Bring In The Crowds

As part of our financial literacy program, students in Room 5 have been learning some of the basics of creating a business. Each team has created a product or service they could sell at Tautoro School's Market Day. They had to create a plan and a budget that included their costs, expenses and expected profit. 

Yesterday as a class we looked at what makes a good advert.

The success criteria we came up with was:

• Happy/exciting background music 
• Clear information about product/service 
• Big words Consistency in theme/color/design
• Words/phrases to hook in buyers (bargain, One time offer)

Some students completed their advert today. What do you think?

Movie Making - Possum Problem

At the end of last term my class put together storyboards and scripts. They then recorded their play using different shots and editing skills.

This is the work of Neko, Andy, Tamaiti, Sonny and Tehanah. I hope they are proud of their work. I am!

Your Vote Counts!

 In assembly last Friday we all heard what policies and promises our senior parties had come up with.
Yesterday Room 5 voted in the school elections. We look forward to hearing the outcome of the elections.

We Will Rock You!

Last week in Room 5 the students were learning about rounding:what it is, when it is useful and how to do it. Here is the song they sang to help them remember how to round to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, whole number or tenth.

E- Symposium

Yesterday afternoon I took seven students from my class to Ohaeawai School to share at our annual E-Symposium. They really enjoyed sharing how they  use different tools to create digital learning objects (DLOs) that share what they have learned in a creative way. I am so very proud of them all.
Well done Rangimarie, Helam, Aryan, Zephaniah, Yvette and Kaya!

New tool to share learning!

Last term I showed my class how to use Pictocharts. We only had a short lesson on the basics of using the tool. Most students ran with the new infographic tool.  This term I am challenging my students to use the Pictochart tool to share their learning in writing.

 In class I am teaching students how they can improve their writing by deliberately using language to engage readers. Over the next few weeks students will be exploring descriptive language and figurative language.

Here is the task. I look forward to seeing quality DLOs and rich descriptive language come into writing.
Create a DLO that shows others how they could improve their writing by using descriptive language.

• You DLO must be based around one (some may create two depending on ability) emotion/feeling
• Examples of what that emotion could sound like, look like, feel like and the thoughts that show it
• Include a word cline that you made in a lesson
• Include an introductory video saying what you have been learning and why (this will be completed in groups of 4. When I have your script you may start filming)
• Icons and images are relevant. They do not distract from the learning. 

Here is a Pictochart I made. I should have included how it is best to stick to a simple color theme. 

Welcome Back!

Term 3 has arrived! by Lana Giesbers

Spotlight on Myer - go to her blog and leave positive comments.

Myer has worked hard to understand different sentences and even harder to complete a high quality digital learning object to share her learning with others. I am proud of her.

It's the small things like this that make my day. Love seeing learners become teachers!

Electronic waste, how do we responsibly dispose of it?

Collaboration in Writing

Last week Mattie observed classroom teaching to see how we are using collaboration to improve student writing. She made this video based on what she saw. I hope it gives you an idea of how teaching and learning takes place in Room 5.

Speech Time!

Today we start learning about, and preparing for, our class, school and community speech competition. For many students here at Tautoro School this is their first experience of  a speech competition. Room 5 students have mixed feelings; excitement, fear, anticipation and dread.  

Did you know public speaking is apparently the 4th most common fear? We fear that we might mess up and cause the audience to respond negatively, they may think less of of us or laugh

Speech competition time in Room 5 is going to be a fun. There is a supportive environment. Students will work in their collaborative groups to give feedback and feed forward to their teams.  All students will have their their comfort zones pushed and learn something new about public communication as well as themselves. An excellent opportunity to develop kaha, manaakitanga and rangatiratanga (our school values).

 I look forward to announcing the class finalist! 

Same, Same and different of sustainable actions

Here is a DLO my students created to communicate to what our school did in 2008 and what our school does now to manage waste. Well done to the team of girls who put this together by themselves, Tehanah, Rangimarie and Yvette

Class Inquiry into what we do with our waste.

Over the last few weeks Room 5 have been learning to work together.

They are learning 'Collaborative Norm's (rules such as no put downs, one speaker at a time, everyone contribute)

They are also learning how important it is to make sure you understand learning tasks. Sometimes learning tasks can have words you do not understand that you need to 'un pack' first.

All groups compared and contrasted what Tautoro School did in 2008 and what we do now to manage out waste. Groups used venn diagrams to communicate their ideas.

Promos are everywhere, do you think about their purpose?

Yesterday I gave three students the task of promoting rippa rugby and its benefits.
They have learned from previous task to first 'unpack' the task. They need to make sure they understand what they are trying to achieve.

Tehana and Rangimarie identified the keywords promote and benefits and went about learning what they meant. Only when they understood the task did they co-create a success criteria. They decided what they could do to successfully complete this task. After feedforward, this was what they decided to would make their task successful

Make our presentation feels exciting for viewers by using music and fast paced images and videos
Choose words and phrases that will encourage our viewers
Communicate in words and pictures the pros of sports
Include the viewer by using the word 'you'
The tool they chose to use was Imovie trailer. Do you think they were successful? What could they improve on?

Another group, Charlee, Zephaniah and Kohl-lee were set the task of creating a movie that  informs  viewers about the tournament thay went on this week.
Again, this group is successful.
Why? They made sure they knew what inform meant. The created a plan and a success criteria. After that, they got feedback. THEN and only then, they put their plan into action. In this group everyone followed the Collaborative Norms. They all listened to each other. They all had a part to play.
I only saw this as finished product today. 

Respecting our Learning Tools

This week I have been teaching how to look after our devices. It is important that all students follow the Kawa of Care so they are making the most of their learning opportunities and protecting chromebooks from being damaged.




Teaching this and learning about how to follow the Kawa is Care it is very important. If accidents happen and the Kawa of Care was not followed then chromebooks would not be covered by insurance. Whanau would be faced with a huge bill to fix or replace  the chromebook. No one wants that!

What are our school values?

Students in my class were thinking and talking about the meaning of our school values (waka hoe) and how these values will help them experience success at Tautoro School and beyond.

Students were set the task of creating a DLO (digital learning object) that teaches and promotes what these values are. Groups have started animations, posters, movies, and even a song as a way to deliver their learning!
Here is the work of oa group that focused on manaakitanga and a group that focused on Kaitiakitanga. Thanks for your tautoko Matt!

First day back at school 2017!

Kia ora,

We started the day with an awesome powhiri to welcome new students. I am happy to have three new students in Room 5. Leikhrynn, Seddon and Manaaki-tia.  . Nau mai haere mai ki te kura o Tautoro!

Today Room 5 students carried out statistical surveys on things that they are interested in. They posed questions, collected data on tally charts and used google spreadsheets to collate and present their data. These have been posted to their blogs with the question, ‘What can you learn by reading this graph?’ Please check them out and leave comments. Students will be looking at their own, and other, examples of data displays and make statements about what they communicate.

This is Sonny's survey results. I find these results fascinating and I am eager to understand where students are in spelling/maths and plan a learning program that will see their ability and perception of spelling and maths improve.

Over the next two weeks I expect students will be asking questions about your views on the Treaty of Waitangi. They will learn about possible reasons it was signed in the first place and begin to understand kawanatanga and tino rangatiratanga. A whole school trip to Waitangi Treaty Grounds is scheduled for Friday 10th February.

Stationery lists have been sent home today. Please ensure your child has the tools they need to get started on their learning.

Homework Kaupapa

In Room 5 students have homework. It is up to whanau support to ensure children spend some time on the following areas.

• Spelling

The spelling list words are taken home on Mondays. Read, cover, spell, check can be done independently.

Students are encouraged to log into the spellingclassoom.com account to access work around word meaning.

• Reading

Students are choosing books based on their interests. They are taught to read the blurb, check that they are not struggling with more than 5 words per page. For confident readers, the best support can be asking questions about the storyline or characters. In some cases students will need to take home the reader they have had with me and read it out loud to you. This is to support their reading fluency and to practice reading strategies they are taught in class.

• Basic facts

Each term all students sit a basic facts test. By week two your child will know the facts they are working on and will choose practice work based on those facts to do at home. Students who take home chromebooks are encourage to use sites such as Hit The Button.

Occasionally there will be topic based work. Lastly, although homework is actively encouraged and a classroom system is in place to monitor it, is up to the individual child and whanau support to get it done. Students will not be reprimanded if it is not completed.

Classroom learning site is  https://sites.google.com/a/tautoroschool.co.nz/tuakana-2017/home

This is a great place to keep up to date with your child's learning and the kind of work they are doing.

Our class blog  http://room5tautoroschool.blogspot.co.nz/

Here you will find links to your child’s blog. It is so awesome to have access to your child’s ‘portfolio’ throughout the year. Making positive and encouraging comments and suggestions is a great way to show your support.

Any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me or come in for a chat.

lana@tautoroschool.co.nz