P.S. Congratulations to Gavin for being our Star Student this week! | K-1: T is for TreeThe K-1 students made collages of trees from recycled cardboard and construction paper. We have talked about the importance of following the three R's: reduce, reuse, and recycle. We have also discussed why trees are important to us. The children really enjoyed this activity and all did a marvellous job on their trees! |
The K-2 students were assigned their peer reading groups this week; either in groups of 2 or 3. This method is meant to help the students practice reading with each other. Additionally, the students were also able to help each other through mutual learning and teaching.
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One of my teaching philosophies is to view children as adults. In doing so, I view their opinions and views on the same level as mine. Their needs for respect and what they view as important are just as valid as mine, and vice versa. After all, human beings all deserve the same level of respect and understanding. By emphasising on the need for mutual respect in the classroom, we can all contribute to a positive learning and teaching environment.
NOTE: I have used a hardboiled egg to prevent contact and the spreading of germs and bacteria. Using an uncooked egg is possible as well, but I find it more complicated.
In a more scientific explanation, when you submerge an egg in vinegar, the shell dissolves. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which breaks apart the solid calcium carbonate crystals that make up the eggshell into their calcium and carbonate parts. The calcium ions float free (calcium ions are atoms that are missing electrons), while the carbonate goes to make carbon dioxide - the bubbles that we have seen. Our teeth is similar to the eggshell because our teeth come into contact with different kinds of acids everyday (i.e. our saliva, the food that we eat, etc.). If we do not brush our teeth properly on a regular basis, we risk getting cavities because the acids can erode our teeth. Furthermore, stains (like the green food colouring) can become permanent. To be honest, the children were more interested in the bouncing green rubber egg rather than my explanation on acids and teeth. However, sometimes...all that is needed is a little magic to spark understanding and learning. We will be coming back to this topic once more some time in the future.
The K-2 class were asked to take this activity one step further by linking the activity to the books our class focused on - "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham." The students have made Mystery Boxes Pop-Up cards with the question "Who is Inside the Mystery Box?" written on the front cover and an answer to the riddle written inside.
It really warms my heart to hear my students discussing the books amongst themselves while they work (i.e. which character is their favourite, which Dr. Seuss book they prefer, and even quoting excerpts from the books) These are signs of strong literacy skills - they are thinking critically about what they've learned and are applying the lessons to their own personal lives. Additionally, it makes me glad to see most of my students being able to read in English and have book discussions at such a young age.
"What Time is it, Barney?" is part of a non-profit project initiated by the University of British Columbia addressing multilingualism and literacy teaching. "What Time is it, Barney?" has been translated into Thai to promote and enhance Thai-English bilingualism within (and outside) the Thai communities in Canada.
I am very grateful to have worked with so many wonderful and brilliant educators, in particular Dr. Candace Galla (Department of Education, University of British Columbia) and Dr. Jim Anderson (Department of Education, University of British Columbia). I am also very grateful to have been invited to collaborate in another (ongoing) multimodal and multilingual education project initiated by colleagues at UBC. The K-2 students have learned how to read 3 books this week, and each student has his or her own preference. The Sight Words we have covered this week are:
To make the reading routine more enjoyable this week, I have allowed them to chose their favourite book to read for the recordings. Enjoy! School
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Teacher's CornerNatalie is a scholar, a teacher, a writer, and somewhat of a nomad. She considers both Bangkok and Vancouver as "home" yet still cannot decide where to settle down. Archives
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