Viewing: April, 2011
April 28, 2011
Author’s Purpose and Perspective Practice
Worth one long distance pat on the back: What kind of author’s craft did I use in writing the TITLE of this post?
Your homework tonight is to complete a practice activity about author’s purpose and perspective. Go to the website (below) and read the passages. Identify the author’s purpose.
http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/authorpur.cfm
Extra Credit (worth one Chance Ticket and your teacher’s appreciation): Go to the Time for Kids website (www.timeforkids.com) and find an article where you can identify the author’s PERSPECTIVE. Remember, this means that you CAN tell what the author’s true opinion is! Print it out and bring it in for us to use in class.
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
April 27, 2011
Pronoun Review Homework
It’s been a while since we’ve had a fun homework assignment on the computer. Before vacation, you completed an assessment about pronouns. Here is a fun follow-up assignment to practice your skills! For homework tonight, please play a round of this game (link below). No need to print or bring in a note. The honor system works fine! I’m out tomorrow morning at a technology council meeting, so be ready to report to the substitute whether or not you completed the assignment. Remember, you also have a DOUBLE-SIDED study link complete this evening, which is why I’m giving you an easy and fun assignment here. Also, if you are LATE in turning in your TUSS Midway Progress Report, please try to bring it tomorrow so you get partial credit – and so I can give you feedback quickly!
Here’s the game:
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/pronoun_clubhouse/index_pre.html
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
April 26, 2011
Our newest CCLS: The XO Station!
We’ve been working in cross-curricular learning stations (CCLS) for many months now. We haven’t had quite enough stations set up for all students to work simultaneously, so they’ve been taking turns. Fortunately, we’re REALLY close to opening the last few stations so that everyone can be actively working at learning stations at the same time. Today, we opened the most ambitious station: The XO Station.
The XO laptop is the product of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program. Do you remember reading about the $100 laptop (which actually costs about $180 to make) that was going to be used all over the world in developing countries? This is it. I was able to buy one about four years ago, and last year, a former student’s family was generous enough to donate one to our class. With a set of the XO laptops, we are able to work on amazing things!
You can read more about the XO laptop on the OLPC website, but here’s my short explanation: The XO is designed to be a light, portable, power-efficient laptop. (The XO was released before the surge of “netbooks” on the market. When first released, it was a trendsetter. Now, it sits among a plethora of ultra-portable netbooks. The XO is distinguished by its clever design.) It’s not a powerhouse, but it’s designed smartly. For example, green “latches” on either side of the laptop serve three purposes: to keep the laptop shut when not in use, to hide and protect the usb and audio ports on the laptop, and to work as really, really effective wifi antenna. The designers worked with the idea that this laptop would be used by children who often life and learn outdoors, so it’s very durable, has an excellent battery life, and has a screen that can be converted into monochrome mode to be very readable in sunny settings. The designers also wanted to create their own operating system that would be highly intuitive for children who may have limited access to electricity, let alone experience with using computers. It’s open-source, meaning that anyone can design programs, add-ons, and other apps to improve the functionality of the XO.
Today, the kids learned how to use the XOs and had a chance to get some hands-on experience. As with all CCLS, the students have a list of activities from which they can choose, so there is definite structure and learning happening at the XO station. The kids seemed really excited to use the XOs and will get their first typical station rotation when we next work at CCLS.
If you want to learn more, you can read my OLPC XO Review (April, 2008) or watch the videos I’ve embedded, below.
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
April 18, 2011
Origami Directions
In class today, we started making origami! This is a great way of learning a Japanese art, and students are using their creations to raise money for earthquake/tsunami relief in Japan. (Please refer to the letter that went home today.) I invited students to take a few extra sheets of origami paper so that they can make some more origami at home over vacation. I found a great website with simple directions on how to make a TON of different origami figures. Have fun!
Easy Origami: http://en.origami-club.com/easy/index.html
Homepage: http://en.origami-club.com/index.html
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
April 14, 2011
Free Math Games for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch
From now until this Saturday, McGraw-Hill (the publisher of our Everyday Mathematics math program) is giving away free copies of their nine math games in the iTunes app store. These tie into our math program and will let kids practice their skills on any iOS device (iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone). They normally retail for $1.99, so this is an $18 savings. You can access them by searching for “Everyday Mathematics” in iTunes. If you don’t yet have an iOS device but expect to get one in the future, you can still download the apps now, for free, and let them sit in your computer until you have an iOS device on which to use the games.
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
April 14, 2011
Study Links Online
If you (students) or your fourth grader (parents) leaves a Study Link assignment at school by mistake, I found a site that has them available for download!
http://www.cantonma.org/myweb/mahanl/studylinks.htm
Let’s avoid those Homework Alerts!
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
April 11, 2011
TUSS Update 1
We’re now a few weeks into the Teach Us Something, Somehow project, and I hope things are going smoothly for you and for your fourth grader. Remember, if there’s anything I can do to help, please ask! So far, the feedback from parents and students has been very positive. In an early quick-write, students wrote the following right after learning about the project:
- “I like this project because all of my other assigned projects have been so specific and strict. This one is unique by letting me be so loose and flexible.”
- “This project is awesome! It’s creative and [has] almost no limits. … I like it because, for once, it’s a project where I can teach something to others in almost any way!”
- “I think this project is good because you get to do whatever you want. Another reason I like this assignment is [that] you don’t have to do it on a poster.”
- “I love this project … because I already have a great idea and I have an image of what it’s going to be like. I’m so excited to show my parents and tell them about the idea I’m thinking about!”
A few updates for you this afternoon:
- Several students have asked about whether they can honestly participate in Break Free of TV (and other electronic screens) Week if they need to use the computer for their TUSS project. I told them that computer use for TUSS would not be in conflict with BFTV because their TUSS projects are school assignments.
- The other fourth grade students (in other classes) are working on an invention project that will be shared at open house. Since we started the TUSS project before the invention project went home, we will be skipping the invention project for now. When you come for open house (May 19th), you’ll get to enjoy looking at the kids’ TUSS projects while the other classes share their invention projects. (I didn’t want you to be surprised when you see that we’re doing something different!)
- If I have approved your fourth grader’s idea proposal, he or she should be working on researching and developing his or her project. Remember, the Midway Progress Report is due Tuesday, April 26th.
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
April 1, 2011
Live Bald Eagle Video
We enjoyed watching the live video feed of a bald eagle nest in Iowa off and on, over the past few days. Will mama eagle’s eggs hatch over the weekend? Take a look and let me know!
Video streaming by Ustream
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss