Technology Enhancing, Not Replacing

The iPad has a ton of great apps, this is certainly not a post to downplay their place in our learning but we are trying to find ways to use technology to enhance our learning rather than replace it. In this case, the student was having a tough time deciding on a gift idea, so we used technology to help with that hurdle. 

Museum Curator

Our museum has a new exhibit that showcases student designed spinning tops and some facts about how they work. 

This is a great way to have students revisit and extend learning that doesn't really have an end point. I mean, this is really just the beginning.  

The Environment Plays A Role In Our Learning

And so we abandon our other work to use the first snowfall for learning. Questions naturally arise that deal with subjects like gravity, city planning, and metaphysics...these kids have some great questions to explore. 

Graphing Length Of Time

The spinning toys naturally took us to the world of measuring time. We like when learning happens organically. 

Patterns Are Everywhere

"It didn't look nice so we made a pattern."

We create patterns to make order, to make sense of things, to remove the chaos. Our students are ordering and patterning throughout the day, our goal is to get them to communicate it. 

Calm Minds = Deeper Learning?

Students were asked, "how did you do this for 6 hours over the last two days?". "It makes me feel calm." one said. 

Educators are always looking for elusive 'deeper learning'. What does it look like? How do we get deeper? 

Here we see that a calm mind=deeper learning. For this student it's creating that creates calmness. 

What calms you? 

A futon

A toilet

A sewn doll lying on a futon

I Don't Even Know. These Kids Are So Cool.

Today was bananas with problem solving and innovation, non standard measurement, and oral language. 

That is a doll house, a race track, and the board game Guess Who. 

Names/Initials In Winter Clothing

Please please please write your child's name in their clothing. 

25 hats, 50 gloves, boots that are the same as one another, and some children who are learning to take care/be aware of their possessions and surroundings. 

We require your assistance. Please label possessions. 

Wish List (please do not spend $$)

Hi everyone,

So daily we have toys (cars) being brought from home due to a clear lack of quality cars in the classroom. I get it and while I want the students to be engaged, toys from home create exclusion and ugliness more often than not. Heard today "no you can't play. These are mine.".  We are trying to foster community, maybe even change that word "mine" to "ours". So I ask that you keep toys at home. 

A group of boys helped draft a letter to you parents and we ask that only if you have cars that haven't been used in a while, you and your child discuss the possibility of donating towards our communal classroom collection. (Absolutely no spending $$ at the store, just hand me downs please.)

Thanks in advance. 

Oh also please send in more lids for spinning top making, either plastic or metal. Thanks to those who did today.

 

The Oldest Toy Ever?

Part of the Toy Hall Of Fame, the spinning top comes in all different shapes, sizes, and materials. The students researched some spinning tops and decided to try pennies and paper today. We had some failures and decided it's time to re-appropriate that word to describe trying, reflecting, and trying again. So we did and we realized that failing can be and should be fun. 

FAIL = First Attempt In Learning

Tomorrow we try using plastic lids. Please send in plastic lids if you have any. 

Thanks. 

Repurposing Materials

Checkers. I'm blown away by the learning that went into this. Following instructions, considering consequences of choices, learning geometrical language, patterning, teamwork, using two dimensional shapes to build a game board. Checkers is a toy that can be found in the Toy Hall Of Fame. Other inductees include the stick, Jack in the box, the ball, and rocks. 

Unseasonable Messages

We've been pretty lucky with the weather. That's about to change. A great weekend to practice with the snow pants, gloves, scarves, etc. 

Rock Balance

Engaging in process, not just the final product is what we are trying to get the students to do/communicate. Weight, balance, geometric properties, language like "flat". Careful. Thoughtful. Intentional.  Calming. 

Innovation. Problem Solving. Design.

A lot of cool stuff happening here. Math, language, arts...play. 

Role Playing = Empathy

Masks have been worn for many moons with the intention of taking on another personality in order to tell a story. For our students, this type of role playing allows them to step outside themselves and begin to speak in another voice. 

Role playing = empathy. 

2D Shapes Can Make What?!

The gift shop needs inventory. It turns out squares and triangles make Pyramids!!!

The Developmental Range Of Wreath Making

Remembering those who fought to keep us safe. 

We can see the developmental range of fine motor ability between 3-5 year olds but everyone was able to participate in a way that met their needs. Things like Play dough, scissors, helping to mix ingredients, anything that really gets the fingers working out will support early writing skills. 

Collective Art. Our First Museum Exhibit

The kids started making mummy heads the other day with some loose fabric. Today, we put them together to make a mummy. First coat of the sarcophagus was done today too. We used tools (plastic saws), planned a design, cemented some understanding of mummies, and had fun together. 

Parents, if you have any adult sized old short sleeve button down shirts (dad's old shirts), can you please send them in? They make for great smocks for the kids, and keeps clothing clean. Thanks.

Have a great weekend. 

"Hickory Dickory Dock"

"Hickory Dickory Dock. The mouse went up the clock..."  

The goal of this all is to get the kids to communicate their thinking. Otherwise, how else could we learn what this was? We learn from each other. It's how connections form. It's how we become empathetic. 

There was no right or wrong answer to this. In our classroom, we are less concerned with right or wrong and more focussed on teaching the students to communicate their thinking/processes because we want to connect with them. We want to get to know them because they are cool and we want to know where/how to guide them (both academically and social/emotionally). 

It Wasn't So Much Halloween...

but more a chance to use some tools, touch something "gooey", do some math, some writing, use the stove, and try a new seasonal snack.

Graphing Democracy

Our classroom will be turning into a museum over the next while. We've looked at different types of museums, generated a list of 8 things we could study, voted, and prioritized our learning. Mummies it is. Our kids can't legally vote until age 18 but it's great to get them exercising that right early. 

Letters Make Words

This is a student who knows their letter sounds and is beginning to understand that letters come together to make words. 

This student is ready for exposure to high frequency "sight words", words that appear in early texts most often. You can find a list of these by Googling "Dolch Sight Words" or clicking here. 

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=dolch%20sight%20words

Indoor Shoes Please

Hi everyone,

please note that if you haven't provided indoor shoes, we are getting to the time of year when shoes are often wet. This poses as a safety concern first and foremost, as our classroom becomes slippery. It also makes the school more difficult to keep clean, including our carpet. 

We are asking that we begin to honour that request. If finding another pair of shoes poses as a problem, let us know and we can try to figure out a solution. 

Thank you

Meaningful Writing

For this student, we stretched out the words by every sound and now know that we can work on the 'silent e' in 'Maple' as a next step. 

Out students get support by:

-having words stretched out by each letter

-having words stretched out by syllables

-finding the word in a familiar text

and for those who are learning their letter sounds/building their fine motor skills,

-we write what they say and they trace the words. 

Co-creating

Hand over hand, modelling, guiding, the goal is always to increase student independence and the confidence that comes along with taking risks. 

Those who chose to participate were  focussed, intentional, and calm/happy. They could probably tell you how that feeling felt.

Have a great weekend. 

"You need a hexagon plate for that"

I love cookies but I especially love pretend play cookies. 

Everything is something. 

Patterns Patterns Everywhere

Patterns are everywhere because they are how we make sense of the world. Some were always there, others we've created for the sake of order. From the same morning routine day after day to art inspired by the works of Anthony Goldsworthy (see below), patterns make us feel safe, patterns please us, and patterns stay with us. Sometimes patterns become so ingrained, we have to learn to let them evolve/let them go.

So...

While it's a busy weekend, we ask over the next couple of weeks that you go for walks in nature (we don't have much in walking distance from the school) to collect pinecones, leaves of all colours, twigs, flowers, rocks, etc.  We intend on making patterns, loving patterns, then breaking patterns.

Have a great long weekend!

These were created through a grade 4 collaboration between our's and a neighbouring school.

Everything Is Something

"The lizard is coming". 

And we work with it because "Everything Is Something". Everything has connections to the curriculum (entry point into sciences, storytelling, visual arts, geometry, etc.).  

Choosing Materials For Play

To piggyback on last week's post, here are some materials that can promote specific areas of development in our children. 

(Sorry for the poor photo, I was unable to find/link the site.) 

Different Types Of Play

Click here to view different types of play

Thanks for coming last night, everyone. I love talking Kindergarten shop and am available to continue the rich conversations around child development. As mentioned yesterday, play is at the centre of what we do. Social relationships, self regulation, communication, learning new skills, integrating all the "subjects" into a meaningful authentic way for each and every student; play is yay.

Here is a list of different kinds of play, what the child is seeking through it, and how we can provide materials to meet those needs. While this chart doesn't speak to the different sensory types, it is heavily grounded in the idea that we seek out certain sensory inputs in order to achieve calmness. It is our jobs as the adults to ensure the choices students make are resulting in calm minds and helping them become aware of why they do what they do.

What Block And Why?

I constantly put out too many things and the students end up overwhelmed and none are used. So every student chose 1 block and had to explain why that one. When we justify our reasoning, there are no wrong answers, just opportunities for us to share our thinking. And opportunities to accept our differing points of view. Kindergarten is the best! 

While students had to: 

1. Communicate with others in a variety of ways, purposes, and contexts. 

some also, naturally: 

17. Describe, sort, classify, build, and compare 2d shapes and 3d figures. 

and

24.4 select and use tools, equipment, and materials to construct things. 

Here's what we heard: 

"car. plane. slide."

"I love it. I build in my room."

"I can put so much blocks on top of it because it is big."

"It looks like a bow."

"It makes a bridge."

"small and not heavy."

and

"It's really watery." 

Co-creating Our Classroom

We sorted and labelled...until next week. 

Reminder: no school on Monday. 

Students Drive Our Learning

"Why do we have bones?"-student

There's a book for that. Let's find out. 

Kids want to play together

We met in small groups to discuss what friends do and don't do. Almost everyone mentioned the word "play" as something they looked for in a friend. And almost everyone mentioned that it was rude to be told "you can't play". 

So for ages 3-6, lets play, be happy, and develop relationships. We adults could stand to carve out some playtime too. 

Bus Safety Day

Avoid questions. Make statements. "That bus looks big." "There are rules on the bus.". Our kids learn early how to pass our questions/tests. Statements open up a conversation and get to their real thinking. 

"How was school today?" "Good." 

Not tonight. 

Fair/Unfair

It is never to early to start on social justice because our students have an innate sense of what is fair and unfair. 

Students were asked "what do you see?" (sometimes directing their eyes to the boxes) and "do you think it is fair or unfair? Why/what makes it fair/unfair?" 

Students had to 

1.2 listen and respond

5.1 respect others POV 

12.2 communicate ideas on media

and begin to

27.1 develop strategies for standing up for oneself and others 

"The people saying beautiful things to the players."

"The small one can see now"

"Unfair, little one can't see, big ones can."

"Unfair, he gets 2 box, he gets none box."

"Fair. I don't know." 

"3 can see now". 

What seems unfair is sometimes fair and what seems fair is sometimes unfair. Our classroom will feel like this from time to time because we all require different number of boxes in order to see the game. 

You may hear "We learn together. We teach each other." tonight. 

Boomerang Lunches (important info)

"A boomerang lunch is a lunch that has every piece of it return to its source. In other words, everything in the lunch goes back home at the end of the day. No matter if it is leftover food, containers, recyclables or garbage, it all goes back. Yes, even the garbage." -Google







Starting Monday in our classroom, we are going litterless. Not only because it's creating young citizens of Earth but it also connects nicely to our curriculum in a real world way.
Curriculum overall expectation #29:
"demonstrate an understanding of the natural world and the need to care for and respect the environment."
https://files.ontario.ca/books/edu_the_kindergarten_program_english_aoda_web_july21.pdf pg 318.


So here are some tips to help create a litter less lunch:

• reusable lunch container or containers
• cloth napkins
• stainless-steel forks and spoons
• reusable drink containers
• reusable lunchboxes
• buy foods are in bulk or in larger packages (buy a big container of juice and pour a little in a reusable plastic bottle).

Packaging is left at home for reuse or recycling. Food waste decreases because with a reusable lunch container, children can re-pack uneaten food instead of dumping it in the trash can. $$$ :)

If the level of waste wasn't enough of an argument to persuade you, here is an article via the Star's Health section:
https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2012/09/10/litterless_lunch_policies_at_schools_making_kids_lunches_ecofriendly.html


Thank you in advance and please let us know if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend. 

Meaningful Authentic Math

Today was a great opportunity to introduce students to the concept of a number line (we stayed away from explaining humidity for now). 

A warm classroom = meaningful chance to build early number sense. 

Here is some of what the students said: 

"number is big" -sk student 

"I don't know number" -sk student 

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 9." -jk student 

"It's 30 hot"-jk student. 

Student Voice, Choice, and Flexibility

We could have chosen cubbies for them. We have in the past. But this year we are intentionally pushing Voice, Choice, and Flexibility. It's about ownership over oneself in relation to others, the environment, and own learning. 

So the kids were asked "Which cubby do you want? Why or what makes you want it?" 

"I like the silver thing (a screw inside)."

"I want to be near my friend." 

"I like look outside."

"I don't know."

This boy just pointed, then wrote a meaningful message, a symbol that will always lead him to the right place. 

Welcome To Kindergarten

Hi,
You are in the right place. Welcome to Kindergarten. There is a lot of information coming to you this week so for today, just a few reminders from us:

1. Please sign and return forms (especially for those students on the bus)
2. This week is very very hot. Please dress appropriately.
3. Breakfast Club is available before school from 7:40-8:10.
4. can't stress this one enough, we are a NUT FREE school. NO nut products please.
5. sign up for email notifications to the right >>>>>>>>
6. our Calendar is available above this post beside the "Home" button.

See you tomorrow!