Ping Pong Poppers

 To demonstrate Newton's second law of motion, we created ping pong poppers using toilet paper rolls, elastic bands, saran wrap, and paper clips. 

 They were hard to put together, but the students persevered and built them!

 The most fun was shooting them in class and seeing how far the ping pong would go!

 Target practice!!!

 Then we went outside to shoot our ping pongs and watched how far they traveled!

There is nothing more exciting in school than having a ping pong ball to play with!!!  Simple and elegant!

Marvellous Marble Ramps

 For our Gizmos and Gadgets Challenge Centre, I had the students learn about the law of gravity by designing and creating their own marble ramps.  Criteria:  use boxes, cards, toilet paper rolls to create their structures, where by a marble had to travel down the ramp.

 First, the students had to create a blueprint or design of their structure.

 Then, they started designing their contraptions...

 The students took off:  I had them use tape and scissors, but I was there to cut out any major holes or pieces of cardboard using an exacto knife.  The discussions and ideas were fantastic...I heard many wonderful discussions about how they could get the marble down the ramp in an original manner.

 The students who worked on this design above, incorporated a bell that the marble would hit as it passed down the ramp.

 Inside and outside design

 I appreciated the originality of each design.   I thought it was fascinating how they embraced this project, using their problem solving skills to figure out how to best design the marble ramp. 

Marvellous Marble Ramps

 For our Gizmos and Gadgets Challenge Centre, I had the students learn about the law of gravity by designing and creating their own marble ramps.  Criteria:  use boxes, cards, toilet paper rolls to create their structures, where by a marble had to travel down the ramp.

 First, the students had to create a blueprint or design of their structure.

 Then, they started designing their contraptions...

 The students took off:  I had them use tape and scissors, but I was there to cut out any major holes or pieces of cardboard using an exacto knife.  The discussions and ideas were fantastic...I heard many wonderful discussions about how they could get the marble down the ramp in an original manner.

 The students who worked on this design above, incorporated a bell that the marble would hit as it passed down the ramp.

 Inside and outside design

 I appreciated the originality of each design.   I thought it was fascinating how they embraced this project, using their problem solving skills to figure out how to best design the marble ramp. 

Walking to school...like in the good old days!

How many of us allow our kids to walk to school on their own?  In our frantic lives, it is often easier to drive our kids to the doorstep of the school, rather than allowing them to walk.  I chose our kids school based on:  1.  It is in the neighbourhood  2.  the boys can walk there on their own 

However, it is only now that they are in grade 5 and 3 that I am allowing them to walk together on their own.  They are ready, and they appreciate that they are being given more freedom and responsibility!

The only reason I have waited so long is not because of the strangers, but because of the traffic:  there is one major intersection where drivers seem to have no interest or concern for pedestrians.  So, I have had to train the boys to be extra careful and cautious as they cross this street.

Teachers (and parents), how do students get to your school? Walking, biking, or driving?  I have such fond memories of walking up the hill to school, skipping along, reading a book on the way, and trying to keep up with my brother!

Yet, how many of our students go to their neighbourhood school?  I think that in our current times, students traverse to schools all over the city:  specialized places that often are not in our communities.  How important is it to have our children attend schools close to home or does that matter?

Walking to school...like in the good old days!

How many of us allow our kids to walk to school on their own?  In our frantic lives, it is often easier to drive our kids to the doorstep of the school, rather than allowing them to walk.  I chose our kids school based on:  1.  It is in the neighbourhood  2.  the boys can walk there on their own 

However, it is only now that they are in grade 5 and 3 that I am allowing them to walk together on their own.  They are ready, and they appreciate that they are being given more freedom and responsibility!

The only reason I have waited so long is not because of the strangers, but because of the traffic:  there is one major intersection where drivers seem to have no interest or concern for pedestrians.  So, I have had to train the boys to be extra careful and cautious as they cross this street.

Teachers (and parents), how do students get to your school? Walking, biking, or driving?  I have such fond memories of walking up the hill to school, skipping along, reading a book on the way, and trying to keep up with my brother!

Yet, how many of our students go to their neighbourhood school?  I think that in our current times, students traverse to schools all over the city:  specialized places that often are not in our communities.  How important is it to have our children attend schools close to home or does that matter?

Multi-player Online Games: learning for life

I am surrounded by video game playing boys and a husband.  Their world is video games and we have HUGE arguments about technology and playing games, and violence and desensitization towards violence, and what children can actually learn by being in a gaming environment. 

I personally, have no interest in the gaming world.  In our family, the boys owe me time for their "computer footprint" and they need to "offset their gaming" by doing something - anything - outside, be it walking to dog, going to the park, riding their bikes, skiing.....anything to do with being surrounded by nature.

But....I have been fascinated by this course my husband is taking at Pluralistic Networks, and I believe that all educators and leaders could benefit from this type of learning.   For my husband, it has changed his entire perception about leadership. All these skills learned by playing a game!   I am so fascinated, and I believe that this is the type of learning we are moving toward.  

Look at what Pluralistic Networks says about education:

"Education is not about the transfer of knowledge and application of concepts.
It is about enabling others to take new actions that they were not able to take before. It is about enabling people to learn to articulate and re-articulate their identities in an ongoing and recurrent manner as the world changes around them. Learning, in the end, does not happen simply by reading or learning about a new theory. It happens in the body. A person can be said to “know” once he or she is able to do something he was not able to do before." (Taken from Pluralisticnetworks.com: Why multi-player online games?)

This course can help in the delivery of new kinds of education; in the interactions of players and create a hands on learning experience for a team.   

Think of what this type of learning could do for our students....and how this learning could impact their world.  

Multi-player Online Games: learning for life

I am surrounded by video game playing boys and a husband.  Their world is video games and we have HUGE arguments about technology and playing games, and violence and desensitization towards violence, and what children can actually learn by being in a gaming environment. 

I personally, have no interest in the gaming world.  In our family, the boys owe me time for their "computer footprint" and they need to "offset their gaming" by doing something - anything - outside, be it walking to dog, going to the park, riding their bikes, skiing.....anything to do with being surrounded by nature.

But....I have been fascinated by this course my husband is taking at Pluralistic Networks, and I believe that all educators and leaders could benefit from this type of learning.   For my husband, it has changed his entire perception about leadership. All these skills learned by playing a game!   I am so fascinated, and I believe that this is the type of learning we are moving toward.  

Look at what Pluralistic Networks says about education:

"Education is not about the transfer of knowledge and application of concepts.
It is about enabling others to take new actions that they were not able to take before. It is about enabling people to learn to articulate and re-articulate their identities in an ongoing and recurrent manner as the world changes around them. Learning, in the end, does not happen simply by reading or learning about a new theory. It happens in the body. A person can be said to “know” once he or she is able to do something he was not able to do before." (Taken from Pluralisticnetworks.com: Why multi-player online games?)

This course can help in the delivery of new kinds of education; in the interactions of players and create a hands on learning experience for a team.   

Think of what this type of learning could do for our students....and how this learning could impact their world.  

The Last Three

I've never had a spring fly by so quickly....but here we are in May, and I am working with grade two and three students in our program called "Gizmos and Gadgets".  Schools, thank you for sending such curious and interesting learners.

Next up, I will be teaching Poetic Picassos, and finally, I will working with Grade ones in Science Adventures.  This will wrap up the year in the Challenge Centre.

In June, I will plan and organize the programs for next year.  There are a few program offerings that I would like to introduce next year:  a math program, a debating program, a thematic unit on Shakespeare, and a bridge building or engineering unit.  

As well, for teachers, I would like to make it easier to access our programs without the endless paperwork that is required.  Yes, we are working on a way to make the paperwork less.  Finally, I am working with the gifted team in order to track students over the year so that we can help better service our gifted and talented students in our district.

The Last Three

I've never had a spring fly by so quickly....but here we are in May, and I am working with grade two and three students in our program called "Gizmos and Gadgets".  Schools, thank you for sending such curious and interesting learners.

Next up, I will be teaching Poetic Picassos, and finally, I will working with Grade ones in Science Adventures.  This will wrap up the year in the Challenge Centre.

In June, I will plan and organize the programs for next year.  There are a few program offerings that I would like to introduce next year:  a math program, a debating program, a thematic unit on Shakespeare, and a bridge building or engineering unit.  

As well, for teachers, I would like to make it easier to access our programs without the endless paperwork that is required.  Yes, we are working on a way to make the paperwork less.  Finally, I am working with the gifted team in order to track students over the year so that we can help better service our gifted and talented students in our district.