End of Term Tweets

Gathering student voice via Twitter is simple and easy... 

EXIT tickets in 140 characters:)

Learner Voice

Something I am PASSIONATE about is making sure my learners have a voice in the classroom.

* Oh yeah ... don't you worry, plenty of korero goes down everyday (most of it about learning) but hey they are kids!  

What I am meaning by learner voice is that they have a say * they make some decisions * they talk to me about what is good and what could be better ... this is what I mean by VOICE.

Something I have done ever since I started using LearningMYway pedagogy is carry out a Google Survey. I do this to 'gather voice'. 

I want the kids to share what is hard about it (so I know where the help is needed). From the graph below, the first 2 things the kids find the hardest are likely the easiest to overcome - keeping an eye on the time (check the clock) and my friends around me (make a choice to move).

The third hardest thing is about 'prioritising my tasks and getting the important ones done' (this takes practice and will get better over time). The fourth hardest thing is "knowing what to do when I don't know what to do" (this is about initiative and will also improve with practice as many have had a teacher TELL them what to do most the time and it means taking some risks now to make their own choice). "Learning about the digital tools" is an issue for a few (once again practice and getting help from all our amazing experts in the classroom). "Not understanding the learning tasks" is an issue for a few also (this is where my focus will start - making sure these kids know they can come to me to clarify or maybe I need to be clearer!)

I want the kids to share how we could make it better (better to ask the kids what will make it better then they feel like their ideas matter - it empowers them).

There were only 5 pieces of feedback from this question which I can act on...

We have a space for quiet working and I need to ensure it is a quiet space!

This should be discussed on a Monday when we set up our timetables.

I have moved away from groups to personalising learning ... but do carry out group work for maths. The kids can discuss their learning with those around them. 

We are a blended classroom and this means we alternate between digital and hard-copy work. I think once everyone has learnt how to use the digital tools better we might be able to ask for some more.

Well this is something which is already in the planning. We are beginning 20% Time next Term ... so for 20% of the week (1 day out of 5) the kids can select something which THEY want to learn about. We have been getting inspired by the videos in our Google Classroom. Ask your kids:)

Interesting I am sharing my thoughts about this ... the results from the survey have also shown that the 'most important thing they have learnt that they didn't know before' was that

THEIR VOICE MATTERS

The next 3 important things they have learnt that they didn't know before were the idea that "I can be my own boss" - meaning they are learning to manage their own learning and behaviour - being in charge of themselves. The image really shows that one aspect of being your own boss, creating some of their own timetable, is a winner!

This graph below shows that 20 out of 26 are either 'smashing it' or nearly 'smashing it' when it comes to managing their own learning and behaviour. This is AWESOME - and I can feel that in the classroom ... 20 kids being their own boss means less whinging on my part! 5 kids are middling and one responder does not feel they are doing this well at all. This is the person I need to help:)

"Having a Growth Mindset helps me as a learner" - meaning knowing that it is ok to make mistakes, ok to not know things the first time you are taught it, you have to practice, being challenged is when the best learning happens. "The Habits of Success help me Focus" - meaning there are certain key habits that if they can remember and do without thinking will help them be successful.

The most important thing is this ... are you more motivated to come to class because we work differently ... because we are being innovative in the way we do things? My one learner who is still not motivated to be in class ... this is my challenge:)

And lastly, this is pleasing for me...

We would love some feedback on our 'student voice'.

How often do you gather student voice for the purpose of gauging what the kids are feeling and how you can make things better?

Our Assembly Performance

On Monday theONE6ers' put together a 10 minute performance to share the learning we had done during #NZreadaloud4JWM to the rest of the school at Assembly.

Jack volunteered to be our Master of Ceremonies

Chloe and Sharn wrote a song where they had summarised some key themes in the story and a few of the one6ers' stepped out of their comfort zone to sing it at Assembly.

Grace and Te Anahera put together a Google slideshow sharing some of the amazing language features from the story. A line of one6ers' got up to say one each as the slideshow went through.

Mya did some research about 'How to Juggle' and put together a Slideshow to share at Assembly. A small group of one6ers' who had taken up the challenge to learn to juggle took a risk and demonstrated their new found skills of juggling.

For some this was really stepping out of their comfort zone to get up in front of the whole school. I was very proud that ALMOST all got up and did something - a real show of UNITY. Well done you guys:)

Here is the video i took of the performance ... please excuse any 'random noises' !!!

What was it like for you to step out of your comfort zone and share in front of your peers?

Balls Clearing Trip

This Wednesday we went on a trip to balls clearing for our native bush research. We had to write down everything we found. The bugs were the hardest to find because they had all run away because of the class before us.
These are the native trees that we found some of the native trees we found
1. Rimu
2. Matai
3. Horopito
4. Mahoe

Here is a video I put together from some photos that we took.

by Bree Ann

  

Bitmoji Madness

Okay ... so call me weird ... the kids do!

But ever since finding the Bitmoji App in the Chrome Web Store a week ago, I have been hooked! I have had SO many laughs at these self-created caricatures that I NEEDED to share the fun with the kids.

So ... it began with me creating my own Bitmoji ... 

Then I added the link to our Google Classroom and the kids took to it and made their own ones too! 

You can tell a lot about a person's personality from the one they chose for the class bitmoji photo! So here is our 1st Class Bitmoji Photo...

We had so much fun that one of my kids decided they wanted to create a 

Class Bitmoji Dab Photo

How cool I thought! SO away she went and had everyone email her their 'dab' bitmoji and here is the result!

The challenge has gone out to some other classes around the country. Mr Kelly at Aorere College had his High School kids do it...

I created a Google Slide Show where all teachers could go and add their Class Bitmoji Photos:)

Please leave us some comments about our Bitmoji creations ... will you take up the challenge?

Here is a Doc we have where we have shared what we learnt from doing Bitmoji's ...

Here is a Doc where we have shared an explanation of our Bitmoji's ...

The Balloon Bursts

I know I have written a few posts about #NZreadaloud4JWM but it is a major part of our programme this Term.

We have just read this week probably one of the most emotionally charged chapters in the whole book called "The Balloon Bursts".

As I was reading (although when I watch the video it seems I am yelling!) my kids decided they wanted to 'act the scene out'. So one got hold of the iPad while some volunteers 'got into character'.

What resulted was an intense, emotionally-charged scene (although our actors couldn't help laughing and smiling as they did it) but the vibe was still there.

It was an interesting exercise to listen back on myself too...as it is definitely something I am not comfortable with - listening to myself like this! I always think though, if we do not 'get into the character' while we read then we will lose some of our audience. I think I definitely got into character here! 

Enjoy this few minutes of video ...