Week+9+Term+3

This morning Ryan's comment said it all. He arrived at school logged on to discovery zone and on to the classroom blog. He stared at the blog and announced wow our blog looks a lot more interesting !!! . As children arrived the header became the talk of the classroom.
 * == Week 9 Term 3 == ||
 * Monday

After maths we looked at our blog - as it was clear there was little going to be done as the children were so focused on the blog and what it looked like. We started with reading the comment we had received from room 6 - which answered the questions we had left them last week but also told us how to bling our blog.

We went on to 'the cutest blog'. The dilemma was which of all the interesting background should we choose. We needed up voting on three designs - and the winning background was placed on the blog.

|| We were delighted to find that room 6 and Mrs McGhie had left us a number of comments on our blog. || The children were on the 'blog' as usual this morning and I watched with interest. The new feature I put in the weekend - 'Recent comments'- has hit a cord with the children. They like to see who has commented and for me it has become a quick reference point as to who needs to answer a question that has been asked of them on the blog. It also gives the children instant feedback rather than having to go to their individual postings. Why I hadn't put it on earlier I don't know.!!!!!
 * Tuesday

We went on to the Room 6 blog and were delighted to find that they had added our blog to their side bar of blogs they like to visit. The connection we have made with Room 6 and their teacher Mrs Kirstin Anderson-McGhie marks a significant point in this teacher inquiry - we have found an audience that is prepared to engage in an on line conversation via the comment sections of our respective blogs. I am grateful to Kirstin for encouraging her students to leave us comments - the children I teach are getting so much out of it.

We went on to room 2's blog - Room 2 rocks - a class of 25 Year 2 children at Botany Downs School in Howick, Auckland New Zealand. The children are so interested in viewing work completed by other children. The exciting part for me is in viewing other peoples ideas and thoughts that in the past would have been confined to the classroom walls to which that student was a part of. Every time we have viewed other classroom blog their has been an instant dialogue with the children I teach.

I sense another bling to the blog - as we have viewed a number of audiopals on the blogs we have viewed -. I will have to have my homework on them in the weekend. || || Room 6 and Mrs McGhie like our new blackground and we know they do as they left us a comment. Room 6 inspired us to bling our blog and now we have inspired room 14 - that's the other year 2 class in our school.
 * Wednesday

Charlie from our buddy class came today and worked with us one at a time to answer some of the questions we'd been asked by room 6.

We looked at room 2's blog again today and left them a comment. || || We received feedback from room 2 - our web is growing as we send and receive comments. They have also added us to their blog list. This morning we headed off for a trip with the junior syndicate - catching a ferry to go under the harbour bridge to the city and back. Getting off the ferry at Northcote point to sit and have our morning tea under the bridge. Then on to Akoranga bus station to walk across the motorway over bridge. It was a great trip - I gave the children the class camera while I took a camera from the school pod of camera's - so they could capture the trip through their eyes.
 * Thursday

photos to be placed here

We got back from the trip at 11:30 so thought I'd capture their ideas and thoughts using inspiration. I had no sooner opened an inspiration document, made a title - Auckland Harbour bridge, typed in bridges in the search engine for images when their were squeals of delight - there's an arch bridge, there's a beam bridge. I went with the teachable moment and we created a simple inspiration document based on the types of bridges.

We then captured their thoughts and images of the trip on an inspiration document. We printed it off and then used this to record their voice to accompany the photos taken on the trip. ||



The children were keen to give inspiration ago.

|| Stephanie was keen to have her story recorded today - somehow I missed her off the schedule of recording - well she soon told me and had organised her literacy buddy!!! I admire her perseverance and her buddies patience. Time and time again they worked together to accurately record Stephanie's narrative.
 * Friday

We were back on the blog to view the latest postings and have a look at blogs on our blog list. Its been quite a week !!!

The children have continued to create documents on inspiration to show their knowledge of the different types of bridges.



Saturday As I update this wiki I'm drawn to a number of emails coming in my in box - its Ben leaving a series of comments and invariably questions on other class members postings.

Julius has also been viewing the blog as he has left an answer to a question asked of him. Its great to see - and a true reflection of the 21st century learner, writing in ways they would never have done in the past. || || • Putting a bit of 'bling' on our blog has generated a new interest in our blog and the 21st century learner has a strong sense of what appeals to them visually. • We have found an audience who is prepared to engage in an online conversation with us by writing comments on our blog. • Publishing on the blog is motivating to students to the point they will preserve until they have an accurate recording of their work. • Going with the teachable moment is one of the most powerful tools we have as teachers. ||
 * As the week draws to a close – I ponder and acknowledge the following
 * [[image:bridges_ashane.png width="480" height="329"]] || [[image:bridges_ben.png width="463" height="354"]] ||