Earlier this month Mr.D visited our class to lead us in a story drama. Our time with him inspired both our critical and creative thinking skills as well as an interest in drama. Mr. D noticed how engaged the students were and encouraged us to see a live theatre performance called Munsch-Ercise.
After seeing the performance we reflected on the show and recorded our thinking in the web above. The students then took some time to draw a picture of their favourite part. Using just one iPad and the Book Creator App the kids created another digital book as a way of sharing and preserving their memories. We were pretty surprised this afternoon when we received a special delivery from the South Pole. When we opened up the package we discovered it contained an urgent letter from Professor Glacier along with four adorable stuffed penguins. Upon reading the letter we learned that the penguins in Antarctica are in danger of loosing their home and food source due to something called Climate Change. Professor Glacier is worried about this but as he is an expert in icebergs, not penguins, he contacted us in hopes that we might be able to help. We talked it over and decided that we are willing to learn everything we can about Penguins and report back to Professor Glacier with our research findings. The first thing we did was make a list of the things we want to learn about. Then we drew pictures of penguins and labelled them. As we are taking this responsibility extremely seriously I expect we will be neck deep in penguin research for the foreseeable future. Some kids even expressed an interest in doing some research on their own at home! I look forward to the learning that will occur in the coming weeks and to when we are able to compile all our research and share it with Professor Glacier! We start every morning with Math learning! From the moment we are settled at the carpet the lessons begin. This month we have focused on friendly numbers (two numbers that add together to equal 10), the commutative property, and various strategies for solving problems (number line, 10 frame, draw a diagram). One of our daily activities is a book we call our Calendar Book. Calendar Books are individual student folders that each student works in every day. The first page of the book is a copy of a calendar for the month we are in where the students mark the day off and record special events. By doing this students are learning to read a typical calendar format and understand the concept of a week and month.The next page is a chart where students graph the weather. This is a great opportunity to work on graphing skills as well as reading and comparing data. Once these two quick tasks are accomplished students turn to a new page in the book and start writing equations that equal the number of the day. I provide students with a choice of 3 numbers to select from. Students then write equations that equal the number they selected. For example if a child selects the number 10, he or she might write the following equations:
I assess the equations looking for a variety of operations and the complexity of the numeracy concepts applied. As the year progresses students become more and more creative in their equations and start seeking more advanced ways to get the answer. Students who are ready for a challenge will be introduced to multiplication and division. I typically call multiplication “groups of” and division “shared by” as these words have more meaning for the children. Once a student has completed the Calendar book, he or she moves on to an assigned Math task. Tasks might include flashcards, games, writing equations using dice or working in a workbook etc. Depending on the activity, students may work collaboratively, or independently. Before our Math block ends, we usually have one more activity that is dependent on a skill or unit that we are working on. This may involve a group lesson, working in a Math Journal or some other opportunity to reflect on learning. In the coming months we will be utilizing iPads more and more in our Math lessons as a way of communicating individual learning.
One of the many, many skills kids start to learn in their primary school years is how to Self-Regulate. Self-regulation is the ability to manage feelings, mood and behaviours. Being able to consistently regulate their own feelings is a significant task for a young person but it is a valuable skill to have. Learning to self-regulate helps children pay attention to tasks and to keep themselves in check. This relates to being overly excited, frustrated, tired or angry.To help the students in Division 13 self-regulate we take exercise breaks and deep breathing breaks. When it is appropriate I also use sissel seats, hand fidgets, break cards and even mint gum. Everyday we talk about being "ready to learn" and the strategies that are sometimes required to have a calm body and mind so that one can learn. Some of the strategies we use in our class to calm an angry or overly excited brain/body are listed on a chart we keep in the class.
Children's emotions can be pretty powerful and even though my goal is to help each child manage these emotions, it is also important for children to know that everyone feels this way sometimes and that it is okay! An extremely effective way for children to learn about self-regulation is from other children. The video clip below is a fantastic example of children speaking about their emotions and how they self-regulate.
Inspired by a contest that the CBC radio show North by Northwest is running, the students and I made a digital book titled "Quadra is Special". The first thing we did was brainstorm all the things that make Quadra a great school. The list was long! Some of the items on the list included:
Last week we read a lovely book titled My Gratitude Jar written by Kristen Wiens. The book is a wonderful example of how taking time to appreciate the good in your day can be uplifting. Since then we have taken a little time at the end of each day to reflect on the things we are each grateful for. Today we each made a unique gratitude jar. The project was a success thanks to help from Marina, Mrs. Young and Karin. Once the jars have dried, we will start to fill them with written gratitudes. I am looking forward to learning about the things the students are grateful for in their day to day lives.
Other highlights included naming the cat, creating the sound scape, acting as the witch or the cat, the warm up games and listening to Mr. D read the story. We all appreciated Mr.D for taking the time to make today such a magical experience!
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Ms. Shawna WoodPassionate about teaching, learning, inclusion and kindness. Archives
August 2019
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