Ms. Bolles

Last Week of School

Hi Parents and Students,

Congratulations to 8th Graders upon their graduation from middle school!  I wish all of you a safe and fun summer!  The last two grades for this class were the module journal and an article analysis.  These last few days of class time, I am encouraging students to check Pinnacle to see if anything is missing, and I am also reminding them during class, that if there is a 50% recorded, that means that I don't have their work, and if they completed the work, the students may have saved it as something other than what I specifically requested, so I can't find it or they saved it to the computer, possibly a flash drive, and not their login number, so I don't have access.  Please be aware that if students do not meet with me before the last day of school about what's missing, grades will be finalized, and those 50's will remain instead of 0's. 

6th Graders - The students will be taking a test today applying what they have learned from their recent case studies to an example I will give them in class, and they will need to apply it to what they've learned about problem solving and decision making in regards to developing plans for achieving a goal.

7th Graders - The students are working on a competition design project involving our school mascot, the Husky and the Iditarod. 

 

Monday, May 6th through Friday, May 10th

Dear Parents and Students,

This is the agenda for this week:

6th Grade:  The students are reviewing and analyzing two case studies, and they are writing their own case studies based on the decision making process as it relates to problem solving and accomplishing goals.

7th Grade:  The students are reacquainting themselves with Sketch-Up, the kid-friendly version of computer-aided design before we begin AutoCAD activities.  I am in the process of grading the Inventor/Invention reports. 

8th Grade:  Many students are away on the D.C. trip by this evening, so I am working with students who have something past the due date due to absence.  We will return to the lab on Monday, finish by Tuesday, and so module journals and rotations will end by this coming Tuesday.  I am in the process of grading the bottle projects. 

Important Dates

Hi Parents and Students,

6th Grade - Power Point projects are due by Friday, Monday at the latest; these are being done in class. 

7th Grade - Their candy dispensers or pinball machines are due Monday, April 29th, and this is also the day that their Inventor reports are due.  These inventor reports were discussed in class two weeks ago.  The students will also have a test Friday, May 3rd, over the information discussed in class concerning project management, and they will receive a study guide on Tuesday.

8th Grade - Their bottle projects are due Friday, May 3rd, and they will also be tested on design principles on that day.  Their study guide will be distributed in class on Tuesday. 

Weeks of April 15th through 26th

Dear Parents and Students,

Currently in 6th, 7th and 8th classes, we are working on the following items:

6th Grade - The students are creating a Power Point presentation covering the most essential grooming  requirements for the careers that they are currently interested in pursuing.  They are also including appropriate attire for these occupations.  And they are examining a case study pertaining to this subject.  We also creating "Husky Healthy Hoagie" recipes, and tracking our meal choices for one meal per day, number of hours of sleep and exercise for a comparison chart as we prepare for the CRCT.  It is my hope that the students will realize that the nutritional and health related choices that you make will have a direct impact on how you feel and your level of productivity.

7th Grade - The students are finalizing their invention projects, using levers and pulleys.  They have been designing candy dispensers and pinball machines.  We are now in the testing phase of these working prototypes.  A representative from Home Depot from the Acworth area will be here this coming Friday to review their designs and offer expert feedback.

8th Grade - The students have completed one module rotation as of Friday, and we will begin the next one this coming week.  The students were asked to finalize their reflection journals and update their documentation so that I may review their recorded data and use that along with what they've already presented to me to determine a grade for their performance for this first rotation.

 

Friday, April 5th - Happy Spring Break!

I hope everyone has a safe break.  I will see you in a week!

 

Friday, April 5th - Artist David Clayman's Comments On Student Design Projects

Hi Parents and Students,

I know that you have been awaiting Mr. Clayman's comments regarding the bottle design projects for the 8th Grade Technology students from last quarter.  Recently, Mr. Clayman spoke to me and also followed up that conversation in an e-mail. 

He indicated two things, which really struck me as so incredibly true.  First, he said, he did not want to comment on the designs, because he said, he was generally very impressed with all of the student work, and for him to offer his professional opinion, he said, might not be helpful, because it would be based on his experience as an artist.  He said, he does recognize raw talent in many of the designs, but he does not want to discourage any of the future artists, designers, because he said, there are so many ways to express art and one's creativity, and what might not be recognizable right now is a budding talent that would incorporate some of that creativity and artistic flair in an area of design that isn't necessarily part of his background. 

He also said that he was incredibly grateful to have been chosen as a model for these students to be better able to embrace their own particular creative interests.  He said by having had this experience, it gives his work more personal meaning, and he is very honored for that opportunity. 

Currently, he and I are finalizing the last remaining photos for the Coca-Cola Bottle presentation, which Mr. Clayman tells me will be shared with the representatives at Coke Headquarters in downtown Atlanta.  I will keep you posted on any new developments.

At the present time, my 8th Graders in the Technology Education class this quarter, have been assigned the same bottle project with a bit of a different twist.  Instead of using the Husky Hustle as their focal point, the students were asked to consider designing their bottle project in tribute to their years at Hightower Trail before they graduate this year.

Those projects will be due Friday, May 3rd.  The design specifics were sent home yesterday in a handout and were reviewed with the students in class.

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

Hi Parents and Students,

The agenda for this week is as follows:

8th Grade:  We are working in the Technology Education Lab/Studio at the assigned module/learning stations.  The students are writing learning objectives, answering questions, recording data, analyzing, reflecting and completing activities as part of this learning experience.  Their next test will be after spring break, that second week, and it will cover the warm-up questions that we are discussing each day.  Their first design project is due by tomorrow.  Students were given several days of class time last week to complete these textbook projects.  Students signed up for which design project they wanted to complete.  Most students have already turned these into me for review.

6th Grade:  The students are currently working on the Work-Based Learning Unit as they move towards the self-analysis/self-improvement phase of this course in preparation for developing skills now that will transfer into their high school and college experiences, and a future career setting.  In the Work-Based Learniing Unit, the students were asked to read the unit and answer questions, and to examine a case study which involved role playing, conflict resolution and reflection. 

7th Grade:  The students are now working in the Technology Education Lab/Studio, and they are using Sketch Up to design their 3-Dimensional models for their candy dispensers or pinball machines.  I am hoping to have a Home Depot expert visit the class after spring break to discuss Home Depot's role in the retail market, and how inventions/innovations shape our society and the economy.  He will also be advising the students regarding the actual construction of their prototypes.  I have already graded their first design challenge, and their design briefs for this ongoing project. 

Wednesday, March 27th

Hi Parents and Students,

The agenda for this week is as follows:

8th grade - The students are taking notes using the two-column format over the pages assigned for their design elements quiz on April 29th.  We will be moving into the Technology Education lab starting Monday, and so, since these textbooks do not go home, and the students will be focused on the learning stations from now on, I asked the students to prepare for their test ahead of schedule, so that they would be able to supplement their notes from the assigned readings with the warm-up discussions we will have in the lab starting Monday. 

7th grade - The students are currently finalizing their Excel spreadsheets that contain their project supplies, estimated supply costs, projected price for their candy dispenser or pinball machine, and projected profit margin.  For the remainder of the week, students will be creating project checklists, and printing their preliminary paperwork to take with them into the lab starting Monday.  Materials need to be brought to the classroom, labeled with their identification, so that the teams will be ready to begin building their 3-D models. 

6th grade - The students took career assessments to match their interests with a computer-generated list of possible career options.  The students were assigned pages to read from the textbook and questions to answer.   As we work towards improving reading strategies, the students were asked to read the questions prior to reading the assigned pages to help "train their brain" to search for the answers.  The students were given a project to complete.  They were asked to choose at least five careers from the list that was generated from their self-assessment, and create a table in Microsoft Word, then match that information with one of the Career Clusters they are currently reviewing in class.  There are 16 Career Clusters. 

Wednesday, March 20th

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to Spring Quarter at Hightower Trail Middle.  This quarter I will be teaching the following classes:

6th grade - Career Awareness (We have already begun assigned textbook reading, two-column notes, group discussion regarding the definition of work, why people work, the similarities and differences between students and employees.)  There is a quiz scheduled for Friday covering the assigned reading.  The students will have the opportunity to review for that quiz tomorrow.  The textbooks are a class set and do not go home.  Students will need to know the following:

• The difference between a job, an occupation and a career
• How students begin thinking about a future career, that thought process
• The definition of job shadowing
• The official term for school/work programs
• The role of a program coordinator
• Examples of training stations
• The role of a supervisor
• Another name for a work-based mentor
• The definition of truthful communication
• Two examples of career clusters

7th Grade - Inventions and Innovations (We have already begun to choose creative teams.  The students are learning about the role of a designer, the definition of a "perfect design," what's included in a design brief, the definition of brainstorming, what should be included in a design statement.)  The students had their first team meetings today.  Student teams will be building either a candy dispenser or a pinball machine according to the standards on the CTAE website, which has a copy of the outline for the course posted for review.  After next week, students will be in the Technology Lab bulding their models and prototypes.  There will also be an inventor report and presentation assigned this quarter.  And the students will be learning how to use AutoCAD.

8th Grade - Technology Education (Students are preparing for their Chapter One test this Monday.  Student teams have been chosen, and these teams will be presenting sections of that chapter to the class as part of the review for this test.  Students were assigned two-column notes for the assigned reading. These textbooks are a class set and cannot go home, but over the next two days, students will review this material in class, and correct or add to their notes as needed in preparation for the test.

 

Wednesday, March 13th

Hi Parents and Students,

I just want to briefly review the schedule for this week as there are tests scheduled.

6th:  We completed career discovery and a preview of databases this week.  The students also had the opportunity to meet with Business Owner Mark Pisano, who viewed each student's presentation that included marketing samples for his business.  Mr. Pisano has asked for a copy of the students' coupons to display in his restaurant, Pisano's Pizza, in downtown Kennesaw.  He also provided coupons for each student.  Some of these are expired, but he indicated that he would honor those since the coupons were delivered by him to the students.

7th:  The students have completed the college resource guide, and questions related to teamwork for Societal Issues.  The final textbook assigned reading previews what will be discussed in Career Connections next year.  This year the focus was on what is involved in figuring out what you would like to do in the future, and how you prepare for that career.  But next year, the focus will be on what happens when you are in the job.

8th:  The students will be presenting their notes and demonstrate what they have learned during this final module rotation. 

7th grade will review for their content vocabulary test today in class; so their test will be Thursday, as the classes have completed all assignments now .  8th and 6th grade classes will review their content vocabulary tomorrow, and so, their test will be Friday.

I do want to mention that Artist David Clayman is still preparing his comments for the design projects that were sent to him from my 8th grade classes.  I will post those comments on my blog as these students will no longer be with me after Friday.  I will not include a name for privacy reasons.  But, I will include a description of the project so that students will be able to identify which work is associated with the comment.  It may take a couple more weeks before these are posted for review.  I will say that Mr. Clayman was very impressed with the quality of the work, and so that is why it is taking longer than expected for him to critique each one.

Friday, March 8th, 2013

Dear Parents and Students,

The agenda for this week was as follows:

6th grade finished their Power Point presentations in time for Business Owner Mark Pisano to visit on Monday.  He will be viewing the marketing examples that the students created for his business.  He has already indicated that he'd like to dedicate a wall of his restaurant to some of these designs.

7th grade is currently finished with the case study analysis presentations.  We discussed public speaking tips, and the students began researching college education critieria to see what is needed to apply and be accepted to colleges that offer the careers that are of interest to them.

8th grade is currently working at their next module station, preparing to complete as many activities as possible before their final day in the lab next week Wednesday.

Content vocabulary tests have been scheduled for all classes.  For 6th,  7th and 8th grade, those tests will take place on Friday.  We will review Thursday.  Content vocabulary lists have been distributed, and these are the students study guides, which they should use to define those terms and study those definitions. Again, all of these terms will be reviewed in class on Thursday, but most of these terms should not be new to the students as we've been working on much of this vocabulary throughout the quarter.