Graffiti maths

We have had some brilliant work today in Maths. As we are getting closer and closer to May my thoughts turn to how children interpret questions. I decided this week would be a good time to revisit the RUCSAC mnemonic for remembering the processes for working out what a problem is asking.

RUCSAC stands for : Read, Understand, Choose (operation), Solve, Answer and Check.

We were observed today and I decided to take a risk and try something new I'd read about on a blog by a teacher on twitter known as @ohlottie. She had tried a version of graffitti maths, read about it on her blog here:

http://clairelotriet.com/blog/2012/12/15/graffiti-maths/

We used paper on our tables too and worked through money word problems from past test papers. Children were differentiated in four groups and worked at levels 3-6, the idea that they would move up into higher level questions. They loved the freedom to scrawl their working out and even attempted new (for them) methods.

 

It was a great lesson and got an outstanding which was an added bonus! Have a look at some of our work.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Great learning and Snow!

We've had a fun week at school. The snow didn't deter us and we got out there early on doing some tug of war matches and linking it with some science work - forces! The children had such a laugh and there were some surprising tuggers!
We've set up our class blog to work alongside our digital leader blogs, have a look!
http://digidudes.wordpress.com/
http://marthas6.wordpress.com/

I'm hoping to get lots of red dots on our globes because the children have friends and family all over the world - India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Nigeria, Lithuania, Ireland to name but a few!

Please look and comment! It's too cold to go out after all :)

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!!

Posted with Blogsy

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 ;)