Finding our S.O.L.E......the 1st one of the year! Does the Curse of Bodie really exists?

So I introduced our first S.O.L.E. (Self Organized Learning Environment) to our 6th graders this past week.  The only expectations for these quick research projects are the following:

1.)  No more than 4 in a group
2.)  If someone asks to join your group and you don't already have 4 members then you must let them join
3.)  You can't work alone
4.)  WORK HARD
5.)  Listen to everyone
6.)  Support your opinion with RESEARCH
7.)  You must CITE your pictures

I wanted to tie our first S.O.L.E. our upcoming Fall Parade or in a former time called Halloween celebration.  I recently read a great nonfiction book called BODIE:  The Town that Belongs to Ghosts by Kevin Blake.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61aXK0of07L._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

So I introduced this book to the kids by reading the first chapter.  We then viewed some images from the deserted town of Bodie.  I then shared the Google Slideshow below with them that presents the question to them.  

I was blown away by some of the presentations.  REMEMBER I don't give any guidance on to what type of project they have to share other than it can't be longer than 5 minutes and they must cite pictures if they use them.  Here are some of the early projects.

Finding our S.O.L.E. (Self Organized Learning Environment) with 6th graders

So my 6th graders spend several week exploring Copyright rules.  We did many blending learning activities where we watched videos and read articles on copyright and then reflected on our learning.  Students seem to be understanding more and more each year why copyright is important but that still doesn't mean they are following all the rules.  Here is an article I share with my 6th graders and then they must reflect on Schoology (their online course) if they agreed or disagreed with the court decision.  We will then take these lessons and apply them to our S.O.L.E. unit.  

PSA:  Don't let Salami and Google Images Get You Into Hot Water

                                               

By reading this they get to see how things that seem simple to us can be a big deal to others so we must always CITE our sources.  I then move on to teach them how to do a search within  Google Drive where they can use the Research Tool limit their search to free images.  

Here is the video I posted on Schoology on how to do an Advanced Google Search in order to limit their images to free for public use.

Week #3 of the Global Read Aloud in the Media Center.... It's Not Fair!

Last week we read It's Not Fair by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and my 2nd graders had a choice to reach out through Padlet or Twitter.  We are collaborating with another school through both these tools.  Here are my students responses to something that they feel isn't fair.

Before Tweeting we discuss the expectations of tweeting.  Students must use my Media Center account and I tell them they should not have their own Twitter account.  The expectations we discuss are as follows:

borrowed from @mrswideen

Students must use this form and then get their Tweet approved by me before being allowed to Tweet!

Here are some of the Tweets we sent out:  

tswissy @SUMMediaCenter

@mrsgarnersclass It's not fair that my brother has a pumpkin patch at his school #graamy

DetailsOpen

6d

tswissy @SUMMediaCenter

@mrsgarnersclass life isn't fair. tyler#GRAAmy

DetailsOpen

6d

tswissy @SUMMediaCenter

@mrsgarnersclass it is not fair that my brother always plays games. #GRAAmy Owen

DetailsOpen

6d

tswissy @SUMMediaCenter

@mrsgarnersclass its not fair that I get a smaller room then my sister Abigail #GRAAmy

DetailsOpen

6d

tswissy @SUMMediaCenter

@mrsgarnersclass It's not fair that my brother gets to stay up later.Maureen #GRAAmy

I am still "muddling" through guiding my classes to watch for Tweets in response to their Tweets. This is where I still need practice! The LEARNING IS MESSY!

Next week we will be moving on to our next GRA book, Exclamation Mark!  This book is so much fun to read out loud.  Hoping we can find someone in our time zone to Skype with to discuss this book.  

Our Global Read Aloud Adventure made the local newspaper.  Take a look.

Missing in Action....

Week 1 #GRA15 (Global Read Aloud)

 Now that I have your at attention I am really not missing in action but I have been absent from my blog for awhile due to juggling some many plates at school and getting my feet completely emerged into the Global Read Aloud project with my 1st and 2nd graders.  

    

  

After we read Chopsticks, listened to the Chopsticks song on Youtube, watched a video on how to use chopsticks we practiced  I gave the students four rules before we practiced using the chopsticks.  They were

1.)  You can't use 2 hands

2.)  You can loop the Cheerios..you had to pick them up

3.)  You can't pick the Cheerios up with your hands

4.)  You can't get frustrated, which many of them did.

Here is what it looked like:  

My students loved the book Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  They loved the play on words that she used to capture the attention of readers.  Here is a Padlet that we used to collaborate with our friends in Colorado.  My 2nd graders are working with a school in Illinois.  The one thing I need to work out is the time issue.  By this I mean that due to many of the collaborating schools being on different time zones it made it hard to collaborate in real time.  Therefore, students didn't always see what their partner school had to say about the book.  

Created with Padlet

On to Week 2:

      This week we will be reading Duck!Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  I practiced reading with my kiddos at home and they loved it.  I snapped this shot of them showing their excitment.  (So hard to get a pic of 3 youngsters looking happy all at once...you moms out there know what I am talking about.)

We are hoping to get some Mystery Skypes in with our partner schools this week.  The time zone difference really causes scheduling nighmares.

We did a variety of activities this week to make our presence know in the GLOBAL world.  This included Skyping with our friends in Maine and New York.  We learned a little bit about Twitter and what it means to "Tweet" and we sent out a tweet with our official vote on rather we think it is a rabbit or duck.  We also entered our opinions on if it is a DUCK or RABBIT on the official poll.  

Is it a duck or a rabbit?

Let us know! We will map your answers by the end of the week.

Class name


Class location?


How many thinks it's a duck?


How many thinks it's a rabbit?

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The official results are in..... here they are:

I wouldn't have guessed that there was such a big difference between the votes.  I personally see a DUCK first.  I guess I am in the minority.  The Thursday 1st grade Ms. Huntington's class voted 3 ducks and 19 rabbits.  They agreed with the majority of other kids across the world.

Things you will never hear a Google teacher say....

Global Read Aloud.....Excitement in the Air!!!

                          

I am meeting with some of my courageous co-workers tomorrow to plan for our upcoming GLOBAL READ ALOUD, which starts Oct. 5th and end Nov. 13th.  Teachers will be reading either a picture book a week or specific chapters for those upper grades and then we will be collaborating with classrooms all over the world.  This could be a bit messy but should be so much fun!  Here are a few resources for my coworkers.

First thing is to sign up on the Google Form to start receiving email

How to set up a classroom Twitter account

More on official hashtags that you may want to look at

Posters and parent letter to communicate you are using Twitter in your class

Summit Global Read Aloud bookmark

Setting up an Edmodo account  (you don't have to invite students since you will be using it with the entire class as a whole)
Here is the link to the Edmodo groups you may want to follow depending on what book you are reading

Other ways to connect with other classrooms

Schedule of when to read what

Circus Mirandus....What would your TICKET be?

5th and 6th graders listened to a reading from the new novel Circus Mirandus.  They then discuss how there were only two ways for Ephrium to get into the circus.  They were:

1.)  To offer something up that had a great connection with him.  The deeper the CONNECTION the longer your ticket was good for.  

2.)  You could offer a skill that would help the circus.  

Students were then asked what their item would be.  They had to fill out a ticket and then snap a picture of him or herself and send it to me in an email.  These were some of our pictures.  They were asked to reflect on how deep the connection was and come up with an expiration date for their ticket.

Jonah offers his TAG FOOTBALL skills

Reid offers his SHOE

Anna would offer her Triathlon medal

Caden would offer his stuffed WOLF.

Emma would offer her dancing ability.

Abbie offers her GYMNASTIC skills.

Ellie offers her SOCCER skills.

Emma would offer her CELL PHONE.

Callie offers her SOCCER skills.

Caleb would offer his FISHING skills

Rachel would offer her ART skills

This is the display of "tickets" in the hallway.