Learning tomorrow's skills for a changing world
Encryption, Decryption, and Matrices
Over the course of my 20 years teaching mathematics, matrices have been in and out of the Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus curriculum. I happen to love working with and teaching matrices, so I was happy to see them back in our Pre-Calculus/Pre-IB curriculum last year. After mastering the processes and problem solving uses of matrices,…
The greatest sign of success for a teacher…
by Eunice Bonaparte August is one of my favorite months. Personally, it a month filled with family celebrations, and the last of the fun summer rituals. Professionally, it is when I begin final preparations for the new school year. As long as I gather the books, find and watch the videos, download templates, create the…
In language acquisition, a hypothetical filter is influenced by emotional variables
When I was a student, I dreamed that I could speak English fluently. Because I thought English could help me to open another door to the world. I worked very hard and learned tons of vocabulary and grammar rules. However, after almost 23 years of learning and having been through so many tests, I still…
Students consider the techniques of two inspirational artists for their own designs.
Kara Walker, Exxodus of Confederates from Atlanta from Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) [set of 15 prints], 2005. Offset lithography and silkscreen. 39” x 53’. Edition of 35 Kehinde Wiley, Arms of Nicolaas Ruterius, Bishop of Arras, 2014, Stained Glass, 54” x 36” Two inspiration artists that have been part of our…
Taco Tuesday & Other Anomalies: Creating Community and Culture in a New School
In the summer of 2019, I began making tacos on Tuesdays, not because I am the Spanish teacher with Mexican background but because the availability of a decent taco in the Pacific Northwest is rather low. There are good tacos out there, I know that there are, but driving around and testing one place after…
IB Biology at WaPrep
In biology there is a joke we pass around: the more complicated a system is, the more difficult it is to study. Biological systems are the most complicated systems humanity has yet observed, and thusly studying these systems is the most difficult science. This joke is especially fun around physicists and chemists. Yet there is…
Bringing IB into my Teaching Experience
Last academic year (2018-2019) I was fortunate to work as a Spanish teacher in three different schools: our own school Washington Preparatory School in Bothell, Soundview School in Lynnwood, and Cedar River Montessori School in Renton. I will let go of the idea of writing about the most efficient way to drive around the entire Seattle area but rather I will write of how I was introduced to the International Baccalaureate Programme (IB, and yes, the…
What is a species?
One of the most obvious and frustrating observations in biology is the existence of species. Obvious in the sense that there are immediate and large differences between yourself and say, a cat. But frustrating in the sense that finding a definition that holds true across the entire tree of life has been elusive. Humans have…
Digital Photography students create parodies of real magazines!
This semester WA Prep was excited to add Digital Photography to the arts course offerings. After practicing their composition and shooting skills they transitioned into using digital editing with Photopea. In their second editing project students used their new skills to create parodies of real magazines with their own images and concepts. After carefully studying the typefaces and…