Measuring Maths

To be honest with you Maths is not my strength, and yet I enjoy it when the students are actively learning.  I find that through activity based learning, meaning is created, and students grasp the ideas of what you are trying to show them.  It was interesting observing the students, watching how they problem solve, and find their own ways and thinking outside of the square.  They certainly solve things that are not written down.

Bringing the FUN in Learning

Making Hinaki:Curriculum Links:  Visual Art, Inquiry, Social Sciences, Te Reo

This activity involved lots of hands on and language experience for the students. It also linked to the hinaki being set in order to catch an eel.

VISUAL ARTS

Developing ideas

• Investigate visual ideas in response to a variety of motivations, observation, and imagination.

SOCIAL SCIENCES

• Understand how the cultures of people in New Zealand are expressed in their daily lives

 Materials Needed:  Empty drink bottles, string/wool, PVA glue, scissors

Today's learning involved lots of mess, and the students enjoyed this.  As part of our learning for Change and the Whanganui River study, we decided to make a hinaki.  Making a hinaki at scale, and an actual hinaki we could use would take too long, and not all of the children would be provided with the hands on language experience I wanted to give them.  So we opted to invent one, that was easy, affordable, and something fun for them all to enjoy.  And even better they can get to take it home once we have finished displaying them.

What students I did have, enjoyed it, as you can see in the photographs.  At first they didn't like the idea of using their hands to spread glue on the bottle, but they soon got used to it.        

Evidence Evidence Evidence

This is just a power point to remind myself about what critical inquiry is and what it is that I need to put into my record of teaching and learning ...

The slide is what we received at our PRT course held in Taupo.  It's an interesting read, and goes to show that most stuff that I do, do, can be considered as evidence.




This is what I am using to provide evidence for this blog. I find it worthwhile, and it also allows me to show what I need and what I need to work on as a teacher. Not just the average teacher, but a teacher with enthusiasm, and a teacher who teaches with AROHA. The notes in the slide were provided from the PRT course that I attended, as well as some additional notes from my mentor.

Writing

Reflection: Linked to PTC 4, 6 and 11 This is Term 2 2016. I would say that this is one of my successes with this class. We have come a long way to get to where we are now ... looking at the results of what changes have occurred now in Term 4 compared to what we did in Term 1. My writers have changed their style of writing, they have changed their motivation to actually write, and have become willing writers. They are able to write independently now.  This is an accomplishment in it self, and also a note to myself, that the hard work is beginning to pay off.

Below is a slide of my writers in Term 3.  Even in this slide, it shows how far they have come, compared to when we first started growing as a class, as a small community of writers and learners.  This is writing in a context, in which it was a cold and frosty morning.  Senior staff members decided to give all of the students at school a hot cup of milo, and I certainly know that my class of writers certainly enjoyed.  We discussed how their puku felt when they were drinking the hot beverage.  What it tasted like, and what they have had a hot milo with.  This also creates happy memories of being at school, with some comforts of home.

Visual Arts with Year 2

Links: 

Developing ideas

• Investigate visual ideas in response to a variety of motivations, observation, and imagination.

It certainly has been interesting watching the students make their mobiles, using driftwood, pumice, fishing line, feathers, and whatever was available.  This provided the students with some motor skills that they would not use in our classroom everyday.  After such a rowdy day, this settled them very nicely, where they all zoned out into their creation.  It goes to show that hands on activities work for all children, regardless of their background.  We have yet to complete these, which will happen on Friday, so photos will be displayed then, and they are able to take them home to show parents.  Below is our words that came out when we discussed where pumice comes from, where the driftwood comes from.

Our Learning Programme

Providing students with opportunities that they would otherwise not get is a big deal to myself as a teacher.  This is what I like to do for my students.  Not much children have the opportunity to go and set a hinaki, and see what happens when it is uplifted from the river.  Although we did not have a great opportunity to see any eels today, the children still enjoyed this, and it was also a great opportunity for some oral language to happen.  Also links to e-assTTle writing too.

Oral language about the hinaki, and the students reasoning why there was no eel today.

Observing and discussion about what the hinaki is for.

Lots of oral language came out from the children today such as ... maybe we didn't put the hinaki in the right place ...  (asking, which way does the river flow) reply:  it goes that way (to the right) and it goes all the way to Cherry Grove.  I then asked:  If it goes to Cherry Grove, which way does it come from?  Reply: from the left.  So where does it come from then?  Reply from most of the children:  Oh it comes from the mountain, the ice from the snow when it melts.  This turned the conversation to another point of our study of the Whanganui River, which we will continue later this week.
This makes the connection to our local environment (the river) and using our local resources (hinaki and eels - also making links to finding kai for our whanau, rather than going to the shop to purchase it).  I am so proud of my students, they did absolutely awesome.