2nd grade field trip - Finch Greenhouse at WMU

The 2nd grade classes embarked on an exciting adventure to Western Michigan University last week! Their destination was the Finch Greenhouse. It was a full morning of exploration as they toured the greenhouse, discussed what they saw, and had many of the concepts of our Magnet curriculum reinforced with hands-on learning. Watch part 1 of this exciting field trip!

2nd Grade to WMU Finch Greenhouse Part 1 from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

The Earth Olympics Have Begun!

At 8:30 AM today, the Earth Olympics at Edison Environmental Science Academy officially launched! We will be tweeting the events as often as possible at http://twitter.com/edisonesa and posting pictures and videos to this blog. Here's a video of the opening ceremony!

Earth Olympics Opening Ceremony from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

Edison and El Sol - Partners for Living History

Thanks to the International Media Exchange in Kalamazoo, Michigan, students from Edison Environmental Science Academy and El Sol Elementary are working together to create videos of the Latino community in Kalamazoo. These videos will present historical accounts from real people in Spanish to help preserve their stories for generations.

The partnership is off to a great start with the Edison VJ's (video journalists) in 5th grade working with 5th grade students at El Sol. They are learning how to ask good interview questions, how to conduct an interview, and even getting interviewed themselves!

The end result will be a series of videos to be posted on the web and broadcast on the Public Media Network on local cable television. Here is a quick video showing one of the sessions where students from both schools worked together on this wonderful and promising project.

Preparations from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

Cleaning Up the Courtyard

It's Spring and time to cleanup the Edison Courtyard!

Cleaning Up the Courtyard from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

Vote for your favorite in the Edison Digital Film Fest

The Edison Digital Film Festival was unveiled at Literacy Night in February. Many people enjoyed the wonderful short films created by students at Edison Environmental Science Academy and were told that yes, they would be able to view them online. Today we are excited to tell you that they are here for your viewing AND voting!

The films that were submitted can be viewed in our Vimeo channel.

To vote for your favorite, head over to twtpoll!

An interview with our secretary

Carmela is one of our 5th grade student Video Journalists (VJ). She had some extra time after school on a half-day to practice her video shooting skills and was able to interview Mrs. Stoeffler, our school secretary. Watch and learn what she does!

Interview with School Secretary from Anthony Gettig on Vimeo.

3rd Grade Store

Part of the third grade curriculum has students creating marketing materials to sell school supplies to second graders. They give their prospective customers the choice between normal and eco-friendly products. This video shows what happened at the second attempt to sell eco-friendly items to second grade students.

3rd Grade Store Project from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

Kindergarten Trip to the Garden

Kindergarten classes recently visited the garden at Pretty Lake. Here's a video that shows what they did!

Kindergarten Visits the Garden from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

Teachers Learning How To Make Videos

One of the things we have integrated into our blog, curriculum, and culture at Edison is the power of video. What used to cost multiple tens of thousands of dollars can now be created with easily accessible laptops, hand-held cameras, and a vision.

August 18-20, 2009, we had the wonderful opportunity to have video journalism training with an expert in the field. Robb Montgomery of Visual Editors provided three days of training to many of our staff. This video provides an overview of the training and the kind of rich media you can expect to see from our teachers and students as we continue to Make A Difference!

Classroom Video Journalism from Anthony Gettig on Vimeo.

Garden Camp 2009 Day 1

Garden Camp 2009 kicked off today with a fantastic time at the farm! We are at Pretty Lake this summer and looking forward to learning and fun.

On this first day, we took a tour of the areas we will be spending time in and did a little bit of work. Some planted in the garden while others painted crates for the chickens to lay eggs in. We also took time out to "chillax" and read in peace and quiet. We also had a wonderful lesson called "Rooting for the roots" where we found plants with big roots, brought them back to the classroom, and took scientific measurements with rulers and magnifying glasses.

Like last year, we will be posting pictures, videos, and written updates from Garden Camp. We also have some students shooting and editing video this year. Here is a video that was made by two 5th grade students and Mr. Gettig. Check back often to see more great happenings at Garden Camp 2009!

Garden Camp 2009 Day 1 from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

2nd Grade Planting Experiment - Week 1

Second grade students are addressing the question "How does economics affect what crops or livestock are produced?" in unit 4 of the new Magnet curriculum. Like all the wonderful teachers at Edison Environmental Science Academy, Mrs. McElroy is leading her students through the inquiry process to find answers to the questions the students created when discussing this.

This is the first video in a series as we track the progress of this exciting scientific inquiry by the amazing second grade students at Edison.

2nd Grade Planting - Week 1 from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

National Green Week Video - Accepted!

We are excited to share the great news that a video that Mr. Brinkman and his 3rd grade class made has been accepted for the National Green Week video competition. Here is a direct link to their site.

Congratulations to Mr. Brinkman's class!

Kindergarten Orientation

Kindergarten orientation was this week. What a great time we had! New students and their parents had the opportunity to visit the school, meet the Kindergarten teachers, and even take a ride on a school bus! Here is a short highlight video.

Kindergarten Orientation 2009 from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

3rd Grade Recycling

This video is a short update on a project in Mr. Brinkman's 3rd grade
classroom. The students have been learning about how devastating littering and inappropriate disposal of waste can affect our environment as well as our wallets. Here the students are picking up litter, sorting through it, and coming up with ideas for what to do with it.


3rd Grade Recyclers from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.

Bagels and Books 2009

Each year during Literacy Month, Kalamazoo Communities In Schools brings the Books and Bagels event to Edison Environmental Science Academy. Community leaders and volunteers take time to read with third grade students, share a bagel, and show they care. This video shows highlights of this year's event.

Books and Bagels 2009 from Edison Environmental Science Aca on Vimeo.