Ode to Twitter addicition

Twitter in the morning
Twitter in the evening
Twitter at breakfast, lunch and teatime

Twitter before reading fav book,
Opps no time to read.
Still tweeting.

I'll tweet then I'll quilt.
Quilt still untouched.
Still tweeting.

Neighbors take dog for walk.
Still tweeting.

Boys loving the unterupted minecraft time.
Yes I'm still tweeting.

Time to say to say the serenity prayer.
Time for some fresh air.
No more tweeting.

Calebs Teligami

https://tellagami.com/gami/JZS7QA/

40 Book Challenge

I have started the 40 book challenge this year.  Students are enjoying being able to borrow from my bookshelves.  I told them the best books were the ones that I have had since I was a kid and are subsequently falling apart.  That worked to get them taking out some pretty disgusting looking books. 

I am currently trying to add more books for boys to my collection.  The boys and most of the girls are not impressed with the number of ballett books left over from my childhood.  I have bought 8 choose your own adventure by RA Montgomery.  It is great for a bookaholic having an excuse to buy lots of books on  trademe and coming home to parcels after a day at school.  I must see if I can find some hardy boys and commandos.  Are there any other suggestions for 10-12 year old boys who would rather be pig hunting?  Any ideas for horse riding girls? 

I have heard there is rebellion at home about 30 minutes reading.  Who can blame them when swimming holes, beaches, and the best weather yet this summer is calling.  Just to make it worse swimming lessons and summer cricket are starting again.  Since I only have 10 boys in the class everyone is in the Saturday Cricket team!  It is going to require some amazing books to get them absorbed.  I am hopeful though as the initial excitement of my books has surpasses my dreams.  Silent reading time is amazing as everyone is absorbed in something. I have hidden Eric carles very hungry cricket though.  Adding a fake cricket to the racket of the real cicadas was too much for a teacher suffering with cluster migraines!

The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller

I have loved reading this book over the summer.  It has certainly influenced my thoughts about this year.

 I have decided to move my entire collection of childrens books to the classroom.  This has pleased the caretaker: I took a large bookshelf out of one of his sheds.  My husband is happy:  4 boxes of books are out of his workshop.  I am happy as I can now display china on some f my bookshelves inside.  Now starts the task of getting them on a catalogue so I can keep track of the class library and who has what books.  The android app I am using for this is Codex.  There seem to be a few apps for apple and android that make keeping personal libraries organised very easy.

I have also put the Reading Interest-alyser on Socrative.  (SOC-3004435  - will enable you to use the quiz)  I hope this will help me analyse pupils interests fast and get started on selecting books for them.  I am very much helped in this area by our school librarians.  Last year I stopped taking my whole class to the library at the same time.  Instead it is one of the things students have to manage to get done during their week.  Each week I give students a list of all the learning tasks they have to achieve.  This means the students go to the library by themselves (boys) in small groups (girls)  and have personalised attention from the librarians.  Our librarians are amazing.  They know what all the students like to read and even buy books for specific students.  I am sure it helps that we have 120 students and a librarian available between 9am - 3pm.    I will pass the data from the reading interest a lyser on to the librarians.

I also intend to do the 40 book challenge this year.  I have strong doubts as to whether this is achievable for some of the student but it sounds like a good goal.

I am hoping that students will develop reading habits in the 2 years I have them to carry them through high school.  At least when they are asked to do wide reading at NCEA level they will know they have done it before.

Heres to having students reading as they wait for the bus in the mornings and walk up the driveway after school.

Priorities to be achieved before school goes back 2014

In preparation for 2014 I have been reading up on some of the ideas I want to improve on for this year.  So for reading:  daily 5, the cafe book, book whisperer.  Result of that lot is I am emptying my bookshelves of Childrens books and taking them into school.  Plus I have brainstormed how daily 5 might look in my class.  This needs more thought yet.  For writing I have reread bits of Lucy calkin and Gail Loanes book.  So this year I am going to try writers notebooks again probably using 3b1's initially then challenging students to buy something lovely when they fill the 3b1.  I have also added writing form notebook to daily 5 mindmap.

For inquiry projects I have browsed a selection of books as you can see from my kindle screenshots.   Some deserve a closer read.  My biggest need here is coming up with authentic real problems to investigate!

I have Registered for a flat classrooms project and quadblogging aotearoa.  We are going to be busby!

I have decided to start the year with bounce back social skills teaching.  One of the benefits of small communities is that I have prior knowledge of my students.  Skills in friendship, negotiations, assertiveness vs aggression are badly needed by some of the incoming students.

And then I need to do planning paperwork, have the new Principal around for afternoon tea, get start of the year assessments done, tidy up last years computer files and set up this years, get new tables made by my patient husband and a pile of other set up the learning environment stuff.  The great thing about a flexible learning environment is the lack of desks and seating layouts to sort out.  I do want to try Train the teachers bucket idea this year and give each student a few surprises for that first day back.

Of course now I that I look at this list I wonder how to fit it around a new dog, quilting, making clothes, sewing next years Christmas presents, learning to code, !earning French (great free app called duolingo) and playing computer games.  I think relaxing and socialising is firmly at the top of my list for another week.  Thankfully school goes back on the 7th February so I have time yet.

I'm IT! Blogger meme

The blogging task includes:

• I have been nominated by Philippa Nicoll Antipas @keenreader to write the blogging meme.  Find her blog here.  What a grand way to get to know each other better.
  
  
• 11 random facts about me.
  I adore dark chocolate of all kinds.
  I am married to Rowan and we have two children Nathan and Joshua.
  We have two dogs,  9 budgies, and 4 chooks.  
  I love reading fantasy, some science fiction and books about education.
  I have taught all level from New Entrants to year 8's.  The longest I have ever taught a level is 3 years.
  I remember the internet when it was only group discussion sites.
  I love computer games.  Civilization, Age of Empires, Majesty, Heroes of Might and Magic.
  I used to do scrapbooking and have a cupboard of unfinished albums.
  I now do quiltmaking.  I have 2 landscape quilts. 2 block quilts and 2 wall hangings I am currently working on.
  I sew most of my own clothes because I hate clothes shopping.
  I have only been overseas once, which was to Chicago.  I loved and want to go explore more of the world.
   
• 11 Questions for you now to conquer:
  1. Who has been a colleague (past or present) that you have regarded as a mentor?  There have been many mentors along the way but the most influential Debenham would be Rebecca Speden.  I was a student teacher on section with her, taught at Northcote School with her and at Gilberthorpe School with her as well.  Of course I also have to acknowledge Lois Chick (NZGSE), Kevin Knight (NZGSE) and Murray  Debenham.  They certainly established focusing on student learning and constant reflection about teaching practise.
  2. What is your favourite NZ native bird, and why?  At the moment my favorite would be a tui because I get to watch them from my windows as they eat the nectar from the flax and pohutakawa.  Of course there is also the naughty kea, oystercatchers, gannets. fantails, silver eyes and spoonbills.
  3. What was your favourite book as a child?   My favourite book greatly depended on age and mood at the time.  It's much easier to go for favourite authors.  Enid Blyton, Noel Stretfield, Arthur Ransome.  I suppose if a must choose just one book it would be 'The Little Princess" although Heidi would be a close second.
  4. Worst job ever!  What was it?  Hands down winner for this one is picking cherries.  I worked 4 hours a day and got paid about $10 per day because I was such a bad picker.  I gave up after 10 days when I heard the boss boasting to my Dad about how much he was earning.
  5. What’s the icebreaker question or activity you use to get to know someone?  Umm I don't have one and take a long time to get to know someone.
  6. Best person to follow on Twitter for one of your passions?
  7. What is your least favourite household chore?  It was vacuuming but we have a cool vacuum cleaner that is almost fun to use.  Maybe it is now cooking.  I have to admit that I very rarely do any housework because my husband does it all around his part time work.  I also only cook Saturday and Sunday.  Actually I teach my boys to cook on Saturday's so I don't have to.  So maybe the answer to this question is all of them.
  8. What’s one lesson/activity/unit that you really look forward to teaching?  Cripes this question is hard!  Any unit where I see students enthused, motivated and making progress.  When I taught NE- Year 1 it was the unit on airplanes.  Last year with year 7&8 I had great fun teaching the Sexuality Education unit.  I think the problem choosing here is that I have almost never taught the same unit twice.
  9. Fly first class to your overseas destination and have a little less spending money, or fly ‘cattle class’ and have a little more in your pocket?   Fly cattle class and spend lots of money going to art galleries, museums, zoos and all the other touristy places.  Go clothes shopping in the big malls which have great choice.  Buy lots of gourmet chocolates.
  10. What’s a web tool or app that you’ve come across recently that you’d heartily recommend to others?   An app.  What is with all the ones.  I can't make choices.  Duolingo is my latest love.  I am using it to learn French so that I can understand the French teacher when I go into her class.  Its very easy.  I also like camera zoomfx, wevideo, flashlight (lets me read paper books in bed).  Kindle is probably the one app I couldn't do without.  For school I think socrative, simple mind and explain everything are essential.
  11. If you hosted a dress-up party, what theme would you choose, and why?  Rich Medieval or fantasy so that I could dress up in an awesome dress.  1950's could be fun too.  Then I could be in a full skirted dress and have pretty china with high tea.

  
   Blogging Meme task,
  
  

  • Write 11 random facts about yourself. 
  • Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
  • List 11 bloggers who havn't been nominated yet..
  • Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.

  
  I tag you!
  
  @perrynator18, @campbellpotter, @katienovakudl, @fionagrant
  @chrissiebutler, @charte, @steelotter, @fionnawright, @connie599, @tim_de_vries, @kiwibelma, @aimiesibson
  
  
  My Questions for You.
  
  1.  What / Who inspired you to be a teacher?
  2.  What changes are you inspired to make in 2014?  Who or what inspired these.
  3. If you could spend a million dollars in your school what would you get?
  4.  What charity would you like to give $1 Million  to.
  5.  What is the latest hobby you have started?
  6.  What is your favorite book?
  7.  What is your favorite thing to do outside of school?
  8.  What does your classroom look like?
  9. What are you reading now?
  10.  Pets or no pets and why?
  11.  What is one thing that you want students to takeaway from your class?
  
  
  
  

Learning Intentions.

I have found that writing learning intentions on the plan helps me to direct the activities more.  I run my class using a personalised list of must do's for the week.  It starts off as one list of learning intentions and activities.   I make little changes to intentions and tasks to differentiate them.  I believe that the situation where children can work out what they are learning and why for themselves is the end goal.  I think each teacher needs to come up with ways of scaffolding students to recognize the learning in the way that works for their class.  I think walts on the board, my method, learning intentions in books are all just ways to scaffold students into having increasing amounts of control over their own learning.  In my opinion Senior Management Teams would do better to ask how teachers are moving students to this end goal rather than dictating that learning intentions should always be on the board.  Some classes don't need this much scaffolding to have control and motivation.
It was very interesting at ICOT 2013 to hear the father of learning intentions apologise for inflicting the "walt on the board" on all teachers.   His desire was for students to know what and why they were learning.  He didn't want to be p[rescriptive about how this was achieved.