Thursday 6 November 2014

Genius Hour

Here are some photos from our Genius Hour projects. Dancing, coding, designing, researching, building, writing....it is full on....busy....and amazing.
We can't wait to share what we have discovered.











Here are our guiding questions for Genius Hour. Aren't they a clever bunch! genius hour questions on PhotoPeach
Any thoughts?

Tuesday 4 November 2014

100 Word Challenge-Week Four writing.

We have been enjoying crafting 100 word stories. This week our prompt was '...as it shivered, they...'

Here are some of the stories that were shared today in class (all stories were written in just 20 minutes!)
Enjoy!

We wanted to leave. We didn't belong here. I have a feeling we were meant to explore the horrible black ship. I will never know.
They sent me out into the big wide ocean, we swam around. What was I meant to do? Why were we sent? I looked back at the small marooned boat floating in the sea. The ones on the boat gestured towards the black ship ahead of me. I swam forward and put my drenched hand on the ship's side.
The boat shivered. Can a boat shiver?
As it shivered, they stared at me. Why look at me? Just questions that need answers.

By Charlotte.

I float down slowly to the ground, the wind supports me as I look down. Sinking gracefully downwards I see a cherry blossom. A group of children approach us at a speedy pace. I  reach out to touch it but it's too late. As it shivered, they trampled it carelessly. Once the children had passed all that was left was a pink splodge on the pavement. I felt so helpless. After a while of mourning I allowed the wind to take me away. For days I floated until finally I crumpled and shattered like a leaf. Is that all I was. A leaf.

By Carys

I woke up and my back was hurting and I looked -wow they were silver and gold wings. I had a dream about me floating. Oh wait that must mean I could fly so I got onto the window sill and thought 'how can I fly?' Then I remembered that the only way it will work when it's cold so I waited for ten minutes. I was cold, same as the wings, as it shivered, they suddenly leaped into the air and started flapping like crazy it was true. I was flying through..I smacked into a tall tower. Ka Splat!

By Zavier

I felt the presence of someone else. Fear and anxiety was filling the room. Someone else was here. Everything was pitch black. Everything was silent, but I could feel something, something strange. Momentarily I had a mental picture of it. Not a human. not an animal. It was something else altogether. Suddenly a trapdoor was released and I was falling, plunging into darkness. At this moment I had another picture. Stuck in a cage, freezed. Three evil scientist keeping it as a prisoner. As it shivered they they just laughed and chatted between them. I wanted to help it, but all I could see was black.

By Olivia

Check out what the Enviro-group has been up to lately

Ben, Lucy, Will, Rebecca and Charlie have been fantastic enviro-group leaders this year and this video shows what they've been up to with the development of the orchard.

Orchard 2014 from Simon Ashby on Vimeo.

Wednesday 15 October 2014

What should a high quality blog post look like you say?

A big focus for the students this term is to personalise their e-portfolios by being more reflective about their learning. They will be able to choose what posts to put on the blogs to share with you what they are learning at school.
Tied with this is the need for their writing to reflect a high standard of effort and thought. I thought I would therefore share with you Lucy's post from today about the first week back at school. I have annotated the post to show the aspects of her writing that I want to encourage in the rest of the students.

You Matter & Genius Hour

In aid of 'Genius Hour' this video backs up what we are trying to achieve with self-directed learning in our classroom and Syndicate.
Students will be given one hour a week to lead a project they are passionate about that could have a positive impact on the world.
Genius Hour differs from 'Passions' as it is 100% student lead unlike passions which is largely teacher directed.
I know for a fact Room 5 students will create some amazing projects. Look out for our world leaders researching and creating some inspiring and challenging ideas.
 What is Genius Hour? A short introductory video:


Be inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of Kelvin Doe

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Reddy's News presents: Don't Stop Believing!

Ancient Communication projects-Term 3 madness comes to an end!

I challenged the class to construct an object that showed a link in human history between communication and ancient structures. This was a short project in the last week of term during the production madness with the reliever Mr Palmer.
I came back from Sydney to find these amazing projects made and waiting to be shared.
Well done Room 5.








Friday 10 October 2014

Holiday links

Take the 100 word challenge



Adam Page-Multi Instrumentalist

This amazing NZ performer is coming to our school!
Check out this performance from 2009....there are loads of videos to watch if you search him up on the webs.