(similarities between characters)


A Guide/Template for writing
• 3 columns = 3 subtopics that will support a thesis statement
• Subsequent rows will house the examples, quotes that will support each subtopic

KWI with each column representing:
• What I know
• What I want to know
• What I leaned

Reflection Guide
Sleeves can serve as an organizer where a group/or individual can record what they learned over the course of the project/assignment or individuals can be instructed to record one piece of information or skill that he/she learned at the end of an activity, unit. The sleeve remains at the front of the student’s binder. It is a Reflection Guide.


Math
Combine numbers and mathematical operations (x,+,-) in sleeves.Task would be to complete the missing square with a number that equals the identical number whenever the numbers are tallied up and down the rows or across the columns.

Idea Tree for Story Writing or Story Summary
1st column lists story concepts: characters, setting, themes, conflict/problem, and resolution.
Student completes subsequent rows with information gathered from story/novel.


Summarizing an Article
Students are to record in one sentence the 9 most important ideas/concepts identified in the reading.
Regroup with a partner and between both students identify the 9 best ideas.
Organize the ideas in a logical fashion, followed by a written paragraph based on the 9 points to guide the summary.

Next Month’s Challenge….

Plasticine

Please share with me.

Books of interest and inspiration…

Ugg Boots and Crocs, uniquely different yet desirable. I actively look for unique ideas and inspiration from a variety of sources to guide my imagination with the intent of reinvention.

Every month I will also share some of my favorite books.

1. Exploiting Chaos, 150 ways to spark innovation during times of change.Jeremy Gutsche(2009)
The dedication reads as follows…“To My Dad: For teaching me how to create something from nothing, which is, in fact, the premise of this book”.

2. Softies Only a Mother Could Love – Lovable Friends for You to Sew, Knit, or Crochet.
Edited by Jess Redman and Meg Leder (2009) – these activities will serve as a future topic for our imagination. The back cover reads “Fuel your imagination and awaken your creative spirit”.

3. To-Do-List: From buying milk to finding a soul mate, what our lists reveal about us.
Sasha Cagen(2007)

4. Craft: transforming traditional crafts. Published 4 times a year by O’Reilly Media. Inc.
See http://www.craftzine.com/
Examples of crafting include: Foraging Mother Nature to re-create, designing your own game board.

Resourcefully yours,
Julia Andreacchi
All Rights Reserved


Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds

©2009

AASL Conference in Charlotte (Nov. 2009) - News you can use!

Thank you for your wonderful reception and interest in my Exploratorium
 10 Bucks = 10 Great Ideas.

  
The ideas developed, using dollar store and thrifty finds
 are intended to
 "Help the Brain Fall in Love with Learning".

(Marco Torres AASL-Nov. 7'09, Charlotte)

Where do you go from here?

To do List:

• Identify one idea that sparked your interest and make it happen
   next week. Start small. Baby steps will move you forward.

• Embrace a new way of seeing and doing on your next dollarstore and
  thrifty excursion. Make your visit a cerebral adventure.
  Reinvention is your new friend.

• Focus on developing activities that have students communicate their
   understanding in a fun and interesting way.

• Accept the monthly challenge.

The Monthly Challenge:

Each month a new dollarstore or thrifty item will be posted.

I invite you to share your ideas.

November Item:

1. The Trading Card Collector Card Sleeve

   Image from: ehow.com
2. Develop and share an activity that can engage students in literacy and
    learning. You have the power of  imagination.
3. Please post your idea in the comment box or send an email.
   

Once again thank you for your interest.

Reinvention is the new mother of invention.

Resourcefully yours,
The Dollar Store Lady
Julia Andreacchi

Dollar and Thrift Store Magic -- The Buck Stops Here!

Thank you for visiting Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds. This is a blog for educators, a starting point for your imagination and creativity and a place to share activities developed for students using the magic of dollar and thrift store finds.

The ideas I developed grew from a need:
a) created by lack of funding, resources, technological know-how, access and my innate desire to be creative.
b) to develop activities assignments and research tasks that are interactive and engaging

My Daily Mantra:

Work with what you have + Imagination

= Reinvention

"10 Bucks = 10 Great Ideas...

Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds To Engage Students in Literacy and Learning"

has been selected by the ASSL committee as an Exploratorium Session.

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/conferencesandevents/national/charlotte2009.cfm

The showcase will be held on Thursday November 5th, 1:00-3:00p.m.

in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I look forward to your visit.

In the meantime a monthly challenge will be posted.

Using the following dollar store item -- a trading card page protector,
http://www.doctorwhoonline.co.uk/10-x-Card-Protector-Sleeve-9-Pocket-A4-c-375-p-17396.html
develop and share an activity that can engage students in literacy and learning. You have the power of imagination. Please share with us.

Reinvention Works!

 
Resourcefully yours,
Julia Andreacchi







All Rights Reserved
 Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds 
©2009