Moving right along.

Term 3 has come...and gone!   But, what a "cracker".   Evaluation time and a reflective glare at what we did.   What was stunning for me, was to hear the year 6 learners, actually use the words of learning...talking about their thinking... when they wanted to spell a word in their blogs.   I have worked hard to infiltrate their minds with the term, "how words word" as opposed to using that horrible word...spelling.   I hate it with a vengeance, because it brings with it, horrors, tremors and other unmentionable "feelings" for many learners.   It haunts those that cannot "do it" well.   It is a favourite of parents and I hate to add, some teachers, as one of the first comments about their written literacy.   Thank goodness we have deeper and surface features in our vocabulary when reviewing written language in our schools now!   Thank goodness we have exemplars to use as guides, as to what learners are acturally able to do, in different genre.  


I was fortunate enough to be trained as a Reading Recovery teacher, back in 1991, when I was teaching at Lake Rotoma school, 30 minutes out of Rotorua,NZ on the way to Whakatane.   I hadn`t taken any particular notice to the term, "how words work" until then.   Used it, but not really reflected, on how massive that term is.   I undertook the speld training in 1997 and learned even more about how important it is, for learners to understand how words work...for many literate reasons.   For dyslexic learners, having to look at and learn how words work can be a "biggie", but thanks to the ever-increasing number of ICT tools, particularly, web 2.0 tools, there is a myriad of reasons for everybody to get their ideas, thoughts and thinking out there, for others to read and enjoy.

R.I.P. Lucy (May 1993-Sept 2010)

Tuesday 21 September, dawned a wet, cold and windy day in Rotorua, NZ.   Not complaining...I could have been in Christchurch or Southland, who were being blanketed with snow and had lost the roof of their stadium!   However, Lucy, the half tabby and half tortoise-shell cat, 17 human years old, had reached a stage, where her list of ailments and their consequences had become too long.   J. and I decided we`d get the vet to advise us, however, we really knew the only outcome...best for Lucy.  So at 3.31 pm, the vet put the needle into the vein on her right foot...with 3 of us holding her, she fought to the end...it was a matter of 2-3 seconds before the lethal concoction hit her heart and her wee tongue protruded from her mouth...marking the end of her life as she`d known it.   We patted her and felt the warmth escape from her little, still body.   G. checked her heart after several minutes and announced that she had "gone".   J. and I bundled her into one of her favourite sleeping sites...a sleeveless, woolen pull-over and we put her into the carrying crate.   I paid for the "deed" and we drove home.   J. dug a hole under one of her favourite sunning places, we said the Serenity prayer and placed her in the ground, covered her over and added two freisias on top.
Farewell Lucy...you were a fine, little friend, who was so easy to care for and to have in our lives.   We love you and always will.

Got lost

Thank goodness!   I`ve found my blog.   I couldn`t get in for ages...forgot details.   Anyway, I`ve found it and so I`m off and running.
Have had an amazing year so far.   Found and fallen in love with Sir Ken Robinson and went to a presentation on Inquiry learning by Aussie, Kath Murdoch.   She hit the nail on the head for me.  Her words just "painted the picture" with clarity.   I`m catching on, at last, to the fact that elearning is just SO important.  I thought that the kids that were referred to me for help, really needed the 1-1, hands-on with me, with magnetic letters etc for spelling knowledge, how words work etc, but last week, the seniors, some of whom are very needy in spelling (dyslexic), asked if they could write another article.   It is real, it is now and it is what will help them the most.   Sure there is a place for my 1-1, hands-on with magnetic letters, BUT, what is real is them, thinking about presenting some writing to the world, for others to read and comment about. 
I`m following Sir Ken Robinson and Aussie Tony Ryan, because they are funny, informative, challenging and are driven to improve learning for others.    Sir Ken Robinson, is into saving creativity - can you imagine...we have to save it.  I look at the demise of a lot of fine arts, dramatic arts, music, movement etc in the every day running of our school and I shudder. 
I just wanted to reflect on how i`m in there and grabbing all the ops I can from our mentor, Lorraine, as she finishes with us at the end of the year.   I`m with a group who have skyped and that is a great tool, and we will follow up with that.   I am blogging myself and refining the blog on class-blogmeister to give the kids ops to continue to use elearning tools.
Seize the day.

Went AWOL

How I`d love to go into school on Monday, and set up a "Tinkering Classroom", where the kids can come in and build whatever they`d like to from whatever is there! I`d have electrical tools, bits of wood, nails, hammers ...all sorts. There would be a few rules around the tools and they could go for it. Saw a clip on the TED site and man, how i agree with that dude...sorry, forgotten his name...but what he has done....set up a tinkering school. Kids made a roller coaster and even a swing bridge out of plastic shopping bags! Great co-operation, problem solving, life do I hear you say.

Fantastic break

Great holiday break over past 2 weeks. Time to rest and recreate...had time with my Mum and caught up briefly with some family members in Pukekohe, NZ.

Gathered small self-set kowhai seeds in the bush where I live. Collecting was sheer joy: tui in the tree, sucking nectar from the kowhai flowers, busy little insects all over the leaf litter as I searched for wee plants, wind in my hair...great to be alive.

Trying to grow some seeds...it`ll be fun that is for sure.

The end of Term 3 approaches

Where has the term gone? I start every end-of-term post with that I`m sure. Very full term and of course, time appears to go by with more speed...I loved the term. I loved the young students I worked with...such wonderfuly little creatures, who embrace what comes their way, with much gusto and verve. Mostly boys so they are straight up and as honest as the day is long....or as I have been bemoaning, as honest as the day is short!!!
Bring on the 2 week break. Chance to rest and recharge batteries, do some art work and visit family and friends.

The next chapter in Toe by Toe

Up and running with our next lot of children, to introduce them to Toe by toe, a small step by step programme, structured to teach them to decode, using sounds - short vowels and consonants first. It is something that can help children who struggle with learning to read, because of various reasons - dyslexia, developmental delay and the list may go on.
I`m so excited for them as we have senior students, acting as tutors. Watch this space...I`ll keep you posted!!!