Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The class did not attend Library today but will make up their period another time. Ms. Wills, our Teacher Librarian, was out at Indigo doing some shopping for the school.
The students shared, during Community Circle, some thoughts on the trip to Central Tech and the activities which took place when the Grade 7s helped out in the Grade 1 classroom.
We returned to our Measurement Unit on Time. I think I mentioned that it mostly a concept taught between Grades 1 and 5, but an important life skill. I realize that students can look at a digital clock to see the time, but there is value in being able to figure our information from an analog clock (understanding the concepts of a half, a quarter or the idea of elapsed time). I found an interesting site to play some Math games online and we will do this, hopefully tomorrow.
The students began to work on the Jigsaw exercise I mentioned either on Monday or Tuesday. All of the groups looked at small section of the article and wrote brief notes on their part. The experts will then present this to the class tomorrow. The original article is the second image from the bottom of the selection of images. Here are some photos of them at work.
HOMEWORK: Double sided Math sheet
The students shared, during Community Circle, some thoughts on the trip to Central Tech and the activities which took place when the Grade 7s helped out in the Grade 1 classroom.
We returned to our Measurement Unit on Time. I think I mentioned that it mostly a concept taught between Grades 1 and 5, but an important life skill. I realize that students can look at a digital clock to see the time, but there is value in being able to figure our information from an analog clock (understanding the concepts of a half, a quarter or the idea of elapsed time). I found an interesting site to play some Math games online and we will do this, hopefully tomorrow.
The students began to work on the Jigsaw exercise I mentioned either on Monday or Tuesday. All of the groups looked at small section of the article and wrote brief notes on their part. The experts will then present this to the class tomorrow. The original article is the second image from the bottom of the selection of images. Here are some photos of them at work.
HOMEWORK: Double sided Math sheet
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Today there will be an afternoon trip for the Grade 8s to attend a tour of Central Tech. Even if they are not attending that school, the exposure will be a positive one. They will be introduced to the size and general routines of a high school in the TDSB. The Grade 7 students will be assisting in the Grade One classroom.
The students had a double period of Music this morning and this did not allow for a lot of time for instruction. We did return to the article on the Occupy movements and began to watch a short, animated film. The link for it may be seen here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/video/2011/nov/16/99-v-1-occupy-data-animation
As we review the article, I am encouraging and guiding the students to use some reading strategies (questioning, looking at headlines and images) to help them comprehend the material. So far, I think the class has an overall understanding of what the phrase "we are the 99%" refers to. We will continue our discussion and activities tomorrow.
Here are a few images from the trip to Central Tech. I did not go on the walking tour with the students because Senior students from the host school did that. Ask your son or daughter how they enjoyed the tour and what they learned. The teachers from AMG spent some time talking with the Guidance Counselor about the importance of the students developing strong Learning Skills. I found it interesting that a great deal of maturity can take place between Grade 9 and 12 and the attitude and effort of learners can really shift for the better!
There is no homework tonight.
The students had a double period of Music this morning and this did not allow for a lot of time for instruction. We did return to the article on the Occupy movements and began to watch a short, animated film. The link for it may be seen here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/video/2011/nov/16/99-v-1-occupy-data-animation
As we review the article, I am encouraging and guiding the students to use some reading strategies (questioning, looking at headlines and images) to help them comprehend the material. So far, I think the class has an overall understanding of what the phrase "we are the 99%" refers to. We will continue our discussion and activities tomorrow.
Here are a few images from the trip to Central Tech. I did not go on the walking tour with the students because Senior students from the host school did that. Ask your son or daughter how they enjoyed the tour and what they learned. The teachers from AMG spent some time talking with the Guidance Counselor about the importance of the students developing strong Learning Skills. I found it interesting that a great deal of maturity can take place between Grade 9 and 12 and the attitude and effort of learners can really shift for the better!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
While I remained with the Grade 7s, the Grade 8s had a short presentation with some Science students from the University of Toronto.
Once the group returned, we continued our discussion about the Occupy movement. Today there was late breaking news about the protesters having to leave the site of their occupation. This news can be seen at the following link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/11/21/occupy-toronto-court-decision.html
After reading through the Reading Responses completed by the students, I decided that we will do a jigsaw activity with the article we read last week. A small group of students will become experts on a small portion of the article and then explain it to the class. I will model this tomorrow in class. We will then continue to do some work around the article, follow up with some other activities and then work our way towards evaluating (grading) the students' comprehension of the article.
We resumed Math after a break from doing it. We will focus on a life-skills section on time (for the strand of Measurement) and then move into some more problem solving/higher thinking type questions. Time, in the Measurement strand of Math, only goes up to Grade 5, but the skills needed to solve some of the more problem solving types questions will get them thinking.
Towards the end of the day, we continued to listen to the novel, The Giver. I had the students write a journal response today on their thoughts on the novel. I will check them tonight, but I reminded them that I want them to write in complete sentences.
Homework: Complete Journal (if it was not done in class); Grade 8s need to bring bus fare for a trip to Central Tech tomorrow afternoon
Once the group returned, we continued our discussion about the Occupy movement. Today there was late breaking news about the protesters having to leave the site of their occupation. This news can be seen at the following link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/11/21/occupy-toronto-court-decision.html
After reading through the Reading Responses completed by the students, I decided that we will do a jigsaw activity with the article we read last week. A small group of students will become experts on a small portion of the article and then explain it to the class. I will model this tomorrow in class. We will then continue to do some work around the article, follow up with some other activities and then work our way towards evaluating (grading) the students' comprehension of the article.
We resumed Math after a break from doing it. We will focus on a life-skills section on time (for the strand of Measurement) and then move into some more problem solving/higher thinking type questions. Time, in the Measurement strand of Math, only goes up to Grade 5, but the skills needed to solve some of the more problem solving types questions will get them thinking.
Towards the end of the day, we continued to listen to the novel, The Giver. I had the students write a journal response today on their thoughts on the novel. I will check them tonight, but I reminded them that I want them to write in complete sentences.
Homework: Complete Journal (if it was not done in class); Grade 8s need to bring bus fare for a trip to Central Tech tomorrow afternoon
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
In preparation for the upcoming Parent Conferences, the students are continuing to work through their self-assessments of the Learning Skills. These should be ready and available for you to see during your interview time on Thursday or Friday. Most of the class, as I have probably mentioned, are understanding what it means to develop an action plan to make there goal come true. The challenge will be in remembering what to do on a day to day basis. To assist them, I think I will type out their goal and action plan for each Learning Skill and have them place it on their desk so they can see it. I will not get around to doing this until after the interviews on Friday, November 18.
A useful link to a file from the York Region District School Board may shed some light on the importance of these Learning Skills. I believe these skills are just as important as any academic skill I will teach to your son or daughter in their two years with me. http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/pdfs/w/schools/LearningSkillsandWorkHabitsBrochure.pdf
Small groups were formed to begin a more intensive and collaborative effort at Reading Comprehension. A number of students feel intimidated by getting information from an article so I decided to try a group approach to dealing with the anxiety. Using the current events news publication that I have mentioned before, What in the World, the group returned to the article an Moammar Gadhafi. The students were in small groups and assigned the same set of questions. Here are some of the group answers on chart paper. Because I am trying to get everyone in the habit of writing in full, complete sentences, that was something I was looking for in all of the answers.
As you can see, some of the groups wrote answers in sentences and some did not. We reviewed the answers from the section of the publication as well as some answers I wrote. This was an example of modelling both for Reading and Writing in terms of comprehending the passage as well as communicating effectively with complete thoughts and ideas.
The class now has another reading passage that they will work on on their own concerning the Occupy movements which have been taking place around the world. There are some abstract and new ideas in the article and I will take it step by step in order to break it down. The article was read in class and a Reading Response was assigned for last night (November 16). I will assess these and then break the class into groups where they will become experts on a small section of the article. In addition to this, they will view some news clips to supplement their understanding of the material. All of this will be done prior to any form of evaluation.
By the end of the day, all of the Drama groups should be complete in having a rehearsal time in front of the class. Each group was provided with detailed feedback about how they could improve their performances. The feedback involved reminders to the group about the Historical Concepts we have been discussing. These concepts are being extended to discussions we are having about the late Moammar Gadhafi and the upcoming discussions around the Occupy movements. I managed to film three of the groups rehearsing and I will attempt to upload the videos. If they are not present on the blog, it means that I ran into some technical challenges. I will look into these challenges and see if I can solve them.
A useful link to a file from the York Region District School Board may shed some light on the importance of these Learning Skills. I believe these skills are just as important as any academic skill I will teach to your son or daughter in their two years with me. http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/pdfs/w/schools/LearningSkillsandWorkHabitsBrochure.pdf
Small groups were formed to begin a more intensive and collaborative effort at Reading Comprehension. A number of students feel intimidated by getting information from an article so I decided to try a group approach to dealing with the anxiety. Using the current events news publication that I have mentioned before, What in the World, the group returned to the article an Moammar Gadhafi. The students were in small groups and assigned the same set of questions. Here are some of the group answers on chart paper. Because I am trying to get everyone in the habit of writing in full, complete sentences, that was something I was looking for in all of the answers.
The class now has another reading passage that they will work on on their own concerning the Occupy movements which have been taking place around the world. There are some abstract and new ideas in the article and I will take it step by step in order to break it down. The article was read in class and a Reading Response was assigned for last night (November 16). I will assess these and then break the class into groups where they will become experts on a small section of the article. In addition to this, they will view some news clips to supplement their understanding of the material. All of this will be done prior to any form of evaluation.
By the end of the day, all of the Drama groups should be complete in having a rehearsal time in front of the class. Each group was provided with detailed feedback about how they could improve their performances. The feedback involved reminders to the group about the Historical Concepts we have been discussing. These concepts are being extended to discussions we are having about the late Moammar Gadhafi and the upcoming discussions around the Occupy movements. I managed to film three of the groups rehearsing and I will attempt to upload the videos. If they are not present on the blog, it means that I ran into some technical challenges. I will look into these challenges and see if I can solve them.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Today was Remembrance Day at AMG. After Gym class, we headed down for the Gym for a cross-grade presentation of music and poetry. Since I was the MC, I was not able to take that many photos of the event, but here are two.
I am hoping to link some of the topics discussed today to the History Drama rehearsals on Monday. The groups worked on the presentations on Thursday and I have a few images of them at work. The group also came up with a Success Criteria chart to determine what the important things are for this project. This "anchor chart" will remain at the front of the room until this is completed so the students can make reference to it as they practice.
I had some video footage of the group doing a warm-up exercise for Drama, but I am having some difficulty uploading it.
We spent a good part of the afternoon doing the second portion of a Guidance activity the class started with Mr. Rodriguez. It involved them looking at the remaining Learning Skills we did not discuss: Collaboration, Self Regulation, Independent Work, and Initiative. In groups they worked out what were the important points or characteristics for each of the skills. Most of the groups only ended up missing a couple of items from the list of options. So, it is great that they can recognize the skills needed to "master" a particular learning skills, but it will require hard work to put it into action. This is why I believe that having these skills at the foundation of my program is crucial. Here are some of the photos of the groups after the work.
After this, the students began a self assessment exercise on the Learning Skills on the report card. There are six of the skills, but I will only do 1 or 2 per day. They are required to think of a goal -- based on the skill -- and then to set a course of action to make it happen. I did an example on the board based on one of my own areas in need of improvement.
The plans will be available to check out during the conferences next week that we will have.
Friday ended off with watching a film on Santa Claus. It is not intended to foster any particular religious affiliation but it was an examination of the cult figure status of Santa. Here is the link to more info on the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1833652/
Here are a few images from our session of Reading Buddies that I took. The students are really enjoying themselves. Some of the students in Room 52 are needing some direction because they are not taking the leadership role as serious as they should be. Overall, I think the program is quite a success. You can judge this by looking at some of the expressions on the faces of the students.
Homework: All jot notes and reading of the Book Talk books must be completed for Tuesday; Census information sheets need to be returned on Monday; $.50 donation for Poppies for the Ontario Legion
We spent a good part of the afternoon doing the second portion of a Guidance activity the class started with Mr. Rodriguez. It involved them looking at the remaining Learning Skills we did not discuss: Collaboration, Self Regulation, Independent Work, and Initiative. In groups they worked out what were the important points or characteristics for each of the skills. Most of the groups only ended up missing a couple of items from the list of options. So, it is great that they can recognize the skills needed to "master" a particular learning skills, but it will require hard work to put it into action. This is why I believe that having these skills at the foundation of my program is crucial. Here are some of the photos of the groups after the work.
After this, the students began a self assessment exercise on the Learning Skills on the report card. There are six of the skills, but I will only do 1 or 2 per day. They are required to think of a goal -- based on the skill -- and then to set a course of action to make it happen. I did an example on the board based on one of my own areas in need of improvement.
The plans will be available to check out during the conferences next week that we will have.
TFriday ended off with watching a film on Santa Claus. It is not intended to foster any particular religious affiliation but it was an examination of the cult figure status of Santa. Here is the link to more info on the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1833652/
Homework: All jot notes and reading of the Book Talk books must be completed for Tuesday; Census information sheets need to be returned on Monday; $.50 donation for Poppies for the Ontario Legion
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Tuesday, October 8, 2011
The groups got to work on their History/Drama projects today. Each group started to develop ideas for presenting the historical concepts we have been talking about. I did not take photos of them working and developing their ideas, but I will do this tomorrow once I provide each group with some detailed feedback about their ideas. After they have reviewed my constructive feedback, they will make changes before they begin to rehearse in front of the class.
Each group has several option on the forum in which they can perform. It can be in the form of a chant, a tableaux (or still image), a role play, in a storytelling format, or as an interview. We did a fun drama warm-up exercise involving a cloth. Each student had to explain how it might be used and then dramatize the use of it. Here are a few photos from the exercise.
The class continued to develop their Book Talks/Chat assignments with Ms. Wills in the Library using the Photostory program. The jot notes will continue to be done for homework. When the students return to the Library next Tuesday, they will begin to fill in the details of the book they are reading in the program under the supervision of Ms. Wills.
I have my eye on using a fun movie maker program to showcase the writing and directing skills of the students. It will involve using a program called Xtranormal. Check out the website http://www.xtranormal.com/ for more information. More details to come. We will be reviewing the skills of writing simple and compound sentences. Here are a few of the sentences we created, as a group, today.
HOMEWORK: Complete jot notes for Chapter 6 and 7 in Language notebook; return Interview confirmation forms for next week's interviews.
Each group has several option on the forum in which they can perform. It can be in the form of a chant, a tableaux (or still image), a role play, in a storytelling format, or as an interview. We did a fun drama warm-up exercise involving a cloth. Each student had to explain how it might be used and then dramatize the use of it. Here are a few photos from the exercise.
The class continued to develop their Book Talks/Chat assignments with Ms. Wills in the Library using the Photostory program. The jot notes will continue to be done for homework. When the students return to the Library next Tuesday, they will begin to fill in the details of the book they are reading in the program under the supervision of Ms. Wills.
I have my eye on using a fun movie maker program to showcase the writing and directing skills of the students. It will involve using a program called Xtranormal. Check out the website http://www.xtranormal.com/ for more information. More details to come. We will be reviewing the skills of writing simple and compound sentences. Here are a few of the sentences we created, as a group, today.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
This entry will not be very long as it comes in the middle of preparation of the Progress Reports. Parent Teacher conferences will be on the evening of November 17 and the morning of the 18th. I will be sending home a sheet for conference time preferences on Monday.
The class completed watching a film that was referred to me from the Strength Based Resilience program I and Mrs. Machado are a part of. It is called October Sky and, to quote from Amazon. ca:
"...Based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr., October Sky emerged as one of the most delightful sleepers of 1999--a small miracle of good ol' fashioned movie-making in the cynical, often numbingly trendy Hollywood of the late 20th century. Hickam's true story begins in 1957 with Russia's historic launch of the Sputnik satellite, and while Homer (played with smart idealism by Jake Gyllenhaal) sees Sputnik as his cue to pursue a fascination with rocketry, his father (Chris Cooper) epitomizes the admirable yet sternly stubborn working-man's ethic of the West Virginia coal miner, casting fear and disdain on Homer's pursuit of science while urging his "errant" son to carry on the family business--a spirit-killing profession that Homer has no intention of joining." http://www.amazon.ca/October-Sky-Jake-Gyllenhaal/dp/B0006FYOTC
In any case, the purpose of viewing it was to focus in on the determination of the movie's main character, Homer. He had a dream and was driven to follow it in spite of the voices of opposition around him. It was quite inspiring. I will talk a little bit about it on Monday.
The students had Health with Mr. Moye today along with their French Culture class with Madame Tucsa.
In the morning we continued our discussion about the Holocaust. I compared the brainstorm from a couple of days ago with some definitions I recorded on the chart paper. Here is the paper:
This discussion will continue and I will make a point of linking this discussion with some of the "Historical Concepts" I posted a few days ago. Making this connections makes history animated and dynamic. A number of years ago, I received a really great publication from the Canadian Jewish Congress which looked at the history of oppression, Anti-Semitism, and bigotry in Canada. It came with a DVD which I will selectively use with the class.
On a different note, our class worked with the Kindergarten class today. I did not take a lot of photos, but here are two shots I quite like. Enjoy the weekend, if you are able to.
HOMEWORK: Read 2 more chapters in the Book Talk Book and record jot notes for them. I am hoping that the reading of the Book Talk books will be wrapped up within the next couple of weeks. I do not want the reading of the books to draw out too long. I want the students to remain engaged, happy and interested in the books they are going to read and present to the class.
The class completed watching a film that was referred to me from the Strength Based Resilience program I and Mrs. Machado are a part of. It is called October Sky and, to quote from Amazon. ca:
"...Based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr., October Sky emerged as one of the most delightful sleepers of 1999--a small miracle of good ol' fashioned movie-making in the cynical, often numbingly trendy Hollywood of the late 20th century. Hickam's true story begins in 1957 with Russia's historic launch of the Sputnik satellite, and while Homer (played with smart idealism by Jake Gyllenhaal) sees Sputnik as his cue to pursue a fascination with rocketry, his father (Chris Cooper) epitomizes the admirable yet sternly stubborn working-man's ethic of the West Virginia coal miner, casting fear and disdain on Homer's pursuit of science while urging his "errant" son to carry on the family business--a spirit-killing profession that Homer has no intention of joining." http://www.amazon.ca/October-Sky-Jake-Gyllenhaal/dp/B0006FYOTC
In any case, the purpose of viewing it was to focus in on the determination of the movie's main character, Homer. He had a dream and was driven to follow it in spite of the voices of opposition around him. It was quite inspiring. I will talk a little bit about it on Monday.
The students had Health with Mr. Moye today along with their French Culture class with Madame Tucsa.
In the morning we continued our discussion about the Holocaust. I compared the brainstorm from a couple of days ago with some definitions I recorded on the chart paper. Here is the paper:
On a different note, our class worked with the Kindergarten class today. I did not take a lot of photos, but here are two shots I quite like. Enjoy the weekend, if you are able to.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
I have added a link to the site for Teaching Kids News. It is a free, Canadian resource to discuss current events with your son or daughter. I have used this before and it is accessible for the students.
Of the many things we did today, the class did a diagnostic assessment (a "test" that does not count for marks and lets me know what the students understand) for time. Time is part of the measurement unit and an important life skill. I am aware that students are often equipped with digital watches and smartphones, but I believe the skill in being able to read a analog clock is invaluable.
Most of the students in the class have now found a novel to read for the Book Talk. I have a book, pictured below, that I will model for the class about how to create a Book Talk. I have tried to load the Microsoft Photostory application on my computer, but I was unsuccessful with this. For homework, the students need to complete jot notes for the first chapter of the book they are reading. This is to be done in the Language notebook.
Some of the students still needed to exchange books for titles that they were able to read and comprehend. If you have a moment, please ask them about the book they are reading and have them read a small portion of it to you.
Even though it is mid-week, we started to talk a little bit about Holocaust Education Week. We began our discussion by finding out how much the class knew on the topics of The Holocaust and Genocide. Here is what we have come up with so far:
Underneath the words are more technical definitions of the words which we will subsequently explore. The topics are heavy and it is my hope to offer some balance to it by emphasizing the resiliency of the survivors and the support and hope offered by those who worked in solidarity with the oppressed.
Homework: Jot notes for Chapter 1 of BTB (Book Talk Book)
Of the many things we did today, the class did a diagnostic assessment (a "test" that does not count for marks and lets me know what the students understand) for time. Time is part of the measurement unit and an important life skill. I am aware that students are often equipped with digital watches and smartphones, but I believe the skill in being able to read a analog clock is invaluable.
Most of the students in the class have now found a novel to read for the Book Talk. I have a book, pictured below, that I will model for the class about how to create a Book Talk. I have tried to load the Microsoft Photostory application on my computer, but I was unsuccessful with this. For homework, the students need to complete jot notes for the first chapter of the book they are reading. This is to be done in the Language notebook.
Even though it is mid-week, we started to talk a little bit about Holocaust Education Week. We began our discussion by finding out how much the class knew on the topics of The Holocaust and Genocide. Here is what we have come up with so far:
Homework: Jot notes for Chapter 1 of BTB (Book Talk Book)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
November 1, 2011
I have added the really cool tool, Google Translate to the blog for parents who speak a language other than English. It is in the top left hand corner. Simply click it to bring up the options.
November 1, 2011
I have added the really cool tool, Google Translate to the blog for parents who speak a language other than English.
Monday October 31 and Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A great portion of the day was spent getting prepared for the Book Talk assignments. We spent an extra period with our Teacher Librarian, Ms. Wills, thinking about the assignment and kind of books we would like to read. It is unfortunate that I cannot post documents here, but I take a photo over the next couple of days of the template we are using for the assignment.
We will be using Microsoft Photostory for this assignment. It was used last year for the Health projects. Here is the Wikipedia link for information about the product: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_Story
It is free and you are free to download it and have your son or daughter use it for fun or to practice with the book they have selected. Mrs. Machado and I had each student read through one paragraph of the book they chose and we asked them a few comprehension questions about the passage. If the book appeared too difficult, we are asking them to select another title (they will do this on Wednesday). I am planning on selecting a book from the Library and using it as a "read-a-loud" and as a way to model the assignment for them.
The final members of the School Band will be announced, I believe, on Wednesday or Thursday and I will be sure to post the results.
Many thanks to those students who made correction on the most recent Math test and significantly improved their grades. Mrs. Machado worked with some of the students, in a small group, to assist them with the understanding of the work.
I did not get to post photos from the students who were in costumes yesterday. Here are the photos. I hope you had a safe and satisfying Halloween:
There was no homework assigned, but the Ideal Society/Community project is due tomorrow.
We will be using Microsoft Photostory for this assignment. It was used last year for the Health projects. Here is the Wikipedia link for information about the product: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_Story
It is free and you are free to download it and have your son or daughter use it for fun or to practice with the book they have selected. Mrs. Machado and I had each student read through one paragraph of the book they chose and we asked them a few comprehension questions about the passage. If the book appeared too difficult, we are asking them to select another title (they will do this on Wednesday). I am planning on selecting a book from the Library and using it as a "read-a-loud" and as a way to model the assignment for them.
The final members of the School Band will be announced, I believe, on Wednesday or Thursday and I will be sure to post the results.
Many thanks to those students who made correction on the most recent Math test and significantly improved their grades. Mrs. Machado worked with some of the students, in a small group, to assist them with the understanding of the work.
I did not get to post photos from the students who were in costumes yesterday. Here are the photos. I hope you had a safe and satisfying Halloween:
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