21st century learner

The word cloud above is created by me using one word shout-outs from my class about what they think learning in the 21st century means. Technology is an often chosen word there, something that would not have been used had we had such things as word clouds when I started teaching in 1997! Back then, many years ago I didn't have a mobile phone or computer, not even a computer in my class. I actually used a blackboard! There was no smart phones, apple products, touch screens interactive whiteboards etc. it was very different. That is not to say worse or that now is better, it is what it is and we are in a technologically advancing era, which shifts all the time, and in ten years time this blog will be very very outdated - maybe even antiquated! The point is that as the children learn so do I, and I cannot be the type of teacher who churns out the same old thing year in year out, a) because it would bore me and therefore bore my class and b) because we have to keep changing and adapting to new technology, theories and practices.
I'm doing some homework too now, a short online course about 21st century learning. It really is just the beginning but already I've been inspired by @DeputyMitchell's work on blogging and he evidence he has that the children's understanding and enjoyment of learning has improved. Just look at the results. I'm hoping this course will inspire me to get my class blog going, as well as the digital leaders. I'm doing some homework too now, a short online course about 21st century learning. It really is just the beginning but already I've been inspired by @DeputyMitchell's work on blogging and he evidence he has that the children's understanding and enjoyment of learning has improved. Just look at the results. I'm hoping this course will inspire me to get my class blog going, as well as the digital leaders.
I just thought I would ponder the changes. When I started teaching I had barely sent an email. Now I am blogging on an iPad and I will tweet a link to it later. It is actually another language - honest kids!!I just thought I would ponder the changes. When I started teaching I had barely sent an email. Now I am blogging on an iPad and I will tweet a link to it later. It is actually another language - honest kids!!

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Enterprising kids

So we had handmade Christmas cards - beautifully packaged; Christmas candles - made from tumblers, tea-lights, a bit of doily and ribbon (remember these - 27p to make - for sale at £1.50); Peppermint creams packaged in handmade papier-mache pots wrapped in cellophane; polystyrene snowman with ear muffs to hang on your trees; home-made sachets of hot chocolate in cinammon, mint and orange flavours; hand-painted baubles, bookmarks and badges.
The children worked industriously and feverishly to get their products made and ready in time to sell. They decorated their stalls and as each stall got bolder, other stalls were buying last minute bits of ribbon from me!
The stalls were ready, the children were on edge, the doors were flung open at 3:10 pm. By 3:30 pm every item was sold even paperchains used to decorate the tables. The peppermint cream group had even raffled off their last tin of condensed milk at 20p a raffle ticket!
One child said to me "It was like a market place - I couldn't see any of the other stalls, I didn't have time to look!"
What a great success!
The next day we totted up our totals, the children put all their information onto spreadhseets and worked out their profits. The smallest profit was £14 and the highest £35!! That was those candles I told you about!
Brilliant experience, super learning and such fun!

Using ipads to make Christmas cards

I need to quickly interrupt the enterprise project to show off some art from my class. At Christmas we usually created our own Christmas cards based on Paul Klee's 'Two dromedaries and a donkey'. This year we used the app 'Brushes' to create the background colours and then the children either added the camels and donkey by hand or with the app (which was tricky as you can't do particularly fine lines). Nevertheless, they are beautiful and I'm sure all the families will be thrilled to receive their cards this year. Please have a look and take some time to comment for the children's sake. Next post shortly about our hugely successful enterprise sale!

Enterprise progress

So the children are fully involved in their projects. They have had a dad in this week to talk about budgets and planning their profit margins, this was really useful for all of us because we (the staff) decided to charge them for petrol and rent including electricity etc - Mwahahah! Only £1 of their £10 budget, we are kind :)

Today one child from each group went shopping with two members of staff. They followed a shopping list and bought items they couldn't buy at school. It has all been very exciting! They are now creating advertisments for the digital signage, website and walls around the school. They will be slipping fliers into the school production programmes. I have no idea at this point which group will win, but the learning has been tremendous. If you have any good ideas, please comment for the kids, they love to hear from people other than me!

Enterprise project

This month we have started an enterprise project in our class. The children have grouped themselves into friendship groups, I felt this would encourage team work more. We have been using some of the great ideas from CBBC's 'trade your way to the USA' teacher/student packs. They have really had the children thinking. Product ideas for bananas? Banana hoodies, onesies, peelable lollies, recipes of all sorts!! The children have been guided into really thinking about problem solving and ideas to improve. Our new boy, from Lithuania, has a problem understanding English - solution? Headphones that translate what people say into Lithuania !! Brilliant! As the children learn about planning their products, how to make profit and advertising etc. I will blog some if their ideas and best bits ;)

Writing complete

Thirty astonishingly good stories later - well I am still marking actually, but the buzz around the children during their writing was palpable, some of the finest writing I have had the privilege to mark. I wish I could post it all up here, but time and space won't allow it. I am including one for now, and may add excerpts of others. I really hope some of you literacy bods read and comment. The children love seeing positive comments on their efforts.

‘Machinarium’ by Daniel

Because of the puzzles, today was the longest day of my life. We crash-landed on a colour-less, lifeless, tedious planet. I was the captain of the S.S. R.Bot and as a result I was responsible for landing on this dreary planet. This barren planet has a very rich smell of oil-waste coming through all the pipes underground. It doesn’t feel right; it just doesn’t feel right...

Under the pile of broken arms and other limbs lay me, Ned (Norbert Edwardo Deuce), the rusty old tincan, broken like everybody else in this landfill.

“Please help me, please help me” I repeated to myself as I knew if any robot was without limbs for more than ten minutes they would die. Suddenly a finger came out of the gloomy black sunless sky, and relocated my head to my body; oh the spring in my spine felt soooo good! Then the gigantic digit came and attached my legs into their sockets and I was able to move freely and get my other arm.

There was the space-craft.

“It looks more like a city now. Why?” I asked a guard. His reply was, “They’ve converted it into a city because they know they’ve got no hope getting it up in the air since the great crash.”

“Can I go in please?”

“NO! Only police allowed.”

Now was the time to test my new body. Does it have the most important power; the power of puzzle-solving?

Carelessly I kicked the cones down the gorge out-skirting the city. There was one cone left, so I decided to consume it. Underneath it lay a can of blue paint – guess what? I gobbled it up being extremely careful not to spill it in my body. There was a big pot of white paint and I needed to dip the cone in light blue paint because the colour if his hat was light blue. So I put the blue paint into the white paint and it made light blue. Then I dipped the cone in it and I realised that the guards wore helmets with a little light on top. There was one on the light-post, so I climbed the light-post with the little rungs. I got it. I thought to myself as I put together the cone and the light-bulb. I yanked the lever for the last time and finally he let me through. It felt so exciting walking along the bridge to the city, so I inhaled all of the lovely aromas.

Suddenly...

Week of game-playing complete.

So the children have worked this on the game every day this week. We have focused on problem-solving, critical thinking, vocabulary building, team work and planning. Every day the children have had opportunities to move on in the game, taking notes as they go to build up the action of the story. No formal writing has taken place so far. They have worked in pairs, but also in groups, sometimes just getting up to help others solve problems; learning through the week that it is not a competition and that everyone's perspective will be different when it comes to the writing of the stories.
When the headteacher came in to observe he noted how engaged the children were and asked them how using a game would help them with their writing.
One child commented that it helps him to 'come up with ideas' and that 'normally I have to think really hard for ideas but the game has given me loads.' The children were all positive in their responses, which may be novelty value, but in their own planners some have made comments such as 'I didn't know games could be used for Literacy!'
I can't wait to see the writing that comes out of this next week, and the children will be beautifully behaved for a long time to come wanting to finish the game I think!!