Dancing Raisins

This week we fitted in a great science session which got everyone curious and asking questions!

"Do you think we can make raisins dance?" 

The question was put up and everyone made a 'prediction' WITH a reason...

"No because a raisin is not alive - it does not have muscles"

"They might if you electrocute them"

"Maybe - when you pour the water over them they will dance as the water is being poured on them"

"Yes if you put them in milk because the fat in the milk might make them dance"

There were many more predictions too - but what was pleasing was the depth of thinking around their reasons...and this is just as important as the actual reason!

I will add the video some of the students took as we were doing the experiment - it really demonstrates what happened when we added raisins to half a cup of soda water.

What we did do as the experiment was taking place was use a shared Doc to collaborate on thinking about these questions...

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHAT DO YOU WONDER?

GO HERE to view the shared Doc... there are some WONDERFUL WONDERINGS !!

Production

Week 2 also saw the end of the lead auditions for our Tamatea Intermediate School Production and our very own Jackson Stone earned himself a lead role (character yet to be revealed). Here he is giving an impromptu performance of one of his songs as Pugsley in the Addams Family a Tabard Theatre production. Watch this space for rehearsal footage from Rm16.

#NZreadaloud3

Week 2 has seen the start of #NZreadaloud3.

This is a literacy initiative I started at the beginning of the year for classes around New Zealand to connect and collaborate through the reading of ONE book....written by a New Zealand author.

There are 53 teachers and classes around New Zealand participating ... from Whangarei through to Kaikoura!

Everyone is very excited! Edmodo is our platform for our online literacy circles.

However we also do some of our learning in a 'read aloud notebook'. Yesterday we discussed what the cover tells us about the story...there were some very insightful thoughts and ideas. Then we read the blurb and the kids added to their original ideas. Here are some examples of the thoughtful predictions and justifications for their thinking.

It's going to be a GREAT story...we are already in suspense after Chapter 2!

Geometry through problem-solving

Term 3 has started with a rush!

We have Production this Term AND #NZreadaloud3 starting in Week 2.

Our Maths focus however is GEOMETRY. We are attacking this through a problem-based learning approach.

Here are the questions for week one and two...we will add our answers as we discover them!

Reply to this post as to your thoughts on this approach to learning about Geometry....

What the kids say about LearningMYway!

At the end of Term 2 we decided to gather some student voice! We wanted some feedback about LearningMYway! Was it working, what 'bits' were working? What is the level of learners understanding about LearningMYway? Did they understand enough to know what was working for them and what aspects they need to work on?

We were excited with the comments they left on the slide show...we also loved the way they 'personalised' their slide... you can tell a lot about a person from the 'graphic' they use:)

Check out what our learners said about LearningMYway...

This one was so funny that I just had to add it. The faces are incredible.

Time Out!

We are in the middle of Student Market Place...an entrepreneurial programme whereby students come up with a business idea and plan and make their product.

Mitchell and Connor have worked tirelessly on their 'cubees'. Quite a time-consuming product requiring perseverance and work ethic. Today...the intensity 'got too much' and they felt the need to LET LOOSE!!

Gotta love it!