Thursday, February 17, 2011

This was us practicing

Well, I guess we can't hold onto our secret any longer.

The students have been hard at work on a secret media project that is going to change our whole school. Get ready for RAK.

We decided to start a movement of Random Acts of Kindness. We really wanted to be effective though, so we looked up some advice on how to create an effective media campaign. We learned that you want to start by creating a buzz. So, today, towards the end of first recess, all of the students silently and suddenly walked to the lower yard and began to lie down. It soon became clear they had a plan in mind and we started to get the attention of the other students. They lay down to spell the letters R A K. The rest of the school gathered around asking a lot of questions but our kids just lay there silently. It was very effective. The whole school is buzzing.

Next up, we are going to blitz them with our posters. Liam and Calvin helped to create our logo. Next up, our poster team of Luca, Daphne, Olivia, Desanka, and Marian, created a linoleum print and are now busy printing up posters. I am going to print some business cards this weekend that students will pass on when they perform a RAK, encouraging the recipient to pass it on as well.

We also have a pamphlet group creating an information piece for the adults of our community. When this informative piece of work is complete, it will be posted to our blog.

Our blog was also created by a group of students. You can find it here. We will be updating it with examples of RAKs that we're seeing.

We also have a podcasting group that hopes to interview students about the process. This group is looking for a little technical assistance if anyone out there has any podcasting experience.

The video group has written a script for an informative and entertaining video that will educate the school at our sharing next Friday.

Our last group has written several jingles that will appear in the video and will probably make an appearance on a podcast or two.

The students are really excited for this media campaign. We hope you can help us to pass it on.

We are doing lots of other learning as well. Students are preparing for Student Led Conferencing which will take place on Thursday. Please send me an email and let me know if you will be coming in. You may come at any point during the school day. Students will be engaged in a lot of independent learning on this day and it will be easy for you to step out and conference in the hall and to come in and take a tour. We think it will be a good chance for you to see us hard at work.

This week, students were focusing on inferencing as a reading strategy. It is going to help the students improve their reading comprehension. We also continued our reading program. As this week and next will be short weeks, I have asked the students to hand in only one letter instead of two.

In math, we are taking a look at decimals. I am using a great resource by Marilyn Burns and I'm finding that it is helping to solidify a good concept of the basics. Next week, I hope to progress further and start looking at comparing decimals.

I hope you enjoy a wonderful family weekend. Hopefully some RAKs will be in your future.

Interpretation

What do you think is the theme or subject of the work? (INFER)

Think of these prompts when answering:

What are you thinking or feeling when you look at the work?

Why do you think the visual artist created this work?

What message or meaning do you think the work conveys?

Description

What do you see when you examine the work closely?

Think of these prompts when answering:

What grabs your attention in the work?

What do you sense (e.g., see, hear, smell, feel, taste) when you examine the work?

What stands out for you? What do you notice (e.g. elements)?

What “qualities” do you see in this work (e.g., vibrant paint colours; bold brushstrokes or lines)?

What do you think the artist worked particularly hard at while he or she created this work?

First Impressions

What is your first impression?

Think of these prompts when answering:

What does this work remind you of?

What do you feel? What emotions does this work evoke?

What puzzles you? What are your questions?

What connections can you make between this work and your own experience or other art forms?

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope you have a lovely day full of love.

First of all, I want to send out a big thank you to all of the volunteers that helped us out last week. From the Winter Walk Day to the Canal, we had a great time embracing winter and it would not have happened without you. Our day on the Canal was pretty close to perfect. The conditions and weather were lovely, and the students were well behaved and had a lot of fun.

Please remember that there is a PD day on Friday and that Monday is Family Day.

Although the next two weeks are short, I will still be giving out homework starting with a new math question. We have started our look at decimals today. This is this week's math homework question:

Find as many ways as you can to represent each of these numbers as fractions and as decimal numerals.

six-hundredths

nine-tenths

fifteen-hundredths

thirty-five-hundredths

four-tenths

fifty-hundredths

I am actually not going to assign this question until tomorrow's math class, BUT, I will give them some time in class to work on it tomorrow. This homework will be due on or before Thursday.

In Literacy, we are going to be taking a closer look at inferencing, or reading between the lines, as we read to help us better understand what we are reading. We are also looking at a couple of picture books about Rosa Parks. These books take different perspectives on Rosa Parks' brave stand.

The class and I are also working on a very special big project. I cannot tell you much about this project as we are trying to generate some buzz first and we felt the best way to do this was to be secretive. All we can say right now is that it's going to be big, fun, and create change. Stay tuned. The RAKs are coming.

We will be having student led conferences coming up on February 24th. There is no PD day given for this event. Instead, we will be having them during the day. You can come at any point during the school day between 8:00 and 2:45. Your student will take you on a tour of what they have been learning and how they feel they have been doing. As this will be a regular school day, I will be teaching and working with the other students while you are on your "tour". While you may come at any time, I would love to know an approximate time so that we can better prepare for your visit. If you cannot make it, your student can bring home some of the work that they reflected on.

Have a LOVEly day!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Long time no blog. Sorry.

Last week we celebrated Chinese New Years with my mom. She told them about the story of how Chinese New Years came to be, taught them some tai chi, and a little about Chinese characters. She gave them all a red envelope after they all congratulated her and said thank you in Chinese.

We are wrapping up fractions for real this time. Decimals will be starting very soon. The rumours are true, there is no math homework this week.

We continue to write letters. I am finding that the letters are giving me amazing feedback on each of the students. This week, they have been asked to bring home their notebooks to share with you. In Literacy, we will also be looking at some media literacy while designing a Random Acts of Kindness campaign.

We have done a lot of work in science so far. The grade 6s just completed another ComicLife project where they created comics to explore the different perspectives associated with flight. I will post the finished products here soon.

Our canal date is on Friday. Students and volunteers need winter sport helmets and appropriate clothing. Please remember that no one will be allowed to spend money on this trip.

Tomorrow is our Winter Walk to School Day. I hope that many of you are planning on walking or parking further away and walking part of the way. Thank you to the organizers of this event.

Math Homework

Here is the math homework for this week. It is a game that we played in class today and will discuss tomorrow. We are playing it to review the concept of factors. This will help us when we are discussing fractions and finding common denominators and reducing fractions to their lowest terms.

The Factor Game Directions

You need:

• a partner

• colored pencils in two different colors

• The Factor Game game board for 30

Directions

1. Player A chooses a number on the game board and circles it. This will be Partner A’s score for that round.


2. Using a different color, Partner B circles all the proper factors of Player A’s number.The proper factors of a number are all the factors of that number except the number itself. Partner B lists the factors. The sum of those factors is Partner B’s score for that round. Please write down all of the factors before circling when it is not your turn to pick first (ie- 10:1, 2, 5, 10).

3. Player B then circles a new number. Player A circles all the remaining factors of that number. Then, play continues in this manner.


4. The players take turns choosing numbers and circling factors.


5. If a player circles a number that has no factors left which have not been circled, then that player does not get points for the number circles and loses his or her turn.


6. The game ends when there are no more numbers left with uncircled factors.


7. The player with the larger sum of factors and products is the winner.

Extension: Play a game on a 49 game board! (Make the board yourself)

1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

This week, we are also focusing on science. The grade 5s are studying Forces Acting on Structures with Amy (Ray's Supply), while the grade 6s are working with me while studying flight. We will be using Comic Life to explore some of the different perspectives on flight.


To celebrate Chinese New Years, my mother is planning on coming in and discussing some of our traditions.


I have received my first two sets of letters and so far, they are great. The students are making deep connections and they are asking good questions. They were excited to get some time in the computer lab to publish their letters. I'm hoping we can make that a regular occurrence, especially since it seems that many of them could use a couple of tips when it comes to word processing.


I hope that you have all received the new about handing out the report cards. I will be in the classroom on Wednesday to hand them out to you.


Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.