Connections that Speak from the Heart

I continue to be intrigued about this.

Seesaw is offering a platform for our students to really share their own voice. The voice we so often hear as teachers, in a face to face situation, is what the students think we want to hear. Now I am hearing students really talk openly about what they are wondering, what they are learning and what they think about their learning. If the learning is visible and your students use of Seesaw is for sharing learning then you are going to hear student voice that will get you excited. I also know it gets their parents excited and when we see comments from our parents that is huge for motivation.

My students and I reflect on our learning at the end of each day. As we listen to the learning being shared, we critique each post to make sure that it is about learning. That has been a learning curve for all my students. The students don’t hesitate to delete an item that they know isn’t about learning. If I am absent from the class, the students are still posting and sharing their learning via Seesaw with their teacher. It is very rewarding to know that the students curiosity and motivation to continue with their learning is still there when I am not.

Here are year 2 students talking about their maths learning with making patterns:

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.ef3762c5-f5ff-4f28-bb6c-6546fd904ea4&share_token=o5nG5ovGTWyanWtPRszHyQ&mode=embed

Here are year 2 students telling their audience about their wonderings on the story they were discussing in reading. We have since read the story and discussed the outcomes of our wonderings. There was a lot of anticipation for finding out what happens.

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.6121dcf1-d8a9-418b-9981-a19f416fdf32&share_token=NP06mbnJRVylMkWHvoL7Dw&mode=embed

This was interesting to me because the students and I had been planning together what we were going to do with all our learning on being in a Positive Learning Community. In this post the student talks about what we were planning to do and also talked about the sentence type she was focusing on.

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.e8b5bfcc-5cb5-4d8a-bb36-1ecef10037ad&share_token=H-JNzhFqTb-pTxFth-OMPQ&mode=embed

Planning with students is very new to me so I am interested in talking to others who are doing this. Please leave a comment or message me to share you thoughts, ideas and resources that inspires you and how you plan with your students.

 

Blogging Meme

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Claire (@MsBeenz) just tagged me for a blogging meme!

You are a wonderful inspiration to me as an educator and person.

Thanks Claire!

The blogging task includes:

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
• Share 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
• List 11 bloggers.
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.

11 random facts about me:

1. I am the number 8 child in a family of 9.
2. I survived Malignant Cancer.
3. I have a daughter, Hannah, a son, Joshua and a granddaughter, Fern.
4. I am renovating a magnificent house with the most amazing views.
5. I have a modernised gorgeous, self contained Lodge in my massive home which I intend to rent out short term. It is free to educators providing Professional Development in Taupo and there is a reduced rate to all educators wanting some RnR.
6. I don’t have a thyroid gland.
7. I adore my ugly cat and stupid dog.
8. My knees are 20 years older than I actually am partly due to the remedy for my cancer.
9. I love playing around with fabric and have started designing my own quilts.
10. I am sadly leaving my great job of seven years to happily pursue a new challenge in a wonderful new school.
11. I have joined an Elearningclassroom PLN, so decided to tag those, who haven’t already been tagged, as a way to get to know each other.

P.S. I am seriously looking forward to learning and unlearning with, to and from my new PLN and continuing with my Twitter PLN in 2014.

I tag you….‏ , @sharpjacqui,@sstananought, @Barbs1,@lindalehrke, @jacira4,@janedanielson, @leighhynes, @dbeehre, @KseniaNZ,@stephlatto,@llaburn

Answers to my 11 Questions:

1) What is your favourite book?

At the moment ‘The Gifts of Imperfections’ by Brene Brown

2) What is your most precious device?

 This would have to be my iPhone 5S since my granddaughters Baby Monitor has gone kaput. The Baby Monitor would have won the precious vote, out of the two, if it was working.

3) iPad or Android tablets?

 I would say iPad only because I know very little about Android. I think this will be a year of becoming more informative on Android.

4) What do you consider the most valuable thing you own?

 This would have to be the courage to be me, knowing I am enough no matter what.

5) What is your favourite way to waste time?

 Playing with fabric.

6) If a movie was being made about you who would you choose to play you and why?

 I think Dawn French because she is big, gorgeous and funny.

7) If you could have an endless supply of food what would that be?

 Chocolate

8) What’s the best holiday you’ve been on?

 6 weeks in the UK meeting my precious Uncle who has sinced passed away and spending time with a very special person who is now my life partner

9) What’s the worst haircut you’ve ever had?

 When my hairdresser gave me the worst fringe ever. I didn’t get my haircut by a hairdresser again for 2 years.

10) What three things do you love most about your best friend?

 His courage, his patience and his unconditional love for me.

11) What is your favourite smell and what memory does it remind you of?

This would be cigar smoke, it reminds me of my dad and christmas.

Now your 11 questions:

1. What is your favourite time of day?

2. What is your talent?

3. If you could use one word to describe yourself what would it be?

4. If you had any amount of money to spend, what would be the first thing you would want to spend your money on?

5. What is the one thing you would like to get better at doing?

6. Name one person who has inspired you the most in life?

7. Name one person who has inspired you the most in your profession?

8. What is your favourite childhood memory?

9. If you could have dinner with a famous person who would that person be and why?

10. Where is your favourite place in the world that you would like to be?

11. What do you do when you feel stressed or you have just had enough?