Learning about Coding- Hour of Code!

So how do computers do what they do? Technology is a new part of our learning tool kit so this week we have been exploring parts of Digital Literacy. This is all about getting to understand how digital technology works and how we can be creators of digital content. 

This week we explored block coding: using digital blocks of code to learn how images are moved around on a grid. Writing code is a lot like when we write stories. When we write stories we have to go back and check our ideas and edit our writing, while when we write code, we have to check it for 'bugs' (incorrect code). 

We used some of the block code programs in Hour of Code. This is designed for children to help them learn early coding skills.

 

Hands-on Maths Learning

 This week we have focused on Measurement during our Maths lessons. Measurement is always a great area of Maths where we can launch into learning with a hands-on approach. This sparks a lot of Positive Engagement and Positive Emotions with the children!

Some of us started by learning about measuring volume with measuring jugs. Our buddies filled the jugs up with water and then we had to use our careful looking eyes to measure how many millilitres of water there was. Water was spilled here, there, EVERYWHERE! Lucky it was just water!
The next day we started working out the difference between amounts of water in jugs. Questions were asked like "How many millilitres more is there in 'this' jug compared to 'this' jug?" "How do you know?" "What's one way you could work that out?" "What might be another strategy?" This was a great chance for us to apply some addition and subtraction strategies we have been learning about.

Others got into measuring weight and converting between grams and kilograms.

Make sure to ask your child at home what they've been doing in Maths this week!

I Am Connected: Connecting across our spaces

 Our Learner Attribute this term is I am Connected and we are connecting every weeks across all our spaces. So what is I am Connected about? It means that:

• I can build relationships with others
• I can communicate clearly
• I can be part of a team- collaborate and contribute
• I can connect to my place, the environment and globally

Our year 3s have been spending time in the senior school making new connections and sharing ideas. They collaborated through sports by going to the ASB Sports Centre with the years 4 and 5 and had a great day making connections as well as linking up with our Tautoru buddies from last year!

The year 2s spent time with year 1s at the beach and working on some beach themed sand art. We enjoyed a beautiful spring day sharing our beautiful environment, looking for interesting objects and building at the beach, then headed back to school to work on our sand art picture.

Mathematical Superheroes

 

Our Year 3 and 4 students have been working together in Maths. We have been thinking about our strengths in Maths. 

These are our Mathematical Superheroes/ Avatars displayed in Māhutonga

We have been thinking about our Mathematical Superpowers so that we can build our Community of Inquiry. We all have different strengths in Maths. If we collaborate and use our different strengths then we are stronger! We have created our own Maths Justification League...

The Justice League have their individual strengths: Together they are stronger!

Te Wā Mahi Tahi

 Each Monday morning, we start the week with Te Wā Mahi Tahi. These sessions are designed to spark our creativity, develop our teamwork and problem solving skills as well as springboard ideas for further learning during the week. We put out a range of different loose part materials that are able to engage us in creating, collaborating, adapting, measuring, testing, as well as a variety of other types of problem solving.

To begin each session, the teachers teach us about a specific skill they have noticed during past Te Wā Mahi Tahi sessions that could be an opportunity for learning. Some examples of this has been lessons around trading resources when we are stuck on what to do next, using the phrase "Yes and..." to build on each others ideas about the play, asking ourselves "what else could this be?" to spark creativity on using the same resource in different ways. These lessons are all about elevating the play or learning new social/emotional skills.

Today as I was walking around whilst the students played, explored and created, many stopped and mentioned to me, "Mikayla, I traded this rope for this tarp!" and "we're working together to build this hut". One group of children even mentioned, "___ is the plumber so we can have showers. We're working on building the roof at the moment."

As the year has gone on and we have been doing more and more Te Wā Mahi Tahi sessions, the students are collaborating and problem solving together more. They work together to solve an issue they're having whether it be not being able to reach the rope around the tree yet, not having the right resources, a disagreement between students or roles within the play. Teachers are noticing that we are able to support them by asking questions and students can problem solve together from there. What independent problem solvers!

Here are a few snapshots from this weeks Te Wā Mahi Tahi. We had a lot of hut building and rope swings after our safe rope tying lesson last term (students tie the knots and teachers check the safety once it's built).