Conservation Week

This week is conservation week. To help the children refocus on the enviromental work we had done in the past, I introduced them to two great sites.
Tree People

http://treepeople.co.nz/Home.mvc/

The children had a lot of fun joining this site, inviting friends and family to join them. They each made a pledge that would help the enviroment.
My pledge is to recycle paper, and take reusable bags to the supermarket. I am getting there!
I really recommend this site to other classes.

The other site we used was the conservation site. There are great videos on there that were easy to watch. We found one about Turakina Beach, which we had visited a few weeks ago to plant Pingao.

Another site well worth a visit.


www.conservationweek.org.nz

World Literacy Day

8th September is World Literacy Day.
The Manawatu Reading Association have put out some great suggestions for the day.
Here is a site they recommend for our parents.
www.readtoyourkids.co.nz

I am going to introduce my class to Looky book on the day.
http://lookybook.com/

I am also going to share the Readers Oath with the class. We will make a book mark with it on.

Readers Oath
I promise to read
Each day and night.
I know it's the key to
growing up right.I'll read to myself,
I'll read to a crowd.
It makes no difference
If silent or loud.
I'll read at my desk,
At home and at school,
On my bean bag or bed,
By the fire or pool.
Each book that I read
Puts smarts in my head,
'cause brains grow more
thoughts
The more they are fed.
So I take this oath
To make reading my way
Of feeding my brain
What it needs every day.

Debra Angstead

Class Blogs

This term we are working on team work, this can be hard in such a small school. I have got two teams keeping a blog each, about a technology unit we are doing called, "Stuffed Potatoes". I am getting the teams to use blogs as a way to record the process. Keeping a blog can help the students share their work with their families and friends. It is a natural progression to an e portfolio. We put a link to the blogs on the home page of our wiki, this makes it easy for the students to access.

Tony Ryan

I have just bought this book.
"The Ripple Effect, how you can make a difference to the world every day"
It's a great feel good read, and if you are feeling a little stressed, is a good pick me up.

from page 97
"Look after yourself
you are your own greatest asset. Look after yourself so that you will have the energy to make a difference in the lives of others."

Have a look at Tony Ryan's Blog.
http://tonyryan.edublogs.org/

Smilebox

Using new ICT tools can sometimes be an exercise in problem solving, and very frustrating. I checked out smilebox at home, worked out how I was going to use it, all set. Got to school only to find that I couldn't use smilebox because the firewall blocked it! I really don't know how to fix this problem, so I think the best thing to do is to find another tool to use.

Smilebox

I have been looking for ways the children can publish the reports they will be writing about the Olympic Games. This may be it.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Dotmocracy

I am always looking for easy ways to consult with the school community. Last term I displayed some tick charts at a shared tea we had at school. I was pleased with the results, and that it involved both children and adults. I came across a link to Dotmocracy on a blog called Think Beyond. I think this could be very useful in this situation. I can also see it being useful in the classroom.