Advice for Next Year’s Grade One Class (from this year’s class)

A few days ago, we talked about how the students had felt when they first entered my class, and how they felt now. What did they know now that they didn’t know on their first day? They remembered being scared and wondering what to do. What would their teacher be like? Would they have friends?

We decided to make a video to help the NEW grade one students when they are wondering what it will be like. Here are the tips that the students thought were important!

Showing Our Learning

The students are becoming more and more independent and proficient at choosing a tool and showing their learning with their iPads. As you can see by the picture below, they think it is important to get just the right angle when taking a picture of a non-digital artifact! Check out the learning on their blogs about digraphs that they were taking pictures of.

Taking Photos

Self Reflection

The students recently wrote thank you letters to Elizabeth Schoonmaker for sending us a copy of her wonderful book Square Cat.

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After writing the letter, the students reflected on their skills as writers. What am I doing well? What do I want to get better at?

You can see each student’s self reflection on his or her blog, but I have included one student’s reflection below.

Pancake Day

Pancakes, fruit and cheese were on the menu at our Pancake Day this week. Thank you, parents, for providing such a delicious variety of fruit and cheese. I had no idea children could eat so many pancakes!

The students each chose a tool from their iPad to use in describing the steps we used in making our pancakes. One example is below, but you can check individual student blogs to see the rest.

Making Muffins and Movies

With the temperature including windchill at -46C (-58F) this morning, many of the students stayed at home to keep warm today.

The rest of us made muffins. I was busy and didn’t have time to take any pictures, but fortunately, the students took a lot! They used iMovie on their iPads to create a movie about the muffin making process. Below is just one of the movies; each of the students who was at school has a movie of the event on his or her blog. Yum!

Our Snowy Day

Because we had a LOT of snow last night, the buses did not run today. Very few students showed up at school, so we threw our original plans out in the snow.
First, because it was Friday,we all read by flashlight.

Flashlight Friday

We also drew some pictures of what we saw out the window and then mixed up some shaving cream and glue to use as the snow.

This is what one of the pictures looked like when we were finished.

Shaving Cream Pictures

Later, we read some of the tweets by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, and they inspired us to make this space station.

Making a Space Station