Term 1 Topic – The ANZAC

Throughout the term we have been looking at the ANZAC’s. We have investigated things such as the route the Australian’s took to get to Gallipoli, What is ANZAC day?, What is the last post?, What do they read out at ANZAC day?, Why should we commemorate it?, What does Respect mean?, Why did they go?, What does peace look like?, Where is Gallipoli? and What other battles were there during World War 1?. All these questions linked into the Australian Curriculum through Geography, History, Civic and Citizenship, Visual Art and Health. We watched lots of really great snap shot clips from Splash. We had lots of great discussions about what peace means. We wrote the ode in handwriting and talked about the meaning. Children drew the path the soldiers took from Albany to Egypt before heading to Gallipoli. We talked about the landing at Galliopoli and how horrible it must have been. We looked at the trenches and were amazed and fascinated about how the Australian’s left self shooting guns (so they could escape).We looked at the symbols of ANZAC day and what each one means, including the rising sun. The children enjoyed the whole unit and in the end we turned to look at what peace looks like. What would the young soldiers be thinking about what they would like for peace. We brainstormed ideas and ended up making a hand peace mural (this coincided with Harmony day). We also talked about how Australia was very thankful and why we should be thankful. They made little soldiers (including nurses) and wrote why they are thankful underneath. We finished off the unit by making slouch hats, poppies and making ANZAC biscuits with our lovely SSO- Jodie.

During the term each child had the opportunity to take home a bag. In the bag it included the book ANZAC TED,an army teddy from legacy and a questionnaire asking for any information on family members that have served. The learning behind this was to get the children in my class to understand the impact war had on so many families. The children collected pictures of family members and I made a presi presentation on every child’s story. They children love watching it. I have included it <a href="https://prezi.com/embed/syndy9h-pysx/?bgcolor=ffffff&lock_to_path=0&autoplay=0&autohide_ctrls=0#“>here.

Below is a slide show of all the things we did during term 1 in our unit on ANZAC Day. It would be wonderful if at the start of term 2 that some children can say they have attended the ANZAC Day service.

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Learning about number

This week we began learning about number. We are starting with place value. Today was hands on with children learning about the value of ones and tens and then we used our knowledge to show numbers. Here are some pics of our work.

Learning spaces term 3 2014

This term I have redesigned the classroom. Using the knowledge I have gained from implementing the daily five and being lucky enough to go to EduTech this year, I have created spaces within my classroom for independent and group activities. The children took to the change like ducks to water and with only a few hiccups I have changed the way I plan every subject. This term sees us doing individual research projects, making stop motion movies and investigating magnets. It’s a hugely exciting time for me and The one thing for me that is a oh yes moment is when I look at my programme book and see I am working more with individual children or small groups while others are working more independently.

My Recap on EduTech and the last few crazy weeks!

Recently I had the opportunity to go to Brisbane to attend Edutech 2014. For an ordinary educator to have the opportunity to go to a gathering of top researchers and educators was a huge blessing. To see what I saw in those two days has changed my teaching forever. I feel that I have always looked at new technology but to see what I have been thinking come to life was amazing. Recently I have been fortunate to go to Westbourne park primary school and observe their implementation of the Daily five. I picked up the book about a year ago and have been slowly implementing it. I have come across some challenges but to observe a school implementing it, it has been beneficial for my teaching. Then to go to Edutech and see the daily five methodology being promoted as a good way to teach really makes me think yeh I am on the right track. What really excited me was I went to Edutech with two other colleagues and my principal. We talked throughout the day and we bounced ideas off each other. To come back to school and know that at least two other educators are doing the same thing as me has made me feel valued. To know also that the changes you plan to make have already been seen by the principal makes me feel confident.

If I was to take one thing from Edutech it would be the presenter Sugata Mitra who has done research called the whole in the wall. It was amazing to see how someone could put a computer in front of a group of children who had not been exposed to a computer and give a few words and then sit back and watch the learning take place. To be told that to have a computer, laptop or ipad for only 1 in 4ish children makes sense (and more achievable in a pubic school). Having an educator that doesn’t know the answers but can help question you so you can work out the answer yourself is brilliant! I am so excited about going back to my school and starting to implement some of these strategies learnt.

Because I had the opportunity to go to Brisbane I now have the obligation to teach others at my school the strategies, thinking and skills I learnt. We are having a school closure and the four of us will present our findings. We must be careful not to overwhelm our staff but have enough passion and excitement so that other teachers will take up the challenge to buck the system and change our way of teaching so that children are ready for the 21st century. Next term I plan to look at the capabilities more and first and the content second (in the Australian Curriculum). I want to ask ungooglable questions so my children are challenged. I want to set my classroom up so that children have learning spaces not desk spaces. This is going to take a while but thanks to my colleagues we are already started that process but writing a letter to parents asking for equipment such as bean bags etc to make our spaces wonderful and comfortable. Another presenter from EduTech said small steps. I have made a goal that I will gather resources and by the end of next year I hope to have my classroom environment set up and on my way.

I love this new and forward thinking and to top it off next week I am attending The Writing Book workshop with Louise Dempsey. This is going to be great because one year ago I went to the reading book workshop by Sheena Cameron and my reading programme blossomed. As soon as the writing book was released I grabbed it and started using it. Both programmes work beautifully with the daily five methodology. To be given three fantastic opportunities this term has blown me away. Now I need to put my head down and turn my classroom into a 21st century classroom where children get the skills they will need to gain the jobs we haven’t invented yet!!

Well as all good teachers I have been too busy to publish this to my blog so I thought I would add a little more before I do. Today we had our student closure day. It was super with Selina Woodward teaching us Google Earth in the morning (something else to learn and use in my classroom!). The afternoon was dedicated to the four who went to EduTech. We built the session on Creativity and Collaboration. The session I guide was about our own classrooms. I highlighted some quotes from EduTech that related to taking one step at a time. Then I gave each teacher a piece of paper and asked them to draw their ideal classroom. We talked about the principal from Margaret River Primary School and what he has done at his school to guide them into the future. Most teachers had a good go. At the end of the session I gathered the pieces of paper and highlighted the first change they were going to make. I will now display them in the staffroom so that we can all see our journey.

We have to think creatively with how we are going to do this. I want so much but unless I win the lotto all my changes cannot come quickly. Baby steps. Watch this space!

It’s good to be appreciated

What a week! Term two is going soo quickly. This year is a big new challenge with taking on a different age group. It is a wonderful opportunity to extend my knowledge and widen my horizons. I have been working quite hard to set up my classroom so that everyone has an opportunity to learn. I have attended NEP meetings and working out how I can cater for the varing abilities in my class. This has taken me a good term and I can tell you right now that I don’t stop changing my programme to meet the changing needs of my kids. My programme changes on a regular basis. I have tried many communication strategies to keep in contact with parents. Last year I had all parents on email and they regularly came in. This year with a different group of parents I have one or two responding on email and I hope that the rest are reading my newsletters because I rarely see or hear from them. This interests me that teachers are not able to relax in their every day dealings with parents because it changes every year. We need to continue to use every avenue in the hope that parents are helping their child throughout the year. What made me smile like a Cheshire cat today was when one of my beautiful students came up to me with a pot of tulips and a box of chocolates. She said that her mum had heard on the radio that is was World Teacher Appreciation day today so she said I did a great job so here you go!!! I was lost for words.

Happy World Appreciation day to all you hard working teachers out there!! May your sleeps be peaceful and your days be busy but productive!!

I want my daddy……

This blog post is just like my life at the moment

I want my daddy…….

Mining in South Australia

p>We have been learning about our world this term. We have looked at the Layers of the Earth, rotation of the Earth, moon and sun, importants of water and lots of other Earthy information. I decided to look at what mines we have in South Australia. We use Atlas’ to find where they were. I had compiled a Notebook document about what each mineral mined looked like and what they were used for. We then discussed who is a stakeholder in mines but in particular Miners, farmers, State Government and Environmentalists. We then used our knowledge about expositions to discuss the opinion of each one. It was interesting the hear the children’s pros and cons for mining in South Australia. We have a few mining families within our class (including myself) and it was good to see people respecting each others views but also valuing them at the same time. We agreed that it is about balance. We concluded with an activity where the children received mining tools (tooth picks and serviettes) and then a piece of Earth (a double choc chip biscuit). The instructions were to mine the choc chips out doing minimal damage to the biscuit. It was a fantastic activity of persistence and determination. One child had a huge pile of chocolate where one child had no pile of chocolate (too good to resist) and lots of holes in a biscuit. We talked about how mining companies have to ensure the miners don’t take home the gold!  As an educator it is my job to teach children using a curriculum that is unbiased and encourages the children to ask questions and seek answers! I think this activity achieved this. They could see the sides of everyone and how our Earth is also important to care and look after. They also saw how Earth resources can and are used in our everyday life.

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Time poor = do more

Well. As my blog posts will show I have been a little too busy to write much this year. I feel the year has gone so fast but looking back I can see that I have achieved a lot. I love this time of the year when it is starting to look like Christmas, you can smell the holidays and I finished my reports last night! But on the home front I am going agh due to children’s dance concert, Christmas card writing, Christmas present buying, peppa pig concert (that’s cool) and birthday and end of year parties! I may appear time poor but I am also organizing my sons birthday party, Christmas Day arrangements, friends visiting and god knows what else! I think after the school year ends I am going to need the five weeks just to stop and breath before starting again.
Ah next year – what is it going to bring? I hope to go a little further with my lead teacher thinking. I also really want to start using more ideas from the Daily 5, Sheena Cameron’s writing and reading and also more Natural Maths by Ann Baker. I look forward to using more from the Australian Curriculum and buying and iPad and really starting to use it to enhance my programme.
Personally I look forward to being a mum and taking my daughter to school and spending one to one time with my son! I look forward to family time when my husband is home (the life of a fly in fly out family).
Next year holds so many hopes and dreams. Let’s hope next year I get a chance to write more posts.

The start of a new year!

The start of the new school year is so exciting. New children….New teaching ideas and a huge amount of energy to make this year the best teaching year yet. It is really exciting and I find it hard to stop doing school work. I jam pack school work into my lunch and recess times (when not doing yard duty) and then (due to my husband doing shift work) I sit down after the children have gone to bed and do more school work.

I use the computer and internet a lot and this year I have decided to do a science unit on my favourite animal ever!!……COWS. I have created a notebook file for the smartboard that is never ending and I am always adding things and changing things. Hopefully we can wrap it up with an excursion to a dairy and a cheese factory.

I am trying to make my maths programme more challenging so the ones that know the information can move forward. I also want to help the ones that dont get it move forward too. I have found pintrest. It gives you so many hands on ideas and ideas to help teach all the curriculum areas.

This year is a little more exciting because I have a straight year level class. I have never taught a straight year two class in my entire career (except reception) and feel that it is finally time where I can concentrate on teaching one aspect of the Australian Curriculum. Not juggling maths for year one and two at the same time.

Something facinating that I have found out this year that I never noticed before is the difference between a child that has come to me from a one two class and a child who came to me from a reception year one class. Due to most of the children working at a higher standard  in a year one and two class they are that little bit more independent. This facinates me and it makes the class a little bit more fun to establish.

I am trialling a new behaviour management tool this year, called class dojo. It is so far been fantastic. I have over half my parents on board and the children have changed their avatar at home and all. I love the idea where children are not working for the magic box any more. The reward they get is within because they beat their previous high record of good points for the day. I feel I am talking to parents more about their behaviour because they are coming in to tell me when they see a negative point or a positive point. I think it is going to be a great year.

I am revamping some of my ideas relating to literacy this year and it is being enhanced by attending a work event on monday with guest Sheena Cameron. Her books are so easy to just grab and work with.

So heres to a great and exciting year of fun and learning!!!!!

End of Term 3!

Where did the term go? No matter how many years you teach term 3 is always the hardest and feels like the longest. Due to working part time today was my last day of term. I pulled the childrens works down and handed it out and starting thinking about planning for next term. My main achievement for this term is we went on two excursions and all the children loved it. Term four is going to be an interesting and busy one. We have school concert, JP excursion, TEN weeks instead of nine, children’s testing, class placements and the joys of christmas craft! What a term it will be. My visions for next term are that my children try extra hard in their work and enjoy all my hard planning. I am hoping to continue to begin my class blog with my children and to find the time to hear all my children read regularly and also test more children on their site words. I now will try and sit back and enjoy my children and family for two weeks (inbetween getting all my planning done for term 4).