Finley's Shark Project - filmed by Thomas

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.

On the Digital Degus Blogs - Week of April 7th

Many of the Digital Degus have been busy on their blogs and I forgot to update last week. Check out their blogs for some great posts.

Thomas is a clip posting machine! I'd like to know why he is choosing the clips he is. It would be great if he would write a short post along with each video so we could know what to look for.

Like Thomas, Miguel is posting many, many clips! His blog sure lives up to it's title and is certainly random! I know he's happy to hear requests from his readers. My request is that, like Thomas, he start writing a short post about why he is including each link.

Vickie's demonstrating her learning about fractions. I can't wait to see you all push yourselves next week when we start to dig really deep into comparing fractions!

Sophia finally got to take her trip to Montreal! 

Pat is thrilled to have had almost 400 page views! Visit him and leave a comment of congratulations.

Molly posted her awesome Where Project on Smilebox. I love learning about new technologies from you all!

Millie wrote about the letters we sent to our new Pen Pals in Uganda.

We had to miss my favourite school day of the year, April Fool's, but Liam still pulled some pranks.

Kaleigh writes "Random Blasts" about her school day, which is great because we can all see what she is learning.

Gabby's been experimenting with "Pinwords". Her mom, Kayren, wrote a guest post about a new family member! Together, she and Kayren came up with a great (rainbow!) list of qualities and ideas that make a good teacher for Bea. Gabby's latest post is about a hilarious, curious squirrel!

Fiona wants you to come to her blog and answer a question in a certain style, give it a try! She has shared a great YouTube video. She also posted about the squirrel model! Read her description of our Rock of Ages 9-12 song, "Little Boxes". Being in Room 209, Fiona knows how much her classmates enjoy riddles. She's posted several that stump me. Can you solve them?

Finley posted an example of a Harlem Shake in case you haven't seen one. It's my favourite version, too! She also posted a video of herself singing, "Don't Walk Away, Renee". I'm so glad someone recorded her lovely voice! If, like Fin, you want to practice for Rock of Ages 9-12/School of Rock, you can check out the uke chords for "Ordinary Day".

New gym game - by Molly

This is Laryssa's new gym game looks so fun!!!!!!!!!!!
It's based on her where project

 

-photos and words by Molly

On the Digital Degus' Blogs - March 24th, 2013

My absolute favourite thing is when students use their blogs to "take an idea and run with it"! I know it's fun to post a bunch of silly links on your blog, but if you don't tie it into something we're doing in class, it's hard for me to link to your blog on here. Try to think of ways that you can extend your learning with your blog and I will feature your posts in our Digital Classroom. Some people have started two blogs now: one professional/educational blog and one fun/personal blog. That's a great idea!

I know how much I love hearing from students, parents and friends in the comment area on my blog. Make sure to visit your classmates' blogs and leave some comments about their hard work! Often, they ask questions to their readers, that's a great way to join the conversation too!

It was impossible to tell, but Finley tells her readers that she was super nervous to sing "Just Walk Away, Renee" at the Talent Show last week. Head on over to her blog and tell her what you thought of her performance!

It's always hard for me to be away from my Digital Degus and although I had a great two days of workshops, I really missed you guys and I wondered what you were up to! Luckily, my "understudy", Fiona, blogged about the learning I missed and I was able to hear about your cool inferring and ISS Math lessons from her blog. I also got to learn about Street of Rock from Fiona! I don't know if you saw the colourful art outside the French room on Friday, but Fiona explains what she did in her Math elective to make that awesome mural!

Goofy Gabby posted another version of the song "Trouble". I'm not going to ruin it for you, but make sure your volume isn't turned up too high when you watch it!

Liam found a really cool French version of Gagnam Style made by students studying French. I wonder if you could re-write a popular song with French lyrics?

I hope you've been following Mel's awesome adventures in Florida. She's now on her way home, on a LONG car ride! Hopefully, she'll be back on Monday!

Remember when we looked at PinWords in class? Well, Miguel made some posters over there! This would be a great idea for a project! He's also wondering what you'd like him to blog about. Let him know!

Oh dear, Molly's been following the news in Costa Rica and is very happy she didn't stay on this beach! Scary!

Check out Pat's post about commenting, he makes some great points!

One of our class hockey stars, Thomas, likes to post about sports. Check out the video he found of a nine-year old hockey star!

Vickie is wondering what your favourite subject in school is. She explains what she loves about French.

I'm still checking your blogs, Jackson, Camden, Sophia and Millie! I can't wait to see more ideas that you run with appearing on there!

Also, I know that Hunter, and Kaleigh are starting blogs (or have started them) and we'll link to those on Monday!

On the Digital Degus' Blogs - March Break Edition

I love seeing what is going on in your lives and your minds by reading your blogs! Thanks so much for sharing them. I especially love when I visit one of your blogs and read a post that extends my own thinking and I can see that you've really taken an idea and run with it. It's really wonderful to see when you comment on each others' blog posts, too and continue the conversation! Keep up the great blogging work, Digital Degus!

Gabby hilariously starts off a post saying she did "nothing" on March Break and then proceeds to tell about thirteen different stories about her awesome adventures on March Break! Her "nothing" sure sounds like a great time!

Steve took a holiday at Fiona's house on the March Break. She says he had a "pretty good time". I'd love to hear what that looked like!

Mel is enjoying her holiday in sunny Florida! Check out her funny post about wacky golf carts! (And ask her to bring back some warmth and sunshine!)

Please let me know if you can get all the videos to work on Miguel's blog. He's been working hard to post all kinds of things, and my computer is not letting me see what he's been up to!

Hmm...Thomas has been busy too, but I can't see his videos or links. Is anyone else having the same problem?

Molly looks like she had an incredible time in Costa Rica with her family. I told her to say hello to monkeys for me! She went to an animal rescue centre and I'm pretty sure she did!

Pat reviewed a movie that I'd never heard of and asked a very compelling question about the meaning behind one of our favourite picture book heroes!

Sophia's warning post made me chuckle! I'm sure there's more of a story behind this one!

Vickie asked her readers what they were going to do for March Break. Now that it's over, you should visit her blog and leave a comment to let her know what you did!

I look forward to reading new posts by Camden, Fin, Jackson and Liam!

I don't know about you, but for me the week just FLEW right by! I can't believe it's Sunday night already and I'll be seeing you all bright and early tomorrow. I hope everyone had a wonderful week off and you are all feeling refreshed and ready to learn together! See you tomorrow!
n't wait to read new posts by Camden, Fin, Jackson and Liam!

Jackson's Gym Game: Capture the Frog with Dodgeball - by Hunter

That was a really fun game! Shauna, can we play it again? ("Yes!" - Shauna, "Oh, yay!" - Hunter)

This game is where you have to capture the frog, just like in Capture the Flag, except there's dodgeballs, just like in dodgeball, and if you get hit, you have you go to "jail" which is a blue mat that you've probably seen during the Ants and Nematodes post.

Here is a frog, and I'm not sure if it's alive or not.

-by Hunter

On the Digital Degus Blogs

There hasn't been a lot of action on all the Digital Degus' blogs since our last update, but there have been some exciting posts.

Molly is in Costa Rica and is blogging about her trip! While we're all stuck in the snow, she's enjoying fun in the sun! Lucky ducky!

Pat's joined the blogosphere and has been VERY busy! He's taking ideas and running with them! Check out his blog for posts about his Reflective Math (Decimals), his Fractured Fairy Tale, Kiva, Ukulele, Code Academy and ECHOage.

Vickie's been posting a lot of fantastic posts. Visit her blog to read more about: music (and answer some questions), where cameras come from, the "real" Little Mermaid (I'm pretty sure this is her Fractured Fairy Tale!), Louis la Grenouille or multiplication!

At last count, 13 out of the 24 students in our room have blogs now! That's more than half! Does anyone know what the fraction for half of our class would be?

Remember, if you are interested in starting a blog, I would be happy to help you. So would some of the "Tech Experts" in the class. Make sure you have a gmail email account and check with your parents and then let me know, and we'll get you blogging in no time!

On the Digital Degus' Blogs This Week

I am constantly amazed at the initiative my students show. I have given short lessons to some of these students, but for the most part, they have learned to blog ALL. BY. THEMSELVES! Check out the amazing things they're up to!

Camden's providing us with a quick way to learn ukulele! He said that this could even teach someone non-musical - like ME!

You've gotta read what Fin did on the weekend! She's caught the altruistic bug! She and her family took part a really fun and charitable event!

Fiona's got all kinds of stuff going on! She's writing about Mystery Skype, Stop Motion, and she wrote a book review. Something went wrong the with the photos on the book review, though. I can't see them, can you?

Mel's joined the blogging world! Make her feel welcome, will you!?

Miguel posted a song from Youtube, but it was taken down. Take a look and see if you can figure out why it was taken down.

Sophia has a cat vote going on. Do any of the cat's personalities affect you in YOUR heart?

Molly JUST started her blog today! Very exciting! Welcome to the blogosphere, Molly!

Liam has promised to tell us about Chinese New Year! Stay tuned to his blog to learn more!

I'm looking forward to seeing blog updates from Gabby, Jackson and Millie! Vickie is going to get her blog back up and running too and I know there are a few more students getting set up with theirs! Great stuff, Digital Degus, you're getting more digital each day!

Pennies for Polio - by Liam

So we've got the idea for Pennies for Polio on google when we saw the penny and we decided to make a SMART ideas thing about Polio. We came up with good ideas. Because it was the last day of the pennies. Pennies aren't that important. And we decided to collect pennies for Polio. So Polio is a disease. It's only in four countries: Chad, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In all the other countries in the world, it's been cured! It takes sixty cents to make one kid better!

Thank you for listening.

-by Liam

On The Daft Degus' Blogs

Millie is writing about how much she's enjoying Math and giving you tips on how to calculate area and perimeter. We'll talk more about Bansho in class and do an official Bansho lesson, which is a three-part Japanese-style collaborative Math lesson.

Camden made a crossword about computer functions that you can click and fill in right on his blog! Super cool! He's so techy, I can always rely on him (and Pat) to help me out with my tech problems!

Fiona did some magic tricks with Juliana to confuse her family. I wonder if they ever confuse them by switching places?! They actually videotaped the tricks and posted them to teach them to you!

Gabby's posting lots of music, especially helpful for ukelele players! Check out all the cool videos she posts.

Head over to Miguel's blog to vote in his contest for the cutest wiener dog! Today is the last day for voting!

Sophia is playing with the settings on her travel diaries blog and she'll be putting up photos of her trip to Montreal soon!

Melodee's starting her blog tomorrow. Vickie's getting hers back up and running tonight! If you'd like to start one also, talk to your parents, make sure you have your own gmail address and make a plan with me to take some time to start it up. It doesn't take long. Just ask Sophia!

Talk about awesome initiative! Keep up the great work, bloggers!

Indoor Recess: Lots Going on in Room 209 - by Camden

Me and Jackson making art for our pre-coming band.

Laryssa reading! Why does she have tape on the corner of her book?

That's Hunter, Pat and Melodee playing a game, that I forget what it's called on Pat's computer.

I believe that is Vickie, Erika, Finley, Fiona and Gabby with erasable white boards.

Kaleigh and Madi making pictures.

It's Jack and Haydon playing Fire Boy and Water Girl.

Thomas, Lauren, Miguel and Liam on computers.

Erika, Gabby, Fiona, Finley and Molly and I think Vickie's here too, just from a different angle.

Well, indoor recess was happening because of how cold it was outside. I thought it was kind of cool how it was snowing. I didn't really notice how cold it was, but I guess a lot of people did. When we stayed inside, people sort of got into random groups and it sort of stayed like that for two recesses. As you can, see some of the girls. Then, there was Melodee, Hunter and Pat. Then, there was me and Jackson, etc. There were a few groups playing games on their computers. Jackson and me were making art for our pre-coming band. We didn't do really a lot during recess, but it was worth it. At least I thought so. A lot of people didn't really like staying inside, but I did.

-by Camden