Matrix Learning

This Term we have introduced the matrix into our Science unit- Spinning in Space. The students are given the freedom to choose their own assessment pieces (with guidance) from the matrix, based around Bloom's six thinking levels. The assessments include activities geared towards those interested in both writing, mathematics, art, music, drama, presentations, research, independent and group work.

The tasks are briefly outlined on the matrix and it is up to the students to complete and present their assessment in a creative way that shows off their skills and ability to think at a higher level. This can be either a research paper, movie, recorded song with lyrics- the choices are endless.

As the students complete a task, they are to get it signed off by one of the teachers and engage in a conversation around their next assessment choice. The students are so enlivened by the idea of the matrix and the responsibility to direct their own learning, that we had several students take themselves off to the library during lunch time to get stuck into their independent assessment tasks.

It is great to see the students in Year 4 taking responsibility for their own learning and being so enthusiastic about it. We are interested to see how the students respond to the matrix after a couple of weeks of independence and self direction.  

Wii Take Pleasure in Maths!

As our HSIE Olympics unit begins to wrap up, we decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to hold our own Wii Olympics in the classroom (each day for the next 2 weeks) and use the data collected during our Maths lessons!

The Year level was broken up into two teams and given time to agree on a team name. One participant from each team would compete against each other while the scores are recorded by the students individually. The atmosphere around the 'arena' is energetic and fierce, with students displaying the a.s.p.i.r.e values and sportsmanship learnt throughout the unit.

Initially the students were to keep a record of the scores and total them at the end of each Olympic session, however with the variety of games and events that we have at hand, we are able to collect data for different events (cow racing, 100m sprints, fishing etc) and compile our information into numerous types of graphs, while keeping a running tally of the teams individual scores for the competition.

The students are so engaged in these sessions, they forget that they are actually completing Maths activities, working in large teams and boosting each others self-esteem through encouragement.

The whole experience has allowed some of the quieter students to step into the spot light and reveal their natural talents as commentators and group leaders. As teachers, it has been interesting to watch the dynamics of the teams, camaraderie and competition develop each day as the Olympics continue.

     

A New Look Learning Space

The Year 4 learning space has recently undergone a makeover- morphing from two distinct classrooms into one vast learning space. The students sat down to discuss what effect this open learning environment would have on them as a learner, and how it might impact the way that specific lessons are taught.

Operating as a large group, we felt it necessary to familiarise the students with specific language around different approaches to learning before throwing them into a large, open plan environment- where chaos could effectively break out. After explaining that the students will now have freedom to choose where they wanted to work and who they might work best with (with teacher monitoring), we introduced Steve Collis' notion of the 'cave, campfire and watering hole'. The students understand that during 'cave' time, they are working individually on their learning tasks, they may be sitting next to somebody else or lying on the ground in a group, but the task is individual and the working environment should be quiet. During 'campfire' activities, the students know that they are working collaboratively in small breakout groups, while the 'watering hole' suggests a large group discussion.

The students were enthusiastic about a new learning space and couldn't wait to make the change. There was some apprehension in the beginning from a small number of students, mainly through fear of the unknown, however after the transformation took place- these students prefer the new arrangements.

As teachers in this learning space, we find that the students are responding well to the change, discovering new friendships, working more productively together and self regulating their learning. It's an uplifting moment when you hear a child say to his friends, "Guys, I love you- but I just have to go over here to work, I'm too distracted!"  

Motivated, Inspired, Encouraged

On Monday the 13^th of August, the brilliant Steve Collis from Northern Beaches Christian School ran our Staff Development day here at Sacred Heart.

Steve showcased a range of innovative and exciting ideas around the management of open classrooms, 21^st century pedagogy and inspired us to initiate a plan of our own.

Here in Year 4 we excited and ready to take a leap towards the future of education. We hope to be pioneers in shifting the thinking around the culture of education, by implementing our own innovate teaching and learning strategies within Sacred Heart.

The notion behind Steve Collis’ professional development linked perfectly across with the CEO’s iLe@rn position paper, which we had unpacked in our staff meeting earlier that week. The iLe@rn model conveys a set of skills in which students need to be able to work, collaborate and communicate in the 21^st Century.  These concepts are not new to our pedagogy however, as teachers we need to magnify these skills in our learning space in order to advance the students and move forward in our profession.

We are excited at what lies ahead!

Melody Edelman & Amy Sherburd

Keeping up with current practices!

On the 30th and 31st of May 2012, we were fortunate enough to engage in a 2-day sold out national event, Technology in K-12 Education National Congress 2012, held by EduTech at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

With speakers such as Sir Ken Robinson, Stephan Heppell, Greg Whitby, Juan Lopez-Valcarcel and Dan Haesler- only a handful of the many inspiring speakers at the conference, my colleague and I walked away from the convention feeling enlivened and eager to get back into our classrooms knowing that the benefits and possibilities of technology in learning are countless.

Greg Whitby cemented our own thinking around technology when he stated that, “technology is a seamless connection between school and life. All kids can learn and technology is an enabler, it is simply a tool- the right tool for great teachers.”  Therefore, the idea of introducing iPads into the classroom and into various lessons shouldn’t be foreign- it is simply linking learning to the real world, convincing me that the excitement that the children display during our lessons is a clear indication of engagement, inquiry and learning.  

QR Codes and Science

Recently we introduced our students to the world of QR Codes. As they entered the classroom this week they immediately spotted a dozen 'What am I?' questions stuck up around the room, all with their own "funny looking pixelated box" underneath.

Our discussion began with students predicting what these funny boxes were, and discovering from each other that they actually hold interesting information. 

The students formed small groups and rotated around the room, each reading the 'What am I?' questions and discussing which organ of the human body they thought it the clues were related to. Once everyone had predicted their answers, the group scanned the codes using a free app called scan to reveal the true answer. The students were enlivened by this experienced and started suggesting other ways in which we could use QR Codes in our learning. 

The students decided that they would create their own questions and QR Codes (after a very brief explanation on how to do this), to teach each other about the skeleton. As we were already in the middle of building our own creative diagram of the human body, some groups thought it would be a good idea to use QR Codes to label their parts and organs instead of the more traditional labels that we see everyday. 

This little concept sparked many of the students to go home and teach their parents about QR Codes and discuss the many possibilities for their existence. Some students began spotting and collecting QR Codes as they came across them in Newsletters, brochures or magazines.

    

Let's Collaborate

Stage two of implementation incorporated iPads and iPod touches into our morning literacy block. While the class is set up with rotational activities during guided reading, the mobile devices are set up to be used at one station. The students are notified and the required apps are download at home in advance. 

Puppet Pals: The students were introduced to the app during a whole year level demonstration. We found that the students who had downloaded Puppet Pals at home had already spent some time familiarising themselves with the app, therefore reducing the time that we had to spend unpacking it. The students at this station engaged in script writing. They were asked to develop a short script that would be reflective of the orientation of a narrative (considering elements such as: who, what, when, where etc).

During the next literacy block, when the students found themselves back at the script writing station, the students were asked to pair up, make final adjustments and choose only one of the scripts before selecting one of the available devices to record their mini Puppet Pal show. 

Puppet Pal allowed the students to work collaboratively with each other, delegate and accept speaking roles, make evaluative judgements when choosing which script they would ‘perform‘, while capturing the attention of even the most disengaged students. 

We also introduced 'Writer's Hat' as a quick tool for students to gather inspiration for their writing. Some students found the writing prompts to be far too random, however, were able to make use of one or two of the suggested made. 


Student comments: 


"Puppet Pals let me expand my creativity and made English feel like an adventure!" - Charlie. C


"There are just so many ways to learn with this technology." - Genevieve. B


"I loved sharing my ideas and working in groups." - Arabella. S


"Puppet Pals stretched my imagination and it made me want to write something interesting enough to perform." Ronan. B


"Writer's hat gave me quick ideas so that I could begin my writing faster. The ideas were challenging but fun!" - Aoife. W 

Baby Steps

To begin our journey, students were allowed to use their mobile device for one of the two independent reading sessions per day, unless they owned a kindle or had an iBook, then they could use their device during both reading sessions. The students who do not have an iBook on their device are allowed to play any of the Maths apps that they have downloaded from the recommended list. 

Maths follows the first independent reading session, so the students who are playing the Maths apps treat it like an extra warm-up activity. Students are using the apps to learn and get faster with their number fact recall, as well as practice their mental addition, subtraction and division strategies. The students are excited during this time and quick to get settled, coming in after lunch. 


Student Comments:

"On my kindle I have already downloaded nine pages of books and I'm up to filling up my tenth!" - Monet. T

"I like having my books on my iPod because it means that I don't have to carry around my heavy books. iBooks are very clever and a smart way to read a book." - Sophie. T

"I like to read real books but I might download an iBook just to see what it is like one day." - Harry. C

"Kids these days like using electronics- they make you want to learn more. The Maths apps have helped improve my times tables!" -  Zoe. C

"I like to play Maths apps before our Math lesson because it pumps me up." - Will. S

"Maths apps help me a lot because they teach me how I made my mistake and helps me to understand my mistake." - Grace. C

"The apps are good because they are aimed at all different levels." - Tom. H

    

                                   

What are we doing?

As Year 4 teachers, we set out to see how we could effectively integrate mobile devices into our curriculum, what the challenges would be and what effect these devices had on the students learning.

Before we began planning this adventure, firstly we had to survey the students to get a rough idea of how many iPod touches and iPads were available to use within our classroom. The idea was that- the students who had permission from their parents would download the requested apps and bring their device to school, ready to use during certain lessons. We had quite a fantastic response with a good mix of iPods, iPhones and iPads spread across both classes. 

The first stage of implementation was minimal, simply to gauge the students reactions to having 1:1 technology in the classroom. Students were supplied with a list of Maths Apps and were asked to download them to their devices at home with a parent. Most of these apps were free, with one or two costing a small fee for those wishing to purchase. As well as Maths apps, students were given the option to download iBooks or bring their Kindle to school, for those who owned them. There are two class iPod touches and two class iPads available for the students to use also on rotation.