Here’s a look at what Ethan was up to this past week.
We have been asking Ethan to spend more time answering the questions and reviewing the information and websites sent by Natasha, Ethan’s SelfDesign Learning Consultant.
We greatly appreciate the material she sends us because it helps expand Ethan’s exposure to different learning resources. Everything she sent was related to things that Ethan enjoys learning about, which has helped him become even more engaged in his learning.
Ethan has also taken a strong interest in Diep.io, the online game with the tanks. He made a flowchart about each of the tanks in the game to visualize how to get specific tanks that he likes.
We also attended a physics event introduced to us by Natasha and he really enjoyed it. He mentioned that he wished it was hands-on and that he was already familiar with what they taught. However, he still had a great time, especially since he was there with friends. We’ll likely go every year from now on.
Ethan is very much into physics these days. He has been learning about oscillations and mechanical waves from Khan Academy. He found the lessons about sound waves particularly fascinating because of how they interact with each other.
For example, he learned a formula to calculate beat frequency and was able to input different numbers to demonstrate how the formula works.
He was inspired to write his own code in Python to calculate wavelengths.
In math, he’s been learning about polynomials and likes it because he can graph the results. He really enjoys creating a visual representation of things that he has learned.
He has been reading articles from the NASA website and writing about the topics he most enjoys. He has also made videos that he published today on his YouTube channel and we’ll include them in next week’s blog post.
When he had his symphony concert on the weekend, he really enjoyed it. The group only had three practices but were able to play fourteen of the Christmas classics. He enjoys practicing the violin at home, as well.
We have also started borrowing more books from the library. The topics span coding, science, fiction, math or just anything that he likes. He even got a drawing book. The reason for borrowing more books is because Ethan has been spending a lot of time on his laptop. We want him to have a better balance with offline learning activities, such as reading.
He’s not so much into the classic books we purchased for him. He doesn’t voluntarily read the classics, as he would rather read what interests him that he finds at the library.
He likes stories set in space, no surprise there, but he also likes Tom Gates and the Humphrey series of books. He is still into Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Waste of Space is another favourite that he not only reads, but he also listens to the audiobook. Audiobooks are available from the library as a digital download.
He enjoyed reading Holes by Louis Sachar and borrowed another one of Sachar’s books to read.
What he’s not so into is learning Spanish and learning about history. Although he works on the history timeline, he does it quickly to get it done. This is similar to learning Spanish with Duolingo.
We all went to Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia to finish the week. It was Ethan’s second time seeing it and he enjoyed it just as much this time, too. He didn’t catch any of the Spanish being spoken, though 🙂
December 8
December 9
December 10
December 11
From Mink, Ethan’s nature school teacher:
The day started with a fun round of Titanoboa, a collaborative tag game involving slaying of a giant prehistoric snake using only a few pine cones (poison dart frogs). Afterwards, we all sang a gratitude song together for circle, and Mink finished off the Badora story.
Mink’s group started out by playing a game of scout sword with Mikaela’s group. The object of the game is to pin clothes pins onto a blindfolded ninja, without getting hit by the pool noodle the ninja is swinging at anything hey can here. Afterwards, the ravens headed to a familiar spot where they had stashed some hemlock twigs in hopes that they would be dry for this weeks return to the fire challenge. The fire challenge proves to be just as difficult this week as last week, partially because the stashed hemlock twigs did not stay dry at all! Fortunately the Ravens had enough time to come through in the end, although they did end up having to use a lighter. The Pitch of a nearby Douglas Fir proved indispensable in lighting the fire. The teamwork exemplified by the group in this challenge was very impressive, and everyone got to celebrate by enjoying a hot beverage together at the end!
December 12
December 13
December 14
Thank you so much for writing up this summary for the week. It helps to have your ideas and reflections all in one place as opposed to me inferring from a caption on a photo. The photos are great, don’t get me wrong it’s just nice to have the week summarized like this once in a while, it helps me see the larger picture and make some connections as well.
I am so glad Ethan enjoys the links and resources I offer. It is challenging to source them because I have to stretch into areas such as higher level math, physics and space which are all not my immediate my areas of interest and very far from areas of expertise. Thank you for the challenge, I am learning a lot from Ethan.
I am happy to hear he went to the physics event with his friends. I am not surprised that he was familiar with the content. He is way above grade level after all. I guess this is an example of what might happen at NASA space camp and something to consider.
I appreciate that he was hoping for more hands-on experience, but I guess you can explain that this was a lecture and presentation type event for a large group of people.
It would be interesting to hear what Ideas Ethan has for making the event or topic shared more hands on, maybe he has some worthwhile input and feedback for the event.
Perhaps he would like to get involved with it somehow in the years to come. It could be an opportunity for him to start making connections and building relationships with university students or professors of physics at UBC. He also might develop some new organization, event planning and leadership abilities.
Writing his own code to calculate wavelengths is such an advanced synthesis of his recent learning about waves and frequencies. He is really applying his new knowledge in creative and innovative ways.
Wow 14 Christmas classics performed after only 3 practices, way to go Ethan! I don’t doubt that he practices at home.
One of my favorites is Silent Night, so calming and peaceful.
I think it is fine for him to pass on the classics for a bit and read what interests him at the library. Perhaps he could pick one or two classics every few months which he reads. Or listen to a classic on an audiobook.
If Ethan is not as inspired by Spanish or Duolingo, switch it up. Have him do a country study on a country of his choosing where they speak Spanish, or go out to a Mexican meal and look at the menu for Spanish words he could learn.
Or make a Mexican or South American meal at home.
He could learn about the Las Posadas holiday which is celebrated at Christmas time in Mexico.
https://library.sdlc.selfdesign.org/content-collection/las-posadas/
If this is of interest to Ethan check out winter holidays around the world:
December is a month full of holidays that celebrate light in the darkness, family, togetherness, unity, and peace. Here are a few winter holidays that are celebrated throughout the world:
- Saint Nicholas Day (Christian)
- Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican)
- St. Lucia Day (Swedish)
- Hanukkah (Jewish)
- Yule (Pagan)
- Winter Solstice (secular)
- Christmas Day (Christian)
- Three Kings Day/Epiphany (Christian)
- Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish)
- Kwanzaa (African American)
- Omisoka (Japanese)
It is totally acceptable for the second language learning to be more of a cultural experience.
I have some thoughts about his reluctance to do history. He might be bored of the timeline project and seeing history as a series of events in linear time sequence.
I am going to direct you to the BC Ministry grade 6 social studies curriculum.
It is actually not focused on a series of events at all but how complex social interact and influence each other. I suggest you click on the link below and explore the content with Ethan. See what he thinks, what he wonders about and how you could begin to explore the big ideas….I am curious to see what this ignites in him. I am actually surprised how advanced the subject matter is and the critical thinking skills involved.
Social studies Grade 6: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/social-studies/6
Big Ideas:
-Economic self-interest can be a significant cause of conflict among peoples and governments.
-Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.
-Systems of government vary in their respect for human rights and freedoms.
-Media sources can both positively and negatively affect our understanding of important events and issues.
Lastly I hope you have a fantastic holiday season together.
Happy Holidays,
Natasha in Nelson BC
https://www.youtube.com/embed/79ArflFunZk?feature=oembed&rel=0&wmode=transparent
hey Natasha!
how are you?
I’m fine, thank you.
here are the answers to week 15:
Are you using the [probability of getting exploded by an exploding kittnen] wheel as you play?
well, not really, but I did play with the wheel once, by myself. not with anybody else though ;).
Are there other games you would use this strategy for?
hmm, I haven’t thought about that. maybe for scrabble, with the chance of getting a certain letter, or monopoly, the chance of landing on a property that somebody else owns…
I am curious to hear about what you learned in this process [of making this computer for hexapawn]?
erm… well, I learned a lot about how machines learn with trial and error! like deep blue, the computer that won against Lee Sedal! not sure if that’s how to spell the name though. Lee is the board game Go champion.
[making and listing every kind of thing in spaceeee] seems like quite a daunting task.
How are you approaching it?
well, I am starting to try by naming the stars and planets. and those stars break up into main sequence stars and giant stars. which break up even further into brown dwarves, red dwarves, orange dwarves, and yellow dwarves.
and those are just about 83% of all the stars. then there are supernovae, black holes, pulsars, galaxies, spiral, irregular, dwarf, nebulae, the list goes on and on. so, I am just putting all these categories into a group, and then, there are about 100 things to sort. what a long answer! 🙂
Have you ever been on a seesaw?
yes, and I loved it! normally there aren’t any seesaws at the school but on the road trip across Canada, there were some!
PS, I really liked the artificial intelligence website you sent me! that’s because the machines you can make with AI are really interesting and they can be used everywhere, like vacuums(Roombas), cars(self-driving), and even chalkboard erasers! (okay, I made that last one up.)
PPS, can you tell me your home address please, because we want to send you something 😉
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