Update on Little Hoot

Update on Little Hoot - He Ruru Aniwaniwa

Well, my prayers have been answered. My beautiful Y5 students returned from camp, full of magic this week and bounced into the room to complete their Little Hoot.
I think you'll agree, they have done an awesome job.

I simply trusted in the process and allowed them to design, collaborate and create it 100% by themselves. Totally scary for something so public and knowing that they will be exhibited beside school submissions where adults have 'tidied up' the student work.
Today we had tours going through the school while the last group was finishing up and they spoke so eloquently about what they were doing...proud mama moment right there! Sniff!

What are your thoughts about adults correcting children's artwork?
Interesting article on Art of Ed that I read earlier this week. Click this link if you're interested https://www.theartofed.com/2017/11/08/november-mark-not-mark-student-art-question/?mc_cid=df9f47d182&mc_eid=b08ab7a7c6

And I love this image too. Have it displayed in my classroom.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/8d/39/78/8d3978e1ade4a5aa5ede7112a3c1a92e--preschool-quotes-teaching-quotes.jpg

 

Would love to read your thoughts below.

With love as always

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Post-graduate study with Mind Lab

Hello friends,

This has been a quiet year for blogging reflections because I have not only renovated my house from top to bottom but also signed up for post-graduate study with Mind Lab - nutty as a squirrel, some might say :)

The Mind Lab explains the course on their website as follows:

Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital & Collaborative Learning)
This is a Level 8, 60 credit programme that consists of the following four integrated course components, each worth 15 credits

1.Digital and Collaborative Learning in Context – 15 credits
2.Leadership in Digital and Collaborative Learning – 15 credits
3.Research and Community Informed Practice – 15 credits
4.Applied Practice in Context – 15 credits
For further details you can check out their website at http://themindlab.com/postgrad-studies/course-outlines/

https://pixabay.com/p-1968077/?no_redirect

I have just completed the first 16 weeks of face-to-face workshops and about to start the next 16 weeks which is taken on-line.

The first section included 4 assignment submissions and I will be posting those up as I reflect on my learning.

Hope you find some of these ideas useful or even challenging. Would love to hear about your perspective, thoughts or questions too so feel free to comment below.

With love as always

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Little Hoot for Child Cancer Foundation Part 1

He Ruru Aniwaniwa (the Rainbow Owl)

http://www.thebighoot.co.nz/schools/
Earlier this year our school sadly lost a wonderful young man to cancer so this year the Little Hoot fund-raising drive is especially pertinent for us.
The school purchased our Little Hoot ages ago. He finally arrived at the end of T3 and sat in my classroom doorway, ruffling its feathers, waiting for its coat of many colours.

 

This term is crazy busy and I genuinely despair at how we were going to accomplish an exhibition worthy piece in 6 weeks particularly as I am currently working with little Y1 and 2 students in Visual Art Specialist time.
Our wonderful Y5 team came to the rescue - allowing me to steal students in small batches from each class. We sneakily wove it onto their inquiry unit about How We Express Ourselves and the students have risen to the challenge.

Their first designs were on a paper stencil supplied by CCF. After a quick meeting and brief discussion, students started their designs and completed them for homework. 2 days later we reviewed their ideas and selected elements  from everyone's plans to incorporate

The main themes coming through were to create an uplifting design that made people smile.

They based their designs on the rainbow because for them the colours each represent an idea, like red for love, orange for joy, yellow for caring, green for healing, blue for hope, indigo for peace and violet for courage. The cluster of hearts and vines on the front show all the people that gather to help a child. Traditional patterns (still to be added) identify with their New Zealand heritage and stars (also still to come) symbolise the value of perseverance.

It sure is an interesting experience and one where I have had to be 100 % hands off, as I am in the middle of post graduate study where student / young artist agency is my research focus. Great timing hey?

However the collaborative conversation and problem solving that I am privy to as I pretend to be 'tidying up' my classroom or cleaning brushes for them, is incredible. They are growing so much!!

Here are a few progress pics so far...

They are away at camp next week so we only have a week left to complete. Living on a prayer here!!

 

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A Year in Africa

Our school has elected to use The Lion King for our end-of-year production this year. As  you can imagine, my mind went straight away to how I can use this across the school with all of my art classes. Having lived in Africa for 20 years has left its mark on my soul and any chance to revisit it is grabbed with both hands. So, I went about my usual internet searches to see what was around and started to piece together some ideas for my units.

My other constraint was to focus on the element of Shape and Form with all my classes this year. Last year we focused on Colour Theory and the year before on Lines, elements we needed to review and expand on further.

Another first was expanding my current class levels of Y1-Y6, to also include Kindy and Y0, children whose ages range from 3.5 to 4.5 years. Another big learning curve I'll post about later.

2016 is also the year our school is due another IB (International Baccalaureate)  evaluation which is a time to reflect on how well my programmes encompass the principles and elements of PYP (Primary Years Programme).

All in all a year of great new learning ahead for sure.

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2016 Sale at Teachers Pay Teachers

Dear Friends,
All the best for the New Year.
The entire One Teachers Journey store at TPT is on sale 20 - 21 Jan 2016!  CLICK HERE TO START BROWSING

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International Peace Quilt

Hello friends,
Recently I was asked to introduce the concept of the International Peace Quilt to my Y4-6 after school Art Club.
 

The main idea is to join with schools around the world in designing an International Peace Quilt. The aim for the designs submitted this year is for the quilt to be taken to the Rio Olympic Games.

I asked my students to think about peaceful experiences that they have, living here in New Zealand, in order to reflect our culture to the world. They planned their ideas and completed these in a variety of media.

Other requirements were to include a sentence about what peace means to them, the NZ flag and the school logo - how fortuitous that Kristin has the peace dove as it’s own.

A selection of examples from out art club participants can be viewed at this link, where you can also find out more about this organisation.

Schools International Peace Quilt Project

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With love, as always

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Signs for your Maths Wall Display

Hello friends,

Maths week is sneaking up quickly and this is a good time to reflect on our classroom maths displays. Are they helpful to the students? Are they interactive? Do they show visitors the maths that is really happening in your classroom? There are so many 'pretty' maths posters on line that you can download for each area of your maths programme. I have files overflowing with laminated wall display charts and posters. But at the end of the day, I only used these seldom and with discretion, asking the question, "How will this help my students improve?"

When I sat down to write interactive maths games for each knowledge outcome from stages 4-8, I also thought about how students could be the masters of their own learning. Over the years of interviewing students for assessment I noticed how keen they were to come back and be interviewed on their next bit of knowledge, when they knew what it was they needed to master.

So I incorporated this into the pack too. Following an IKAN test to establish their knowledge and next steps, students get a stage tracking sheet for their maths book of the knowledge they need to master and the games they can play to master them.

There are also wall posters explaining each piece of knowledge, to put up onto your maths wall. Students names could also be added to remind them what they are currently working on. Students track their progress on their sheet in their maths book so that they know exactly where they got up to during the previous maths session. They can play a game as many times as they want to and when they feel ready to be interviewed, they let you know.

You can quickly do this at the start of a focused maths group session as you wait for the group to gather. Keep the teacher checklist pasted into the front of your group modelling book for quick reference. 

As the programme gathers momentum, and students realise that they set the pace of their progression, you will be blown away by how quickly they progress through the knowledge stages.

Another bonus of this is students can set their own maths homework goals by keeping a student checklist in their homework books as well. Once you sign them off in an interview, they can update their homework sheet themselves and move onto their next goals to practise with mum and dad - meaningful differentiated homework - bonus :)

This week I tidied up my wall display headers / banners for my knowledge displays and wish to offer these to you all as freebies. I have used super cute illustrations by Philip Martin which you will love.

Two options are included. One is a simple banner header which you can print to preferred size, another is a display mat version you can print A3 and laminate to group you knowledge signs or group names onto. This will help keep your display tidier. There is a colour set to match each stage of my Knowledge Games Resource.

 All games in this post and all Freebie wall labels can be found here

http://www.help-me-learn.com/store/c3/Mathematics.html

With love, as always

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Timea