Alexandria of Africa, revisited!

Hello 4/5s, and happy Tuesday! 

I hope that you all had a stupendous PA day yesterday, and that you all got outside and danced in the rain!

I have something to share with you that I was really excited about when I discovered it.

At my last school, Wilfrid Laurier (some of you may know it, it is the university in downtown Brantford) there is teaching program called concurrent education. Just like me, any student that graduates from this program does practice teaching and then becomes a teacher at the end of their last year.

Something really cool that the school does every year, is send some of those teacher-students to Kenya to do one of their teaching blocks! They spend three weeks just outside the country's capital, Nairobi, teaching school children just like all of you, and just like Ruth and her classmates from "Alexandria of Africa". My friend Caitlin just came back from teaching in Kenya, and when I told her that "Alexandria of Africa" took place in Kenya, and that we all read it together, she shared all of her stories and pictures with me.

Here's a picture that Caitlin took of the landscape.

Cool, right?

But, here is the really cool part!


Remember Nebala? He was a member of a particular type of tribe. A warrior tribe, whose members only wear red, where all of the boys become men after killing a LION, and whose job is to protect their people from predators. They are called "The Massai".

While Caitlin was in Kenya, she became good friends with the Massai, such as the two below. She said that one on her right's name is "Zeek".

Here is another photo of a Massai warrior and his battle weapon. Do you remember what this weapon is called? Think back to "Alexandria of Africa"!

If you guessed konga you are correct!

Eric Walters was being truthful, he writes real stories about real people. People that Caitlin got the pleasure of meeting.

Here is your riddle for the week:

I can be long, or I can be short

I can be grown, or I can be bought

I can be painted, or I can be bare

I can be rounded or I can be square. 

What am I?

Good luck! You have until Thursday to make your guesses, and remember, only those who post on my blog will be considered!

Be excellent to each other!

Ms. Griffith

Hey Major B 4/5s!

Greetings to my favourite students!

I am delighted to see that some of you have been able to find me, and comment on my blog. It is really wonderful to hear from you. I've been following your blogs everyday, and I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your author visits and that Airbands was such a huge success, I am really disappointed that I missed it!

Now that I'm not coming to Major B everyday, I've been able to spend some time with my family and friends, the ones that I wasn't able to spend as much time with when I was in school. My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and I got some really nice things, such as a couple new books, a Flip Video camera, and my favourite TV show, "Parks and Recreation" on DVD. I've been working hard at the golf course almost everyday now that they weather is getting nicer.

I think about you all everyday, and hope that you are all working hard and learning lots.

Can you can solve this riddle:

"I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in the middle. But, I can still hold water. What am I?"


Check back for the answer on Friday!

Be excellent to each other!


Ms. Griffith  

Grade 4/5s in the digital world!

Cyberworld, I am pleased to introduce my grade 4/5 students to your large and complicated world, as they start to make their own digital footprint through their own personalized blogs.

When I first met my students, I noticed that they do not particularly enjoy hand writing assignments and reflective journals. It seems, to them, that this practice is worn out, takes too long, and is overall boring. Furthermore, with the amount of accommodations and IEPs in my class, half of the students shut down completely when faced with the daunting task of writing out work without knowing where to start. Though these students have technology and word processing software available to them should they decided to utilize it, most of the time they don't think to do so. This was a hurdle that I was determined to overcome.

Blogs, I thought, are a great way to solve all of these obstacles. It encourages my IEP learners to think about the technology available to them to enhance and facilitate their learning. By using blogs, students with accommodations are not as intimidated by conventions of writing, such as forming letters, spelling and proper sentence structure. Word processing programs self correct student work and allow them an alternate avenue to complete written work. This is also easier for me, as I can make edits as I go, and the barrier of not being able to read student work is virtually null.

For my other students, this allows them a fresh and fun way to write their journals. The content is precisely the same, except this way the know that their work is being looked at by not only myself, but by their peers and the world, allowing their voice to be heard.

Students love it when I comment on their blogs, and this paperless form really makes it easier for me to access, view and evaluate their work. Learning skills are more than evident through this process as well, as students needed to use critical thinking and problem solving skills when troubleshooting problems in writing or setting up their blogs. There is also a level of responsibility students must maintain, from remembering their usernames and passwords, to remaining appropriate and safe online. Our session on "Cyber safety and bullying"at the Mohawk safety village was a good reference to these concepts.

Of course, I have run into barriers, particularly access to the internet on days that the sever is down, and access to computers in general. I have learned to always have a back up plan, which typically is having students map out their blogs in rough form before being allowed to translate their work on Blogger.

I am blown away at the progress my students have made, and how through using blogs their work has improved and become more sophisticated through the removal of contemporary barriers present in the traditional journal format.

Two is better than one - let's collaborate!

I'll be honest. When I walked into the first day of my Teaching with Technology class I assumed that I had no place there because I had seen and used "it all". For instance, at home I am the technology guru between my two parents, and I figured if I can do that, this class should be a breeze!

Not the case.

There are so many avenues to be explored when teaching with technology. It's not just about learning how to use a SMARTboard or which websites have the best interactive games, but so much more than that. Here are just a few ways that I have been inspired to use technology in my classrooms:

1. Blogs are the writing journals of the twenty-first century! If I ever get the opportunity to work with a junior/intermediate grade level class, I plan to eliminate paper style journals and have students reflect and respond on a personalized blog. I believe print journals are important for the younger primary grades as it gives students an opportunity to practice writing conventions (using punctuation, capitalization, how to form a proper sentence). Also, it is unrealistic to assume students that young are able to use computer technology to communicate their ideas (learning to type is a skill as well remember!) But for the J/I learners, I believe blogs are a really neat way to do daily/weekly journals. Of course, there are logistics to keep in mind, such as privacy, digital footprints, and the teacher acquiring all logins in order to monitor and appropriately assess all work.

2. Online scavenger hunts are a fantastic idea! Though there is evidently a lot of preparation required from the teacher, it allows students to essentially work independently or in small groups to follow the steps and links in their scavenger hunt to find answers on their own, conduct their own research and practice strategies that enable them to master their critical analysis skills by analyzing what they find online.

3. Scoop.It is actually a tool that I just became familiar with today, and I would love to use it as a culminating task. Essentially the program enables users to organize their thoughts and research online for one subject in particular, where they can easily access it to create their own website to share their information. For example, if you were interested in Jack Russell Terriers and had both personal and online resources that you have collected, Scoop.It will help you organize, re-arrange and display information in your own website. I think is a great alternative way for students to collect, organize and present information throughout a unit of study, versus writing an essay or giving a report. Students can create and personalize their own website and have unlimited flexibility on how they decide to share their information.

4. Yoki. What's that you ask? Yokis are talking avatars that can be used in more ways than you may think.
- Students can record themselves and create an avatar that looks just like them as study preparation (reading the information out and hearing it played back are great memorization tools)
- Students who are terrified of public speaking may decide to pre-record their speech through an avatar and simply present the materials while the Yoki speaks for them. It is not the speaking that makes the information relevant, it's the content.
- Teachers can have Yoki's too! Teachers can post their avatar on the class/school website, as information for parents on the goings on in the classroom, or as a resource tool for students with that night's homework/things to remember (for those forgetful students like me!)

5. PhotoPeach takes storytelling to a whole other level. I particularly liked the "spiral" option rather than the regular slideshow version, mainly because without sound, it looks just like a slowed down motion picture. Students can create their own story to read aloud to their classmates while the slideshow they have created plays behind them with pictures that compliment the story. With there being no sound or text, it isn't as distracting and it's up to the student to be an effective storyteller, not the technology, which in this case is just being used as a tool or support.

I've learned that to use technology in teaching you are not hiding behind a fancy light show or constant string of YouTube clips to try and take student's attention away from the fact that they are learning anything, but rather enhancing your lessons with relevant and supportive technological materials that promote student strategy building and creativity.

So get out there and be techtacular!


A

Live as One

I thought I'd give everyone a glance into my HIGHLY ANTICIPATED graduation trip ......

169 days to go until the 2012 summer Olympic games commence in London, England, and I cannot wait any longer!

The Olympic games are seen as the world's foremost sports competition where up to two-hundred nations come to compete on one stage, with the whole world watching. It is an electricity felt around the world, where for three weeks every man, woman and country are placed on a level playing field, and we stand united.

I believe this attitude is integral in education as well, and so does the Olympic committee! London 2012 has a section on their website dedicated to educators using the games in order to enhance their classrooms and build healthy, culturally educated and confident students. Get Set is the official educational programme of the games to help teachers find resources, ideas and opportunities to make the most out of the games in their classroom. The resources section in particular narrows down your search for the perfect lesson plan or teaching strategy. Categories include:
- age of students
- content type (interactive games, case studies, fact sheet, project ideas, assembly ideas, activity sheets)
- themes (healthy active lifestyles, numeracy, culture, internationalism, leadership, PE and sport, literacy)

Here are just a few examples that I was able to find that relate directly to various strands in the Ontario curriculum:

Health and Physical Education

Physical Education (Daily Physical Activity) - Lead your own Olympic warm-up
(Active Participation: Grade One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six)
(Physical Fitness: Grade One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six)

Healthy Living - SmallSteps4Life program
(Understanding Health Concepts: Grade One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six)
(Making Healthy Choices: Grade One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six)
(Making Connections for Healthy Living: Grade One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six)

Literacy (Language Arts)

Writing/Making connections (Grades Three-Five) - Does you school share the same values as the Olympic games?

Numeracy (Mathematics)

Data Management (Grade Three and Four) - Keeping track of the athlete's scores

Number Sense and Numeration (Grade One and Two) - Countdown until the games begin!


Social Studies 

Geography - Where is the Olympic flame going?
(Canada and World Connections: Grade 6 – Canada’s Links to the World)

Citizenship, communication and collaboration
(Heritage and Citizenship: Grade 1 – Relationships, Rules, and Responsibilities)
(Heritage and Citizenship: Grade 2 – Traditions and Celebrations)

You or even one of the students in your next block may not be richer or have the best opportunities than the next person, but we all come from somewhere, and the Olympic games give everyone a chance to be proud of that place, and all that it stands for. Encourage the games in your classroom! I'll be wearing my red and white as proud as a peacock come late July.


A



Olympic Logo Image. (2012). [Online Image]. Retrieved from:
http://www.london2012.com/

Time to Play [learn]!

Me again!

After previously teaching grade one in my last practicum block, it made me wish that I could just stay six years old forever. All of the work my students were exposed to was fun, interactive, and engaging. Too bad I can't say the same for my four year honours undergraduate program. Where is there a rule that says learning must become boring as you mature? Who was it said that we are all kids at heart? I certainly am.

A resource that I frequently used in my block was Math Playground because it gives you countless games, activities and interactive learning options that covers all the primary/junior grades. Even better? Math Playground offers activities for all five of the mathematic strands (Number Sense and Numeration, Measurement, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Patterning and Algebra and Data Management and Probability).

A personal teaching favourite concept of mine is graphs, which fall under the Data Management and Probability strand of the Ontario curriculum. Grade ones are learning math using "non-standard units of measure", meaning basically that they use physical exemplars as benchmarks, rather than numerals and equations. An example of this in measurement would be "it takes three chalk brush lengths to measure my arm" or "the tissue box is heavier than a piece of chart paper even though the chart paper is larger". With this in mind, students represent their data collection skills in pictographs, where data is represented by pictures rather than numerals.

As promised, there is really great activity on Math Playground that deals specifically with recording data with tally charts and picture graphs. Here, students are shown either various pictures or a word problems and are asked to organize their pictures and choose the appropriate graphic representation.

The data management and probability expectations this activity covers are:

Overall
1. Collect and organize categorical primary dad and display the data using concrete graphic pictographs, without regard to the order of labels on the horizontal axis
2. Read and describe primary data presented in concerts graphs and pictographs

Specific
1.1 Demonstrate an ability to organize objects into categories by sorting and classifying objects using one attribute (e.g. colour, size) and by describing informal sorting experiences (e.g. helping to put away groceries)
1.2 Collect and organize primary data (e.g. data collected by the class) that is categorical (i.e. that can be organized into categories based on qualities such as colour or hobby), and display the data using one-to-one correspondence, prepared templates of concrete graphs and pictographs (with titles and labels), and a variety of recording methods (e.g. arranging objects, placing stickers, making tally marks)
2.1 Read primary data presented in concrete graphs and pictographs, and describe the data using comparative language (e.g. more students chose the summer than winder as their single favourite season)
2.2. Pose and answer questions about collected data

Moral of this story: it's time to make learning fun again, for all ages, the way it was supposed to be!

A

Sharing is caring!

Another week, another post!

I am catching on to a key principle about teaching that is a little bit horrifying - we are hoarders! Teachers everywhere scour the internet, book stores, craft fairs, dollar stores, just about anywhere to find resources that they may be able to use some day, no matter what the grade or subject matter. Having spoken to a few concurrent education students, they have four years of practicum experience under their belts building their "tool kits", as they call them, with worksheets, materials, resources, videos, etc. Occasional teachers have it made; they get to teach and interact with different classes everyday, while being immersed in a new teaching philosophy to make copies and take notes on strategies and resources to build to their portfolio.

I need to admit that I am a rabidly well organized person; everything has it's place - if it doesn't have a place, then I don't keep it. I took comfort in this logic, until I started teaching! Now, I am constantly printing, filing, bookmarking, labelling and photocopying anything I can get my hands on to build my own toolkit!

There are three resources that I fell for instantly, all from sometimes tough to teach subject areas.

1. Who knew math could be fun!? I definitely did not, I assumed that I was forced into panicked confusion simply because it was required. I can almost guarantee a lot of students feel the way I do, and I am determined to break the cycle! Take your students to Manga High, an interactive math program that encourages friendly competition between your students, and students across the globe! Created in the UK, Manga High is "irresistible" to teachers for the following reasons:

- it is a comprehensive and powerful test preparation math teaching resource
- it is easy to use!
- IT IS FREE!
- it relies on teacher direction, and is designed for use in a classroom setting (not your regular video game)
- all the of the games involve different strands of math problem solving
- it is social; students compete with each other in a friendly manner, and interact with schools all over the world
- as a teacher, Manga High offers formative assessment opportunities, allowing educators to analyze student performance
- it is motivational!

2. I grew up watching Bill Nye the Science guy, but there's a new scientist on the block. Science Bob is a GREAT resource for motivational demonstrations, experiments, cool facts, and science fair ideas. He drives around in his big blue science ambulance and conducts experiments with students, teachers, even celebrities(!) and makes science fun, the way it was meant to be. Check out Hilary Duff experimenting with sugars and starches below!

3. It doesn't matter how old you are, or even if you can read, everyone loves getting mail. Especially your students! Introducing Flat Stanley, the two-dimensional paper man that has the education world buzzing. He may be small, but Flat Stanley carries a lot of firepower in both the language arts and geography classroom. The idea behind the project, launched in 1994 (in Ontario!), is to connect students with other children in classrooms all over the world by sending flat "visitors" through the mail. Students then track and write about their flat friend's adventures. Similar to a pen pal activity, but more enriching, the Flat Stanley Project helps students who simply don't know what to write about. The sender and recipient have a mutual friend, Stanley, and writing over time becomes more natural, something that teacher's have deemed an "authentic" literacy project.

There are loads of other great resources out there, and remember, sharing is caring.

Happy digging!


A

Hilary Duff Image. (2012). [Online Image]. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencebob.com/about.php

EDMODO - the safe and school-friendly Facebook!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I am very fortunate to be surrounded by successful teacher mentors within my close friend base, family and extended family. They are the ones that I desperately seek help from the night before I am delivering a lesson plan and cannot find a hands on activity, or the ones that tell me "it's all going to be ok" in the end. 

The moment I was informed that my next block had me teaching a grade 4/5 split, immediately I thought of an extended family friend, who has been teaching in the junior/intermediate stream for close to twenty years to this day. She not only reassured me that split classes are nothing to be afraid of, but gave me some really excellent resources, one of which really stayed with me, that I'd like to share with YOU.

Welcome to edmodo! Take a look at the site, and see what your first impressions are, because I had one very initial thought.

http://www.edmodo.com/

The very first words that came out of my mouth were "WOW! It looks just like Facebook!" And, in reality, it does. The profiles, the news feeds and the homepage are completely identical. However, unlike Facebook, edmodo caters solely to students and teachers (even parents!), enhancing and promoting their learning needs. Edmodo prides itself in being a safe and easy way for your class to connect and collaborate, share content and access assignments and homework, their grades, even school notices (upcoming bake sale, dance tickets on sale tomorrow, etc). Edmodo's goal: "to help educators harness the power of social media to customize the classroom for each and every learner". 

What I love about edmodo, is that I can embrace, not turn my head away, from the fact that likely all of my grade 4/5s will already have active Facebook accounts. They are online sharing their thoughts, personal information, likes and dislikes, and connecting in a way that works for them. Edmodo allows me as a teacher to take this love for personal profile sharing, and incorporate educational learning strategies and networking opportunities that are very much a part of these students' futures. The site allows teachers to post messages, discuss classroom topics, manage calendars, assign and grade classwork, share content and materials, and exchange ideas with peers. Teacher's can create their own profile, which allows them to access and monitor all activity in their "classroom", and it allows students to create their own profiles as well. Most importantly, edmodo is a private, closed community and ultimately all activities are monitored at all times. Some features, for example, are removed from edmodo that you would find on a Facebook profile, to avoid obvious problems. The largest example of this is the "Facebook wall". There is no wall on edmodo, removing the temptation for students to interact inappropriately with one another. They can communicate with their teachers, their "subjects" (ask a question to "language arts") and on pages such as "homework help" and "assignment questions". Peer to peer activity is limited and closed.

There are also awards to be earned on edmodo, created by the teacher and given to students. This is where you can recognize students for their achievements in the classroom (Student of the Week, or Measurement Superstar perhaps), and a place where students can display all they have accomplished on their profiles. 

Go online! Look around, browse, check out some webinars, and read some testimonials. The site comes highly recommended and personally, I cannot wait to see how my students react!

Until next time ...

A

edmodo Image. (2012). [Online Image]. Retrieved from:
http://www.edmodo.com/

Little fish in a BIG new pond

To whoever is out there, hello!

When I started my teacher education this past September, I did not grasp how big of a world I was emerging myself into. As a fresh graduate proudly clutching my Bachelor of Arts, I was under the impression that I was here to learn, how to teach. However, now my fifth month deep into this program, I've realized I am still a student, and I am here to learn.

Things I have learned so far:

- There are a LOT of acronyms in this business (OCT, OSR, IEP, IPRC, QECO, OECTA) and they all mean VERY different things
- Lesson plans are an excellent way to map out my teaching, but as much as I enjoy how organized they make my practice, and I am happy that they are temporary
- The world, thankfully (and finally) is becoming an increasingly inclusive place, and it starts in our schools! There is a place for EVERYONE, and I am excited to prove that to all the students that I cross paths with
- When it comes to time management, it's a sink or swim concept! Grab some water wings and do your best to stay afloat!
- As much as I learn at Brock everyday, I have accepted that I will never learn it all, as learning to teach is on going

Lastly, though the schools days are long, I can say with confidence that everyday, I become more and more confident that one day I am going to be an effective, compassionate, "in-it-for-the-long-haul" teacher.

Wish me luck!

A