This blog began in Room 52 at AMG Junior and Senior Public School in 2011.
This site has followed me to a few schools since then and now joined the roster of retired blogs in the social media universe. The journey and reflection will continue in different and exciting spaces.
Room 52 remains one of the most significant places of teaching and learning for me and grateful to the students and staff who supported me there. Thank you.
I have had several History assignments handed in today. The due date was today and I respect the work that individuals put in. The final prints of the report cards will happen towards the end of the week and these items need to be in as soon as possible, so I have time to assess the work.
The reminder for 2 old History assignments have been removed. The deadline for those assignments (given out close to 6 weeks ago, has expired). The items listed above, are for the students in Room 52. Unfortunately, only a few students have handed work in for grading.
The following photos are in no particular order. There are some shots of our walk from Taylor Creek Park to Pottery Road. Some of them are nature shots from our walk. It was a great day!
As I mentioned in last week's post, I got around to finalizing a list of work items that students should complete before the last round of report card printing happens.
The lists, which are now posted at the front of the room, are for History and for the Language class I teach for 7C. I will get around to writing a note and sending it home, detailing what assignments are outstanding, but I suggest asking your son or daughter about it. I feel they should be accountable for the work they need to complete. This work is not hidden from them and is posted on the homework board and tracking chart.
correction: the list on the right should read 7A
There are students who have completed all of the required work for this term, so it is possible. I have very flexible timelines and allow students to hand in work, if they require extra time, but there comes a point where work will no longer be allowed in because time has run out.
The short, newspaper based assignment for History class has been updated. I made some changes to the assignment to make it clearer, posted some examples, and included a Success Criterion for the three parts (although you are only responsible for 1 or 2) of the assignment.
Check it out on Google Classroom. In addition, you will need the course code (on the front of Mr. Proudfoot's room, on the board) to get in. You were told to do this in early May.
Mathematics Review through gaming
Before playing some of these games, take a moment and watch the following videos. This one is from the Khan Academy:
This one is from the popular Math Antics website that we often use:
For the Math class taught by Chungfoot, there are a few games I would like you to check out.
There are countless other games which you could play online to reinforce some of the skills you are learning in class. These are a few to get you started to review what you have learned.
Once March Break passes, the year seems to speed up. Time does not change, but it feels quicker. I never imagined I would be thinking about some of the final posts, for this blog, for the school year.
Before blogging, I am working through a series of Excel worksheets and organizing marks, across a range of subject areas. As I do this, I will be making note of the students who have not completed certain items of work. I imagine that there will be about 2 weeks and a couple of days for students to catch up and complete assignments, before the final copies of the report cards are printed. So, there is still time to complete work.
There was a Math test today. It was posted up on the Homework chart, since last week.
Here is a panoramic shot of the History projects and jot note assignments. There should be more of them on the wall, yet I am proud of the efforts made by the students who respectfully followed and adhered to the deadline.
What has been really helpful, for a number of students, is the consistent use of the agenda. Here is a shot of Avery's agenda.
Using this item, on a regular basis, allows the student to keep track of what they need to do. It develops the skills of responsibility, initiative, and organization; all of which are life skills and part of the Learning Skills and Work Habits section of the report card.
In the Breezeway (space between the Gym, Auditorium, and the Library) are a series of photos taken from Camp Wahanowin. If you are near the school, drop in and have a look. Most of the shots are from the students, and 2 are from my "eye." Here is a small sampling:
The following are some photos of work we were reviewing for the Math test, which pairs both thinking from the Measurement and Algebra strand. We worked in groups, and on our own, to solve these questions.
completed by Gavin
At the time of writing this posting, I am awaiting the opportunity to review the upcoming History assignment with the students from 7B. I have tried to make it as student friendly as possible. I have provided options for completing it and the opportunities to work alone or in a group.
Once the assignment has been verified, I will have a handout for the students. Although the assignment sheet is comprised of 4 sheets of paper, it is intended to provide some guidance for them and answer any initial questions they may have.
If I could summarize the assignment, it would sound and look like this: The student(s), either on their own or in a group, will be required to create 2 out of 3 of the following formats for a newspaper page: 1. A news article. This is a sample from Writers Express workbook:
Like one of the exercises from the Grade 10 Literacy test, where you are required to write a news article, this format will be provided to assist you.
Once the assignment has been finalized, I will upload it on the Google Classroom site and post it on the Proudfoot Institute site as a Microsoft Word document.
In 7C, I have returned all of the rough copies of the Media assignment. Only 1 students still has to complete this. I have provided feedback based on what he set up in the Success Criteria for the assignment:
The final assignment is due on Thursday
Here is a shot of Nathaniel's and Avery's cat. They were both subjects/topics of yesterday's Community Circle.
Here is another video on how we learn, that uses some visuals and footage that explains the plasticity of our brains.
During a workshop, after school, we heard some more scientific research on how having a Growth Mindset can assist in the rewiring of the brain.
Why is this even important?
A lot of you may believe that intelligence, or how smart you think you are, is fixed. In other words, if you think it is impossible to improve in school, you may have a fixed way of thinking. New research suggests that it is possible for your brain to make new connections. These connections were talked about in the first video. So, it is possible that your brain, and how it works, can grow and make new connections in relation to understanding the world around us and habits we may develop.
Here is an updated version of the Success Criteria chart for our Media project. All items will be available on the Proudfoot Institute site or in the Language folder, in the classroom.
It seems like a long time since we have been in the class. Fortunately, for a number of students, we had the privilege of visiting Camp Wahanowin.
In this photo, we have just concluded doing a Community Circle from the adventures of last week, which may have included camp or what we did on the weekend.
We had a Math test two weeks ago, on calculating the area of a triangle. For some students, the option of doing Rewrites were available. Here is Kaia, completing it with the intention of improving her understanding of the material:
The next portion of the Math will look at calculating some missing variables. A handout was sent home walking the students through an example question. The students should read this, for homework, and be prepared to do some questions with Mr. Chung on Tuesday.
You should be able to access this page, and print off the note I gave out, from this page. It is located in the handouts and assignments section.
**update: I will also attempt to attach the Drake Pasta Lunch form, if one was not brought home. It is attached and named DPL in the same section where the Math handout is.
