Sunday, 29 November 2015

Cluster Tech Challenge

We recently had our cluster technology challenge. Our class and Room 5 at Bamford School took part.

The idea was that we would be undertaking the same challenges from our own schools, but would key an eye out (digitally) about how the other teams were doing.

The first challenge was to build a free-standing tower using certain materials that could raise a flag.

The second challenge was a paper planes contest. Students could enter both a 'flight distance' and a 'flight time' competition.

These activities linked well with our Forces and Motion theme, so children were able to use some of the language and scientific terms we have been learning about.

Thanks to Wayne for coming along, giving a hand and showing us your own paper plane designs.



Check out the Linwood Connected Kids blog for some of our reflections and more info.

Friday, 20 November 2015

If You Give A Little Love...

Thanks to Room 7 for sharing this video in assembly today.

The idea was adapted from a video we viewed earlier in the week. We looked to take inspiration from it and show what everyday caring might look like in our school. Well done to the actors for creating the storyboards for their own scenes. A team effort. 

Sunday, 15 November 2015

Term 4 Interest Projects: How Stuff Works

Our inquiry topic/theme has been split in two this term due to student demand for one last IP (Interest Project) for the year. Our class theme, which is science-based and looks at forces and motion, will be condensed to make way for the more student-directed interest inquiries that we have become familiar with this year. 

The theme for this term's interest projects is 'How stuff works', which lends itself well to our forces and motion theme for those who have chosen questions that are connected to learning about the physical world in some way.

The basic guidelines for IPs is the same as we have done before.
We need to:
1. Write up a basic plan that includes our initial driving questions and resources required.
2. Create or continue an IP blog that we update each week about our progress.
3. Share our learning journey at the end of term.

We will have at least one IP workshop each week. This is an entire morning or afternoon that we can spend on our independent inquiries. Many of us have also been finding information at home or using organisation time before school to work on our IPs.























Lots of interesting questions are driving our IPs. It will no doubt be a great learning experience for all of us as we go from novices to teachers when sharing our journeys at the end of term.

























Some plan examples from our wall:

Phoebe's initial plan
Athalia's initial plan





















This past week we have been making sure that we are taking action with our IPs. Some of us know from experience that time can seem to slip away if you are not thinking carefully about how you use it and reflecting on each IP workshop. Here is what we thought taking action would look like as we begin to get deeper in our projects...





















Don't forget to check our interest project blogs to read about how each of us are going!

Saturday, 7 November 2015

Because Of Mr Terupt

We have just finished reading Because of Mr Terupt, which we have thoroughly enjoyed.


Blurb:

"It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . .Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next;Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle,who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.
 
Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone."




We won't give away the whole story, but this book has generated a lot of discussion in our classroom about different themes, including our own learning environment, relationships and growing up. It was fascinating to notice the characters change as the story went on.

One day we sent out this tweet and the American author himself retweeted it overnight!


























This week we used Google Forms to gather our opinions about the story.
Here are a couple of the findings...


















After we each voted, our overall rating for Because of Mr Terupt was 9.3/10.

A number of Room 14 children have already been looking to track down the second book in the series through the Christchurch City Libraries website.