Showing posts with label multi-age groupings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label multi-age groupings. Show all posts

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Chromebook Workshop: Collaborative Spring Poems with Heather C’s Class

Aargh! I wrote this post yesterday during EQAO testing and then promptly deleted it this afternoon! I have tried several ways to revert to the earlier post, but can’t figure it out.
Heather C's 1/2s joined us for a Collaborative Poem writing workshop. In Room 209, we love writing poems together, especially on the Chromebooks!

The steps for writing collaborative poems were as follows:
1. Big Buddies from Room 209 paired with Little Buddies from Heather C’s class.
2. The Big Buddies became “Co-Pilots” and the Little Buddies became “Pilots”, in charge of what was going on
3. Pilots selected a topic related to spring
4. Together, Pilot and Co-Pilot began writing a poem on the Google Drive, focusing on using sensory information, alliteration and rhythm to make their poems very powerful
5. After five minutes, Pilot and Co-Pilot virtually “passed” the poem to another group by sharing the doc on the Google Drive
6. Pilot and Co-Pilot then took five minutes to read and continue the poem they received
7. Poems were passed five times
8. After adding to a fifth poem, Pilot and Co-Pilot returned to their original poem and edited and revised it, making sure they liked the sound and feel of the poem
9. PIlot and Co-Pilot then formatted the poem, changing the font if they wished, adding a photo to enhance the poem, and adding an optional photo of the poets who started it.

Please enjoy their work!
Butterflies, a poem started by Hunter and Noah
Butterflies, a poem started by Laryssa and Amira
Blowing, a poem started by Camden and Grayson
The Ceiling, a poem started by Jack and Charlie
Trees, a poem started by Ellis and Orayo
Hello and Goodbye, a poem started by Johnny and Trey
Spring Makes Me, a poem started by Molly and Ava
Spring Flowers, a poem started by Nat, Mackenzie and Annika
Spring Flowers, a poem started by Erika and Rowan
Spring, a poem started by Aaron, Madi and Ian
Sun, a poem started by Vickie and Frances

These workshops have been so valuable for the Rainbow Eggheads. It’s been great to share  our skills and resources with other classes and collaborate to create interesting projects.

Tuesday, 3 June 2014

Chromebook Workshop: Collaborative Poems with Erin's Class

We led a Chromebook Workshop for Erin's grade 1/2s. This is a class of poets who just had an Evening Coffee House for their families. We helped them to work on poems using the Chromebooks, sharing them every five minutes.

For details on the process, see this post.

Enjoy our collaborative poems:
Butterflies, started by Hannah and Kaia
The Ceiling, started by Charlie and Jack
Tiger, started by Alia and Yaro
Radioactive Underwear, started by Pat and Felix
Dogs, started by Dia and Gabby
The Trampoline, started by Nils and Stuart
Playing, started by Fiona and Sarah
Peacocks, started by Addie and Madi
Trees, started by Olivia and Vickie
Monkeys, started by Nat and Dilan
Cats, started by Kaleigh and Mia
Soccer, started by Alex and Emmett

Star Wars, started by Jackson and Keenan
The Magical Bunny, started by Clara and Sonia

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

Twitter Workshop With Gillian's Class

On Monday, we led two more Chromebook Workshops for little buddies! We paired up with Gillian's class to teach them how to use Twitter. They started a Twitter account that you can visit: @the3gggs 

Gillian's Great Graders (the 3 Gs!) are hooked on Twitter now! They Tweeted away while they were on a field trip to the Museum of Science and Tech.

In our workshop, Gillian's students each wrote a tweet introducing themselves. We checked who had media permission and made sure that those who did not have media permission used only their first initial and did not post any photos of themselves. Findley's introduction was very cute! Each of Gillian's students then wrote a second tweet, describing something they are learning. Tom talked about liquids and solids. Finally, each little buddy included a picture in their tweet. Jayme showed some awesome math she is learning!

It's great to tweet when you have a class account and one of the ways for followers to enjoy seeing what is going on in a classroom is for each student to sign his or her name after a tweet.

I know that I am really enjoying seeing Gillian's class, from the inside! Even though we're only across the hall, it's a way for us to feel like flies on the wall in her room and see what's going on during the day!

Monday, 26 May 2014

What Stuck With Us Today - May 26th - Ryan's Well and 2 Chromebook Workshops!

What stuck with you today?Anything else you'd like your class to know?What's your name?
1. The presentation from the person from Ryan's Well. I learnt some new cool stuff about them.
2. The Chromebook workshops. It's good to practice them 'cause we'll be doing them in the future.
3. Track and field. I'm actually kinda good at passing the baton, I just have to get the timing a bit better.
Nope.Pat
just try even if you cant -Ryan wells

kinders are awesome-G class




philip
What stuck me today was Ignite. I was fun to start working on it and I have lots of great ideas for my presentation. Gabby
Today what stuck with me was making pass around poems with Erin's class, it was really fun! Ours was about a magical bunny named Funny.Clara
Today, starting the Ignite stuck because last year, it was really fun and I am so excited to do it again this year!
Also teaching Erin's class stuck because it was fun for both you and your buddie, although II did not do Gillians class, it was still very cool!
Nope.Vickie
the ryans well presentationbananalarry
Today what stuck with me is 3 things :
1. i really liked doing the chromebook workshop with our reading buddies
(we all did a tweet on twitter about something educational that our little
buddies learned in school)
2. we did 2 chromebook workshops one in teh morning with erins class
(but i only go to do one workshop)
3. and, the ryans well presentation in the gym
nopeErika
I liked showing my buddy what twitter is and showing her how to tweet. I also learned about a liger for my presentation.My puppy finally knows how to sit!Millie
What stuck with me was Ryans well its was really interesting to see the story of all how it happened
What also stuck with me was the poems with erin's class it was really cute.
Thomas!
EVERYTHING WAS AWESOME!!!!!nope not today Yaro!
that i wasn't as good at tweeting as i thought i was
i worked with new people
and that ryan had a movie made about him and that girls had to carry two really big jugs of water and a baby on there back
Kaleigh awesome
starting to work on IgniteNOPEJack
A well costs $2000 big boys.Natapus
I thought that the Ryans Well presentation was very interesting
I also am excited for my Ignite presentation
I Thought that we didn't do much today
Alex
What stuck with me was todays workshop was Gillians class. It was soo cute!!!Camden
Whats stuck with me today is our work shops. I was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the on with Erins class because the poems were fun! I also really like the Ryans well presentation because the video was awesome!Nope :)Hannah
I really like it when we worked with gillians class
I also liked the assembly
and Mc pufferson
Aaron McLeod
1.ignite

2.gonoodle

3.todays workshop
J4CK$0N(Jackson)
I am glad that I got to work with two buddies in the toolboxes. Yay we got an new gonoodle caricature. I am glad that we had a lot of Physical activity today.Johnny
im grumpy now
nothing
stuff
nolarry
the chromebook work shopM!GU3L
What stuck with me today was helping are buddies from gillians set up twitter and learn about twitter Thomas!

Thursday, 22 May 2014

What Stuck With the Grade 5s - when the grade 6s were away at MacSkimming

What stuck with you today?Anything else you'd like your class to know?What's your name?
What's stuck with me today the quadrilateral slideshow, I didn't get enough time to finish it because Gillian needed help but I'm going to finish it at home. Hannah
What stuck with me was that platypuses get bigger by the farther you go down south of Australia.Natapus
not going to mac skimming is funstay back you'll get free stuffHUNTER!!!
I had fun being in gillians classYaro
Being in another classroom helped reflect on the class and look in what they are doing.Johnny
What stuck with me today was working on my Un-Disney story! I think it will be really good!Gabby
nothingbender {ellis}
what stuck with me was helping andrew with music because it was really funMadi
That we got to go in another class room.Johnny
it was fun working in Gillians class doing work without anyone telling you what to do and having the plan therenot todayYaro
Today, writing the stories stuck, I LOVE writing an getting to re-write a disney story was really fun and I got to make it my own!Nope.Vickie
What's stuck with me today is staying in Gillians class the whole day, I found it really fun and I'm excited for tomorrow (even tho I miss you).HAVE FUN!!!AND I HOPE THAT YOU LIKE THE CLASS YOUR STAYING IN AND YEAH!!!!!Hannah
Maxgaming NoOceanna
being in a 1/2 classJ4CK$0N(Jackson)

Friday, 16 May 2014

Chromebook Workshop With Alena's Class

Today we did our first Chromebook workshop with Alena's class! They did the "Collaborative slideshow" one. What we did is I (Pat) made a form and three sideshows related to the grade two/three curriculum and Alena's class with a room 209 buddy voted on witch slide show they want to do and worked on a slide on that one. The three slideshows are below.



Clara and Leah took some of their Chromebook workshop time to create a form. Please answer their "Favourite Animal" survey below:

Friday, 9 May 2014

An Adorable May Sharing

May Sharing

The Big Dance (Gillian and Natalie’s classes, Dance Mania)
-it had many different dances from around the world -Clara
-I caught on that it was different dances from around the world because the music was changing. They all were in sync and knew what they were doing. -Skye
-It was really fun to do the dancing-Laryssa

The Fire Dance (Alena’s class)
-I really liked it, I like how Alena’s class came up with it -Gabby
-It was, they had glow sticks and fake fires and it was in the darkness -Ali
-I liked the Fire Dance because they all knew what htey were doing, I’m pretty sure they practiced for a long time. I thought they were going to use fire -Jackson
-Everybody wore black, they just wanted to see the glow sticks and fire-Luis

Walrus’ Gift
-I liked how they read the book out loud and it was kids instead of teachers. Next time, they should all speak up -Molly
-I really liked it how they had different people instead of just one person -OC
-I liked that was a really calm story -Tom
-you shouldn’t exclude people -Lailah

Worms (Kindergarteners)
-it was cute how they kindergarteners were doing it-Lailah
-iot was really funny because worms like to listen to rap music and then when they showed us how big worms are -Ellis
-I found it really funny and I think it was really interesting because I learned stuff. I learned that along with horses and other animals, worm poo is used as fertilizer -Pat

WITS Videos (Room 209 and Roy’s class)
-I thought about the WITS videos it was funny. The part when Brody did the motion with his hands -Lochlan
-I liked the same thing as Lochlan-James
-I liked the one where they were in the library-Tom
-They tell you not to bully - Sam
-Don’t just say mean things or push - Lilah
-You should ignore it if someone is bothering you - Alex
-Walk Away - Sam
-Talk it Out - Clara
-Seek Help, Get Help - Tom

Thursday, 16 January 2014

Henry The Horseshoe Crab! - by Pat

Hector (from Gillian's class) brought In a dead Horseshoe Crab in and showed us it in reading buddies. Here's a couple facts about Horseshoe Crabs: They can live up to 40 years, they have compound eyes so they can see three feet above them, adult females are bigger than the males, and it's tail looks like a weapon, but it's not! It's used as a rutter to navigate through the sand and it can turn over when it's on  it's back, but if it can't, it'll die!

By Pat


Thursday, 26 September 2013

Working with Buddies

One of the most fun things that we do at Churchill is work in multi-age groups. We have already had a chance to buddy up with four other classes for our weekly Math Buddies sessions on Fridays. Tiiu, Heather C, Roy, Stacey and our class get together every week and work on awesome Math skills. We have already measured ourselves with "height snakes", estimated and measured ourselves with hands and will be doing a math problem about robots tomorrow!

We also love to buddy up with Roy's class and help them out in the computer lab.


We get to work with younger students many times in the day, doing Lunch Monitor shifts, and walking younger students out to recess and to their buses.

The students in Room 209 take their role modelling and responsibilities very seriously and many of them spent most of the Terry Fox run with their Little Buddies, making sure they felt comfortable and had the best time possible!

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Genius Hour #1

We are doing this cool new thing called Genius Hour. Genius Hour is where we do something with a purpose. It is kind of instead of Friday Free Time, which was where we basically do whatever we want. This time, we are doing Genius Hour!
Here are some examples of the things we do in Friday Free Time:
-play random games
-play with blocks
-SOMETIMES work on something that has a point
-goof around
Here are some of the things we do in Genius Hour:
-take things apart (example: toaster)
-record a song and put it on the class YouTube or blog
-write a story with Heather C’s grade 1s or 2s
-endangered species small projects

by Lauren and Millie

 Hunter created a strange little monster and then dissected it!
 Laryssa created some beautiful Plasticene crafts for her grandmother and their family Easter celebration


Haydon created Plasticene characters and used one of the class iPads to film Stop Motion animations.


 
Genius Hour Expectations:

Purpose:
-to be doing something that is useful but that you are not already doing for school - Fiona
-something productive have a goal! - Hunter
-you can work in groups or independently -Fiona
-it might not fit into a category/subject at school - Laryssa
-you may start to bring in supplies for Genius Hour - Pat
-if you’re NOT SURE, just CHECK!

Brainstorm ideas:
-take something apart (toaster) (CHECK WITH PARENTS and SHAUNA FIRST!) - Hunter
-make something - Gabby
-art project, make a painting - Kaleigh
-be an imagineer, make a model of a ride, submit it to Disney - Pat
-practice programming on Hopscotch - Shauna
-make a Puppet Pals video with a student from Heather C’s class about Skippyjon Jones - Shauna
-record yourself singing a song and post it on our Youtube channel - Shauna
-make a Show Me about Math - Jack
-create a Sifteo game - Fin
-draw on Paint with the new drawing pad - Fin
-install the new webcam - Shauna
-research an apple, make a Smart Ideas about it, make a whole project about it - Thomas
-make a Plasticene earth and split it in half - Molly
-make a video game - Hunter
-make a board game - Shauna
-make a Math game - Miggy
-do a project on “boys” and “girls” toys - Fiona
-draw something and label it with the drawing pad (an organ, for example) - Fin
-make something with Plasticene - Sophia
-make a news report - Madi

Liam and Daniel recorded themselves singing.

Friday, 26 April 2013

Pink T-Shirt Bullying Poems

We wrote Bully, Bullied and Bystander Poems with students from Dana's class. Fiona does a great job explaining the process below...
 













Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Working on Bully/Bullied/Bystander Poems with Dana's Class





Working with Dana’s class

-worked really, really, really well (Hunter)

-He came up with the ideas, I wrote it down (Ethan)

-I think we should work with partners more, I have trouble staying up, but this helps me because I’m doing something all the time (Pat)
-I really liked how we did partners with a younger grade because we had two brains working together. Some ideas you agreed on, some you didn’t, but it was interesting to have two different perspectives. (Fiona)

-I gave him a whole bunch of suggestions and he chose the one that worked best and put them in his own words. (Vickie)

-I found it confusing because my partner didn’t always stay on the subject. (Laryssa)

-I really like working in partners with kids from another grade because we have different experiences. (Thomas)

-I really liked being in the perspective of the bully, bullied and bystander and thinking about what you’d do. (Thomas)

-I think it was really fun working with another grade because me and my partner worked really well together and we both came up with really good topics. (Dan)

-I thought it was a whole new experience, it was trying something new, it was fun, it was kind of like going on a rollercoaster, there were some ups and downs. Ups when we agreed, and downs when we disagreed. My partner always stayed on topic and had really great ideas. Mostly it was a flat rollercoaster. (Fin)

-We have different schemas (invisible backpacks) (Pat)

-It was nice to work with partners because you learned different things about different people. (Sophia)

-My partner would stay on task always and we would disagree on things but we would never get in a fight, so I just mixed up both of our ideas. (Mel)

Saturday, 9 March 2013

Singing O'Canada in Sign Language


We noticed that we hadn't heard "O'Canada" very often in the mornings, so our class decided to join up with Dana's class to start off the day with our national anthem. The really cool thing is, they know it in sign language! They were awesome teachers and I think we picked it up pretty quickly!

We use a tiny bit of sign language in our classroom - to ask to go to the washroom and get water, but it was pretty wonderful to learn a whole song!




Friday, 8 March 2013

Dear Pandas: We Can Tell We're Gonna Be Friends




Today, we got together with Dana, Owen/Andrew, Ray, Natalie and Tiiu's classes to play music and sing to welcome the Chinese pandas to Canada!


Skating with Dana's Class

 We got to go skating with Dana's class today!
 As always, it was a super fun, and slightly exhausting time.
 In Room 209, we are really lucky to have loads of wonderful parent volunteers who come help out on field trips and in the classroom. Today was a non-stop busy day and we had so many parents in. Thanks to our awesome Room 209 families!