Thursday, 28 February

First of all, I would like to acknowledge Nicholas who quietly improves his ability on a Rubik's cube every day.  When I was scanning Twitter today, one of the educators I follow posted the link to this guy: it takes a while, but if you watch carefully, you can see his technique - impressive! juggling the cube

We started our day by reading two chapters in the Ostia novel.  We had a chance to examine the role of dreams as vehicles of symbolism in literature.  Next, we had band.  After recess we finished the last couple of pages from the Ostia chapter and then transitioned to math.  The 7s went right onto the problem set on pp. 188 - 189.  Those pages should be completed for homework.  And just like that, we're getting ready for a mid-unit review.

After lunch we read the rest of the Ostia novel.  Now we will be able to do some whole-novel discussions and discuss character development and the other elements of the story.  We did some whole-class reading as well as some small-group reading and some individual reading.  As people finished, they moved on to their science inquiry.  This inquiry is more open than the last.  I'm giving the students more choice, and because that's new to some of them, and because inquiry is new to them, they are struggling with where to go to get deep into an aspect of each topic. I've advised the following: "At this point you're doing research. It might take a while to find out enough about a chapter's topic before you know exactly which angle you wish to approach it from. Only after you know a bit about the topic will you be able to pose a question.  Still, it's never too soon to start reading and collecting data because its all part of the process to be able to answer your question."

Ex. In the pollution chapter you might ask specifically: what is the most dangerous effect of landfills?

This project will take a few weeks and I want the students to avoid the "rush and get it done so we can move on" mentality - I want this inquiry to be more authentic and less like an "assignment."

We ended the day with a game of indoor soccer.  Please think about what I said before we left for the gym.

Tomorrow we have been invited by Mr. Pond to go to the beach to do a little clean-up work.  Please wear clothes that are suitable in case we go - some sort of a rain jacket might be good.  And now I must rush off to the dentist.  

Wednesday, 27 February

Well, my computer is still on the Dark Side, so I'm forced to get more adept at blogging with my iPad.  We started the day by reading Chapter 18 in the Ostia novel and then we got right to learning about iMovie with guest artist, Paula O'Brien.  The class was very interested in what she shared and they were extremely courteous in their behaviour.  Well done guys.  Now we will have to take time to play with the program as we gain proficiency.

During recess we had fun bringing awareness to Pink Shirt (bullying awareness) Day by participating in flash mobs on the field.  I was shocked at how easy it was to get students to follow me; I just yelled out, "Who wants to be in my movie," and ran with my iPad.  I was also surprised to find out what a poor dancer I am.  Honestly, when I was younger, I was good!

After recess we enjoyed pink cupcakes that Gage made (he got up early this morning to ice them so they'd be perfect).  Way to go Gage - a great display of class spirt!  Next we did math.  In Math 7 we did the problem set on pp183-5.  Emily was already done so she watched a YouTube video in order to figure out how to save files in iMovie.  I think most people were able to finish their math before the bell.  Tomorrow we'll be able to get right to the next problem set because we've already learned how to add factions with dissimilar denominators.

After lunch, two students from Mr. Pond's class shared a video they composed on the Amanda Todd story.  They also gave a short talk.  I was very impressed that they chose to take their convictions and translate them into action.  Next we had a good discussion about bullying, a word that many feel is over-used.  We watched two short video clips that helped to illuminate the issue of acceptance and of empathy.
Susan Boyle: appearances
Empathy and leadership on the court

We ended the day with some person hunt in the forest.  Oh, and I learned where the front of the school is.

Please remember your instruments tomorrow and please try to get your outdoor trip forms in to me.

Tuesday, 26 February

Sorry, everyone: this afternoon was the perfect storm of events blocking me from posting to the blog.      After school I wanted to help a colleague with a tech problem that was causing in-class frustration.  Then I engaged in a discussion with another colleague about storing data on the cloud and how we might shift from laptops to iPads, or not.  Then I realized that I had only a few hours to give feedback (on an essay) to another colleague/friend who is doing her masters degree in Aberdeen, Scotland - the work wasn't due until Wednesday, but there is an eight-hour time zone difference and I kind of promised I'd get it done.  I got home in time to drive my son to cadets and then returned home to make dinner for the rest of the family (my wife is a shift worker at the hospital).  After dinner I helped my daughter with trigonometry; I hope I was helpful - it's been 25 years since I've thought about tangents.  I started working on my report cards just in time to have to go pick up my son from cadets and when I returned home I couldn't wake my laptop.  I called my colleague/friend from PHSS and I tried to resuscitate it with his guidance over the phone, but sadly the patient wouldn't revive.  And so, I sat for a moment and then realized that, for the first time this year, I had missed a blog post.  I concluded that life would continue even if I failed to post, but I also realized how important the blog is for me as a tool of daily reflection - it allows me to weigh our successes against our frustrations and that guides my plans for the next day.  I realized how important that process has become in my attempt to be a more reflexive teacher.  We'll try again tomorrow.  Let's all hope I can get my report cards off the laptop because my time capsule didn't back up this weekend:(

Monday, 25 February

Follow the arrow and click on the
French tab of the blog to access only
the posts relating to FRENCH lessons

First, here is a reference guide for tomorrow's quick oral quiz in French.  We don't do lots of French, so I understand that you will not be fluent in all we've learned. But I will expect higher performance in the things we've spent more time on.  My focus will be colours, numbers and the "to be" verb conjugation (hint, hint, hint).

We started the day with the Garbology assembly.  It was very well organized and the speakers quickly got the students' attention.  We had guests from Gibsons Recycling and from the wider community.  We had environmental educators and community volunteers speaking/facilitating as well.

After the assembly we had band and after recess we had math.  The Math 7 students did the instruction for Lesson 5.2 and that included some group problem solving and some "cut and paste." Please have your fraction strips ready for use tomorrow if you didn't get done this morning.

After lunch it was our turn to do the Garbology Day activity stations.  I thought they were very engaging and creative.  At one station, for example, we saw how two lunches that were in essence the same, could result in two very different amounts of garbage.  The demonstrations were very visual and very hands-on.  Bravo to Seona Dalgeish for organizing such a successful day!  Thank you to all of the other guests who gave up their days to make us more aware of ways we might start to think about lessening our environmental footprints.

Oh, don't forget to review for your French quiz tomorrow. AND, if you have time, please try to get some work done on your science summaries (I'll be able to give some time tomorrow while we are doing our oral quizzes in French).

Wednesday is PINK DAY and ART - don't forget your recording devices and your footage.

Hey, here's a treat for those who read the blog: a copy of the French Quiz!

Friday, 22 February

We began the day composing a paragraph on one of the themes that is emerging in the Ostia novel.  It's been a while since I've asked the students to sit and write and I was pleased with the focus and quiet determination in the room.  In the past, I've been available to help in the process of their writing, but today I asked that they fly solo.  When they finished, they started to compose a summary of their learning in science this term.  (See below for an explanation of some of the differences in the assessment practices I've used this term and why I've used them).  

After recess we moved on to Math.  The 7s gathered round as I manipulated the fraction models and soon they were identifying equivalent fractions and showed they were ready for the practice set on pages 179-80.  Some students found it easier to ignore the models and just think symbolically with numerals and others had difficulty unless they used the models.  I tried to encourage both groups to experience the questions both ways because I think it will deepen their learning.  That should be completed for homework as we will be starting a new lesson on Monday.

Now that's service!

After lunch we heard the final Egypt presentations.  I thought the class members were mostly supportive of their peers, but we need to remember to be more quiet as people are getting ready to present as excessive noise can be unsettling.  We had a visit by a pharaoh and that brought the house down.

We ended the day with a reflection of our work over the term.  I asked students to make a brief comment on each course.  It was a long day with lots of writing, but folks did very well and succeeded in completing a lot of work.  Thanks, everyone and have a good weekend.


Monday is GARBOLOGY DAY - an Earth Day activity for the whole school that is being facilitated by SD 46 teacher, Seona Dalgleish.


Wednesday is Pink Shirt Day.

Please remember to return you snowshoe trip forms asap.

Musings from the teacher's desk on a Friday afternoon

Well, here we are at the end of the week.  A rest is coming for most: for me it's a weekend of report card writing.  I'm never the guy who has the darn things in early.  I struggle at this time of every term.  I am always forced to evaluate my teaching as much as the students' learning.  I have made a conscious effort this term to try to move away from some of the traditional approaches to teaching - I say teaching, and not learning, on purpose.  If I think of what school still is for many intermediate and secondary grade students, it looks like this: the teacher has a bunch of stuff in her head, and she tries to replicate it in each of her students.  That often means that students are seen trying to memorize facts and figures and processes in order to repeat them successfully on "a test."  In my experience that approach makes it easy for the teacher to come up with a tidy letter grade at report card time (especially if there are lots of tests that have been averaged) but it's not a very useful measure of lasting learning and is not a very good way to promote higher thinking in students.  Success in this model comes easily for students who have the stick-with-it-ness to memorize the material, but it's not so good for those who don't (or worse, can't).

I have chosen to do things differently. For example, in socials I gave the students the topic (ancient Egypt) and they chose what question to ask and then decided not only how to answer it, but how to show their learning.  We had gained a background of Egypt not only by reading the text, but also by listening to podcasts, having PowerPoint supported discussions, gaining a bird's eye perspective via Google Earth and yes, taking some notes.  In English we practiced cursive writing (I'm more interested in their ability to read it than write it) and paragraph composition together while concurrently discussing topics for our outdoor trip. We also collectively read a novel, but chose a selection that was set in ancient Rome because some students might choose to investigate that ancient culture next.  Instead of answering a bunch of "comprehension" questions, we tried to synthesize each chapter down to a single concise statement.  In p.e. we went beyond the games of Term One and did a fitness test that measured strength, flexibility and cardio.  We discussed the long-term effects of fitness on our health and happiness.  In p.e, like most subjects, I took the students self-evaluations into consideration for their term marks because I find them to be quite accurate.  We have tried to look at things as they are in the world: connected.  So, in addition to "course work," we've watched some TED Talks, discussed their content and reflected on their meaning using the blog so that we can enhance our digital literacy while acknowledging our need to join the participatory culture.  In math we slowed down and really played with the numbers rather than trying to memorize algorithms and cramming for tests.  Ultimately we did do tests, but many students rewrote them until they were satisfied they had really mastered the content.  We will now harvest the fruits of that deeper learning as we move on to concepts that depend on a strong foundation in fractions and integers.  In all of this, the teaching and the learning have been at times messy.  This is a bit of a departure for me because I'm often described as a "structured" teacher.  However, I've decided to align my teaching closer to my philosophy.  I keep saying that creativity needs to be developed because we can't predict where the economy will be in the near future.  We need to ensure our students are flexible and able to bend to the demands of a dynamic world; we can no longer hope to "train" kids to have the tools necessary to be effective for what we don't know will be.  Thus, things like Joanna's wonderful art lessons and the students' own Egypt presentations are taking a bigger chunk of our time as I acknowledge that the students' learning needs to be more rounded, more holistic - less focused on "the three Rs."  And so, this weekend, I'll sift through their self evaluations, and their tests and their writing and my rubrics and try to come up with an accurate picture of all that has been achieved.  Wish me luck.

Thursday, 21 February

We began the day by viewing a video featuring the animation of a variety of artists and the spoken-word poem of Shane Koyczan.  He is the poet who performed at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.  After the video, I asked the class to sit silently and reflect for a few minutes.  That's not something we do often in school; we're usually so busy jamming in the next lesson that we don't take time to think.  If you think that is paradoxic, it is.  If you look below, you can read the students' reflections on that experience.  Here is a link: video and newspaper story of its creation. I encourage parents to watch it (feel free to add a comment or reply to a student comment)
Thanks to Ms. Yvonne Mounsey, a SETA in our school, for bringing this video to my attention.

Next, the class left for band.  A few students were left to complete their 1:1 test with Mr. Grice.  Some students who had already completed their tests returned to class to complete other work.

After recess some students read before math while others finished their comments about the video.  In Math 7 the class experimented with comparative fractions using manipulatives.  They would have played with those blocks all morning if I would have let them - there is just something about coloured blocks and kids.  I'm sure it was the most fun they've had in math all year.  In the end, I'm sure some learning occurred and it will serve us well as we look at operations with fraction in the next unit.  There is not homework (but all students should have completed the cumulative review for Unit Three).

After lunch we read Scroll XVII (Chapter 17) of the Ostia novel.  The readers did well.  We moved right into the Egypt inquiry presentations and managed to hear only five presenters (the transitions are taking longer than I had hoped they would).  There were many more positive comments to students about their work by their peers today.  It was nice to here so much affirmation of the good work that was presented.  Afterwords, we moved to the gym to give the students who had yet to complete their shuttle run (beep test) for the fitness assessment a chance to do so.

Tomorrow we'll try to hear the last seven presentations and complete the curl up test in p.e.  Push ups will be tough for many, but I still think it's important to have an accurate measure of your fitness, strength and flexibility as we move forward in p.e.  Take heart, I did poorly in the old Canada Participaction Fitness Test in the 1970s, and look at me now (no snickering)!

Here are some screenshots of the latest school newsletter.

School newsletter: p. 1

School newsletter: p. 2

School newsletter: p. 3

School newsletter: p. 4

School newsletter: p. 5

Wednesday, 20 February

First I'd like to thank all of the parents who were able to attend last night's information session.  You have all been very supportive of our class initiatives this year.  I know that some parents were unable to come for a variety of reasons, so, thanks to Hannah's mum, Aideen, here is a summary of what we talked about: Google Docs Meeting Summary 

Thanks, Aideen, for doing that.  If you have any questions, please contact me.  I was informed that I didn't specifically say that I would provide snowshoes, but rest assured all equipment other than personal clothing and food WILL be supplied by me.  I forgot to give the forms out for students whose parents were not at the meeting, so I'll do that tomorrow.  Also, I'm working on getting a copy of the medical info form and hope to have it soon.  Please work to get the forms back to me at your earliest convenience.

We started the day with a brief review of the parent meeting and I discussed the dates and how, because of the boys' basketball tournament, some students will be tied to a the March 27-28 trip dates.  We also discussed the Jesse Miller presentation and touched on the idea of thinking about one's Internet footprint.  Next, we started art.

It was nice to have had the opportunity to publicly thank Joanna last night for all of the time and effort she has committed to teaching our kids art this year.  Today she brought another accomplished guest to the class, this time to discuss screenwriting.  We welcomed PJ Reece who introduced the students to the process of developing a story that can be developed into a treatment that can then be developed into a screenplay.  The students worked in groups to see if they could develop protagonists who could start out with a selfish goal only to eventually progress to a higher, often altruistic, goal.  Thank you, Mr. Reece.  This will help the students when they come to develop the screenplays for their films that will be aired in the school's "Academy Awards" festival, later in the year.

FYI: 
PJ Reece will be hosting a writing course sponsored by the Gibsons Public Art Gallery.  The course will examine "story structure" and discuss both story writing and screenplays.  It is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Feb 27 and run for six Wednesdays.  If you are interested, or have any questions, please call 604-886-3908 or contact PJ via E-mail at pjreece@shaw.ca 

After recess we did math.  The 7s worked to complete the cumulative review on pp. 126-27 and anyone who was unable to finish in class should do so for homework.  Tomorrow, we shall start Unit 5.

After lunch we moved straight into the Egypt inquiry sharing presentations.  I can't say how important I think it is that students have the opportunity to share their learning with an audience beyond their teacher.  We all benefit from the process.  I thought that the class was a good audience today.  Some students were unprepared to present today, so please be ready tomorrow.

We ended the day with some basketball skills development in p.e.: good practice for those on the b-ball teams.  We also completed our p.e. self-assessment rubrics for the upcoming report card cycle.  I think that the class consistently shows honest reflection when they do their self-assessments and this is a rewarding display of maturity.

Check out this link for some of the things I examine when considering what we do in class and how we do it: What to look for in a classroom

Please remember your instruments for tomorrow's band class.

Tuesday, 19 February

I hope to see you all at tonight's parent information meeting in our classroom at 6 p.m.

Today I was out of the classroom for three I.E.P. meetings.  We were lucky to have Ms. L. come in to teach the class while I was away.  The students did a self-reflection activity and then participated in the third key words assembly.  After recess and we did math: the 7s who finished the practice test on p. 123 and the problem activity on pp. 124-25 started to work on the cumulative (Unit 1-3) review on pp. 126-27.  I would like students to try to complete up to #8 for homework.  We will not be having a cumulative test at this point as we get ready to pass by Unit 4 (Circles and Area) in order to continue with fractions in Unit 5.

After lunch the class read for 15 minutes and then, under Ms. L.'s supervision, took time to reorganize (de-clutter) the room. THANK YOU to everyone who had a part in tidying the common spaces: the room looked amazing when i came back from my last meeting (and it smelled nice, too).  Next, students completed an activity for the key words campaign that Mr. Paish is spearheading.  We ended the day with the sharing of learning from some more of the Egypt inquiry projects.  The day was a bit disjointed, but I appreciated the cooperation that was shown.  I also enjoyed the cakes made by Gage and Landseer.  Hey, wait a minute; maybe the next inquiry should be on the history of baked goods....mmmmmmm.

Remember that tomorrow is art and we need you to remember to bring your recording devices and the clips that you filmed two weeks ago.

Monday, 18 February

PLEASE REMEMBER THE PARENT MEETING TOMORROW AT 6 P.M.

I hope everyone had a good weekend; I'm feeling a bit sore after a weekend of snowshoeing and winter camping at Dakota Ridge with the army cadets.  We began the day with a cursive writing practice and a discussion about dressing in layers.  We also talked about different fabric choices available for the different layers.  We learned that every selection has pros and cons: we talked about weight, cost, drying speed, insulative quality, wind resistance and comfort.  I will bring some samples to class as a follow-up activity.  Next, the class went to band and continued with their testing.  Some students stayed in class to work on the setup of their Egypt inquiry presentations.  It is clear that lots of work was done over the weekend to gets things ready.

After recess we did a short French lesson.  Here is the link: Expressions.  Then, in Math 7, we did the practice test on p. 123 and the Unit Problem on pp. 124-25.  Tomorrow we'll start the cumulative review for Units 1-3.

After lunch we had aboriginal ed with Kristi.  She shared a presentation on west coast aboriginal art design.  We saw a short video that explained some of the main elements and then she gave some samples and the students practiced creating those elements.  Next, the class tried to join the "parts" together to create some animal forms themselves - the students were very engaged and had fun in this lesson.  We had a chance to pick a presenters list for the Egypt presentations when we returned, and then Simon and Hannah shared their learning.  I am looking forward to all of the presentations because I expect there to be a great deal of diversity.

Please remember that some parents are invited to I.E.P. meetings tomorrow (if you haven't been contacted by Ms. Foster, then you are not affected.

Here is the order of Egypt presenters list:
1. Simon
2. Hannah
3. Kira
4. Kassandra
5. Christopher
6. Oliver
7. Amber
8. Goldney
9. Nicholas
10. Sam
11. Mia
12. Mackenzie
13. Emily
14. Kaneeka
15. Gage
16. Bowen
17. Gus
18. Sadie
19. Braedon
20. Noah
21. Avery
22. Saleah
23. Landeer
24. Arif
25. Kiah
26. Sophia
27. Cody (already done with me)

Friday, 15 February

Today began with a short French lesson.  We learned some more nouns; this time it was members of the family.  We used our knowledge of the verb to be  to make some simple sentences.  Ex. Elle est ma soeur.  Here is a copy of the page we used and here is the link: immediate family members



After French, we had a preliminary briefing for the snowshoe trip.  I issued invitations to Tuesday's parent meeting and we did a Goggle Earth tour of the route.  We also discussed how we might divide the class for the two groups (March 27-28 and April 4-5).  I consider these meetings a part of the leadership development for this activity.

After recess we wrapped up our planning discussions and then started math.  The 7s worked to complete the review set on pp. 121-122.  That should be completed for homework.  Many of the students finished in class.

After lunch we worked on our inquiry projects.   I acquired some cardboard and some students learned how to use a 3-4-5 triangle to create a right angle (an important step in marking out the base to a cardboard pyramid when one doesn't have a big set square).  We ended the day with our second yoga session with Nicky.  Many students found it difficult to be quiet and pay attention to the instructions.  I know it was the last period in the week, but still.  Nicky tried to be patient, but i think she was a little surprised by the behaviour of some students.  The mats were rolled up and put away nicely, though, so thank you for that.

Notice about the school painting
program

Please do your best to be ready to share your learning for the Egypt inquiry project - it is due on Monday.  Have a good weekend; I'm off to Dakota Ridge for a winter camping weekend with the army cadets.

Parent notice about Tuesday's meeting

Thursday, 14 February

Yesterday we met Ben Ged Low and we learned about a film his father made in Newfoundland in 1967.  The title was The Children of Fogo Island.  We started the day by watching the film (thanks for the idea, Joanna).  I asked the class to think about the imagery as well as the story.  I was also aware of the music and sound - this piece did not have a narrator.  I was struck by the simplicity of children's lives.  They were industrious and creative - sounds like the kinds of skills I keep hearing are to be promoted for kids in the 21st century.  Of course, there were no video games and yet the kids were busy and smiling all of the time; it kind of reminded me of my childhood in Port Moody.  When I saw the airplane it made me recall taking a bunch of lumber and "building a boat" (more like a raft) in my basement and asking my dad to take me down to the Rocky Point boat launch - he didn't.  I was also struck by the number of kids around.  I grew up at the end of the baby boom, so when we played outside there were always tons of kids: when we played road hockey, we had to have lines there were so many players.  Like the kids in the movie, there were no parent-organized play dates and only a few channels on black and white t.v. so we made our own fun: try playing kick the can with 30 kids over two city blocks.  I was also drawn to the fact that the kids helped the adults and the adults helped the kids.  What a beautiful life - tough, but beautiful.

Here is the link if you wish to view the film (it's 17 heart-warming minutes long)

Colin Low Film

Useful fractions to memorize

The class had band and after recess we read for a bit, delivered Valentine's treats and then did math until 11:30 when some of us worked with Mr. Pond's class to prepare a Valentine's sock hop held in the gym at lunch.  Some chose to stay in class to get more of their problem set completed.  The 7s should be finished p. 121 to # 6 for homework.

We spent the whole afternoon working on our inquiry projects.  Many people were constructing slides for PowerPoint presentations.  I expect most students will have some homework this weekend because the projects are supposed to be ready for sharing on Monday.  A few students have already finished.

Please bring comfortable clothes for yoga tomorrow in p.e.

Please don't forget there will be a parent information meeting at school on Tuesday 19th at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, 13 February

Today we began by reading Scroll 16 from the Ostia novel.  The cycle of the action is starting to become predictable but it is still keeping my interest.  I enjoy the way the students read; I'm really glad that we choose different students to act as voice actors, reading the different characters' parts - that was a good idea (not mine).  We had a short discussion about how the action of a story rises and falls and spoke specifically about the importance of falling action in allowing the plot to relax between scenes.

Next, Joanna introduced us to Ben Ged Low, a local filmmaker who comes from a family of filmmakers.  I learned that his father was the first to use what is now called the Kens Burns effect while making Canadian documentaries in the 1950s.  Mr. Low's two brothers are also filmmakers.  We saw a short film about Sunshine Coast musician Lowry Olafson - a film Ben shot in a day and completed in less than a week.  We learned to differentiate between story and subject.  Hey, these were terms that Bjorn Enga introduced last week.  Ben explained how we should be able to turn a film into one sentence and how all the parts (image, sound, music and narration) must fit together or a film won't "click."  I left the room feeling very blessed to have just had another world-class artist come to teach us.  Thanks, Ben; and thanks, Joanna!

Mr. Low's website

After recess, the 7s got right to the short written section of their math FSA while the 6s read before leaving for their math instruction.  After the FSA, I reviewed percent problems briefly and then the 7s had some time to work on their Egypt inquiry projects.  They have missed a few hours of in-class inquiry to the FSA, so I wanted to give them a break.  The Monday deadline is fast approaching so we need to slow our research as we start preparing the projects that "will show our learning."

After lunch, the 6s worked on their inquiry in our class while the 7s went across the hall to write their "long" response for the FSA.  As the 7s finished, they too transitioned (briefly) to inquiry.  We ended the day with a game of person-hunt in the forest. Yes, I managed to wipe out and get muddy knees, AGAIN (but I got 'em)!

Remember, tomorrow is band so you will need your instruments.

Friday is yoga - so bring comfortable clothes (and a new spine for me).

Tuesday, 12 February

We started the morning with a discussion/review of our paragraph writing skills.  We have left our creative writing for a while and this week we'll be getting back to it.  At 09:45 we went up to the gym for our key words assembly.  This week we are focusing on "respect."  Our class leaders (Sophia, Saleah, Noah, Braedon and Landseer) did a great job facilitating the assembly.  I thought the rest of our class did a good job modelling respectful behaviour for the younger students.

After recess the 6s did math and the 7s did two written sections of their FSA tests.  I saw some clear similarities between the type of responses asked for on the FSA and the type of responses asked for on the English 10 and 12 provincial exams.  I was pleased that students elected to type their responses since that is the format we practice in class.  I think students are more likely to edit their work on a computer than they are if they've written on paper.

Study sheets from Mr. Lewis of PHSS

After lunch some did personal reading while we gave time for the 7s to complete the written portions of their FSA exams.  Next, we looked at water conservation as a follow up to the documentary we viewed last week.  The SCRD had an informative page on their website.  Here is the link: http://www.scrd.ca/Water-Conservation 

On the site we used the one-minute calculator to estimate our personal water consumption.  You parents might like to give it a try.  How long do you think it will be before water is more valuable (in dollars) than oil?  Will it be in your lifetime?  What are the implications?

We ended the day with some time to work on our Egypt inquiry projects.

Please remember to bring your recording devices tomorrow in case we need them for art.

Saturday, 9 Feb

Parents and students, use this link to find out what happens if you don't read 20 minutes per day (outside of school).

http://edudemic.com/2013/01/skipping-your-reading-homework/

Thursday, 7 February

Graphic notes of our discussion

Today we began with a discussion about the research process involved in our Egypt inquiry process.  My impression has been that some students are using their in-class research time more effectively than others.  We discussed the inquiry approach in general and why I think collaborative work is so important in the new economy.  There are too many robots on the assembly lines these days so we can't prepare our students for those kinds of jobs.  Robots aren't yet creative and collaborative, so if we prepare our kids to fill those roles, we will make them resilient in an economy that has too many unknowns.  We discussed different kinds of sources for information, and where to find them.  Next, we watched a short TED Talk by Richard St. John on the eight traits of successful people.  It is interesting to note that money wasn't one of them.

8 traits of successful people

Another, companion talk by St. John.

Success is a continuous journey

Next we had band.  I asked students who wanted to line up quickly without talking to line up on a new side of the room and left the others mingling, talking and stalling around.  Very quickly a shift occurred. I told two students they were in the wrong line because they were talking.  Rather than leave the line, they stopped talking.  This was an interesting experiment in social engineering.  Apparently the need to be a part of the group was stronger than the need for personal autonomy.  Think tells me that the students who want to be successful and who don't want to waste any more class time can be empowered to help shift the behaviour of those others: interesting.  The move down the hallway was perfect; thank you class.

After recess, the grade 7s did their math FSA exam.  The 6s read for 10 minutes and then transitioned to their math classes.  Only two students completed their practice sheets in order to be able to write their mid-unit retests.  Please remember that if you wish to do the retest, that sheet should be completed for Tuesday's class.

After lunch we did something a little different.  I asked the class if they thought they might be able to solve some of the surveying questions that the Egyptians had to answer prior to constructing the pyramids.  Specifically, could they create a solution to achieve the following:
1) a perfect square
2) a level surface
3) a flat surface
4) a square with one side aligned to the north

Sharing our learning on Twitter

We blended our inquiry teams to tackle the first three.  The collaboration process was quite varied depending on the team.  We found that harmony didn't always lead to the most successful outcomes: sometimes it was better to have divergent ideas rather than having everyone working on the same path.  There was certainly lots of creativity and imagination as the groups puzzled with limited resources.  In the end, the "square" group figured out that using a rope and a unit of measure was part of the solution.  The "level" group determined that a vessel that could hold water was a part of the solution and that multiple "connected" vessels might be used for a large space (actually, they did get one axis of the ground perfectly level and likely would have had the perpendicular axis level soon afterwords).  And, the "flat" group figured out that they needed the "level" group to be able to achieve the "flat" problem (in fact, they branched off and started to create their own levelling experiment).  I took pictures and video and we used it in our debrief.  It was a fun way to reinforce the learning AND enjoy the afternoon sunshine.

We ended the day with a game of dodgeball in the gym.

Enjoy your long weekend (but don't put off your Egypt inquiry research)!

Wednesday, 6 February

"Ice Cream" 

Today we began with a French review.  Last day we introduced some adjectives and started to build some simple sentences and today we went a bit further.  We also did a quick review of the colours.  At 09:15, Joanna and her husband/film director Bjorn Enga arrived and we began our first film lesson.  Bjorn started by getting us to understand his role as director: he is "the vision" of the film.  He explained that for every shot the director must ask, "What is the story?"  The director must decide what is needed from a shot: is it to portray speed; happiness; energy; what?  Next, Bjorn showed us a short film he created (with some pretty handsome talent riding bikes and eating ice cream).  After that, we broke into three-person teams and, armed with a recording device, we left the class with this goal: "create three short shots that express who you are."  In typical Division Two style, the interpretations of that question were quite varied.  Some students rode scooters, some played with a ball, some led younger students and some took video of their stylish shoes.  It was interesting and the class was very engaged - as they always are in art.  In the future we are going to look at creating some short films to be judged in an "academy awards" contest (as was done in the past at RCCES).  Thanks, Bjorn and Joanna.

Notes from the pre-lesson

Notes from the pre-lesson

Notes from the pre-lesson

Pg. 116 #8 a)

After recess we read for a short while and then did math.  In Math 7 we looked specifically at how we could reduce a number by a certain percentage (as in a "sale" price), and how we could add a certain percentage to a number (as in adding a tax).  Students were then free to complete the problem set on page 116.  That should be done for homework.  Don't forget that if you complete the extra-practice sheet you can rewrite the mid-unit exam tomorrow at lunch.  Tomorrow the 7s will do the math FSA during the math block.

After lunch, the grade 7s did the first section (reading) of the FSA test while the 6s continued with their Egypt inquiry work.  In years past, students were asked to leave the school if they were not participating in the exams.  This year, that is not necessary: I will find work for all students, even those not participating.  Thus, it will not be necessary for parents to come and get their children.  As the 7s completed the test, they transitioned to their inquiry work like the 6s.  We ended the day with p.e.

Today went better in terms of student cooperation around listening when it was time to listen, and raising hands during discussions.  Thank you.

Remember that tomorrow is band.

Parent notice regarding painting upgrade in the school

Tuesday, 5 Feb

Tomorrow is art - please remember recording devices - see yesterday's post.

Today we began with a review of the three knots we learned in the past.  I was impressed with how many students could remember the knots.  I created a new level of "badges" based on the martial arts belts.  I introduced the class to the idea that they could become knots ninjas (this allowed me to call myself sensei).  To reach ninja status in any knot you must be able to tie it behind your back (that's even harder than doing it blindfolded). Here are the first two levels: tie a figure-8 = white belt, yellow stripe; tie a figure-8 behind your back = yellow belt; tie a bowline = yellow belt with red stripe; tie a bowline behind your back = red belt.  A number of students reached the red belt badge today.  Congratulations, Sensei is pleased.

After doing knots, we did a short cursive writing practice and then moved on to our second "key words assembly."  Five of our students (Gus, Nicholas, Mackenzie, Emily and Goldney) led the assembly on safety with readings, skits and demonstrations.  They represented our class very well.  It is difficult and risky to be the first to try anything in public and they students did wonderfully even when there were technical glitches (just like the Super Bowl).

After recess we read (or finished our cursive writing) and then moved on to math.  In Math 7 we reviewed Friday's homework and then got instruction on solving "percent" word problems.  We also learned about the adolescent boy perfume coefficient in our examination of cologne sold for 90% off.  Remember, if you want to find 5% of n, multiply n by 0.05 and if you want to find 15% of n, multiply n by 0.15!  Please complete p. 115-16 # 1-4 for homework.

After lunch we read Scroll XV (Chapter 15) of the Ostia novel and then wrote a one-sentence summary.  Next we had a talking circle: I have felt frustrated by some students' behaviour over the past three days of classes.  I think I am setting some students (who have difficulty regulating themselves) up for failure by having them seated next to certain other students.  I explained that I do not wish to move students who are being respectful and productive in their use of time, but in some cases I need to create some separation and the only way to do that will be to split some friends pairings.

We ended the day with some research for our inquiry project.  Unfortunately, for many students there was a problem accessing the Internet.  Hopefully that will be fixed tomorrow.

Monday, 4 February

First, please see the special note from yesterday about this week's art class - bring recording devices!

Also, there is a parent meeting at the school on Tuesday, 19 Feb at 6:30 p.m.

Square heads for practicing colours
(thanks, Joanna, for the composition
idea).

Today we began with a review in French.  We reviewed the colours, twice.  We also reviewed the pronouns and the verb, to be (present tense).  Today we introduced some adjectives in a bis to be able to construct some simple sentences.  Report cards come out at the end of the month and I will be including this sort of thing in this term's oral assessment so keep practicing if you're hesitant.  After French the students left for band.  They had individual practical exams today - I hope everyone is practicing.

adjectives: happy, etc.







After recess we all went to the library to meet with the other classes to meet author Susin Neilsen, who wrote Word Nerd.  The students received a wonderful presentation.  I thought Ms. Taggert was going to explode she was so excited.  Ms. Neilsen showed the students her work as a t.v. writer as well as as a novelist.  She also demonstrated how screenwriting and novel writing can merge.  Some volunteers got the chance to act out a scene from her book.  Everyone seemed to get a lot out of the experience.


After lunch we finished watching the documentary on water.  We took a few notes as we discussed the idea of convergence and how it could apply to this issue. We also took time to consider an individual inquiry question that we could each apply to this topic.  The one on the notes page is mine and may act as a model.  Remember that a good inquiry question is open-ended (and is open to modification - we don't always get it perfect, first time).  There is no homework other than to create a question.  If you were absent, please use the link to finish watching the show.

Link to: "Last Call at the Oasis"

We ended the day with some basketball dribbling relay races in the gym.

FSA testing begins for the grade 7s tomorrow.

ART UPDATE

Hi
Snow drops blooming!
Please post:

February is Filmimg Month in art class!
Directing, editing, producing & screen writing... !

I'll need people to bring anything they can film with to class on wed. (We will be grouping up so not to worry if you don't have something right now...)

Because!!! This first class, Bjorn Enga (aka landseer's dad) will be sharing with us all his Directing tricks!!

Check out his film making at Krankedbikes.com and follow his latest projects on Facebook at Kranked!!

It's going to be fun!

Joanna

Date correction

IMPORTANT MEETING: Tuesday, 19 FEB: AT 6:30 P.M.
I'd like to hold a parent info meeting to discuss the winter snowshoe trips to Bachelor Cabin in Tetrahedron Provincial Park (near Tuwanek).  I will be asking for drivers - some will need 4-wheel drive vehicles.  I'll be sending a notice home shortly.

Friday, 1 February

The kids tease me about how I say Tuesday ("tew"sday vs, "2"sday) so I am imagining they'll have a field day when I pronounce the first "r" in February.  Regardless, WOW, another month completed.  Is it just me or is this year flying by?

Logon for practice FSA test

We began the day by looking at the FSA reading format.  Both the School Board and the BCTF have sent home information on these tests and I explained to the students that this is a political discussion rooted in differing views about the assessment of learning and that I couldn't/wouldn't discuss it much beyond that.  I won't be spending much class time "prepping" the students for the tests, but I am going over the format of the test because it is much the same as the format for the provincial exam they will write in grades 10 and 12.  I also gave a lesson on poetry and showed some strategies for reading it.  We answered some practice questions just so the students could see "how they would have done."

p.113, #6

After recess Mrs. Rive supervised the class during their personal novel reading, I had a meeting with some of the educational support staff.  We transitioned to math at 11:00 where the 7's got the second half of their percents lesson and then quickly got to work on the problem set.  Everyone finished early and this puts us in good stead to do a practice set that includes word problems, on Tuesday.  There is no math homework for the 7s.  There will be no math on Monday because we are all meeting a visiting author (Susin Nielsen, author of Word Nerd, one of the books some students read as a part of the "Coast Reads" initiative) during the normal math block.

At lunch we had our weekly grade 7 planning committee meeting in Mr. Pond's room.  Some of the students mentioned that they think they need to tweek the committee process because of a perception that not enough is getting done.  From my perspective, the process has been quite professional: the repetition is a natural part of the consultative process; I also understand that things might not seem to be moving quickly enough from a grade 7 student's perspective.

After lunch we worked with our little buddies in Ms. L's class for 40 minutes and then shifted to personal research for our Egypt inquiry projects.  The class was much better at getting to work today.  I was able to sit 1:1 with some students and help them puzzle through the process; it was a nice opportunity to personalize the learning.  We ended the day with p.e which was yoga with Nicky.  I felt like I was about 1,000,000 years old as my arthritic, semi-rigid joints tried to comply with the instructions I was given.  It was a great experience, and while some students were too chatty and silly, I'm assuming that that was just nerves and that our next session, two weeks from today, will go smoother for all.  It was nice to have to put myself out there and struggle a bit publicly in the way we teachers ask students to do every day.

Remember that Monday is band, and everyday is Egypt research day.

Author visit 11:00 - 12:00 Monday.

See yesterday's post regarding the Feb 19 parents meeting regarding the Tet trip that will occur after spring break..