Assessing the weather!

This morning on #BFC630NZ we discussed 'responsive classrooms'.

Something which came up was the idea of knowing how everyone is feeling each day so we can be 'responsive' to this during learning over the day.

One of the #BFC630NZ whanau explained it as "assessing the weather" and as I am particularly fond of analogies - this one STUCK!

So I went on a mission with @Periscope today and live-streamed 'the weather' BEFORE school started and at the start of our day in THEONE6.

I am loving @Periscope as it enables me to grab 'snapshots' of those moments which you never see again otherwise! 

And just for all the viewers to our blog...here are the videos!

Our "Reflection Station"

Through our interest in personalising learning and more recently our drive to have learners 'find agency' in the classroom, Jemma and I discussed the importance of REFLECTION for students. Without an understanding of the importance of it and without us scaffolding the need to do it REGULARLY learners will struggle to find 'true agency'. We know reflection should occur more often in the learning cycle than just at the end of the week...and it does during everyday conferences and discussions...but we have always given reflection 'to do' on a Friday (although we do encourage/ expect reflection throughout any learning experience but formally it 'gets done' at the end of the week).

So how could we infuse reflection into the 'everyday'? 

Speaking with some of our connected teachers, together we came up with the idea of a 'reflection station'. A station set up every morning which is there for WHENEVER a learner wants/needs to reflect. 

We felt it might get more 'traction' if we used Twitter as the platform and had it live through a data projector so they could see any comments or replies coming back. We have created 3 hashtags for the kids to use:

• #theONE6www     what went well
• #theONE6aqih       a question I have
• #theONE6ioto       in order to improve

We also put up a number of questions learners can use to help them reflect on their learning.

We have selected a student to be our 'reflection station' monitor (Cameron uses Twitter and our hashtags regularly nearly everyday to reflect so who better than to 'be in charge').

Fotobabble

Having discovered FOTOBABBLE last year...have finally had a chance to use it with the kids this morning to share evidence of their learning of 3D shapes.

Here is my PRACTICE one...

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....