#EduCampHB

#EduCampHB

What an amazing day, well worth the 8 hours spent in the car (Good thing I was with some awesome people).
I had amazing professional discussions, sharing, collaboration and reflection time with some of my favourite teachers from around New Zealand.
It was awesome to fill up my Kete with new ideas and tools that I can begin using immediately and some that I already want to investigate further.
Best of all, I always enjoy refilling my happy meter by connecting and reconnecting with like minded educators and feeling like I am on the right track.

Thank you everyone for a beautiful weekend.
Thank you Richmond school for your amazing hospitality.
Always a pleasure.
Looking forward to the next one.

Tweets from the day:

Presentation from the day:

Things to try:

- Using Google Maps to create a digital mihi

- Have a play with Google Drawing 

- Look into effective ways to utilise the website 'If This Then That' - www.ittt.com

- Look into Māori Maps for students to find their pepeha

- Research about authentic uses of 3D presentations 

- 3D printing apps - thingiverse & tinkercad (Makerbot - leased through local tech company- Ricoh) 

- Look at and play with Fiona Grants Google Drawing templates. Investigate further what can be done with. 

#DojochatANZ

Last night I took part in the #DojochatANZ

The chat was all about Creativity! This is something I have been putting a lot of thought into since reading 'Creativity Inc' by Ed Cutmall and attending various workshops at ULearn last year that were driving home the importance of creativity in the classroom. 

I am a huge fan of Class Dojo and have been a Class Dojo mentor for the last year. I use it daily with my students and like finding new ways to make it fun and teach my students to be accountable for their actions.

I am looking forward to taking part in future #DojochatANZ chats. They are currently every Wednesday @ 8:30pm NZDT 

Tweets from the chat:

If you want to learn more about Class Dojo click here.



“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people” 
                                                             – Leo Burnett

Stephen Graham Teaching in Room 1

Today I was lucky enough to observe Stephen Graham take my class for a writing lesson. He was teaching the students to write a piece of Expository writing.

What I loved about observing him was his high energy and the way he was with the students. No idea was a bad idea and it was obvious no one felt threatened by his in your face approach. He used lots of repetition and technical writing terms to drum into the children the importance of what they were learning. By the end of the session the students had such a sound understanding of the 'Literacy' they were learning and could all explain what a connective was, what an expository text was trying to achieve and how to put together an argument topic sentence.

I really enjoyed when he asked the students what their favourite sentence was and why. My students had to think seriously about their writing and reflect on its effectiveness. 

Today's session really helped to solidify my takeaway notes from yesterday's session.

What's been happening in Room 1?

Term 1 Review:

This term we have been learning about what buildings, places and phenomena could potentially be the 8th Wonder of the World and the many diverse types of Minibeasts that live all around us.

We have looked closely at persuasive and report writing.

We read and watched 'The City of Ember'. Looking closely at the setting and description.

We started to build 'The City of Ember' in Minecraft.

We learnt some measurement, number strategies, BEDMAS and have begun to look at fractions.

We did a lot of art - Lego portraits, pastel animals, value study and Grandma Moses inspired paintings.

We undertook science observations and worked on our ball skills in P.E.

We began STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) challenges on a Thursday afternoon after our mornings spent at Peachgrove Intermediate. .

We had a fantastic music day, successful triathlon and very exciting alphabet dress up day.

We have created our own blogs and are learning how to make them exciting and enticing to others.

We have had a very full on and exciting term, We have bonded as a class and are looking forward to what Term 2 has in store for us.