Project Based Learning in year 5 - "My Country Assignment"

The Year Five students have spent the last eight weeks focusing on their ‘My Country’ assignment. This assignment was designed to encourage students to explore their own knowledge and answer a question that could not be answered by simply looking it up on Google. They needed to create an online resource as their final product.

 

The students needed to answer these questions;

 

Where does my family come from?

 

 Why is this country a fantastic place?

 

In order to do this they needed to research their country, specifically focusing on the geographical and cultural information. They also needed to interview a family member about this country. Majority of the students were able to complete their interview in person but some completed an international Skype call and filmed the conversation using Screenr.

 

The next section of their assignment was to create a 10-day holiday to this country. Students needed to include flight details and costs, other travel costs (cars, taxis, etc), accommodation, sight seeing and attractions, food expenses and spending money. The created a budget for their holiday as well as an itinerary.

 

The final section was to persuade their audience (Year Four and Year Six students) to go on their holiday. They needed to create a range of resources to assist them with this. They also had to focus on the language they were using and how this could persuade someone to agree with them.

Due to this being such a long process, the students followed the model of Solution Fluency. They worked through the Six D’s. Define, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver and Debrief. This is a model I was introduced to earlier in the year at a development day with Lee Crocket. The below link explores the Six D’s in more detail.

 

This essential 21st Century Fluency is actually the foundation upon which the other Fluencies are built. Recently, two longitudinal studies found that teaching a structured problem-solving process to a student will instantly increase their IQ by 10% and that this increase is sustained throughout their lives. Let’s make sure our students benefit from this. Everyone identifies problem solving as essential, but without a process like Solution Fluency, it’s just an ideal that never gets implemented.

- Lee Crocket.

http://fluency21.com/blog/2013/01/08/solution-fluency-video/

 

There are so many great student achievements that come out of setting an assignment like this. Not only are the subjects being integrated together (English, S&E and Mathematics), but they also have the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning. The rubric they are assessed on has multiple levels of success and students can therefore set a reachable goal. Students were taught about SMART Goals (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely). They referred back to this throughout the assignment to make sure they were pushing themselves to do their best work and, also, not setting unachievable goals.

I found that majority of my students challenged themselves and achieved what they had set out to do. I was extremely proud of all the work they completed and the constant reflection they did throughout this task.

 

The Year Five classroom will be open to visitors on Wednesday 3^rd July from 2.30-4pm if you would like to come and observe their works. All families and friends are welcome.

 

I am very much looking forward to running the next 21^st Century Fluency task in our classroom. Stay tuned for more.

 

Gabrielle Trinca.

Year Five Teacher.

New Tools.....New Learning Opportunities.......

Our 1:1 programs in year 4 and 5 have provided some wonderful opportunities for the integration of new web-based tools. Here is a description of the tools used and examples of how they are being implemented.

Edcanvas
 Edcanvas provides a great platform for teacher presentations or the accumulation of resources for a project. The tool is also great for student presentations to show their learning. However limitations or challenges may exist as students require a password to form an account. The teacher also has the ability to create a class (bit like Edmodo) where students can place their work/ideas. Great to use as a "blog-like"class resource.
The new features of adding a quiz add to teacher functionality or students creating quizzes for each other.
Edcanvas has been essential in Project Based Learning approaches at SHPSH. The ability to bring together all aspects of a project, including website links (which mostly appear within the Edcanvas frame) project information as text, rubrics, Youtube video and images/files in one place is sensational.
An example of its use at SHPSH include a "project style' weekly spelling unit
and
A recent Maths Challenge project which involved students to use 3 different sites to plan and purchase equipment for a family camping trip.


Thinglink
Using images in learning has long been a rich and powerful strategy. Thinglink enables the user to attach links, information to the image and retain the photo as an interactive image.
The possibilites for this in education are endless.
Here are samples from SHPSH using Thinglink as tool for delivering information.

Digital License

Be a Geography Teacher



Audioboo
The flipped classroom can certainly be enriched with this tool. Audioboo allows the creation of 3 minute audio files that can be shared very easily to Edmodo. A great way to give further explanation or allow students to at times use oral responses as opposed to written. Each audioboo can have an image attached to it which appears during playback.



Looking beyond.....
Some technical difficulties have created hurdles but our wonderful technician has made some adjustments to filters and upgrades.
As these tools and others develop further,  engaging and exciting possibilies exist. 

Digital Driver's License - A Work in Progress

Following our round table discussions with our school community members, that included parents, teachers, students and our Parish, the processes for developing an authentic Sacred Heart Highgate Digital Drivers License are in place.

The students in year 4 and 5 are currently using a  Project Based Learning approach to develop understandings of Digital Citizenship in an authentic way. Examples of student work will be available soon.

The use of Government and other resources are being used to assist the students with inquiry and investigation.

Along with relevant literature, the round table discussion have provided valuable ideas and perspectives that will enhance the meaningful embedding of Digital Citizenship at SHPSH.

Contemporary Learning Space - Years 4 and 5 2013

This post is a follow-on from "Where have all the Desks Gone?" (November 28th 2012).

The new furniture and classroom space in Years 4 and 5 is proving to be very successful. The feedback from teachers and students is extremely positive and we are seeing the students use the space effectively. The learning can be described as a natural and creative process.

There is certainly more involved than just simply changing the furniture! Teachers have commented on the shift in the way they frame their teaching and learning approaches. The new spaces also allows for enhancement of teaching repertoires. However good planning and providing engaging learning experiences is central to the students thriving. As it is in any classroom.
Flexibility to encourage collaborative as well as individual work in a meaningful way has been well received by teachers and students.

It is not just about the digital devices! While the technology in the room (1:1 MacBook Air) is a positive element to each of the classrooms, our new learning environments can thrive with or without the use of devices. The engagement levels have lifted because of careful planning but also because of an environment conducive to learning and creativity that respects and views each student as a learner. Teacher perspective and mind-set are an important ingredient.

The notion that the classroom is a "Third Teacher" (Reggio approach) and is a "learning ecology" is really exciting.

Digitally Responsible Citizens and their Well being

As part of SHPSH Digital Driver's license in our laptop classes, Dr Sonia Ranelli (PhD) a physiotherapist and lecturer from The School of Physiotherapy at Curtin University, last week conducted presentations to the Year 4 and 5 students.

Dr Ranelli explained the importance of posture and demonstrated correct seating and standing positions for using a digital device in the classroom.

The Year 4 and 5 students will use this new founded knowledge to demonstrate competence and understanding in the Well Being aspect of the Sacred Heart's Digital Driver's license.
Teachers in these classes are explicitly teaching and are aware of student posture when they are working with or without a digital device.

The school intends to continue this focus throughout the whole school.  

Student Educational Technology Forum

To follow up from our community round table discussion, some of our students from Years 4,5 and 6 discussed the following questions and the following responses came from the conversation.

What are your thoughts and feelings about using Technology at school for learning.

 

• Makes people want to learn.
• Gives them motivation and determination to learn.
• Can use technology in your future employment.
• Helps us get ready for high school.
• Don't have to carry as many books.
• Our parents can see what we are learning at school.
• It is portable.
• Helps us to connect with and learn from others.
• Able to present our work in creative and interesting ways.
• We should still learn how to do handwriting.
• We would have less anxiety about forgetting work.
• We don't have to use technology all the time, for some things we don't need computers.

 

 

 

What do you think is expected from Sacred Heart when providing Technology in a way that encourages learning and digital responsibility?

 

• Strict rules about social media.
• We should be taught to use it safely and responsibly.
• Students learn from using technology. Learning not playing!
• The school should monitor Internet use by everyone.
• The focus should be learning about the subject.
• Let parents know that the learning is happening.

 

 

What do you think is expected of families and students when using Technology at home and at school?

 

• Separate learning form playing.
• Use only during school time.
• Be careful with handling the computers.
• Parents and the school are responsible for the safe use and the monitoring.
• Incorporate but restrict technology use in their daily life.
• Students should use technology purposefully.
• Students need to be organised with charging batteries and packing laptops ready for the next day.
• Students should have an organised hard drive.
• Students with their own laptops should have a digital license and given to them during assembly. Inappropriate use may mean the license is taken away for a period of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHPSH Educational Technology Guidelines - Roundtable Discussion

SHPSH Educational Technology Guidelines - Community Round table Discussion

 

 

 

 

Last Friday SHPSH hosted a group of community members to take part in starting a conversation about the guidelines for the use of  Educational Technology at our school. It was important to include stakeholders from all parts of the school community. This included our Parish Priest, Principal, parents, teachers, students (at a separate forum) and the school social worker. The conversation was rich, enlightening and flavoured with a sense of excitement and momentum for the teaching and learning at Sacred Heart. The round table participants were given discussion questions in advance enabling the time to think and prepare their ideas ahead of the discussion.

Below is an inventory of the themes that came out of each discussion topic.



What are your beliefs and assumptions about Educational Technology?

What values do you think we as a community should ensure we maintain and/or develop as we take this journey in Educational technology and 21^st Century learning? How does this link with our Vision Statement?

 

• Our Catholic identity is a relevant part of Educational Technology.
• Teaching and learning is about building character.
• Technology use in the near future will be much more embedded in learning.
• We can be engaging our students more.
• Continual changes in technology is inevitable. Help students to understand this.
• We cannot replace social skills and human interaction.
• Adult role modelling is vital.
• Technology is a medium to compliment teaching and learning strategies.
• Parents need input and information.
• Teach skills that provide life-long learning.
• Assists in self-directed learning.
• With the change there is a sense of fear.
• A need for digital etiquette.
• Kids react to digital equipment.

 

What do you think is expected from Sacred Heart when providing Educational Technology in a way that encourages learning and digital responsibility?

• Provide parents with information for how to get help and understanding.
• Provide the best infrastructure.
• Vigilant supervision.
• Parent workshops.
• Accessibility to seeing the use of technology within the learning.
• Role modelling responsible usage.
• Professional development for staff.
• Uphold our Christian values.
• Expectations of use from the school.
• Innovative methods that engage and allow self directed learning.
• Teaching and learning strategies that encourage collaborative learning.
• Educational Technology goal setting by the school.
• SHPSH recruitment policy that encourages skilled teachers with progressive teaching and learning strategies.
• Constant monitoring of use and effectiveness.
• Provide a safe and respectful environment.
• Gain student feedback.
• Develop partnership with Cyber-Safe police unit.
• Development of student "digital license".
 

What do you think is expected of families and students in regarding the use of Educational Technology at home and at school?

 

• Challenge parents. "What are they modelling at home with their own computer and where is it placed in the home?"
• School structures to support home usage.
• Follow set expectations from the school.
• Accommodate different parenting styles.
• Role model responsible usage.
• Teach understanding about care for equipment.
• Parents seek opportunity to attend workshops at the school.
• Students encouraged to share their learning at home.

 

This discussion is the first step in creating guidelines for how we as a community will engage with and use Educational Technology at SHPSH.