Adventures in After School Learning Blog

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The story continues as your junior CSI's delve deeper into the evidence found at the classroom crime scene. 

As usual, the fascinating Mrs. Johnson, a science teacher at Crooked Creek Middle, began her lesson with a story. Because the students had been trying to solve the mystery of who had broken Mrs. Johnson’s cookie jar, they knew her story would be another step toward understanding crime-solving techniques. All of the students leaned forward in their seats and gave Mrs. Johnson their full attention.

            “In 1888, all of Europe was gripped by the grisly murders committed by a mysterious man named Jack the Ripper. Investigators from Scotland Yard (the headquarters of British detectives) did their best to apprehend the criminal, but the terrible killer was never identified.

            At the turn of the century, the interest in solving crimes continued, and the flames of this interest were fanned by the ever increasing popularity of a series of stories about Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective who used his keen powers of observation to solve mysteries.

            But all investigative techniques were quite simple until about 1910, when a Frenchman named Edmond Locard approached the Lyons, France, police department and set up one of the world’s first forensic laboratories. Locard had an important theory.”

            Mrs. Johnson stopped for a moment and called on George, who had raised his hand.

            “We’re going to talk about Locard’s Principle, aren’t we, Mrs. Johnson.” It was more of a statement than a question.

            Mrs. Johnson was impressed. “You seem to have done your homework, George.”

            George flushed with genuine embarrassment, but he continued, “I guess you could say I’ve been investigating!”

            “What can you tell us about Monsieur Locard, George?”

            “Well, let me demonstrate.” George stood up, and as he did so, he nudged Jennifer, who was seated in front of him, and indicated that Jennifer should stand up. She did. “Locard believed that people who are in contact with each other—even casually—“(and here George shook hands with Jennifer quickly) “exchange something, some kind of evidence. It’s usually something we don’t even see, like skin cells, fibers, hair, or even germs. If I just brush past Jennifer, I might pick up some fibers from her sweater.”

            “And I might exchange some hairs from you!” said Jennifer to George. She sat back down in her seat, and so did George.

            “Exactement! Exactly!” laughed Mrs. Johnson. “Excuse my French!”

            “So that’s Locard’s Principle, Mrs. J.?” asked Mark. “What does that have to do with our mystery? I don’t think two people were involved in breaking your cookie jar!”

            “Maybe not, Mark. But Locard’s Principle isn’t only about people running into each other, it’s also about the contact between people and things.”       

            “So, you mean, whoever broke the cookie jar must have left something behind?” asked Jennifer.

            “Some evidence was collected,” Mrs. Johnson continued. “I put it in an envelope marked ‘crime scene fiber.’ Let’s try an experiment and see what we can learn from applying Locard’s Principle!”

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, February 15, 2012

In the module two of this version of the "Cookie Jar Mystery" students will begin to examine the evidence discovered at the crime scene discovered in module one.  The focus of this activity is analyzing the note left behind which is really two clues in one: the handwriting and the ink used to write the note.  As in the first module, the students are introduced to the module through a story:

In Mrs. Johnson’s science classroom, an awful crime has taken place: someone has broken her cookie jar! In an effort to solve the mystery of “whodunit,” Mrs. Johnson has decided to involve her students.

            “We’re not detectives,” began Ashley, shaking her ponytail doubtfully. “How can we solve the mystery?”

            “Well, this IS a science class,” said Mrs. Johnson. “We know how to do experiments. Investigating a crime is usually done by a team of technicians who’ve been trained in forensic science. Forensic science uses scientific tools and skills and experiments to solve crime-related puzzles.”

            “You know, just like they do on TV,” interjected Jack. “It’s just like CSI!”

            “You’re right, Jack. Forensic science is very popular right now, in television, books, and in movies. But it’s not entirely new! Some people think forensic science is new, but scientists have been using special techniques to solve crimes for hundreds of years.”

            “In our last class we examined the scene of the crime and took some statements from some of our suspects, but we weren’t able to determine who broke the cookie jar,” said Mark to his classmates. “What else can we do?”

            “Well, there was a note!” exclaimed Ashley. “That must be a clue!”

            Mrs. Johnson motioned for her students to take their seats. She crossed her arms in front of her and thought for a moment. “Ashley suggested that the note might be a clue, a kind of evidence. But evidence of what?”

            George, a normally quiet boy, spoke up. “Well, the note is evidence if it helps us figure out the truth.”

            “What do you think the note can tell us, George?” asked Mrs. Johnson.

            “Yeah,” said Mark. “It’s not like the criminal signed it!”      

             “If the paper was a special paper, too, like a certain color paper or graph paper, we might be able to connect it to a particular person.”

            “But this paper’s not special,” offered Jack glumly. “The note’s just on regular school paper, the same kind we all use.”

            “Well, maybe there’s something in the handwriting,” said George. “We don’t all write alike, so maybe we can figure out who the author is.”

            “Good, good thinking,” nodded Mrs. Johnson. “You’re on the right track. I’ve got two experiments for us today. First—as George suggested--we’ll tackle handwriting analysis. Then, we’ll use a special process called ink chromatography to see if we can match the ink on the paper to a particular pen.”

            Jack rubbed his hands together. “We’re hot on the criminal’s trail, Mrs. J!”

            Ms. Johnson laughed. “Let’s get started.”

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, February 08, 2012

The new version of the Cookie Jar Mystery targeted for smaller centers and in-school science programs will have a couple new features.  The biggest of which is engaging kids with a story throughout each module. This is designed to peak students' curiosity and build suspense as each activity moves them on step closer to solving the mystery.  

 Below is the part one of the story that kicks off  The Crime Scenario:        

            It was just after 9 a.m. when Mrs. Johnson, a popular science teacher at Crooked Creek Middle School, made her way to her 9:15 science class. She’d spent her first period of the day in the teachers’ lounge, correcting papers and drinking coffee.

            Outside the classroom door, she looked briefly at her watch, and shifted her clumsy armload of student folders and papers.  “The students will be here in ten minutes,” she muttered as she nudged at the partially open door. Strange, she thought to herself, the classroom door is usually closed. She located the light switch and flipped it on.

            “Oh-oh!” began the teacher. “This does not look good!”

            The broken glass scattered in front of her desk surprised Mrs. Johnson. Not only was the glass dangerous, she wondered immediately if anyone had been hurt. She set her pile of books down on a nearby student desk and approached the mess on the floor, careful not to touch anything. 

            Sadly, Mrs. Johnson recognized the broken glass as fragments from her famous cookie jar that was normally kept locked up in the storage cabinet. Scattered among the broken glass, Mrs. Johnson could see remnants of the two dozen chocolate chip cookies she’d brought in the day before. There were only a few cookies left; clearly someone (or something!) had been interrupted in the act of stealing the cookies, and had broken the cookie jar in the process.

            Who could have done such a thing?

            The school bell signaled that her next class was about to start. Within a minute, several students entered the science classroom. Immediately, they began to talk about the disarray. As they moved towards Mrs. Johnson’s desk, she cautioned them sternly: “Let’s not disturb anything here. Please, be careful!”

            “Mrs. Johnson, what happened? Did you knock your cookie jar off the desk?” asked Jack, one her brightest students.

            “No, I didn’t. But I can see why you might think so!” answered the teacher.

            Ashley, another student, let her backpack slip to the floor.  “Are you going to call the police?”           

            “She doesn’t just need the police,” interrupted Mark, a tall 8^th-grader with a keen sense of humor. “Mrs. Johnson needs a detective!”

            An idea suddenly popped into Ms. Johnson’s head. “You’re right, Mark! I do need a detective! Luckily, I’ve got a whole classroom full! I don’t know what happened here, but I bet we can figure that out! Quickly, everyone, get your notebooks and pens—be careful not to disturb our little ‘crime scene’ here—and let’s get to work!”

            “What are we going to do, Mrs. Johnson?” asked Ashley.

            Mrs. Johnson smiled. “We…” she began slowly, with a twinkle in her eye, “are going to solve The Cookie Jar Mystery!”

You can solve The Cookie Jar Mystery too! Join your classmates in the activities in Module 1.  As you begin to understand the processes of forensic science, you’ll find new clues and evidence to point you in the direction of the guilty party. Proceed to Activity 1 to start your investigation!

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Community Learning and Educational Resource Consultants Join Forces for After School

(Scotia, NY and Fresno, CA) Community Learning, interactive curriculum developer of the popular hands-on CSI-themed series Cookie Jar Mystery, and Educational Resource Consultants, evaluation specialists and software developer of the After School Manager are joining forces to bring after school leaders a powerful package designed to fortify program sustainability and enhance student participation.

The After School Manager software goes far beyond maintaining accurate after school attendance for schools and community centers by also managing multiple funding streams that are an absolute necessity for after school programs today. The Cookie Jar Mystery course has proven to excite kids about science by creating an authentic crime scenario students solve together. The intriguing nature and relevance of forensic science has proven to captivate over 7500 students who have completed the curriculum.

“We’re finding in this economic environment that clients must keep an eye on future funding streams,” said Dr. Steve Price, Founder of Educational Resource Consultants. “The key factor in pursuing future funding today is demonstrating your track record of success,” Price added. The After School Manager system serves more than 34,000 students in over 25 districts currently.

“We’re excited to bring this essential solution to our customers,” said Michael DeBritz, President of Community Learning LLC. Community Learning has customers in over 40 states using their curriculum kits. “Over the years I’ve seen many after school programs that are absolutely great for kids, but are unable to maintain funding.” This becomes problematic for parents and communities that have relied on after school safe havens and unique support environments for tutoring and academic enrichment.

“After funding, the next greatest challenge for program directors is staff,” said DeBritz. “Our curriculum is designed to engage kids and be easy to teach,” he added. Community Learning’s approach has been to make the learning relevant, fun and interactive because nothing beats hands-on learning in after-school.

Similar to the school day, after school programs are funded by their average daily attendance. After school sites can lose attendance and money if leaders are not continually looking at new programming that engages and interests kids.

A great feature of the web-based After School Manager software system is the ability to track individual program offerings by participation. This gives administrators of multiple sites a bird’s eye view of not only overall attendance, but attendance at the activity level.

“Sharing information about what works is critical after school,” stated Kathy Stanton, VP of Operations. “If program leaders see one site coordinator with outstanding participation for their music program, for instance, they want to encourage sharing what’s working with other staff.” This type of analysis is easily available in the “data dashboard” and simple report generating features standard in the After School Manager.

For after school sites that have solid attendance solutions in place, Educational Resource Consultants also offers a service called the After School Report Card which compares after school attendance data to the school performance data on standardized tests. This correlation can be viewed at the student, school or district level.

“This report has been invaluable to our clients both for their state reporting and future grants,” said Dr Price. He went on to say, “When writing a new grant application, painting a picture of what you’ll do is important, but having the data proving what you’ve accomplished is far more compelling!”

Community Learning and Educational Resource Consultants  will be co-marketing their respective products, with a combined webinar series and joint attendance at leading after school conferences. They are also collaborating on online staff development training modules and new curriculum programs focusing on career development and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

About Community Learning LLC
Community Learning is the developer of interactive curriculum kits, created around high interest, thematic topics that engage students in learning through hands-on activities and projects. Their learning topics are designed to immerse children in fun learning that’s experiential, relevant and fun. To find out more about Community Learning go to www.CommLearning.com.

About Educational Resources Consultants
ERC is an educational consulting firm specializing in program evaluation, software systems and data analysis that enable school districts, colleges, universities, and community-based organizations to enhance sustainability for educational programs. To find out more about ERC and the After School Manager go to www.ercdata.com.
 

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Have your students take a shot at a $30,000 scholarship in Google's Doodle contest, where students compete to create a logo based on "If I could travel in time, I'd visit…" theme. 

This could be great fun as an after school project that everyone could try. Here's the kicker the school would also benefit by receiving $50,000 technology grant!! 

 Take a look at the video below or click here to get all the details.  Good luck!

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Google Science Fair is back and from the looks of the world-class prizes at stake they've really taken it up a notch!

Take a look at this quick introductory video to learn more or click here to enter.

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Crowdfunding has picked up speed over the last couple of years with small businesses learning the finer points of promoting their projects and financial needs to large groups of people. 

So how can this trend benefit after school programs and other social enterprises?

The concept of getting buy-in from strangers to get behind a worthy project is closely tied to an individual’s social network.  How well a person can leverage their family and friends with the first wave of donations is critical.  Once a campaign picks up speed with friends telling their friends, others are likely to jump in and upward the dollars go!

Many programs have large numbers of former students and families who’ve greatly benefited from your services, which is a huge advantage. This is your social currency and built in fan base that would most likely help spread the word!

A little research may be well worth your time seeing how others have positioned their campaigns and how successful they were in reaching their goal.  Think about culminating events around one of your focus areas, such as bringing in a STEM related presenter or a visiting artist. 

Here are three projects I found with an after school angle that may provide inspiration:

• Think College Now After School Program
• After School Arts Program
• Children’s After School Music Program

With the large number of potential services to help your effort, it’s probably a good idea to narrow the field by beginning with sites such as Causes, Crowdrise, Network for Good, and FirstGiving.  Many of them have how-to articles and solid advice on planning a campaign.

Overall this is a interesting phenomenon worth exploring for after school programs.

Do you have a dream project that needs a financial jump start? This could be your big opportunity!

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, January 04, 2012

This is an very interesting project that could be a huge benefit to after school coordinators offering math tutoring. 

It's free, data driven and has been very successful helping kids around the world.

Take a look at this video for a concise overview...watch till the end and see a special appearance from Bill Gates.

-By Mike DeBritz on Thursday, December 29, 2011

Along the same lines as the new versions of the  “Cookie Jar Mystery” and “Missing Money Mystery” we’re developing a smaller version of “Playing with Percussion” to be released in March.

We’ve heard from a number of sites interested in introducing students to world music but in a shorter format.  Our new version will focus on eight core lessons that can be delivered sequentially or standalone. They include step-by-step instructions on instrument construction and playing techniques. But now sites will be able to purchase just the Instructor’s Guide and DVD with student activity sheets provided on CD (similar to photo).

This new kit will allow sites to involve more students by building the activities and supplies (we’ll provide the shopping list) around the targeted population of kids. Also, site leaders can utilize the kit to productively fill any gaps in their instructors' schedules.

In addition, bonus material will be included on the Resource CD with plans on how to make other interesting “found object” instruments from recycled materials. Once students understand the core rhythms they can apply these techniques to any of the newly built instruments. 

With all the emphasis on STEM this year these hands-on projects will help sites knock off another requirement that can categorized nicely under the “Science of Sound” heading. 

Have a Happy New Year!

-By Mike DeBritz on Wednesday, December 21, 2011

We’ve been hard at work developing new versions of the “Cookie Jar Mystery” and the “Missing Money Mystery” targeted for in-school use.

With most of our customers utilizing our kits for out-of-school learning, we wanted to include classroom teachers in on the fun! 

The main difference is that both mysteries will be modular, so if class time isn’t available to complete the entire mystery, teachers can do any module as a standalone.  Each module is packed with fun, hands-on activities and delivers valuable lessons that individually reinforce science concepts taught in class. 

On the practical side, the kits will be more lightweight and easier to use.  

Another exciting feature of these version of the “Cookie Jar Mystery” and the “Missing Money Mystery” is the mock trial is built in! 

Student crime scene investigators take steps all along the way to prepare for an eventual trial.  This really drives the learning home and provides teachers with an abundance of cross-curricular learning opportunities!

Look for more details to come in February.

Enjoy your break!