Celebration of Learning and Annual Report

The past 2 1/2 weeks have been very busy in the garage as the boys prepared for their celebration of learning and annual report.  After creating essential/driving questions for their groups, the boys got busy making infographics, explaining their year and getting creative.  I had no idea what to expect.   

While it is unfortunate that every essential question wasn't able to be completely addressed, the boys have plans that they will bring with them to Kiva Council in the fall.  We are sure to share their passion with the Town School lower school, other schools in the bay area and Town School friends and family in the coming year.   

Quick Stats for the 2012-2013 School Year as of June 7th

• $1433 in deposits.  That's their profit!
• $1825 in loans.  
• Loaned to 33 out of 65 countries. 
• Have recruited 10 people to join the Town School Friends and Family Community.  

 Without further delay this is how each company decided to present in front of their classmates, peers and parents at the Annual Report and Celebration of Learning on June 4, 2013.  Drum Roll... Please!   

Big Time Bouncy Balls

Big Time Bouncy Balls Infographic

Big Time Bouncy Prezi

Frisbee's For Freedom

Frisbee's for Freedom Infographic 

Frisbee's for Freedom Prezi

Slap Bands for Kiva Fans

Slap Bands for Kiva Fans Infographic

Slap Bands for Kiva Fans Prezi 

Town School Spirit

Town School Spirit Infographic

Town School Spirit Prezi

Town School Style

Town School Style Infographic

Town School Style Prezi

Watches for Wonder

Watches for Wonder Infographics

I am very proud of the boys and excited to continue and watch them grow in the years to come.  Through debrief, I established with the boys that next year may require more time.  I would love to get them to practice their presentation with their classmates, get feedback and then move on to the larger group.  But all in all... WELL DONE BOYS.  You have inspired me:)   And you inspired KIVA.  Here's what they sent to us:)  

Let's Dance!

It's been an exciting week in the garage as we wait for word problems from across the globe to arrive, work through essential questions and annual reports and skype call with some new friends.  Despite having to be flexible through a failed skype call with Uganda and not receiving word problems from other classrooms the boys remained positive.  Wednesday was a highlight in many ways.  Who would have thought "dance" would be the word of the day in math class?  

Knowing that the boys were disappointed that they had not yet received any word problems from other schools, Jennifer Klein (Global Education Consultant with World Leadership School) and I worked together to create a few word problems from places she considers home.  Colorado and Peru.  The powerful part of this meeting for me was that I was learning about the world through these problems.  I was experiencing what the students were soon to experience themselves as we discovered statistics and used 360 cities to put ourselves in the locations.  

I didn't know that Denver had a controversial 6 story sculpture called "The Dancers", did you?  25 tons and continuously playing music composed by the artist called "Let's Dance"?  Visit it here.  Perhaps it is there to inspire Colorado to dance? I also didn't know about the 12 angled stone in Cusco, Peru either.  Visit it here.  The boys began working through their new problems and learning about the world.  They are still waiting to hear from others.  

Do you or your class have even one problem to share?  Let us know!

The fun didn't end there.  6th grade had recess/lunch skype call with the Kiva Ninja's planned.  ​Diana Williams and her 3rd graders ROCK!  We introduced ourselves to their class, told them about how we use Kiva in our class, and informed them of the loans we made.   We also had an opportunity to ask and answer questions.  Every 6th grader gave up recess for this opportunity.  If Kiva can compete with recess we are definitely on to something.  

Diana's class sat quietly in their chairs as they participated in the conversation.  But towards the end their was one moment when the children started doing their Kiva Ninja moves.  What it led to?  6th graders at Town Dancing too.  The moment was priceless.  Dancing can bring people together and break down cultural barriers.  Smile, laugh and forget what's different about us?  We could all dance a little more often don't you think?  

People dance because dance can change things. One move, can bring people together. One move, can make you believe like there's something more. One move, can set a whole generation free.​ -Adam G. Sevani

As we reflect on our skype call the boys commented in the following ways:  

I was surprised...

• at how good their questions were. 
• at how interested they were in Kiva at such a young age. 
• at their knowledge of Kiva and lending requirements.​
• ​that they can only have 1 or 2 bake sales a year.  
• by their knowledge about poverty.  ​

I would still like to know...​

• what their net/gross profit is?
• any struggles they have gone through?​
• what your business strategy is and why you chose this path?​
• how you feel about Kiva?​
• will you continue this project in 4th grade?​

​We are looking forward to making more connections with both projects in the weeks to come.  Join us!  

Even I Know More About San Francisco Now

To begin this project, we all sat in a circle and whip shared a place in the world that we considered to be on our "bucket list". The responses were varied and somewhat conventional so I asked them in a second whip to dream big, and they did.  Then I let them loose to discover a little about those places.  ​

​Using the app 360 Cities, the boys took off on their digital airplane and landed close to their places of interest.  Here are some of their responses to "I notice" and "I wonder"...

(if you don't have time to read about our experience but want to cut to the chase you can find our word problems here)​

I have traveled to Vietnam, Phnum Bokor national park, the dam of the Kanchay hydropower station. I notice cranes, a dam, water trees, and hills. I wonder if if I can go there or is it blocked off? I wonder where the nearest city is? Lastly I wonder where the nearest airport is? 

 I traveled to the country of Japan and visited Chiba station. I notice lot of people, stores,lights, buses, bus stops, some plants, and buildings. I wonder what all of the buildings are for, what are the stores selling, and was this taken before the tsunami or after.

 I traveled to FiJi and the place I visited was called moon reef. I noticed that the water was very blue, I saw some other people in the water, I saw the island was very big, I also saw a bunch of clouds above the island, and I can the reef from above the water. I wonder if swimming in the reef is dangerous? I wonder who discoverd FiJi. Also I wonder if I can go to FiJi.
​

I have traveled to Skolio Summit Mount Olympus Greece. I noticed that there where three people looking at the view. The view was made up of ranges of mountains. The people where next to a sign saying that that was the top. There were broken rocks and patches of grass. I wonder why were the rocks broken? Why is the mountian called Mount Olympus? How come there are so many parts of the mountains?

 I have travelled to Nussuaq hilltop Greenland. I noticed houses, mountains, snow, lakes, and rocks. I wonder what the name of the village is. I wonder if there is a fisher man's wharf by the lakes. I wonder what the houses look like. I wonder what the village name is.
​

​After this exercise I posed the question, How Could We Learn About the World Through Math Story Problems? The boys immediately began to brainstorm. And they determined that the first step would be to teach others about our city through math story problems.  The boys brainstormed places, landmarks, sports, weather, and much much more.  When it was all said and done 23 boys created these problems.  Enjoy! Tempted to share?  We would love to hear what your world is like.  Only have time to write one? We don't mind! 

​HERE ARE OUR WORD PROBLEMS!  ENJOY.  WE MAY ADD MORE:) 

From One Borrower to Another...

I sat down with the boys and asked, "If you could ask one of the people you loaned to this year any question you want, what would you ask?"  I was hoping this would lead to thoughtful questions.  Questions that they consider asking of themselves in the weeks ahead as they plan their quarter 4 components to the "Kiva Project".  ​And you know what?  It did. Here goes...

How has Kiva influenced your life the most?​

Was your business a lot better after your loan?  What did your loan truly enable you do to do?​

Were you scared that you wouldn't be able to maintain or start your business before your loan?  ​

How did the loan improve your life?​  What was it's impact on your daily life?

Any mistakes you wish you could redo?​

How did you find Kiva and Microfinancing?​

How did you feel when you were able to repay your loan?​

If you could change anything about the kiva lending process what would it be?​

How did you feel when you got your loan?​

What is the net and gross profit ​of your business?

What % has your business grown since the loan?​

Will you apply for another loan? For what specifically?​

What are you future goals?  ​

What is your job like? How many hours a week are you working?​

Would you recommend kiva wholeheartedly to others in your community?​

Do other members of your community use kiva or micro-lending?​

What is your relationship with your field partner like?​

How did it feel to have to ask for a loan?​

​If you become successful enough, how will you give back to others in the world?  

The boys are busy asking the lenders in our community what they want to know about their year long micro lending experience.  Stay tuned...​we have Annual Reports, Essential Questions with Action Projects and Presentations in our future.  One month and a whole lot to be done!  

“It’s not just a simulation, it’s not just textbook work, it is real life scenarios and it’s teaching us math involved in the real world. We are also loaning to people across the world and helping them start a business and we are actually making a difference!” -Henry Class of 2015”

A Thank You Card to Inspire...

It's been 3 weeks since my last blog entry. Not to say I have nothing to say, that's never been a problem, but between vacation and outdoor education trips I have had reflection and planning time and not a lot of student action.  ​

Perhaps my lack of writing is also because I have spent the last two weeks reading the new and therefore was not inclined to write or share.   I've spent the past year trying to teach empathy to my students.  I have been trying and get them to understand what it is like in other parts of the world and/or in other social classes here in San Francisco.  To feel it.  To know it.  And yet for the past two weeks my own empathy has been far from poverty, it been more terror based, Boston based.   As I recall the final miles of my own Boston Marathon years ago I can't help but empathize with the people of Boston that day and the international running community.  It knocks the wind right out of me just thinking about it.   

But this blog isn't about Boston. It is #bostonstrong though, don't get me wrong. And on this week as I plan launches of some new projects ideas, sometimes it's a sweet email that reminds me that we have still have 7 1/2 weeks left.  We will continue working towards alleviating poverty one small step at a time.  We will continue making others smile glocal and global.  Thanks for this Project Night Night...

​Dear Ms Goggin and 5th Graders

We are flattered and honored that your research led you to Project Night Night.  Please know that we will use the boys' donation wisely.  Over 95% of every dollar raised goes directly to the homeless children whom we serve -- a statistic about which we are immensely proud.

If you wouldn't mind, below is a link to a short 3 minute video that we revised recently.  It features many of the children whom we help as well as those children who volunteer their time for us.  I think that the Town School 5th grade might enjoy seeing it.

http://animoto.com/play/UAS51dU7Nk7Nifil9fB18w

Finally, I wanted to share with you a story from a recent Night Night package delivery that I made to Homeless Prenatal in Potrero Hill.

"When I distributed the Night Night Packages in the childcare room of Homeless Prenatal, most of the children ran right up to me, saw their favorite stuffie and requested a specific bag that caught their eye.  When the hubbub had subsided, I noticed a little boy over by the train table who had not participated.  I took four Night Night Packages over to him, each with a different furry friend peeking out.  I asked him if he would like to choose one.  Silence.  I asked if he had a favorite animal.  Silence.  I told him that the dog with the floppy ears holding the heart was my favorite.  Silence.  I explained that I would leave it on the chair beside him.  If he wished to take care of the doggie, that would be wonderful.  If not, he could leave it there, and I would come back to get the doggie later.  Silence.

I went back to my car to get the remaining Night Night Packages to take the to intake area for distribution.  When I returned I passed the little boy in the hallway.  He was hugging the dog with the floppy ears so tightly.  The tote bag with the blanket and book was on his shoulder.  When I saw him again, he broke out into a big smile and held up the dog, "This is Samuri, my new best friend!   I'm going to take good care of him.  I love him."

Thank you Town School 5th Grade for helping to make the lives of these children so much brighter.

Very sincerely,

Kendra

Kendra Robins | Founder and Executive Director | Project Night Night

How Can We Learn About the World Through Math Story Problems?

As I look forward into May, I am hoping to launch another project that has both local and global products.  The project, Discovering our World, (needs new name) will include writing math story problems that will help my students learn about the city of San Francisco and hopefully other places around the world.  ​This will be a 5th grade project.  

My example question:  ​

The Golden Gate Bridge is approximately 3 miles long. If you walk at a rate of 3.7 miles per hour, how long will it take to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and back?  Please place your answer in minutes.  You may need to use the formula Distance = Rate x Time. 

Fact about the Bridge:  The Golden Gate Bridge is in San Francisco, CA.  The first passenger car was allowed on the bridge May 28, 1937.   

My idea is to use an app/e-book of some kind and share these word problems with other schools around the country/world.  I think it would be interesting for the students to learn about new places while also practicing math facts.  Landmarks? Sports? Weather? Gps location/coordinate planes?  ​Real costs of products such as gas, cell phone bills, food?  

The opportunity to learn about new places through these real life story problems are endless.  Join me?  Please contact me through twitter or at goggin@townschool.com

I Kiva Because...

Challenged the other day to think about why I Kiva , I decided to ask the boys to answer the question before I came up with my own response.  

Kiva

Verb  to give micro loans for as little as $25 to individuals all over the world that are unable to get loans through traditional banking systems.  

So Here we go...

I kiva because it helps people in need. Also, I kiva because anyone can get way more successful from just one small loan.- Frederick

I kiva because it feels good to see people achieve their goals. -Robbie

I kiva because I love to make people happy. -Sam

I kiva because I want to make a difference.-Nicolas

I kiva because I know that when I kiva I am changing someone's life with as little as $25. I also kiva because I want to help people in need. -Isaad

I kiva because i think people should have a good life too.  -Jorge

 I Kiva because I realize that people work just as hard as us and receive the opportunities that we get divided by 100. All they need is money, and in the real world, money represents opportunities. I feel that their work should pay off.- Noah

I kiva so that less fortunate people get a chance to succeed.- Will K

I Kiva because I know I can help people for so little.- Reid

I kiva because not all people are better off and simply require a boost to get going. -Nicholas

I Kiva because I want to give people a chance in a new career and help them succeed in life. -McCarthy

I Kiva because a little chunk of my money can change a person's life who is not as fortunate as us. - William

I Kiva because I believe in education and shelter for all. -Ben H

I Kiva because there are people out there who just need $100 or $200 dollars, and I can help them. - Davis

I kiva because I know it helps someone in need who maybe in poverty. -Ryan

I Kiva because every time I make a loan, it helps someone in need. -Adam

I kiva because it helps make the world a better place one loan at a time. - Spencer

Why do I Kiva in the classroom?  I Kiva with my students because of the impact that it makes on not only the borrowers, but the young global citizens in my classroom.

​

PI Day for Purpose=WOW what a success!

During the 5th grade poverty unit the boys expressed an interest in a bake sale to support the non profits they had discovered here in San Francisco.  As we continued our global unit, our glocal focus was never far from our minds and hearts.

​Inspired by their commitment to make a difference, I looked ahead in the month of March and recognized that Pi Day was approaching.  Traditionally, in my classroom, Pi Day was a day of debauchery.  Chanting Pi Songs, Eating Pi, feeling sick and forgetting about it all the next day.  So what could we do?  Let's give it purpose?!

​Announcement:  On March 14, 2013 (PiDay), we will be selling homemade circular treats throughout the afternoon. Having previously learned about the working poor in the United States, your boys investigated local charities and created commercials to advertise the need for these organizations using statistics. But, it doesn't stop there. Students are excited to bake and create circular treats on PIDay which will be on sale at designated times that afternoon. All proceeds will go to SF Food Bank, Glide Memorial, SF Food Runners, Project Night Night and a surprise global project.

The boys went home last week and gathered a recipe that they would be able to bake at home.  They then took trips to the grocery store or shopped online for their ingredients.  This led to discussions and lessons on unit price, organic vs non organic food options, and choices that fit our budgets and our values.  The lessons were endless and I was proud of the boys the whole way through.  

​Parents expressed enthusiasm for baking with their sons.  "We bake all the time, but it will be fun to talk about the reason for these treats, " one mother said. Another smiled, "we used to bake so much together when he was younger, it will be nice to do it again".  And lastly,   "I am making him go to the grocery and seeing what things cost, it's important!"   

The boys came in this morning, goods in hand and smile on their face.  Shop was open to all 400+ Town School boys, as I coordinated time slots in the afternoon for each of the classes to visit our garage sale.  ​One baked good per student during the school day, choose wisely:)  Remaining goods were for sale afterschool.  

​You can measure the success of the day by the smiles on faces, the laughter in the room, the line out the door after upper school dismissal and the eyes that were glaring into the garage all day long.  And likely, that would have made me happy.  They were so proud of themselves, and I was so proud of them.  But one of my favorite moments...  when the door was closed and only the 5th graders remained, and I was rushing them to clean up so I could get off to my next meeting, I heard a student say, "let's take a minute to give a round of applause to us for accomplishing this" ... oh and the $888.00 we raised.  That's pretty awesome too.  

So how do you wrap this up?  First, the boys estimated what they believed would be the revenue from the sale.  ​Then, they counted the funds.  After that the boys calculated what percentage of the funds came in from each of the sections, and then what percentage each of the boys treats brought in (just for fun-and math), and now we consider how we split up the funds.  This is fun.  

 Sf Food Runners, Project Night Night, SF Food Bank, and Glide Memorial will be happy... oh and that family with a Goat thanks to Heifer International.  

As I reflected with the boys, we popcorn shared one to two word about our day.  They reflected on the community spirit, money, two kinds of "dough", making money, helping others in need.  Baking, donuts, goods, etc... Most impressive to me was their reflections on the happiness that it brought to our community and then of course the happiness that our contributions will bring to others. 

So what's next... good question? ​

When I was 10 I wanted a pony. These boys want a GOAT!

As we prepare for the final part of our global poverty unit, Pi Day for purpose, the 5th graders traveled down to the 1st grade classroom for a reading of Beatrice's Goat.  ​They sat on the carpet and listened to every word that Ms. Zimmer read to them.  And in the end, we had a whip share.   

The boys were thoughtful, empathetic, and intrigued. "Can we really buy a goat?" they asked still deep in wonder. They didn't doubt the impact of a single animal but rather wanted to be involved in the process in some way.  ​A goat on the way?  I think so...

​We invited a few administrators in for the reading, their thoughts are below:  

I was speechless when I heard the fifth grade express their thoughts.  The level of understanding and empathy was unbelievable. They had an understanding that went beyond the book and they were able to express it in a way that the first grade could understand.  They are truly role models for the younger boys.  I was most impressed by their empathy.  They are making a giant leap in your class in learning to be world citizens and coming together as a community.  It is becoming obvious that they will leave Town with a sense of being a part of the world and with the desire to make the world a more equitable place.  They are going to be able to come up with ideas for equity, not just talk.  I was watching the first grade boys listening intently not only to the story, but also to what the fifth grade was saying.  I was deeply moved by what I saw today. -Rae

I observed a group of boys make a paradigm shift in stepping out of their world as they know it, and into the life of a young girl whose whole life depended on a goat. I heard empathy instead of pity, wonder instead of worry as to how this goat made such a profound impact. I saw the fifth grade students make connections from a previous math lesson and the 1st graders who were just as eager to formulate their own. I see a world in which our boys with guidance, support and exposure to different cultural backgrounds will help foster a sense of community and cultural competency in the years to come. I was and I am inspired.- Flora

​Want to see the story on 60 minutes?  Considering a goat?  

Some 5th Grade Tweets:​

• I was happy that her friend as next to get a goat. #happy
•  Beatrice is so lucky to have a goat #money
• Girl Gets Chance Of A Lifetime With Help Of Goat
• Amazed that goat can change persons life#amazed
• I loved the love she had for her goat. #Loveanimals
• I love how she wanted to still help here mom! #lovingmoms

Going Global with 5th Graders-Crunching Numbers, Living Life and Graphing

As I reflect on the last few weeks of math class, I think about the amazing conversations I have had with my 5th graders and the energy they bring to class each day in the name of global poverty.  However after all these years, I still find myself wondering how 5th and 6th graders can be so different.  A little more literal and harder to push beyond the surface but interesting none the less.  

Unable to grasp what another PBL would look like in my curriculum at the moment, my plan is to spend 10 days investigating global poverty with the boys a little differently.  While I am hopeful that in the years to come we can incorporate PBL into this part of the poverty unit, I am quite positive that the boys have looked at life through a different lense for nearly two weeks and are more empathetic to how people live outside of their own San Francisco world.  

Speaking of...  I started the unit by asking the boys the question, "If San Francisco was a bubble, and you only knew what existed in this city (you had no US or Global News etc...) How do you think ou would view the world?  What things do you have to assume would exist everywhere?"

I wanted them to think about how we may view the world if we were not able to travel out of San Francisco, if we didn't have news or internet, etc... I was having them imagine a world that is a lot less "flat" if you will.  Here are some responses:  Cars on everyblock.  Everyone would recycle.  Houses are expensive. Every city has a diverse population.  Everyone lives on/near a bay.  A lot of wealth.  Homeless people sleep on the streets.  Everywhere has lots of stores and restaurants.  Everyone's minimum wages is $10.24.  A lot parks in cities.  Everyone has an iphone.  Everywhere has a beach, but you don't really swim in the water because it's really cold.  It's always around 60 degrees and the worst weather is fog, we wouldn't know about snow.  Everyone in the world speaks english.  

This question will play a vital role in our wrap up as I ask the boys to compare and contrast the different thoughts they have about local and global poverty having watched the movies "30 Days on Minimum Wage" and "Living On One".  

So, WHAT DID WE DO FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS!?!  Let's take a look!

Day 1:  Boys wandered around the class to do a silent chalk talk.  I enjoyed their responses but this was a big day for me in recalling how literal they still are.  But, I also started to realize how compassionate and empathetic they are as well.  

Day 2:  The boys participated in Global Mall and Take A Step for Equity from www.facingthefuture.org.  These activities were taken from their book Engaging Students Through Global Issues.  While Take A Step for Equity is an activity where they are randomly placed into an economic status and I read them what life is like, the Global Mall activity challenges the boys to make some hard decisions with their money.  

Here are some responses about the activity:  

I had 1000 dollars to spend. I bought fire wood no cost. Water 200. Food 150. luxury items radio 50. And education 400. I did education 400 because I could get a better job and get richer and richer and soon would be able to get all of the better items like maybe go on a vacation

 In the Global Mall I had 1,000 dollars to spend. I chose, Good healthy food, Indoor plumbing, Coal from a local market, Elementary Middle and High school, And Good medical care available 1 hour away. I chose these because I don't have to worry about getting food poisoning, parasites, and also will have an ok career. I didn't get any luxury items at the end because if I had I couldn't get plumbing.

In the global mall I had 200 dollars to spend. I bought rice and beans, untreated water collected from the village, firewood from a local forest, the crowded school for one hour per day, and then I had no more money to get anything else. I bought rice and beans because i think it is a pretty good way to sustain you and also because if I went any higher I would only have $50 left. I bought the untreated water from the village because it was the best water I could afford to buy and it isn't carried for 2 miles. I bought the fire wood from a local forest because it had no cost and it was affordable. And I bought the crowded school for an hour a day because it was all I could afford. 

The global marketing gave me $200 dollars. I spent my $200 dallors on: 1)rice beans once twice a day. $75. 2)heat/ fuel. $0. 3)untreated water. $75. 4)education. $50. And I had $0 dollars left. I thought it was hard choosing all the things I need.

I got 500 dollars to spend. First I would by the cheapest food so I don't have to spend a lot of money. Then I would trade for water and other liquid sources. After that I would chop up some fire wood for heat. I would by a sleeping bag and a cheap pillow so I could sleep. I would get a good education so when I get older i would get a higher chance of getting a better job. I would buy fuel and gasoline for the fire. Pay for a monthly check up for the doctor so I could stay healthy. Then buy a refrigerator to keep my food clean. And keep a water filter to keep me from getting sick. Etc... 

Day 3:  Unfortunately I wasn't here this day. The boys began class with a global stats workout as a warm up.  The boys are used to warm ups that don't have much life relevance or real life problems so they found it interesting to work with real numbers.  I had assigned the boys each a geograpic area to investigate following the warm up.  I gave them a worksheet that allowed them to gather similar stats.  I encouraged them to choose places that they were not familiar with, but again I wasn't here and many of them chose 1st and 2nd world countries. 

Day 4:  I placed the information they gathered into a spreadsheet and we discussed our findings.  The boys realized that with few exceptions all the statisictis were similar. I then passed out a card to each boy with a country on it from the following list.   I sent the boys back to invesigate these countries.  They were astounded at what they discovered.  This led to a conversation about gathering statistics, sample size, and outliers. It also gave us real life stats to consider graphing. 

Day 5: I recognized that it was going to be hard for the boys to graph the information we gathered appropriately.  I wanted to teach them how to use graphs and tables, but I also wanted it to be age and technologically appropriate.  So using this website, I created the following worksheet.  The boys had to choose which kind of graph would be most appropriate for each of the data sets, give titles and labels and were given one of them to graph by hand.  Lastly, the boys created them using the internet site create a graph for kids.   Here are some of their graphs:)  

Day 6 & Day 7  The boys watched "Living On One"'s Video Blog. Amazing.  I will share more about this in a later blog as move forward next week.  

Upcoming Activities: A reading of Beatrice's Goat with First Grade Buddies and a Service Project Pi Day!  Watch out:)  

We No Longer WONDER if Matt Flannery Prefers Madden or FIFA... But We Do WONDER...

My 6th grade boys had the amazing opportunity to visit Kiva.org this morning and it was a blast. We arrived just after 9:30 am and we started with a tour of the facilities.  After the tour, we grabbed seats in the middle of the office, listened, chatted, and asked questions.  

Halfway through the presentations, and a few "I spy with my little eye a CEO in the building", Matt Flannery came over to say hello to the boys.  They were pumped.  He grabbed a slap band from Nicolas, joked about Kapernick and the 49ers through a few pictures, and joined us for the next round of presentations.  

The boys loved visiting the Kiva offices and they enjoyed all of the presentations.  From engineer, to media, marketing and kiva zip, the trip truly offered something for everyone.  And in the end, when everyone in the Kiva office joined us to watch OUR video, the boys were amazed!  While some of them thought it was slightly awkard and embarrasing, it truly gave them the positive feedback that what they were doing mattered.  

Unfortunately, we had to leave...  and while we no longer wonder if Matt Flannery would rather play Madden or FIFA, (the answer is apparently Madden) the boys do wonder the following.  Will they ever get an answer?  Who knows...but it's always good to WONDER.  In the words of Socrates, "Wonder is the Beginning of Wisdom".  

I WONDER...

Why would you want to start a non for profit?

What are the most challenging things when starting a business?  

If I could ask one thing it would be why was so much money spent on the design of the building (which is very cool) when that money could probably have been used in better ways like raising salaries for employees or hiring more experienced web designers?

What was some of the biggest challenges you have met while working at kiva?

Does an update come to you when someone lends?

You make 70% of all your money from donations made to Kiva. How is the other 30% made?

How many voulenteers do you have?

Does Matt Flannery have an android?  

What was a big barrier for Kiva, and what was something that went really easy?

Were there ever times when kiva was not succeeding, and you felt so down that you just wanted to stop?

How many people use Kiva a day and what drove you to create Kiva?

What was your biggest challenge and how did you solve it?

Do you feel good in knowing that you are helping thousands of people get a better life?

How long does it take to start up a business like kiva and how do you do it?

How did the idea of kiva come to your mind?

When do you think that Kiva will be able to get into the harder countries (Russia, China)?

Let the games begin...EDUCATE OTHERS... reaching the public audience.

Focus:  Essential Element of Project Based Learning-Public Audience

One of the essential elements of PBL is finding an appropriate public audience to share your project with.  I have encouraged the boys to contact our entire community to share their experiences from the last few months and we spent the last two weeks gathering clips and filming. Take a minute, or 7 1/2, to watch it here.  

In addition, the boys are busy making appointments to visit the lower school classrooms. The goal is to share their knowledge of micro finacing, belief and understanding of the mission of Kiva.org and to promote sales.  I had the opportunity to witness two of my boys speak to the 4th graders this week and I was amazed by their knowledge, communication skills, knowledge and poise.  The 4th grade teacher asked me how I had prepped them, and I informed her I hadn't.  AMAZING is the only word to desribe it.  They ROCKED!

Upcoming Events:  

We are heading to Kiva.org in 10 days to learn more about the organization and tour the office.  We are stoked to learn about what goes on behind the scenes and to meet the dedicated employees.  Maybe even more exciting is that they want to hear what WE are up to! They are excited to view our video and ask questions of us.  

Watching the Boys Transform and Grow I Have Witnessed the Following:  

September:  6th Grader

October: Business Partner

January: Educator

Rising to as we speak: Global Citizen

Business Development/Reports:  

The groups have moved on to round two of purchasing and sales.  Some groups have upgraded products, others have shifted and changed styles.  But all in all, each group has made progress as they learn to balance opinions, feelings, and frustrations all in the name of making money to loan to others around the world.  Many of the groups have paid back 50% of their loans at this point and they 4 of the 6 groups have successfully made loans through Kiva.Org.  Feel free to check out their blogs here.  

We welcome Augustin (Phillipines), Teddy (Uganda), Sumini (Uganda) and Sikuzani (Kenya) to our community.  We wish you the best of luck with your business plans!  Check out all of Town School's loans here.  

Portfolio Stats as of January 30th

Follow me and my rockstar boys @gogogoggin

Goodbye to 2012 and Hello to 2013

The boys finished the year strong.  The garage was CRAZY with sales and the 5th graders continued to work on commercials for local non profit organizations that appealed to them after learning a little about poverty in our country.  I finished the year grateful for the students I work with, the colleagues who support me day in and day out and a school that appreciates and encourages project based learning.

6th Grade

In summary, the 6th grade boys sold almost every product they had.  While we have 4 frisbees and 1 rally rag still awaiting a home, we are sure they will go quickly when sales resume during "round 2".   The sale of these goods will eventually be used to loan to people all over the world on Kiva.org.  Each group is currently considering buying more product and expanding their business so the impact will be larger in the months to come.  

The Facts:  

6th grade boys brought in $747 from Sales.

By "paying" for advertising and operating costs here at school, we have secured $28.44 as a donation to kiva's operating cost.  

All in all if we closed up shop today that would give us $385.56 to lend to people all over the world.  

5th Grade

At the end of 2012 I wrote about the 5th graders journey through minimum wage and poverty. While we are still awaiting a petition, and some of the commercials, I am pleased to share the following commercials created by some of our Town School 5th graders.  They discovered local non profits that help children and families struggling to make ends meet and created wonderful commercials.  After a week or two of more traditional math, we will revisit our thoughts on these non profits and try and think of ways which we can contribute to the greater good of our community.  Enjoy!

Food Runners

SF Food Bank

Project Night Night

Glide Memorial Church

Kiva Marketplace Opens! Sales, Sales, Sales...

Wow!  The energy was unbelievable.  Even before I could get the classroom ready for sales students from the upperschool were crowding at the door of the garage with money in hand. Money that would allow the 6th graders to pay back portions of their loans and lend to people all over the world through Kiva.org.  

And once they entered the boys turned out to be good customers as well.  Due to good advertising, thoughtful product selections and excellent customer service I am proud to report the Day 1 financial update!  

Day 1 Financial Update

Town Style- $46

Frisbees for Freedom-$10.50

Watches for Wonder- $68

Big Time Bouncy Balls-$89.50 SOLD OUT!!

 TOTAL- $214

We look forward to lending through KIVA.ORG as soon as possible!!!

Check out the uncut excitement here...

The Holiday Season Isn't The Only Reason To Rush To The Mailbox-Products Arriving

It's been an exciting few weeks.  While I haven't been blogging about 6th grade Micro Lending, a lot of great things have been occuring in the garage during 6th grade classes. Most exciting is the arrival of product and this week's upcoming sales.  Kiva Market will be open and their is a buzz in the air.  I was excited to overhear a 7th grade Field Partner say, "buy a bouncy ball-I am their field partner".  The two grade levels coming together continues to amaze me.  

So, what's next? The boys are busy tying up lose ends.  They have created and updated operating spreadsheets for their finances,  put together lender portfolios, made and hung advertisements, created and updated blogs and sent thank you notes to their lenders. Things are moving and I am excited to see them handle the cash, work on customer service skills and stay up to date.  While only 4 out of 6 products are here the garage will be open for business in just 12 hours.  I can't wait.  

As the boys prepare to sell product, the consider what products they might buy themselves.  I think that the only thing they are bummed about in terms of the project is the $5 limit I have placed on purchasing.  We can't buy all of our items, that would be too easy:)  Being a borrower isn't always easy.  

Watch the excitement as product arrives here!  

Follow me @gogogoggin

It's not a livable life? Brains are burning... minds are turning... what's next no one knows.

At the start of the project, the boys voted on whether or not they thought the minimum wage in our country was enough to live on.  If it allowed people to live with dignity and have their needs met.  I didn't know whether the boys understood what that really meant.  The line between homelessness, non workers, working poor and families "getting by" seemed a little fuzzy.  The boys grappled with this question and simply took a guess.  

At the time, the vote was split nearly 50/50.  Yes:  11  No:  9.  

Today, 8 classes later... Yes: 0   No:  22.  

What happened?  

After running numbers on the local and national minimum wage, the boys decided to run the numbers on a place of their choice.  In the approximately 20 places that the boys investigated, the total debt acrued was nearly $38,000 for a family of 4.  And they realized that even with food stamps most families, nationally, would have to live off about $12 a day for food.  That's about $3 a person.  The numbers keep on crunching... stay tuned for more.  

Aside from running numbers, we had some unbelievable conversations and comments in person and on edmodo.  

Some of my favorite comments and conversations thus far:  

Why can people sleep outside a store on black friday or for an apple product release but not just because they have nowhere else to go?  

 Taking the taco bell sauce home with you because you like it is a little different than taking the crackers from soup shop home with you because you need them for dinner.  

I noticed the couple in 30 days on Minimum Wage got into fights over giving things to the kids.  

I didn't realize how much money it is to go to an emergency room.

Living on minimum wage is hard and stressful.  

The guy from Super Size me has only 5 days left, but a lot of people have to do this their whole life.  

I used to think that people on minimum wage could live a good life, buy houses, etc... now I think people on minimum wage struggle to make ends meet.    

In the words of Tom Petty, " It's time to move on, time to get going.  What lies ahead I have no way of knowing".

The project itself has taken a lot longer than I thought to get where we are today. But I recognize that any time you run a PBL for the first time their is a chance of that.  I know that the boys are still intrigued by the concept and I can't wait to hear what they hope to do next.  I am leaning towards investigating local charities, using change.org to get a Town School for Boys awareness petition in place, and thinking about a new years service learning project.  But it's their project, their choice... I am just coaching them to see a side of something they might not see otherwise.  

Follow me @gogogggin I might just give my twitter account to a 5th grader to voice his thought next week for a day or two:) 

It's A Livable Life? 5th Graders Discover Minimum Wage and the Working Poor

The past few days have been exciting in my 5th grade classes.  I continue to wonder how two sets of 10-12 kids, that spend so much time together on a daily basis, can process the same material so differnently in the classroom.  During my first two days of IT'S A LIVABLE LIFE, I discovered how different the conversations would go and I began to wonder where this project would take us.  

Welcome to my third driving question of the week:  How do we as future working citizens/permanent residents, ensure that there is a livable wage in our country?

This project was adapting during my 3 days at PBL World in Napa this summer.  Although if seeing 6:30 pm on Friday on Jackson is any indication, I am not sure 3 days was enough!  

Day 1:  Students Participate in Simulation Activity on "House Building" and choose amenities for their house accordingly.  Boys were given different "living" situations in the classroom as well as different supplies to draw their homes.  The actual drawing of the home really has nothing to do with it.  It's the emotion created when the boys start realizing the various levels of supplies and amenities that each group has.  So while the boys continue to wonder when they can finish their house and I continue to wonder when to find the time, I realize that the simulation did EXACTLY what I was looking for it to do.  

Within the simulation we discovered that the wealthiest groups had a lot of supplies and amenities that they just didn't need.  After awhile they discovered the possibility of giving to others.  The poorest of the groups felt wronged by the experience.  They grew bitter as they looked at the other groups around them and in one class they actually began to steal supplies.  This group ended up losing the stolen supplies and a given amenity to pay off their fine for stealing.  The group just above the poorest felt like life was really hard but began appreciating what they did have when they watch the poorest of the groups struggle.  The middle class group actually worked the hardest in the class during the activity.  They were the most focused on the task and paid little attention to the others positively or negatively.  

My Brainstorm of Words for this day:  Giving, stealing, decision making, arrogant, annoyed, sad, frustrated, bitter, jealous.  

Day 2:  The boys debriefed the simulation and looked ahead to what was next.  I offered the boys Situation Cards for their experience the day before. In all buy one case the boys situation had turned for the worse.  In one class the the wealthiest group was dealing with a natural disaster and they realized they had forgotten to chose insurance for their home.  This was the case in another group as well. The boys began to think about what was more important, an extra tv or insurance for the future.  Not one of the groups had chosen to save amenities and so each group lost except one.  One of the more interesting conversations we had to have was when the second wealthiest group got ahead of the wealthiest due to their positive card and the wealthiest groups loss of work.  They cheered.  While I realize it was the "game" of the simulation that they cheered for, we had to debrief why your neighbors job loss does't really have a positive effect on your wellbeing.  And in fact, for the poorest, that might mean less giving to charities that could help them.  This also led to a discussion on who works minimum wage jobs.

Day 3:  Today I introduced the driving question and the boys brainstormed things they felt they needed to know or wondered about.  They contributed helpful sites on Edmodo and brainstormed. It was surprising to hear them consider maximum wages and same wages for all, interesting to hear them discuss why minimum wage exists, who makes it, and why it is different in other states.  All in all, I am exicted about where this is going.  They started to question the global look at minimum wage as well, which was intriguing.  But we are going to look at that in January:)  

Stayed tuned for pics and videos... they will come:)  

Day 4: Computations-It is Math Class! 

Sucker for Punishment-Sucker for PBL! (Welcome 7th Grade)

3 Grade Levels-3 PBL's-What Was I Thinking???

For those of you that read my posts, you may have been wondering if PBL occurs in my two other classes. Well, they do.  And currently, they do all at the same time. I got home on Monday night exhausted from my day of PBL'ing. 5 classes, 3 three driving questions.  

Last Friday, I launched a PBL project with my 7th graders. 

As you prepare to interview for the position of school caterer at an all boys boarding school, how would you make your student’s happy and healthy on a daily basis?  

I created this driving question to assist the boys from last years 7th grade class to see that creating a kid friendly, healthy meal is harder than they think. This year's groups are up and running and they are coming up with some great stuff.  We spent Friday and Monday investigating our need to knows and coming together to discuss the components of our diet that would be important to consider.  

On Tuesday, the boys had a chance to announce their catering company and make their first introduction via Edmodo.  They have been told that it is important to be professional and that their introduction on Edmodo would be shared with the entire "hiring" committee.

The 5 groups names are:  

Gunner and Henri are S&C Catering Company (Sharing and Caring).  Our logo is two hands reaching out to eachother meaning that we are sharing our resources with kids and caring for the needs of their daily lives.  

Caleb and Kif have started a company called Strawberry Tree. We believe that we should serve healthy but delicious food.  We will also serve a vegetarian option for every meal.  There will also be slips of paper to say whether you like the meal or not after you eat the new stuff.

We are a delicious catering company that takes pride in creating the perfect balance between fat, protein, sodium, carbs and fibers. Our food is the highest quality and every ounce of our effort goes into making a tasty but healthy meal.  -Duncan and Jack

Hello. My name is Kevin and I work with Westley.  We are professional chefs.  We have a company called Kitten Food Catering, or KFC.  We make great food for kids that is healthy but also delicious.  We believe that food should be natural and hearty to provide nutriotion for hte active lives children.  Kitten Food Catering maintains the highest quality of food of all competitors.  Our food has great taste, best quality, and supreme nutrition.  When choosing a catering company for your school, KFC is your best choice. 

The boys are working hard and getting it done. I am excited to see their creativity, ability to estimate,calculate percents and in time I may throw another wrench in it too!  They are working on presenting themselves in a professional manner both in their oral and written work. Life skills and math skills working together.  

The Lessons You Can't Plan That Make the Most Sense

As the 6A boys wandered in to class today they had energy about them that just couldn't be ignored.  One of the groups was fully funded, another was at 58% and the last 41%.  I could sense a range of emotion from these 12 boys.

Excitement. Anxiousness. Confusion. Curiousity. Nervousness. Frustration. Competitiveness... and MORE!  

Much earlier than last year, I sensed my first lesson of empathy was a success. The boys tried to get me to change the rules on the lending process to allow for student loans and/or parent loans... They complained that the numbers weren't fair.  They questioned how come they weren't fully funded as their loan amount wasn't that much money at all.  And they argued with me on why getting a loan on kiva.org would be easier than getting a loan at Town.  Opportunity presented itself.  I sat back, listened, processed and began to think fast and furiously.  This could be a BIG moment.

For those that wonder how I am teaching Standards Math through Kiva.org, I was about to have my first Ratio/Proportion lesson with the boys, without a lesson plan.  Double Period Appreciaton!  

With the help of the boys we discovered that...

Town Style's Loan that is 100% funded by faculty/staff might look like this on Kiva:  

21 loans at Town School made up for $38 which means that average loan was $1.80.  

If we use $25 (smallest amount able to be lent throught kiva.org) to desribe that $1.80 loan, using proportions we discovered...

$1.80/$38 = $25/$527.  So Town School Style is actually looking for the equivalent of $527.  

So, Why would the group looking for $75 be frustrated and wondering if they should review their business plan for a smaller loan?  Because they are looking for the equivalent of nearly $1000??

More Math, 'Cause it's everywhere...LET THE STATS PROVE IT!

Kiva works with 169 Field Partners. That 169 Field Partners for 919,123 Borrowers.  We thought about our own personal attention at 6 Field Partners for 6 Loans.  Or 10 Field Partner Workers for 21 Boys. 

We analyzed stats on Kiva to discover that in fact the ratio of approximately 70 teachers to 6 loans was much better than on kiva.org where it was approximately 1,300,000 users to 500,000 loans.  70 to 6? or 13 to 5?  

We talked about whether or not our community was too small for our loans using proportions, ratios and statistics from our lending community and from kiva.org.  

We discovered that our community statistics were likely not unfair at all and I encouraged them to think about the 30 days that kiva allows users to be online. Will time and exposure make a difference? 

While we worked through some of these ratios and proportions I began dreaming up our next full project day and the work I had ahead.  Stay tuned for the worksheet that has them analyzing their lenders, average loans, daily loan graph, Average loan as it compares on Kiva, how the loan compares globally etc...percents, ratios, proportions!  It will be out this week!

Reflections from some of the boys on Edmodo.

I feel proud and satisfied with being the first group to be fully funded. My opinion has changed immensely since I first started the kiva project, I can sympathize a lot with all they people in need on kiva. I hope that our product of sunglasses will help support many people on kiva.

I feel a bit behind and nervous, because we have one of the largest loans, if not the biggest if we don't change our loan to 55 from 75. This has changed my thinking of how I view borrowers on Kiva. I now know how frustrating it can be to not have all the money or to be behind on what we thought we would be at.

I now realize how frustrating it must be for borrowers, because we aren't fully funded, even when we know the lenders. Lending 25$ to a stranger is even harder, which makes the chances of getting loans even less likely. I am decently happy, but we should have more money right now.

 I feel ok, considering that right now we are trying to lower our loan request. I now realize how borrowers on Kiva feel when they haven't received the money that they've requested.

I feel a little worried that we aren't as funded but also the loans are still coming. Also it seemed easy to get funded on kiva but I don't think that anymore it is a lot harder to get bigger loans lenders don't seem as keen to lending to people with bigger loans.

 It feels really good and I feel really prepared to be fully-funded. I feel so relieved once we don't need to wait any longer for loans and how anxious it must be for a borrower on Kiva. 

I feel behind but feel confident that we could be fully funded by the end of the week or by Wednesday next week. I am now greatful though for how much money and field partners we have compared to Kiva Borrowers.

 I fell like I am ahead of the groups and can get started. But at the same time I know that you don't have all of the money so far. It has not really changed but I now that if I were a borrower on kiva then i would be so exited and happy.

 I am quite excited at the rate of how fast we are being funded, and i am anxious to get fully funded and start building our business. Also I am really interested to see who else loans to my group and how much they loan. After reflecting on it, I now am grateful that I am not asking for as much money as $450-$1000+. I think that because it would be so much more easily repaid. In closing, it has made me ponder on how lucky we are to be in a controlled, safe enviroment.

Not being fully funded some what makes me frustrated. It makes me think about how the people on kiva must feel when their lives rely on the loans they receive. I'm also exited that we are getting very close in the span of only one week. It is good that we are only asking forg 75 dollars and not 750 dollars.

I feel really good being fully funded, I was a little worried that it would take long time but since our loan wasn't a lot of money we got it fairly quickly. I now think that we were all like borrowers and we all had different scenarios. People with less money only needed a few lenders but if you looking for a lot of money It may be harder to be fully funded. It is a lot easier to become fully funded in our community than in the kiva community. I very excited get our business up and running.

What's the Plan, Young Man?

When I thought about the second launch of this program over the summer, I was nervous.   I asked myself, "Could the same energy exist during year two as it did in year one?"  I continued to wonder as I consulted with others, and in the end realized that it was an opportunity to be less "off the hip" and more "in the know".  I realized that I could be more deliberate in my decisions and I could use more creativity in my lessons. I could anticipate more of what was to come and while these boys could never be my first group of entrepreneuars, they could make the rides as exciting.  

With the help of Kiva Council, I created a business plan worksheet that would help the boys think through important 

questions.  The plan made them thing through ideas, collaborate with eachother and come to decisions that would likely enable them to be successful in the months to come.   

What I couldn't anticipate?  Take a look at these plans!

Bouncy Balls:

Frisbee's:

Town Spirit:

Watch Pens:

Town Style:

Slap Bands