Students have been busy using their media literacy skills to create posters and announcements to address the issue of contamination in the container recycling, green bins and blue bins.
0 Comments
One part of the book that made a big connection for many of the students was in chapter 10 when Ally said, "I think it would be easier to be invisible." This came out of her conversation with Mr. Daniels about why she drew a large black cube. Ally explained that it was supposed to be a dark room so that no one could see her, because she would prefer to be invisible.
As a class we discussed why Ally might like to feel invisible and when in our lives we may have had that feeling ourselves. Many responses to times in our lives that we wanted to feel invisible were a result of being scared, embarrassed, feeling helpless, or being bullied, or insulted by others. Here are just a few of the times when we wished we were invisible:
Something nearly all of these times have in common, is a feeling of not belonging or feeling connected to the people around us. We don't feel safe or accepted as we are, and would rather not be there at all, than feel the negative emotions of the incident. Sometimes how we end up feeling this way is a result of our own actions, such as when we fall, or make a mistake and it is how we are afraid of other people will look at us that causes our feelings. Other times, our emotions are a direct reaction to the actions of someone else, such as when we are teased, bullied, or yelled at. What is important to keep in mind, is that you are perfect the way you are. Every person has different gifts that they have to share with the world. Will you be brave enough to share a moment that you wished you were invisible? It's sometimes harder than you think to share a moment that has such strong negative emotions, so to make it easier, add one unique thing about you, that you are proud of! We can't wait to hear what you have to share! This past week, we were lucky enough to have our first Google Hangout with Ms. Burnett's class of year 3&4 students in Auckland, New Zealand. We were going to talk about the book The Not Perfect Hat Club, but after a short discussion about rumors and gossip, the students became quite intrigued with the opportunity to ask questions about what life is like in another part of the world. Some of the items that we learned about New Zealand and Ms. Burnett's classroom are:
What a great opportunity to share and learn with other students, and follow their interests!
K. losey Yesterday, after some technical issues (Thank you, Tim!) we were finally able to connect with Ms. Burnett's class of year 3&4 students in Auckland, New Zealand for a few minutes to discuss a book that we have both been reading called, The Not Perfect Hat Club by Jena Bell. Many of the students were so excited to be talking with people on the other side of the world that they had difficulty keeping the conversation to topics and issues in the story!
One thing we did discuss during our Google Hangout about the Not Perfect Hat Club was that both of our classes had experienced rumors and gossip, much the same as Newton is experiencing in the story. No one likes rumors or gossip. They cause people to make judgments without knowing the full story, and it hurts the individual who is being spoken about. Often, the individual doesn't know what is being said about them by other people, and then is confused and hurt because of how other people are acting towards them, based on information that they don't have, or information that is wrong, untrue, or only part of the truth. Have you ever had any personal experiences with gossip or rumors? Please share your experiences with us! K. Losey The items that you just viewed in the Electricity slideshow were the result of a lot of hard work and free exploration with a variety of electrical components, and a few weeks of hard work, preparing, and testing their games.
Which game sounds the most interesting to you? Let us know! K. Losey Students had just a few short days of lessons providing them with basic information about the parts of an atom, how static electricity works, and a visit from KW Hydro about electrical safety. They were then provided a lot of time, a variety of electrical components and materials, and encouraged to explore, experiment and see where it would take them.
Materials provided included: wire, wire strippers, alligator clips, switches, motors, batteries, battery holders and leads, light bulbs, and buzzers. Students were also encouraged to bring in additional materials based on what they wanted to design and try for their game. This was more of an inquiry or problem-based approach to learning that was very popular with the students and teacher! Some of the positive feedback from students in the class included: "It's more fun than listening; the hands on and trying new things." - N.H. "I learn better when I like what I'm doing. It was fun. When it didn't work, we knew we connected it to the wrong side." - T.F. "It was fun because you were working with a partner." - C.S. "Improvising what we were doing." - A.C. Also worth mentioning is that over two-thirds of the class did not use their original idea. Many of them actually went through two, three, or even, four or five different ideas before landing on their final game idea. The students were both eager to start the landscape artwork we will send to our art pals in Finland, but a bit apprehensive about painting with water colours. For many this was a new experience! Here are a few photos from Day 1 of the painting. Click on the link below to check out some of the art works winging their way to Canada from our art pals in Finland! http://www.dearyouartproject.com/happenings/2015/11/17/from-finland-to-canada-our-atmospheres-come-together Be sure to let us know what you think of the start of our paintings! K. Losey When we read the first few chapters of the Not Perfect Hat Club, one of the most surprising elements to the students was that the story is being told from the perspective of a dog, Sir Isaac Newton, who everyone calls Newton. With Newton as the narrator, a lot of simple everyday events look and appear different to the reader. This idea of using perspective and voice is something that we have been trying to include in our writing this year.
Other student reactions included some indignation that a dog would be dropped off at a shelter just because he wasn't winning dog shows, and a lot of curiosity around Jabber and Kylee "The Snowflake Kids" who were coming to visit with Carl and Newton. Let's see what Newton is going to discover this week! K. Losey A huge THANK YOU to @michellem8 and her classroom of learners... Our classroom loved to hear about all of the times that other students felt like a Fish In A Tree. Many students commented on similar experiences or feelings that they have had or could relate to. Our class of students also noticed an underlying theme of perseverance, and a growth mindset in many of the experiences shared by the students in @michellem8's classroom. Discovering that other students, in other countries, feel the same way they do, is a vary valuable lesson, and only one great aspect of the Global Read Aloud. Feeling like a Fish In A Tree doesn't have to be a bad thing... it may be the start of a wonderful journey. True learning, that changes who we are or our understanding of an issue in the most essential ways, can only take place outside of our comfort zone... Have you ever left your comfort zone and felt like a Fish In A Tree? If so, please share with us, we would love to hear your experiences.
K. Losey On Friday, the students had an opportunity to explore some of the Virtual Learning Environment, or our Virtual Classroom. Wondering what that is? It is a web-based platform created by a company called D2L, and implemented by the Ministry of Ontario in conjunction with individual Boards of Education, in our case, the Waterloo Region Board of Education. Each student can access a Virtual Learning Environment that I have created for us, anywhere they have access to the internet. Similar to the idea behind Google Drive and Google Classroom, there are many more tools available within the boundaries of the Virtual Learning Environment. Please ask you child to sign into our Virtual Learning Environment and show you a few of the items they discovered yesterday in class! Which part of the Virtual Learning Environment did you find the most surprising or do you think will be the most helpful?
Post a comment and let us know! Happy Exploring! K. Losey |
AuthorKaarina Losey Click to set Tweets by @KaarinaLosey
custom HTML
Archives
December 2016
Categories |