Monthly Archives: March 2015

AUTHENTIC AUTHORS: WRITING FOR A PURPOSE

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featured writer header
2015-03-17 09.48.48
Using the iPad to create a background  for a story.

FEATURED WRITERS

One way to allow students to write for a purpose is through the creation of stories and the publishing of them. In the Junior School, I am supporting students to become ‘published’ through the use of apps and ICT tools in order to easily distribute their writing, motivating them and allowing for a wider audience to share in their work.

 

 

WANTED: Student stories

Step 1:

Email me the original story

  • Any age, any topic

Step 2:

Production and publishing of the story

  • We (the soon to be author and I) will decide on the best tool to publish the story.

Step 3:

Sharing the product – publishing for an audience

The story will then become available in the JS library, accessible via QR codes located on the shelves or through the promotion of Featured Writers.

The stories will be classified as Fiction or Non-Fiction and ‘shelved’ accordingly.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Featured Reader Scan Me

Choose your stories by browsing the shelves and looking for the QR codes.

Use a QR code app on a smart device to scan the code.

1) Load the webpage and ‘read’ the story, ‘hear’ the music and narration, or ‘see’ the illustrations and storytelling.

MORE STORIES

This year’s stories are HERE.

CREATING A LISTENING POST IN YOUR LIBRARY OR CLASSROOM

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How to create a listening and literacy promoting environment.

MHMS Media Orientation Animation 12 - 10

Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones via Compfight

Find a quiet space…. Pull up a cushion or bean bag… settle in. Let’s begin.

The following resources are some ideas about how to create an environment designed to foster the love of reading and literature.

AUDIO BOOKS & INTERACTIVE BOOKS ON THE IPAD

The iPad is a versatile tool. We can use it to consume books and create books.

AUDIO BOOKS ON THE IPAD

See my DIIGO weblinks to Audio Books  resources (not all of these are for children).

Access  audio books through online subscriptions (and some with free access).

WEBSITES

IPAD APPS

See The Book Chook Apps to Help You Raise a Reader

Another great article – classroom practice and listening posts If you give a student an iPad…

IN THE JS LIBRARY

AUDIO BOOKS

Locate the AUDIO BOOK Collection (labelled as ‘Audio Book’).

When you visit the library you will find the AUDIO BOOK Collection with CD’s for you to listen to and if you wish to borrow.

  • Borrow a Portable CD player and headphones (in library use)
  • Select your book on CD and enjoy.

Additionally, last year we purchased the GUIDED CD’s resource. These are also available for teachers to use with classes.

FINAL THOUGHTS

HARDWARE

WANT MORE PRACTICAL IDEAS

JS Library Makerspaces & STEM in the JS:Robotics

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Lego Robotics session Yr 1 & 2

This term select students in Year 1 & 2 had the opportunity to explore with WeDo Lego robotics. Students explored the features of the software,  developing problem-solving skills through experimentation with Lego and  were exposed to what it means to think computationally through programming.

Year1 and 1 WeDo

Students reflected on the experience -see the PADLET below.

 

Screenshots from the WeDo LEGO Robotics Program.

 

ROBOTICS FOR TEACHERS

Other Robotics News from SALC.

RoboCup Junior

St Andrews hosted a Lego Robotics Day for teachers to explore the possibilities of robotics in the classroom. The day was well received. Thanks to the presenters Peter Kellett and Liz Polentas.

 

April: History is a Story

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Number 60 WOODHOUSE, William Henry

State Records of SA via Compfight

When I think of HISTORY and April the first thing that enters my mind is ANZAC Day.

The Share a Story focus for April is “History is a Story”.  The question is posed “What’s your family’s story?” We are challenged to read diaries and letters and books from the past, ‘to hear the whispers from history’.

 

At the JS Library we are going to explore the HISTORY section of the JS Library with a particular focus on the ANZACs.

See below for some ideas for exploring Australian History through quality literature (with reading lists and suggestions).

Australian history books

Aussie Book Lists: Australian History for Young Readers

 

One of the suggested books from the lists are from my early days  of teaching- Five Times Dizzy. Another more recent recommendation is The Dog on the Tuckerbox (see more resources here) and more recent award winning Mirror by Jeannie Baker.

Such books have deepened my appreciation of Australian culture and allowed me to explore the diversity in our stories. Our rich culture of storytelling is also fortunately deepened by the sharing of Indigenous perspectives through the traditional story structure of The Dreaming to more recent publications of Indigenous picture books that provide an opportunity to view life through the eyes of an Indigenous person.

 

Additionally the stories of Australia have become more accessible through picture books such as Banjo Paterson’s verse, Waltzing Matilda.

 

See some resources below from Random House

 

HISTORY RESOURCES

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM, HISTORY & LITERATURE

Primary School Resources to support the Australian History Curriculum – ASLA

– a comprehensive resource

 

ANZAC DAY & HISTORY RESOURCES

Bringing history to Life

‘Belinda Murrell: Bringing Australian History to Life’

MY AUSTRALIAN STORY SERIES – SCHOLASTIC

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY FOR BOOK LOVERS PDF

 

ANZAC DAY RESOURCES

A is for ANZAC

100 Years of ANZAC the Spirit Lives

Gallipoli (YouTube)

Australian War Memorial – Education

This month in Australian Military history

Meet the ANZACs PDF – Random House

 

So, What is your story or a which book would you recommended book to explore history?

Feel free to share below.

 

Follow the tweets at  #historyisastory and #shareastorycalendar