Stories from Schools

Blogs from our travels

Kayla’s blog: http://busybeemissd.weebly.com/blog

Meghan’s blog: http://alohamissmeghan.weebly.com/

Karla’s blog: http://myat3012.wix.com/karlamyatt

 

Visit to Birkenhead primary school

25 May 2015

Welcome students with attendance: “Good morning, __. How are you today?”

Warm-up game: 1-21 on the board. Roll three die. Students offer different ways to +, x, -, ÷ to eliminate as many numbers as possible.

Example: Roll 3-5-1. 3+5+1=9; 3×5+1=16

Game continues until all numbers are eliminated (or 5 rolls).

Groups for math:

1) Choose a strategy that works best:

Rounding or Compensating OR adding ones and tens separately: 41+35, 65+24, 19+16, 34+45, 51+79

2)Base ten strategies with Rachel

3) Banker game: cards with money problems (Example: you won the lotto, get $45; you bought an umbrella, pay $12). Banker makes change and gives money.

As students finish, they work in math workbook. Play other math games.

Resources teachers come in and out to take children for assessments

One resource teacher comes in to support math group.

GoNoodle (brain break activities)

Writer’s Workshop: Ways to make our writing interesting – review (talking/speech; describe the day; onomatopoeia; feelings). Today – how do we make our endings interesting and memorable?

Ask the reader a question; make it mysterious (keep the reader wondering); give the reader some advice; say how feel; repeat your first sentence

Shared writing: Do you have a brother? If you do, you will need my survival advice…body of text…Take my advice or suffer the consequences.

Writing prompt: Advice to another person.

Students turn and talk about what advice they can give. Some students share with class.

Rachel provides ideas: Who’s really good at getting their parents to buy them things they want?

Reading: The Cantankerous Camel. Discuss title: what does cantankerous mean? I challenge you to use cantankerous in your writing this week.

Read the first page. Where do you think this story is? What gives you clues?

Rachel reads each page aloud. Stops to clarify vocabulary words and identify clues for setting.

Small group reading – leveled text with follow-up worksheet.

Handwriting: ly

Art – Maroi art elements (fundraiser project for PTA)

26 May 2015

Calendar Math: students come up with different ways to get to 72. Students show the different strategies they use.

Students come to the front to explain their thinking about ways to get to 72.

One student asks, “Which numbers will add up to 100?” Students who are interested in finding this out can do independent inquiry during math center time.

Students explain how they came to know each answer.

Brain break – lap around the playground.

Math: Students decide at what level they need more practice

1) 35+7 worksheet with rounding

2) 35-7

3) math games at tables for more practice

Cricket: choose 1-6 for ‘out’ number (e.g., 3); roll die until ‘out’ number is rolled; total die rolls; total number of round (6 rounds)

4) small group – strategies for rounding (43-7)

FAVE (fruit and veg time): read aloud

Reading Work:

Big Book: The Best Pet. Students share their favorite pet and why it is their favorite.

1) Pros and Cons: good points and bad points of different pets

2) Clothes line spelling words (from writing)

3) Talking prompts: dogs are better than cats; kids should be able to bring fizzy drinks to school, students should have to wear a uniform every day; school should run until 5:00; weekends should be 3 days long; all children should have to play a sport. Tell your opinion to your buddy and support your opinion.

5) Paired reading: students highlight facts and opinions in short passages (identify how many supporting details for each one)

6) Reading response journal: design an enclosure for your pet

7) Small group instruction: Fact vs. opinion

Students work in pairs to share and support opinions.

Writing: Supporting opinions with facts (persuasive writing – in 3 weeks students will give a persuasive speech). Ange models writing – Room 10 is awesome. States opinion, gives samples examples of why room 10 is so awesome (2-3 reasons, at least one example for each). Restate opinion at the end. Check: Have I given enough reasons and examples and have I given enough information to persuade someone.

Students create brainstorm sheets the previous day with a partner.

Students write on ‘writing sample’ evaluation sheets (writing evaluation later in the weeks) for practice.

Students work independently on their writing as Ange walks around and supports individuals. Students double check their name is on each page, check spelling, full stops; reread writing.

Signs around the room

Ways to work our words you don’t know:

Stretchy Snake: stretch out the sounds in the words and blend them together

Lips the Fish: Get your mouth ready. Make the beginning sound of the word

Chunky Monkey: Look for small ‘chunks’ you know inside the bigger words

Fly Bye: Look at the picture carefully. Use the picture clues to decode tricky words

Skippy Kangaroo: Skip over the word. Read the rest of the sentence. Try it again.

 

Flippy Dolphin: ‘Flip” the vowel sound. If you tried the short vowel, try the word with the long vowel sound. Which one makes sense?

Inquiry: I notice (observations); I think (inference); I wonder (questions)

 

Oral speaking practice for persuasive essays.

Review expectations for oral speaking: project your voice, face your audience, posture

One student practices reading his persuasive essay aloud. Students offer a few suggestions.

Mentor text: I Wanna Iguana.

 

Handwriting: hi ha

 

Science training

Science capabilities: http://scienceonline.tki.org.nz/

 

Skill focus rather than content focus

 

LiteracyOnline: http://literacyonline.tki.org.nz/

Connected TKI: http://literacyonline.tki.org.nz/Literacy-Online/Teacher-needs/Instructional-Series/Connected

 

27 May

 

Students practice Tene Koutou

 

Morning greeting in Maori

 

Math calendar: counting number of days in school by tens and ones. Clap-counting by tens to 100 up and back. Counting by 5s – marbles in a jar.

70 + or – math facts.

Students stand in a circle – buzz by 5s. Students sit down when their number is a factor of 5.

Number of the day is 27 – 5 ways to make 27 (26+1; 1×27; etc) – workbook work

Small group – missing addend

 

Good readers: use strategies, ask questions, think when they read, read fluently, take care of books, like books, talk about books, practice reading, share books

 

Math groups:

1) Quick images: Dot patterns – students think and guess how many dots (six groups of 5 dots; nine groups of 4 dots). Students explain how they solved the pattern.

2) Double digit +/- practice.

3) Teacher group

 

Read aloud – Maroi tale of the bird woman – Hadu Padu. (big book)

 

 

Reading:

1) What’s your opinion? Reading group

2) Research a type of NZ bird. Start with Google search, draw the bird, write three things you learned around the bird.

3) Reading with teacher – Reread big book story. Students read independently

4) Reading centers –

 

 

Reading Rainbow – students listen to a story read aloud. They listen to the story several times, then read it aloud to the teacher and answer a few questions. They move up through the leveled books as their skills progress.

 

Students recite poems or read self-published stories to the class – practice speaking skills.

 

What did we learn about speech writing? From earlier performance. Students share their ideas as the teacher records their responses on chart paper (to later hang up for reference).

 

What’s your opinion? In small groups, students state their opinion and provide supporting evidence.

 

28 May

 

Reading Recovery (30 minute lessons)

Literacy Lessons Part 1 & 2, Marie Clay

Different Paths to Different Outcomes, Marie Clay

 

Leveled readers (PM+ (AUS/NZ leveled books; others from Cengage publishing)

 

Side-by-side sitting

7 year old, bilingual Spanish (Chilean) L1 orally fluent, not likely reading in Spanish, or at home

1) Read familiar text. Word-by-word. Work on reading nice and smooth, just like you talk. Able to call all the words. No intervention as the child reads familiar text, just let the child read. Check “foxed” meaning – tricked.

2) Read less familiar text (from earlier in the week). “Give it a try.” “Does it make sense?” “Reread that sentence.” Only cues for strategies and word meaning (bait). Look at the picture to help support word meaning (bait) and explain how the word is used (context of fishing). Said ‘boat’ for ‘bait’, showed the child the where the word was written before. What has happened and what will happen in the rest of the story (picture walk through the remaining book, with stop to read the last page). The book goes home and is brought back to school the next day.

3) New book – complete a running record with text. No support provided to child so she can see how he is doing and what strategies he is using, unless the child does not know how to access the word (ground, dry, garden). Child reads through the entire book. Once he gets past the first page or two, he seems to get into the rhythm of the text – able to call the words, continues to read word-by-word.

Revisit the beginning of the book to reread tricky parts. The child rereads the text. The child points to the tricky words and says the words. The teacher explains where the child went wrong and explains how he figured out the work (ground – look at the gr; dry – look at the dr; garden – look at chunks gar-den). Child continues to read. Stop at ‘fix’, go to tricky word – child does not know the word (tap)(may not be in lexicon), so they sound out the word as this is the most effective strategy for this word. The teacher, helped him to understand the word – where you wash your hands. They continue through all places where he reread or used other strategies – the child explains what he did (reread the words).

4) Letter work – sort like letters (b, l, r, n). Write b, l (both have a tall stick); r, n (both have a short stick)

5) Writing – checks if the child has a story already in mind. If not, they write about the story they just read – teasing mum. Picture walk through the story to review how the character teased mum. Cues, ‘then what did mum do?’ After going through the book – what would you like to write about. The child wants to write about the book, but does not know what to write about. Teacher shows the last page to help the child get started. The child says the sentence he will write and begins to write: “Mum and Emma”. Teacher reminds to use capitals and spells Emma. “chased” that’s a tricky word, teacher directs child to use a practice page for spelling and notes how close he was to spelling, then writes the correct spelling to note the tricky parts of the word – ch, ed (sounds like t). Review other –ed forms (play to played, walk to walked, chase and chased). Child continues writing and sounds out words to spell with teacher support (with). “Mum and Emma chased Matthew with the hose and they all got wet.” Child rereads writing.

6) Sentence building. Teacher cut apart the sentence the child wrote and he reconstructs the sentence. The child refers to his writing (in his journal) to remind himself what he wrote. The child reconstructs the sentence and rereads it.

7) Child practices writing ‘with’ on the board. This is a word he continuously has trouble spelling. He is directed to write the word with his eyes closed.

8) New book: Teacher reads the title. Picture walk through the book to tell the story. At each page, the teacher asks questions such as, what happened, what would you do, what do you think they will do, would you try something else, did their idea work? Child reads aloud a few pages of the book. The teacher takes a running record (past, friend). Child reads the sentence again and continues reading (slept). When the child does a miscue, the teacher allows the child to read to the end of the page, then return to the start of the page to correct the miscue. She tells him what he said the first time did not make sense and he needs to make sure to notice when words don’t make sense. Attention to punctuation to help build expression (?). The teacher stops the child and reads the rest of the text to the child. Reread tricky parts of the beginning of the text (past, friend, kicked).

 

7 year old, bilingual (Vietnamese) L1 orally fluent

1) Read familiar book –read fluently and with expression.

2) Read less familiar book. Teacher taking a running record. – read ‘sea’ for ‘island’ – teacher stopped and directed his attention to the picture for support. Child corrects and rereads the text. ‘Look for something you know in that word’ – at, th. Child says ‘this’. Teacher tells the words and the child rereads the sentence. Stops at ‘way’ – gets –ay, but not able to put w and –ay together. The teacher starts the sentence and the child joins in and says ‘way’. Stops at ‘beach’, teacher intervenes by starting at the beginning of the sentence, child joins in, calls the word, and rereads the sentence. Stops at ‘splash’. Child can’t get past the sp-, teacher points to picture to help contextualize word.

Teacher goes back to tricky areas for the child to reread. Again, gets stuck on ‘beach’. Teacher asks questions (where do they want to get to? Island), points the picture. Child says the word, rereads the sentence and points to the word.

3) New book from earlier in the week. Child reads as the teacher takes a running record. Child stops reading, but does not vocalize any strategies – is he working the words out in his head? Child rereads tricky parts.

4) Letter work – same as above. Say letter name and sound as he writes the letters.

5) Writing – writing from the book – about the naughty cows. Child practices how to spell words on a practice page – broke. ‘The naughty cows broke into the garden and ate gran’s flowers.’ Teacher assists with spelling (sounding out words – enunciating each sound in words).

Practice writing ‘went’ on white board while teacher rewrites his sentence. Practices ‘with’ with magnetic letters.

6) Reconstructs sentence. Rereads sentence.

7) New book. Picture walk through the book. Child reads the book, the teacher cues with strategies for the child (pictures, look at each letter, reread sentence, start with first letter). The teacher reads along with the child to help him get past tricky words. The teacher finishes reading the book.

Tamkai Primary School

http://www.manaiakalani.org/home

 

9 June 2015

Tamaki Primary (Rhonda Kelly)

(decile 1-2 school – family income <$19,000)

 

Year 2 & 3 (grades 1 & 2) 17 children

Small group working on math addition

27+8=

27+ (3+5)=

27+3=30

30+5+35

27+8=35

 

Teacher talks students through how to get to a ‘tidy number’ (10s). Instead of counting on 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 get to ‘a tidy number’, then add the 5. Students get to 30 first, then add the remaining 5.

 

Student pairs working together with math game (missing addend; dice addition)

 

Whole group: 10 cards – quick recognition; 7 dots – 5 and 2, how many more to get to 10?

Math problem: There are 27 lollies in the jar. Mrs. Tafea puts 8 more in. How many lollies are there now?

Students make ‘a tidy number’. Discussion of what makes ‘a tidy number’? Whole group explanation for earlier problem. How will we make 27 a tidy number? Now how many 10s do we have? 3 tens. 3 tens makes 30 and 5 more is 35.

 

Review of what we have learned – a tidy number ends in zero.

 

Count up by 5s from 50. Count by 5s backward from 95. What patterns can we find by counting by 5s? All end in 5 then 0.

Literacy cycle: planning, crafting, peer sharing/reflecting/editing, reflecting, re-crafting, teacher conference, publishing, sharing.

 

Maui legends. Student write scripts.

One group has finished writing and goes outside to practice.

Review of legends: How Maui found the secret of fire. Students identify myth origin (Maori, Tongan).

 

Vivid vocabulary: choose a word from a legend

How Maui brought fire to Tonga. The teacher reads the legend aloud. Students are to think of 3 new words?

The teacher selects: content

Students do dictionary work:

1) Word – content

2) Dictionary meaning-

3) Synonyms-

4) Antonyms-

5) Related vocabulary

6) Word class-

7) Tense-

8) Simple sentence-

9) Syllable-

 

 

Special Needs Satellite Program (Sommerville School – Diane W)

4 children (4 adults)

Sensory integration – children painting with hands and brush on laminated paper.

Visual/auditory sensory integration: with a balloon – directions (up, down) touch.

Using sign language to assist students.

Hands up, are your hands clean, on your lap, hand together. Sing abc song with letter signs (two handed signs).

Head and shoulders song with hand actions.

Children stand.

One child uses picture cards to help identify what is next.

 

 

Year 1 (Kindergarten) (15 children)

Review of new word from morning’s lesson – went

Magnetic letters on board – students rebuild the word

Big Book – The Farm Concert

Identify animals on the cover page.

Child finds the word went on the page. Choral read the book. The teacher points to the word. Find went on each page. Children write went on the board.

Children practice writing went on ipads with stylus. Children can choose colors, line thickness, etc.

Make went with play dough, letter floor puzzle, letter/sound picture matching.

 

Small group (lesson with ipad) “Car Shopping”

Read to: We looked at a blue car. “Too big,” said dad…

Read together: Teacher assists with initial sound. Students choral read.

Read alone: Students get individual copies. Where do you start reading? Choral word-by-word reading. Independent practice: On the ipads, students fill in missing word (looked) App – Explain Everything

 

Small group (lesson with ipads

Make words: in (move letters); write word with stylus

Read to: In a Car; students point to in on each page.

Read together: Where do you start reading? Students choral read. Students reread the book together.

 

10 June 2015

Year 4 & 5 (22 students)

Quote of the day: “Nobody makes you angry. You decide to use anger as a response.”

All lessons set up on Google site where principal and students (students have self-management Google docs) have access to plans for each day. If students are not sure what task they need to be doing, they can refer to the Google lesson plan site.

Overview of reading work: KiwiKids magazine – current event (5 thinking hats- Bloom’s), read around the world, spelling practice, reading butterfly. Kids work on Chrome books for each activity. Myths and Legends writing (students create in Google docs; watch YouTube videos The Fish of Maui). Teacher sets up framework in which students can work. She can look at her own computer to see where students are with their work. Students work independently through they day as the teacher works with small groups or as in this case, meets with her mentor teacher. Teachers have two years mentoring at the school site before becoming fully registered.

Students provide each other with technology support (e.g., getting online with password access, finding assignments. Students fully research their topic online using Google.

Math: The teacher sends a link to Google slides of the math work for the day. WALT: We are learning to measure different objects that have height, length, and width (depth). Diagram of where to start measuring starts the slide. Students are asked to make a copy of the document so they can take their own notes. Students record their work on a Google doc – use rulers to measure objects around the room. Students take a photo of the object and insert the image (pixect.com) into their work. Then they share their work with the teacher. Students work independently to measure objects around the room. The teachers check on students as they work and students help each other.

 

John Boyne The Boy in the Striped PJs

Tamaki College

11 June 2015

Tamaki College (Russel Dunn)

72% Pacifica; 27% Maori; 1% Pakeha (European)

Whole school digital learning in 2012

Google Chrome; Teacher Dashboard; Google apps (sites, googlebra)

STEPS: Learning Staircase

 

Learning Support class (14 students)

Visible Learning – teacher discusses students’ test results and what the expectation is

Reading task: The teacher shares the document and students save a copy on which they will work.

Making inferences from text. Use prior knowledge to help you.

To Work or Not. Read four letters to the editor.

Using prior knowledge: What do you expect the text to be when you read the title? What the text will be about. Do you have a job or not?

What is the purpose of someone writing a text like this? People might explain why or why they don’t work.

What does the first write express about their work – to work or not work? What are the writers’ opinions about going to work or not going to work?

Students can work on assignment independently after class.

 

Learning Support class (7 students)

Visible learning – show students’ their test results to help them see where they are and then what the need to do next. Students’ names are visible. Shows areas on tests where they did work in class and what work is next in class. She will refocus her teaching based on the test results.

Students’ reading Overboard by Morris Gleitzman

Review: vocabulary, setting, and book context. Identifying feelings/thoughts from when reading: sad, suffering, struggling. Recall facts from story.

Story structure: opening event, rising action/tension, climax, solution/declining action. Teacher, with students, completes a story structure chart as they read the text.

The teacher reads the text aloud. As she reads, she stops to identify similes, character traits, connections to her own experiences, metaphors, etc.

The story takes place in Afghanistan. The teacher shows pictures of the desert.

At the end of the chapter, the teacher asks what they learned at the end of chapter 3.

Half way through chapter 4, the teachers checks in with the story structure (rising action). End of chapter 4 – theme of story – the relationship between characters.

Students login to computers to answer questions about the book. Time runs out, so she sends a copy of the book home for students to answer the questions for homework (on the shared document).

 

Math class (Year 9 – 19 students) – adding like and unlike terms. Do now practice set on the board. Students work in google doc. Teacher shows a YouTube video to explain like/unlike terms. Students create 2 expressions, students email them to 3 people to answer. Next challenge: in a powerpoint, the teacher shows a math problem and students quickly write and answer in docs.

Inquiry: seek information to develop deep understanding (with x ÷ with like and unlike terms)