New Frontiers in Learning

WEEK 1

We had a great first week to our third session of Summer in the City 2014! The students are making new friends and supporting each other as they work on time management, money management, reading and writing comprehension, executive functioning development, social skills and more!

On Monday, we began with introductions, ice breaker games, set our group expectations, reviewed the calendar of all our trips, and discussed what skill building areas we will be working on. In the afternoon, the group visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art and had an absolute blast!

On Tuesday morning, the group visited The Central Park Zoo and in the afternoon watched a video on the habitats of various wild animals. We had a group discussion and dialogue about our experience at the zoo and the pros and cons of zoos in general. Students presented their current events to the group, sharing their interests while working on public speaking skills.

The group visited The Paley Center for Media on Wednesday, where students were given the opportunity to explore the center’s library of media files on TV and radio dating back to the turn of the century. Each student completed a worksheet on what they watched and what they learned, which they presented on Thursday to the group. In the afternoon skill building session, we reviewed stress management reviewed and discussed executive functioning areas that the students want to develop. The group also read "The Interlopers," to work on predication skills, listening and reading comprehension. Finally, students discussed the story, interpreted key events, and reflected on the many life lessons it taught.

Thursday, students had the opportunity to explore the Museum of the Moving Image. Students favored the artwork of Chuck Jones, but experienced and commented on many other exhibits as well.

On Friday, students crafted a creative writing prompt and the group shared short stories. Students worked on writing skills, brainstorming, idea sharing and reading aloud - all crucial elements of public speaking and professional communication. We then enjoyed a group lunch of pizza and soda together. In the afternoon, we watched the leadership movie, " Field of Dreams". This movie will be used for writing prompts and exploration next week.