Skype

Hello Families,

We had our first Skype call with a class from North Carolina this morning. It was very interesting - we were able to see each other, ask questions and discuss some of the similarities and differences between our schools and our locations. We also spoke with a school from Alabama and 2 teachers from Vancouver Island. There were things I would change about the way it all happened, but in general it was a good first experience.

Some of you have written me to ask about Skype. It works like a phone, but with the optionof having video as well, like th TV phones we imagined when we were little. It is an application that allows us to have video, audio and text communication, as well as send and receive files. It is free when you call computer to computer, but costs money if you call computer to a phone.

It has a great deal of potential, not only for personal but for school uses. Students who are absent could still participate using Skype from home, as could students away on vacation. I know of teachers who have used Skype for university courses, making it unnecessary to travel long distances or leave home in bad weather. It allows us to connect with people over any distance for any number of purposes, for free.

You can find more information at his site:
www.skype.com

If you join, let me know and I can add you to my contacts.

Best,
Kathy Napier

Comic Life +Ricky

This has been a big week in our class, as students have been completing their mini-project using the application Comic Life. The travel brochures they have made are very attractive - check back to see samples!

We worked on this project as a way to develop understanding of the research process. Copies of our research process time-line can be found in the front of the social sciences duotang. You can help your child by asking them to explain the process and why we need to proceed in a certain way.

As well, we finally have our Voicethread finished - it was hard to find time and help to get the audio recording done. I have tried to embed it in our blog, but could only get it to appear in the homework blog. Click on the homework image on the right, then hit the "play' arrow to have a look!

Enjoy the weekend,
Kathy Napier

Right back at work!

So, the first week back after the break was punctuated by snow, the hope of snow days, and many, many absences that kept us from getting on with a new project.

Hopefully your child has spoken to you about their mini vacation project. In teams, they have to put together a weekend getaway for a family of four in a city given to them at random. The project will be complied using the application Comic Life, and will have to include:

-the cost of airfare from Montreal
-the cost of a hotel for Friday and Saturday
-activities for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (including entrance fees, if applicable)
-total cost (food and souvenirs not included)

The presentation page must include:
-2 maps (country and city map)
-photos (with photo credit)of the activities or locations listed
-text
-details of the getaway

The students are very motivated, and are just beginning to identify what information they need and where they think they may find it. You can help at this stage by helping them pose relevant research questions and narrow down possible topics to be explored.

It should be fun to see what they find and what they choose, and we will look for a way to post their final products.

All my best,
Kathy Napier

Track Santa with NORAD and google Earth

Hello all,

I hope that you are doing other things tonight, but just in case you hadn't heard, it is possible to track Santa tonight. NORAD satellites are following him and using google Earth to map out his last seen location. For techie geeks like me this is just too cool not to share.

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

You can click on his current location and see video of all kinds of locations he has already visited.

My kids just saw him visit Monaco and hustled it off to bed. I'm off to read "The Night Before Christmas " and "The Christmas Orange."

My very best to you all, and may the season bring you joy and laughter!

Kathy Napier

Ouf! Some day!

Anyone will tell you that it is harder to teach in December, but it is only the first and it is hard to keep the students on-task. This afternoon was not our best.

There is a disjunct right now between what the students need to learn and their perceptions of how they are doing. I am having a hard time convincing some students to take ownership of their learning, and to see that there is progress that has to be made. Many seem to believe they are already fine, and there is no reason to improve their work. In some cases, they are actually arguing with me about the content, insisting that they already understand concepts they are simply fouling up.

In all this, the student who wants to learn has a hard time being heard.

Report cards go home this week, and I will be meeting with many of you Thursday night. I hope that you will have had a chance to read thorugh the comments and discuss them with your child. I know that some of the comments will be unexpected.

It would be easier to stick my head in the sand and overlook what is hard to address, but it would do the students an injustice. I have a professional responsibility to call them as I see them, as unpleasant as that is right now. And although it will be unpleasant to hear, the students have to meet me half-way.

So, the question to ask your child - are they putting in their best, or just putting in their time?

See you soon,
Kathy Napier

Fractions Fractions Everywhere!

Hello Class!

You have been working so hard naming fractions, creating fractions, and comparing fractions. How about a little fraction fun?

Try out these sites in the link at the right:

Cyberchase

Fraction Flags

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/fractionflags/ffthirds.html

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/equivalentfractions/index.html

Each site has games that help you to name, recognize and create fractions, and the site will tell you if your work is correct.

Have fun!

Mini-Project: Drummondville and Our School

Hello Families,

This week, following up on the work we started with Ricky Raccoon, we will be continuing a mini-project on Drummondville and D.E.S.. In our project, we are trying to answer 2 main questions:

What is special about Drummondville?

What is special about our school?

This project is allowing me to assess the research and teamwork skills the students possess. Different students will have different foci, and we will work together to complete the overall project as a Voicethread (you can see this using the Ricky link under "Learning Sites") and perhaps as an iMovie or podcast depending on how the work unfolds.

Also, a family asked for information about Magazine subscriptions for their children. I have added some links in the parent section to some magazines the kids really enjoy. Maybe just in time for Christmas ;)

Have a great week,
Kathy