sutton007

For several weeks the topic of conversation in our classroom surrounded our trial of Genius Hour .   Students were excited about being given the time and opportunity to pursue topics of interest to them.  They LOVED the term - Student Driven Learning ! Most students had an idea right away - while others needed time to think and plan .  Some students decided to work together while others chose to work independently.  Some students would use the computer, while others would use different tools. Our 'hour' began at 1:45 p.m . Students excitedly collected their supplies and went straight to work. The level of engagement was something at which to marvel.  For over an hour students were completely engrossed in their learning while they created comic strips on the computer, sewed a pillow, researched hedgehogs, experimented with volcanoes, created mazes from wood, researched a Brazilian Gospel singer, and so many other topics. Experimenting with a Volcano There w...

"Picture a large can. Just before you kick it, your toe pops out of the front of your shoe to "peek" at the can. Can = Kansas. Toe + peek = Topeka. The capital city and state is Topeka, Kansas!" This Mnemonic device paired with a hand drawn picture was used to help instruct students in the United Kingdom who were studying the states and capitals of the USA.  ( Here is the list of mnemonic states & capitals we used from mrs jonesroom.com) Right before the holiday break, my grade 4 classroom connected via Skype with Mrs. Stone's class across "the Pond" just outside London, England. Each class was placed in three groups. Using 2 iPads and a laptop, the classes were able to connect simultaneously through Skype (we used 3 different accounts).  Each student in my class shared a state and capital with their overseas counterparts.  Visuals that further depicted the statement were displayed.  Mrs. Stone's students took notes and asked que...

Our School Winner! From November 12, 2012 to January 15, 2013 schools all across the nation are participating in the National Geographic Bee .   The Bee which has been in existence since 1989 challenges students in grades 4 - 8 on the geography of the world.  Participating schools hold Preliminary Rounds with all students and then conduct a Final Round with up to 10 finalists.  The 10 finalists compete until a School Champion is determined. The School Champion then goes on to take a 60 question multiple choice test for entry into the State Level Competition.  The top 100 scorers compete for entry to the National Level Bee. Questions for the Bee are rather tough .   Some are multiple choice and some are not. (Final round questions are NOT multiple choice and students must provide answers.) Some examples: Which state is a part of the Delmarva Peninsula? Virginia/Maryland/Georgia Which agent of erosion is primarily responsible for creating limestone caves? Ang...

The Genius of Stonehenge In honor of of the New Year I decided to try something that many colleagues around the nation are talking about.  Perhaps you have heard the term "Genius Hour" from your someone in your PLN!  Genius Hour is something I have wanted to try since November 2011 when I read this blog post from a member of my PLN, Denise Krebs .  In it she describes her first attempt at this type of activity with her 7th grade class.  To this day, I follow posts and tweets about this 'Genius Hour' in the hopes of one day trying it with my fourth grade students.  What is Genius Hour ?  Click on the link to read in depth how one teacher, Gallit Zvi describes it and it's origin.  In a nutshell, it is letting students follow their passion using inquiry to "work on new designs or master new skills". Genius hard at work! So this is it - this is the year! As I discussed with my students, sometime in January, they will have the opportunity to explore/learn...