Integrating RE and Concept Learning

I have been integrating RE and concept around the theme "building the Kingdom of God" which tied in well with the God  strand this term as well as the Olympics. We have looked at how rules and laws come about by the IOC and the importance of fair play (particularly drug-cheating). The idea of covenants, the olympic oath and God's faithfulness have been important aspects of the student's learning. The students have enjoyed the choice element and making connections between God's teaching and playing sport.

I used SOLO taxonomy for success criteria and to deepen thinking and understanding.

Here is the RE / Concept Term 3 Doc

Here is one of the SOLO rubrics.

Student Learning Pathway BLOGS

Today at my Team Meeting, I showed the other team members how to set up student BLOGS.

Here is the letter I have drafted to inform Senior Team Parents

Tuesday 26 July, 2016

Dear Parent/Caregiver,

One of our strategic goals as a school this year is to further parents’ engagement with their children’s digital learning. In the Senior Team we are also trying to promote student self-monitoring of their own learning. To achieve this we require them to know what their learning goals are and to take steps towards achieving them. This involves reflection and evidence of work done towards their learning goals.

This term the Senior Team students are starting their own Learning Pathway Blogs. They will use the Blogger Google App, which will be under their St. Joseph’s login. These BLOGS will be private and so only viewed by you the parent, the student and the teacher. Your child will need your email address in order to invite you to be an “author” / reader on their BLOG. So please accept their email invitation when you receive it. You will also receive an email each time your child posts on their BLOG.

On their BLOG, students will post evidence of work done on their reading, writing and maths goal, as well as learning they are proud of. Please include a current email below so that you can be part of this learning journey with your child. If you have any further questions please do contact us.

Many thanks

Mairéad Gallagher, Ajeshni Buksh, Tricia Kenny & Noreen Meikle

Maths Observation - Measurement Lesson

Judith Fromont (AP) observed my maths lesson. I was teaching the Year 5 group a lesson about measuring angles. Here is the feedback:

Judith's Feedback - Measurement Lesson

Teaching as Inquiry Term 1 and 2

Here are links to my inquiries:

Spiral of Inquiry Term 1 2016

Spiral of Inquiry Term 2, 2016

Literacy Observation

Fleur De Farias (DP) observed my writing lesson today.

Here is her feedback

PLD on Digital Literacy Tues 14 June

Today's PLD lead to some great staff discussion about our digital footprint and the "deep" web which tracks what we search for and our personal information. This is in deed a learning curve for guiding our students to be discerning users of digital technologies. We reflected on what skills students need to be digitally literate - in any class there is a wide range of digital and literacy capabilities. Something I will try with my class is the fake website lesson to encourage them to evaluate internet information critically. Something else I will aim to do more is to encourage children to only use diagrams and images that are "labelled for resuse" in their slideshows and reports. Here are the slides from today....

e-Leaders South Learning Hub Meeting

At today's e-Leaders meeting we explored digital literacy and the skills students need to research and use the internet ethically. I prepared a PREZI around this topic with a group of other e-Leaders. Suggestions for useful classroom tools today were KAHOOT and QUIZZIZ for generating and competing in online quizzes around our learning topics. Angie (our facilitator) will try these with some of St. Joseph's students next Tuesday. Once I trial it I will recommend to the staff as a tool for learning and put on our student intranet.