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Language Blog: Reading

Language Blog: Reading by Andrew Reda Gavin Reading novels has always been a passion for me. As a young child and to this day, my favourite Christmas present was one that has a box of new books. I like the feel of the books, the possibilities for new learning and immerse myself in new worlds. As I read the article, Beyond the Sticky Note and Venn Diagram , and thought about the discussions in class, I wonder if students using Twitter as a means of classroom reading will still look to books, or will this be a thing of the past. Or will websites such as “ 2Titles ” that can be interactive in choosing a book, encourage some students to turn to novels. I noticed that not many students were reading books for pleasure. I know as a student, I didn’t consider the activities that were called “Reading” to actually be reading. Those boring worksheets seemed to have nothing to do with actual reading. What happens to those students who do not have good books at home, or ...

Math Blog Year 2 Week 2

This second week of Mathematics class has continued with learning about Growth Mindset and the impact that messages we are told about ourselves having a huge impact on forming our thoughts. Both mindset and messages affects how you lead your life. As teachers, we have the task to help students understand which type of mindset guides their thinking. For those with a fixed mindset, it is important to help them move towards learning from mistakes to improve their skills. There is no one correct answer, but there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Having the students persevere until they come to understanding will help the students become more independent and confident in their learning. I am finding the videoclips with Jo Boaler very informative. Jo Boaler also talked about the messages that you carry in your head as being important. It would be better for teachers to give students feedback that their teacher believes in them and knows that they can succeed, as oppos...

Writing Blog

Writing Blog #3 “At its most basic, we are only discussing a learned skill,” Stephen King writes in his memoir, On Writing. “We are talking about tools and carpentry, about words and style…but as we move along, you’d do well to remember that we are also talking about magic.” (2000) Many students would not associate the writing instruction in schools as being magical. I know that when I was in school I dreaded the times when asked to write and be “creative”, in trying to figure out what the teacher wanted. To create this kind of magic in the classroom, it would seem that putting ideas in a box, worksheets or focusing on the elements of style or listing rules is not the process that leads to this magical feeling. A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction (Writing) describes the junior grades are being a “time of excitement, new possibilities and expanding horizons” (p.8). Teachers in the junior grades have an opportunity to take this enthusiasm and build on op...