Hour of Code

This week our students had the opportunity to participate in Hour of Code.  What is Hour of Code? Well, the Hour of Code "is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics." (http://hourofcode.com/ca)

It is so much fun we actually signed up for the 20 hour online computing tutorial offered through the Hour of Code!  Learning computer science skills is essential for working and living in the 21st century.  While not everyone will have the chance or desire to work in the computing industry, learning coding basics "helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity"  (http://hourofcode.com/ca).  Over the last two weeks before our winter break, students will have the opportunity to work at their own pace through the tutorials.  Students will learn skills to create sequences, events, loops, shapes and stories, all using code.  Students can even work on the tutorials from home. Check out Edmodo.com for the link to our login page!

GIS Day!

November 19th, 2014 was International GIS Day, and the students of 5/6 We celebrated with an awesome morning filled with GIS related activities!

Thanks to Linda Connor, the Social Studies consultant from the Department of Education, we got the opportunity to connect with GIS specialists, Melanie Bell, Greg Carlson and Tony Viveiros from the Department of Conservation and Water Stewardship.  We learned all about the importance of data collection, and how scientists use map layers to store and share information.  We even found out that Greg once was a student at Beaumont School!

In addition to this new learning, students got the opportunity to show off their GPS skills with a geocaching activity that integrated Math and Social Studies questions.  The weather was cold and blustery, but everyone was a good sport- even the adults!  We used ArcGIS software to discover that students travelled over 800m around the school yard looking for waypoints- no wonder we kept warm! 

Thanks so much to everyone who helped make this day a great learning experience.  A big thanks also goes out to my good friend and colleague, Kim Burnett, who volunteered her time to help prepare our students for the day, and who braved some snowy and dark conditions to set up the challenging geocaching course.

The students and I are excited to find more ways to use GPS and GIS in the classroom over the coming months!

Lights, camera, action! #freezeframe -by CM

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Animation begins! #freezeframe.

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Storyboarding. #freezeframe

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Exploration of 8-bit pixel art!

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More #geocaching fun!

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#Geocaching fun!

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Listening to Mrs.Kim Burnett talk about her passion for #geocaching and travel.

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RG @swelbergen: A great afternoon of #geocaching ! #regramapp

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RG @swelbergen: Bright faces, waiting to check their answers. #geocaching #regramapp

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Happy Halloween!

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Busy October

Wow- it certainly has been difficult to find the time to sit down and hash out a blog post.  One of my professional goals this year is to get into the habit of reflecting and sharing more regularly through our classroom blog.  This has been difficult to make a priority, but I truly hope to get into the habit!

We have so many great things happening here in the classroom this year, I really hope that I am able to share some of those things with you here.  It is hard to know what is going on in the classroom when the standard response to the question, "What did you do in school today?" is "'Nothing much".

Since returning from Camp Arnes with our grade six students, life here at Beaumont has been a whirlwind of activity.  From family group meetings, to hot lunches, to choir and volleyball clubs, to intramurals and Kindergarten buddies, there has been lots to keep our students active and busy.  Myself, I have been charged with getting our twenty-four school iPads up and running, which has been a very fulfilling, yet time-consuming process.  Hopefully, though, with just a few more days of hard work, we should have the iPads ready to launch by November 1st.

Yay!

Students in 5/6 We continue to ask about our personal device policy and when they can bring devices to the classroom.  I want to take the time right now to assure students, that while it WILL happen one day, it will not be in this first term.  A lot of preparation and teaching surrounds the responsible use of personal electronic devices in the classroom, and we want to make sure that it is a positive experience for everyone.  In addition, I want to make clear that the use of personal devices will not be "for fun", although their use in the classroom certainly can add an element of fun and creativity to the right lesson!  The use of personal devices is also optional, and is certainly not a requirement in grade 5/6.  So be sure to keep an eye open for more information about PEDs coming home closer to the new year.

Thanks everyone!

October Beginnings

With an amazing grade six camp experience behind us, we are now ready to look ahead at October, and the many learning opportunities we have before us.

First things first, we have our first Tri-Conference appointments scheduled for Thursday, October 9th and Friday, October 10th.    While these appointments are earlier this year, it is the opportune time for us to look ahead and talk about academic and social goals with families and students.

This month also is the perfect time for us to start talking about global citizenship and philanthropy.  Grade 5 and 6 students will be weaving hemp bracelets and key chains to raise money for UNICEF.  Students will also be starting an amazing clay poppy project as an introduction to our study of World War One.

It's going to be a great month!

Math at Home

After a few weeks of in-class math assessments as part of creating our classroom Strong Beginnings profile, we finally had our first "true" math class last week.  We are starting with function machines (or function tables) to refresh our computational skills in addition, subtraction and multiplication.  At the same time, we are learning to look for patterns, and to use problem solving strategies.  Function tables set the stage for algebraic thinking and is usually a new concept for many students arriving in grade 5.  Many students struggle at first with the flexible thinking required to look for patterns and missing digits, all the while being a little rusty after a summer of sunshine and relaxation.

One thing I quickly observed is how uncomfortable some of our students are with struggle; how quickly they give up and declare that they can't do it.  Despite having worked hard the first few weeks to establish a safe and caring culture, where students are free to make mistakes, it is evident that this is something I really need to demonstrate and put into practice with our students.  I often try to remind them that if they gave up trying to walk the first time they fell down, they would all still be crawling today, and that would be pretty silly.  It is so, so important for students to understand that not everything is easy the first time (or the second, or the third...) they try something new.  Mistakes are part of learning and are essential for developing new understanding.  To remind them, some of the quotes we have up in the class include:

-I've learned so much from my mistakes... I'm thinking of making a few more.
-Mistakes are proof that you are trying.
-Learning is not easy- Embrace, Struggle, Grow.

and

-The biggest mistake that you can make is "not trying".

This all being said, there are ways outside of the classroom that parents can help support their children in math without revisiting concepts that cause them stress in the classroom.  Take a look at this terrific graphic I was given by a colleague this weekend:

 

 



 

Once we are back from grade six camp next week, we will be revisiting multiplication and division strategies in class.  Continued practice and support of these facts at home are also important.

Have a great week!

Had some fun at Cross Country practice this morning making tracks with our GPSr units!

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Meet the Teacher

Welcome!  If you are reading this, hopefully you are a parent of a wonderful student in our classroom this year who came out to tonight's Open House and decided to check out our classroom blog.

We hope you come back here regularly!

Welcome Back!

Welcome to our new classmates in 5/6We and welcome back to our returning students! We have a great year of learning ahead!

Good bye B.H.! Good luck at Lincoln next year!

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Happy Trails, Mr. Jonasson!

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The Weasly Welbergers!

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The Wealthy Weirdos!

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Our 2014 Farewell class!

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RG @swelbergen: End of unit assessment- Students answering QR coded, student-created quizzes. #regramapp

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RG @swelbergen: Tabloid Day moved indoors! #regramapp

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RG @swelbergen: Water stations brave the elements. #regramapp

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My Beaumont Family, the Kicking Kangaroos!

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Lichtenstein!

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Our Lichtenstein self-portraits!

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Personal Device

So you think I am on my phone too much. You don't ask me about it, but you talk about it at every turn and at anyone who will listen.

You are right.  I am on MY phone.

I am taking pictures of our learning.

I am uploading photos of our Art to the Artsonia website. 

I am posting photos of our learning and activities to our blog, to Instagram, to twitter.

I am looking up information for a student's project.

I am checking the forecast for a student's baseball game tonight.

I am booking recess appointments on my calendar.

I am making notes about a student's learning on my notepad.

I am using the Running Record app to record and assess students' reading.

I am using the Word Lens app to translate some Spanish we found in a library book.

I am using the calculator to check our calculations during our lesson on Volume.

I am sending out reminders using the Remind 101 app to parents about permission slips.

Yes.  I am on MY phone. 

Not a device provided by the school division.

And I use it everyday, several times a day.

Unapologetically.

Dress rehearsal.

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Great stage makeup!

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Pre-show jitters.

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Awakening Possibilities: "Where does it live?"

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a two day conference on technology hosted by the Manitoba Teacher's Society.  This conference, Awakening Possibilities, was an amazing opportunity to meet with other educators from all over North America to talk about teaching and technology.

One important theme to the conference is that technology is a tool that students and teachers use to either help their learning or to display their learning.  We often say that students can use technology to:

• help them remember, 
• help them understand information, 
• help them apply their learning, 
• help them analyze and make connections and 
• help them create new ideas!

I am a big fan of learning and using new technologies to make our lives more productive and interesting.

Despite the conference being about technology, my "a-ha" moment during the conference came during a presentation by Chris Lehmann.  Chris Lehmann is an educator that I have followed on Twitter for several years, and I respect him immensely.  He is also the principal of the Science Learning Academy in Philadelphia.  It's a pretty cool school, and you should look it up!  Mr. Lehmann did a presentation titled "Where Does it Live?" and challenged us to build "systems and structures around what you believe".  He asked us a lot of questions about what our schools and classrooms looked like and how they felt.  He asked us if our classrooms and routines matched what we believed about learning.  This really made me think.  I was also really surprised to hear many other people in the room question their routines too.

I came back from the conference energized and excited to try a few new things.  The students had a great discussion about the rules and routines we follow in our classroom at Beaumont School.  We then spent a lot of time determining which ones we couldn't change because of circumstances beyond our control (sorry kids- we have to have Math class).  

So today we started with a trial run of an "Un-Seating Plan".  Most in-class work time, students have the choice to sit where they choose.  They can stand, perch, kneel, sit or even lie down.  Why? We determined that everyone learns differently, that it is important to have choice,  and that it is important to learn to make good choices to support our learning.  That being said, sometimes students need help making good choices, so if someone is having difficulty learning because of their (or someone else's) seating choice, I will direct students to a different location where they can experience success.

To make this work best, and to respect guest teachers and the need to take attendance, students do have an assigned "check in" spot where they are required to sit on occasion.  Students are also encouraged to bring in different chairs, seats or stools from home to try out what works best for their learning.  Meanwhile, tomorrow we are going to start practicing moving from our check-in positions to our choice spots efficiently with minimal disruptions.  

I'm looking forward to an interesting few days as we transition!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to everyone from a hopefully restful and rejuvenating Spring Break.  We are now into the home stretch, and have a lot to accomplish before June!

#Lapidary workshop at the @manitobamuseum

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Statue game in Intro to Drama at Westdale School.

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Trying out the wind instruments at Westdale!

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Clay fun in the art room at Westdale School.

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KISS Long Division

Here is a link to a demonstration of the KISS long division method.  Thank you for your patience.

http://showme.com/sh/?h=jS4xV5c

Valentine Brunch Sign Up

Next Thursday, February 13th, we will be celebrating Valentine's Day with a brunch. Parents, please click on the link below to sign up for treats.  I, or Mrs. Turon, will contact you early next week to confirm.

Thank you!

http://goo.gl/SUxRBv

Chris Reid from Energy106 reading to us for I Love to Read month!

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First Steps in Math

Welcome back from an extended weekend!  While students and parents enjoyed a day without classes, the teachers at Beaumont School were hard at work at the Pembina Trails SD board office enjoying free coffee and video gaming...

...Just kidding!  But I knew that'd get your attention.  Our PD inservice topic was actually all about math; First Steps in Math, as a matter of fact.  FSiM is a program brought to our division from Australia to train teachers to identify the misconceptions students have about math, and provides suggested activities to address these weaknesses and strengthen students' concept of numbers and how they work.

Mrs. Wood and I have both had previous training in the FSiM method, and appreciate having the opportunity to revisit and refresh our understanding of the program.  Oftentimes, Mrs. Wood and I have success teaching new procedures and ideas in math class, only to have students flounder or get frustrated due to estimation errors, or basic fact mistakes.  Our FSiM refresher reminded me about the importance of addressing those misunderstandings and common errors before proceeding with new content.   This supports our teaching earlier this year about the importance of having a solid base of math skills and understanding to support future learning.

Some of the ideas that stuck with me the most yesterday include:

-the importance of probing for understanding in order to make sure students aren't getting the right answers for the wrong reasons

-the importance of teaching students first, then the curriculum

-the importance of fluency in basic math fact recall- this ensures that the brain is not overloaded with "remembering the small stuff", leaving it without any resources to "learn the new stuff". 

-the power of authentic, hands-on activities and problems to solidify learning (not just pencil and worksheet tasks)

-the importance of developing rigor (or "stick-with-it"ness) in math learning

Over the next few weeks, in addition to our curriculum based lessons in math (fractions and decimals coming soon!), I will be conducting a few small assessment tasks to determine if individual students are currently operating in math with misconceptions (i.e. getting the right answers (or wrong) for the wrong reasons).  As we work through these tasks, identified students will receive additional tutorials at recess or "at-home" tasks to help address and correct any issues.  In addition, the students of 5/6We have been recently introduced to the XtraMath.org website to help strengthen their fluency in math facts.   We will be logging in "at school" for the first time tomorrow.  Students are encouraged to log into the site for one 5 minute session per day.   As we don't have daily access to the Beaumont computer lab,  please let me know if you have difficulty accessing the site from home,

I am very much looking forward to the next few weeks ahead!

S. Welbergen

Keep It Simple, Silly!

The students of 5/6We have been working hard the last couple of weeks on revisiting and learning methods for division and multiplication.  Students have been working primarily on what we call the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, silly) Method.

Our goal in math is not to become the quickest at solving multiplication and division algorithms, but instead to arrive at the correct answer every time.  We also want to learn how to recognize when we arrive at an incorrect answer and learn to recognize where and why we made an error.

The K.I.S.S. Method allows students to simplify their work by breaking the problems into manageable, place-value based chunks.  Only once students are comfortable, confident and ready do I pull the aside individually or in small groups to learn the short-cut methods (or traditional methods) of solving these algorithms that many adults are accustomed too.

I was asked recently as to why I don't just teach the traditional methods, as it is much faster and more efficient.  In fact, the most efficient and accurate method is to use a calculator, not the traditional method, and I would hope that teachers and parents would agree that isn't our goal.  My job is to teach understanding of number concepts, and to instill confidence in my students.  The K.I.S.S. method does a great job of that!

Check out some of our students explaining the KISS method of long division in the video below:

Marie Geelen visiting our school to talk about Respect.

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