0 Comments
Over the past month, students have been working very hard on their "Global Education Booklets." Each page focuses on one country and includes creating a list, answering a question in a few complete sentences and drawing a picture (with a caption). We did each country little by little over the past several weeks (see information here). Here was the criteria: Many students did very well to follow the criteria. Each student received their booklet back this week with a grade (for writing) and specific feedback. I did notice that there were some common "next steps" that applied to many students.... these were so common that I decided to put them all in a "Next Steps" document (which you can view here) and review it with both classes. Then, everyone got an immediate chance to read about another country (Kazakhstan) and do another page incorporating all the feedback they just received. What improvement! So many children jumped up a full grade level. Whoohoo! SUCCESS! I love watching children incorporate specific and immediate feedback into their writing. Please note: I have banned the word "stuff" from ever being used again. Ever. For the rest of their lives. I don't think this is too extreme... #NeverAgain #Doesn'tTellMeAnything Below are four different examples from Grade 5 booklets:
This week students rotated through various Literacy Work Stations to learn more about Global Education. Check out the stations HERE. Most centers involved collaboration with team members, but the "Infographic Station" was individual work - which I then I marked as part of a quick writing sample. Students really liked learning about Finland's Education System and creating a huge collaborative poster about their learning (see photo below).
While the class was at centers, I pulled individual students to read with them. I gain a huge understanding from reading individually with a student, and it lets me take note of everyone's individual strengths and next steps. This way I can also begin to organize students into flexible groups to do Guided Reading. My initial observations? There is quite a range of reading abilities in the class! I also love listening to all their thoughts and opinions about topics we read. In general, we will need to practise reading some non-fiction texts and using ALL the text features (like glossaries and captions), and we'll have to talk about self-correcting any reading errors based on meaning (Think: did that make sense? No? Let's reread it carefully then!). Scholastic is having a "Young Inventors" contest. The challenge? Brainstorm and write about the ultimate invention that will wow your classmates and the judges! We turned this into a quick "summary writing" adventure. Sometimes it's a LOT harder to convey an idea when you are limited to only a few lines.... so for this project we learned how to get to the point quickly, while still giving a few concrete details. Check out some of the inventions below. Looks like the future is in good hands. Below are some diagrams and writing from BOTH Grade 5s and Grade 6s:
We've had a lot of fun this week investigating how students get to school (see some photos here). What a privilege it is to take a bus, walk or bicycle to Kanata Highlands! Students have learned the difference between "thick" and "thin" questions, and have been asking some really deep ones!
We've also begun to investigate schools in other countries, and have been amazed at how different traditions can be! Here is a collection of some of the countries we are learning about. Students have started a booklet about Traditions in Different Countries (language goal: creating lists with colons and commas, answering a comprehension question in a full sentence with a sentence stem and creating informational captions), which will turn into one of our Literacy Work Stations next week. In the first two weeks of school, we have been discussing who we want to be as a class, and some of our class "rules." Students collaboratively brainstormed and came up with some very creative ideas for our class contract - take a look at these banners to find out more! We've also brainstormed and decided on our rules for flexible seating... take a look at this document to find out more. Students all signed these contracts... if they struggle to follow these guidelines they will simply be assigned a seat. Next Up... Off to Class Around the WorldNext we will be exploring how children get to school around the world and what different global schools are like. From Germany to Japan, Nigeria to Israel... we will be investigating the differences in education around the globe! Students are in for some fun stories, videos and literacy work stations (all centered around reading & writing of course!) Over the next two weeks, I will also be pulling students individually to do some reading diagnostics with them so that I can learn more about their reading strengths and needs. This will help me make our first Guided Reading groups and lesson goals.
Below are two books we will be exploring next week... ReadingStudents will engage in all components of our school board's Comprehensive Literacy Program, including Modeled Reading, Shared Reading, Guided Reading and Independent Reading. What does this look like? Often we will study one rich text together as a class, where I model specific learning strategies. Then the class will break into small group Literacy Work Stations. Each station is designed with explicit goals related to what we are learning and an opportunity to practice these skills (in both reading and writing). While students rotate through these centers, I pull a small group of 3-4 readers to work on their "next steps." These guided reading groups are constantly changing and really help to increase your child's reading skills. We will be using a wide range of texts, including short stories, novels, newspapers, online texts, etc. I also have a huge personal library, which your child can borrow from at any time. Need to borrow a book? No problem - just sign it out, take it home and ENJOY! WritingThis year, students will be writing with both paper/pencil and on electronic devices. Feel free to send in a personal device (phone, tablet, etc) just as long as you are comfortable with it being used in a school environment. In small groups and individually, students will be experimenting with a whole host of writing genres this year - bring on the creativity! During our Literacy Work Stations, we will be practising a variety of grammar, organization, word choice, style, punctuation and other writing skills. Media LiteracyMedia Literacy involves the ability to analyze, evaluate and create various forms of media. Studying media literacy in school is important to help students better understand the complex messages they now receive through multiple media channels (television, music, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, video games, music, etc). This year, students will be able to experiment with several media forms, conventions and techniques. Oral LanguageDid you know that in English, "Oral Communication" on your child's report card includes BOTH listening effectively and speaking coherently? In French, the report card allows a mark for both listening and speaking, but in English, they are rolled into one (roar!). As a class and individually, we will practice effective/active listening strategies, as well as several communication skills and strategies.
|
Mrs. JorgensenThis page is written by Mrs. Jorgensen, who loves the smell of a brand new book! Categories |