On Monday, we had our first class debate. Boy, what an incredible showcase of what this class is truly capable of. I was blown away by the effort in which the student's put into what was an incredibly challenging task. Everyone, to varying degrees, stood up and delivered on the day. What more can I ask?
Actions speak louder than words so as we speak, a team of techsperts are editing and rendering video footage of the debate and we'll premiere this shortly.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Sunday, March 26, 2017
When Harry met William
Once a Pikelet, always a Pikelet. Thanks to Harry's dad for sending through this photo.
Friday, March 24, 2017
big week of learning!
I'm really proud of my students.
Week 8 has been a massive learning curve for them. They are in the depths of researching for their first class debate. Our proposition statement is "Books are better than Chromebooks for learning". The students have been divided into 6 teams of 4 (randomly drawn). Each team has a captain and 3 main speakers. Each of the main speakers needs to craft a research-based persuasive argument to support their team's position (whether pro or con the proposition statement). The 'research-based' aspect is proving to be a really pertinent challenge for them. Wikipedia, copying/pasting and all forms of plagiarism have been banned (we even have a plagiarism alarm). Students are required to access scholarly information and cite their sources. This has meant they've had to 'unlearn' old habits and recalibrate how they search and acknowledge information online. In order to avoid plagiarism, they've had to learn how to summarise, paraphrase and quote from articles, research papers, presentations, lectures, interviews and news websites.
Our first debate is on Monday. It will be filmed and cut into a highlights reel so watch this space!
Week 8 has been a massive learning curve for them. They are in the depths of researching for their first class debate. Our proposition statement is "Books are better than Chromebooks for learning". The students have been divided into 6 teams of 4 (randomly drawn). Each team has a captain and 3 main speakers. Each of the main speakers needs to craft a research-based persuasive argument to support their team's position (whether pro or con the proposition statement). The 'research-based' aspect is proving to be a really pertinent challenge for them. Wikipedia, copying/pasting and all forms of plagiarism have been banned (we even have a plagiarism alarm). Students are required to access scholarly information and cite their sources. This has meant they've had to 'unlearn' old habits and recalibrate how they search and acknowledge information online. In order to avoid plagiarism, they've had to learn how to summarise, paraphrase and quote from articles, research papers, presentations, lectures, interviews and news websites.
Our first debate is on Monday. It will be filmed and cut into a highlights reel so watch this space!
Friday, March 17, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Challenge #1: Cave Stream Reflection
I’ve taken dozens of groups through Cave Stream. Every group is different. Group dynamics, ages, conditions and prior experience all have an effect on each trip’s ‘vibe’. Yesterday was no exception. It was special having the whole class - the Year 7’s add another dimension to the dynamic of our group. The excitement and anticipation yesterday was palpable for both young and old (we had 10 courageous parents with us).
I love eavesdropping on the interactions between the students and parents during the build-up to such experiences. The various shades of excitement, anticipation, terror and the ‘fear of the unknown’ make for great entertainment but also provide me - their teacher - with some insight into how they approach such challenges and the effects their peers’ responses and attitudes can have on their total experience.
I am immensely proud of what my students achieved yesterday. They were positive, prepared, supportive and totally up for it. What more can I ask? Challenge #1 conquered.
This is only the beginning of what will be a momentous year for this remarkable group of students.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
congratulations Riley!
Thanks to the power of technology, this is the view I get of the overall progress of our Pikelets in 2017. Riley has already completed 2 hours service in the weekend, which equates to 10% of his overall service and 1% of the classes!
The Year 7's will be involved this year in our Passion Projects component of the WPCA but won't keep a formal log until next year. They are more than welcome to participate in community service locally with their Year 8 classmates or for a personal challenge in preparation for next year.
Kaia invited Mayor Tony Kockshoorn to give us an insight into potential community service projects. He has accepted the invitation and will meet with us Thursday. Thanks Kaia for showing great initiative with this.
Remember, get on top of it now so you're not playing catch-up in Term 4.
As William says, "Everyday is a good day!"
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Friday, February 10, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
cracker start!
What a cracker start. I'm feeling really positive about 2017 and this group of learners. We're going to hit the ground running and aim big. Bring it on!
Students writing their first 'Beach Journal' entry for 2017
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)