Electrified by SeeSaw

Five days into 2017 and our learning is absolutely electrifying!  It might be because we are studying electricity in Science but let's pretend that's not the only reason...

Beauty school or science class?
Combing hair to charge a *comb for an experiment

*combers were given individual combs--no sharing in this science experiment

Being a 1:1 Chromebook classroom, the students have had some epiphanies about having a computer at their fingertips for the duration of the working/school day.  The biggest is that a computer allows them to document their learning much more efficiently than paper and pencil and without the added of headache of losing work.

So, when I presented these tech wizards with our first science experiment, as is the norm, I sent them a document through their Google Suites accounts.  After making a copy, they filled out their hypothesis and we read the procedure.  I emphasized the necessity of writing down/drawing their observations (Google Drawings or images).  

MULTIPLE HANDS RAISE

Not in the "Amen!" or "Raise the roof" this is gonna be a blast kind of hands in the air.  

More like, "WHOA Teach! We got somethin' important to say so answer our hands" kind of way.

Student A:  Couldn't we just film ourselves doing the experiment using our SeeSaw app?

Me (The teacher, in case you're wondering who's running this show):  Umm...

Student B (with some chiming in from the rest of the peanut gallery):  Well, it would be faster than finding clipart and labeling on Google Drawing and it would still show the setup of the experiment. 

Me:  Uh....

Student C:  AND we could add captions after to explain what we saw

Me:  I guess that would be OK...

Student D:  Well, could you make a science folder for the class feed so that it gets into the right folder?

Me (in my head, cuz I'm beginning to wonder):  Who's got a B.Ed. here?  

Me (aloud to the kids):  Great thinking!  Grab your partner, the science materials and your Chromebook and get to work.

WHY this is so surprising is that we had not used SeeSaw for about 4 weeks because of Christmas activities and Winter Break.  We also had never tried the video feature.  They did not care, flinch or hesitate as evidenced in the above video.

Next day, we excitedly tried SeeSaw's new update:  labels with recording.  We eventually realized this was currently available only on iOS and not Chromebooks.  We do have access to iPads which I sent a couple of students to fetch.  While they were gone, another student asked if it wouldn't be easier to just use our Chromebooks with the Screencastify extension and then upload to SeeSaw so that the class could see our work.

Absolutely easier!  Return those iPads, open the Web Store, download Screencastify and get down to business.  In the video below, these 11 year olds explain how easy it is to use SeeSaw and how using Screencastify enables them the same secret powers on their Chromebooks that are available on iOS--WITHOUT waiting for updates!

#NewYearNewYou was a popular hashtag as 2017 rang in.  How are you using technology to bring your students' learning into the 21st century?  Take a page out of these kids' book:  Have no fear!

~MissBrooks

We Took (Virtual) Field Trips to Indonesia and Thailand

We just completed our second field trip with Brandon Hall from Learning Around the World GEOShow.

Minus the jet lag...

and without passports...

and no crossing of time zones...

We went to Thailand and Indonesia without even leaving our classroom and it was beyond expectation!

Our first VFT was to see the Asian Elephants in Thailand

The engagement and level of enthusiasm from almost every child was high.  These webinars allow the participating classrooms to interact with Brandon through Twitter, playing Kahoot and chatting (either face to face as an on-screen guest or through the chat feature by typing questions).  Field notes were provided for the Thailand trip and students scribbled to get as much information as possible.  This helped us make the leader board in the Kahoot challenge at the end of the webinar.

4th Place finish in the Kahoot challenge

Gloria's notes evidence her learning and engagement
throughout the hour long webinar.

For the second field trip, which was to Komodo, Indonesia, we signed up to be on-screen guests.  This was the first time for the kids to participate like this and luckily, Brandon controlled the mute button to block our chatter from the other participating classes!  Some of the students had read an article ("Dragon Alert") as part of their guided reading groups this week (happy accident) and they were eager to share some facts about Komodo dragons, a cannibalistic creature whose only predator is itself (and humans, but it's illegal to hunt).

Here's a tweet I sent out during the VFT to Indonesia.

Experiencing these trips has made the study of biodiversity (one of four strands in Ontario Science curriculum) interactive, engaging and interesting for everyone in our classroom.  Go check out if one of their virtual field trips applies to some level of interest in your classrooms.  It will blow you away!

~MissBrooks

Perseverance, Planes and a Platypus

Day 1 of EQAO testing

Day 6 of EQAO testing--same diligence!

EQAO is finished and we survived!

And maybe, we came away from the EQAO testing a bit more prepared for the way high school exams will be administered, a bit more proud of ourselves for plugging away for 6 half days and a whole lot more confident in what we've learned this year and throughout all of our elementary schooling.

Day 5 snack:  ORANGE you glad there's only 1 SMORE day of EQAO?  #BEAR with it!  #Still Going Strong

No matter the results, I was impressed by the integrity of the kids to stick-with-it and show what they know, without letting up or getting lazy.  They appeared to consider answers instead of simply guess just to get it over with.  The kids seemed confident and calm and definitely looked forward to the snacks!

Paper Airplane Competition got underway Wednesday through Friday

Flight Unit Takes Off

A paper plane competition allowed the Gr 6s to design, build and test a flying device while learning about the four forces of flight--drag, thrust, lift, gravity (weight).

I modified the competition from a version I found here.  It consisted of 4 separate events--Middle Man (land in the middle of a path), Target Practice (hit a pylon from a specified distance), Hang Time (stay in the air the longest) and Go the Distance (furthest flying). 

Target Practice

Students worked in partners or groups of three and were allowed only the following materials for their fleet:

• one standard paper clip per plane
• 2 staples per plane
• 15 cm of tape
• up to 4 pieces of 8.5 x 11 copy paper (which we pulled from our G.O.O.S.e bin.  #always eco!)

Cutting the paper and using more or less than one piece per plane was permitted so long as the fleet did not exceed 4 airplanes or 4 sheets of paper.

You can watch the competition on our YouTube Channel.

Bill Platypus from Australia will enjoy a "homestay" in our class for a week.  We're glad he brought a passport since he's coming with us to Comerica Park for a Tigers vs Blue Jays baseball game!

G'Day 6B:  You've Got Company

A while back, in the cold, dark days of winter, I came across a post on Google+ from a teacher in Australia who was looking to have some stuffies travel to different countries as ambassadors of her classroom.  I thought this would be an interesting opportunity for our class to consider what makes Windsor, ON Canada and our classroom interesting.  This way, we could ensure that our Aussie visitor would learn oodles about us and enjoy his stay.

He's watched different math board games being played, seen part of the plane competition and hung out with the kids during recess.  Follow us on Twitter for updated photos and tweets of Bill's visit!

With only 17 days left before summer, how will you choose to enjoy the last days with your kiddies?

~MissBrooks

Spaced Out 2: Astronaut Food Taste Test

Spaced Out

For our Space Unit, the students researched life on the International Space Station (ISS) and wrote journal entries to "teach" the folks back home about life in Space.  The biggest fascination seemed to be with toilets and food.  I wasn't sure how to simulate zero gravity but, with the help of some online searching, I could do Space food.

Neapolitan, Cookies and Cream, Mint Chip and Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich were the ice cream flavours tried

We balanced out the sugary snack with some fruits:  Strawberries, Apples, Peaches and Bananas

I'm pretty sure this product is NOT the legit deal that NASA or the CSA send into orbit but the packaging was attractive and the food was dehydrated and light (which is required for the ISS). 

Taste testing allowed the students to practice adjectives in terms of the food's texture, appearance and taste (which provided an oral mark since I recorded them!).  It probably made them appreciate the cold of ice cream and the crunch of an apple and how much that plays into the enjoyment of those foods.  Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield spent five months on the ISS eating like this!

Rotational Symmetry

Great segue, eh!  We've only just begun talking about orbits in science but also needed to cover some transformational geometry for the EQAO. 

After exploring with 2-D geometric shapes, we transferred the idea of rotational symmetry to some Math Art in the form of mandalas.

  

These samples aren't yet completed but it would appear that this group has a good handle on the concept!

We also held our school track and field meet on Friday.  That learning and fun can be spaced out throughout the day and the week makes school so much more enjoyable!

~MissBrooks

  

They Blinded Me With...SCIENCE

The "Trash Master" mascot "toadally" approves of Aaliyah and Tealie's lantern

In order to wrap up our Electricity Unit, the students still needed to design, build and test a device that produced electricity.  These Gr 6 scientists certainly charged ahead once presented with the task. Nothing like a little hands on learning to ignite some passion.

Since they had already experimented with static electricity and creating simple circuits, the students built on this previous learning.  They were allowed to create a circuit but had to devise a switch or way of turning it on and off to level up.  The device simply had to create sound or light, or move or charge.  Some of the kids decided to "myth bust" some findings on YouTube.

Kayla and Mairna's projector, including a homemade "flashlight"

Josh and Aidan's sound amplifier

Hailey and Emily M's flashlight

Owen, Derek and Isaac's homemade battery for a remote

Evan and Macenzie's "oven" (aka marshmallow melter)

There are even more experiments that did not get photographed like a lemon charger for an iPad, a motorized boat and solar battery powered car.  Click here to see the devices in action.

This was certainly an electrifying way to end a week filled with activity...

~MissBrooks

We Like to Move It, Move It

Making numbers from thousandths to millions

Although this week was a short one due to a PA Day on Friday, we were moving and grooving!

Numeracy:

We are learning to read and write whole numbers up to the millions and to multiply numbers (even with decimals!) by 10, 100, 1000.  To get the kids to visualize how the number grows when multiplying, they took turns coming to the front and arranging themselves into the number that I said aloud.  Before the number holders could move, the kids that remained at their desks wrote the number on individual white boards.  On "GO!", they moved and the kids at the desks checked their answers against them.  

We later introduced the decimal (a favourite card to get to hold!) and started by forming the number, then multiplying by 10, 100, 1000. 

With some too cold days resulting in lack of outdoor recesses this week, this was a little like "mathercise"!

Science:  

Does static electricity have enough power to move objects?  We began a unit on Electricity this week and had the opportunity to try two experiments using simple, dollar store items to generate static electricity.  

Cheerio "pendulum"

First, the students charged a plastic comb, bringing it close to a Cheerio hanging from a string to see what would happen.  It was interesting to watch some of the students become curious scientists, looking for other objects to "charge" (rub on the carpet or fleece sweaters) to see if the Cheerio would behave in a similar fashion.

Comb vs balloon in the pop can race

The next class, we has a pop can race without touching the cans or modifying them in any way!  Using charged balloons required a lot of head rubbing and hair on end!  Would the size of the balloon or the size of the can affect the outcome?  Could a comb work?  Does the amount of time "charging" affect the race?  Visit our YouTube channel to see the races!

Not only did we generate some electricity this week but also some NOISE (learning IS noisy work)!  It's a good thing we're in our own little corner of the school or we may have ended up with some enemies!

~Miss Brooks