Barcamp - unconference

We had

Basketball
Minecraft
Moviemaking
Mythical creatures drawing group
Netball
Rugby kicking

What did you learn from BarCamp? What did you teach others from BarCamp?

I learned how to build a house in the mindcraft group and then how to shoot a basketball correctly from Ram.

Here are some important questions to answer:

What are some improvements we could make to the experience?

How can we document our learning?

How can we measure our progress?

Work on writing week starting 27/08

Hi Room 15

For the previous five weeks our class has been learning how to play Ki o Rahi from the wonderful folks from the Wellington City Council.

Your choice is to either write a post on how to play Ki o Rahi or you can write a 'did you know' post about the game.

The blog post must be published before Thursday. You can find the booklets at the front of the class to help you with your work.

I also have a video of us in action which you can use in your post as a digital learning object.

Helping out Mount Scopus

Hi Room 15

6 Daled, a Year 6 (New Zealand Year 7) class, at Mount Scopus in Melbourne is currently preparing for their big exhibition of learning at the end of the year. I'm not sure what an exhibition is so perhaps someone could ask the class on their blog.

Some students in the class are researching issues and need some help.

As a pay it forward, can you please answer two student surveys.

The first is Cyber-bullying.

The second survey is on disabilities.

I am sure the students will be grateful for our help.

This week's work on writing

Do you remember last year when it snowed in Wellington? I found this really cool video of snow in Cuba Mall. You can write about your memory of the snow or you can write about the snow as if you are one of the people in the video.

Your learning intention is to use well-chosen verbs in your post.

e.g Instead of writing, "It snow in Cuba Mall."
You could write the, "Snow fluttered through Cuba Mall."

Be sure to embed the video in your post. You can hit share and then more and you will see the Blogger logo. Click on the blogger logo and a new window pops up for you to write your post.

Talking Italian with Gloria

Sarah currently has an exchange student staying with her from Italy. Gloria generously gave up an afternoon to talk to us about life in Italy. She also taught us the numbers in Italian up to 20.

Thanks Gloria.

An awesome day for Room 15

Students having their picture taken out front by Dominion Post.

It was a busy day for Room 15 student submitters Jade, Stephen, Lachlan, Helen and their documentary/PR person Giorgione. MPs, reporters and even an ambulance were all part of our exciting day.

Students being interviews by print media.

We were a little nervous leaving Linden as the train was already a little late. At Tawa one of the passengers on the train was having heart problems. We had to wait for a long time for the ambulance to come and wondered if we might be late.

Lachlan being interviewed by TV3

When we arrived at parliament, there were some reporters from the Dominion Post and Kapai Mana news there to talk about our submission. The students were full of nervous excitement but they waited patiently to have their turn.

Our four submitters in front of the committee.

The room slowly filled up with media and finally the four brave students got up to speak in front of the MPs. All the preparation paid off and the students spoke loudly and clearly about each of their topics. The MPs had lots of questions for the students which and they answered superbly.

Jade, Giorgione and Helen having a break.

After the students finished they had a lot of interviews with different media. It was pretty cool to talk about all the cool stuff Room 15 does online.

In the afternoon Kris Faafoi, our local MP, took us to take a look around parliament before we headed off to lunch at (ssssh!) McDonald's (sssh!) and then back to school .

The submitters should be proud of themselves and Room 15 you should be proud of your representatives.

A big thank you to Lachlan's parents as well as Jade's brother and sister for coming along to support the submitters. Also a huge thank you to the MPs for listening to us and asking such a great

What a great way to finally finish our topic of citizenship.

Kris Faafoi showing Mrs Stuart and the submitters some of the sights at parliament.

Wikki Sticks spelling

Wikki sticks are small bendy bits of yarn coated in wax that bend and stick into different shapes. Elizabeth had a go at bending the sticks into different words she's found around the place.

Can you guess what they are?

Our blogger of the week

Last week Room 15 was tasked with a making a blog entry that started with the words on your marks, get set go.  There were some pretty cool entries but I think Sarah deserves the title of blogger of the week for her effort. Be sure to  leave Sarah a quality comment.

Tawa Intermediate Students: We’re too young to vote but we still have a voice

12 Year old Tawa Intermediate students Helen Oliver, Stephen Dyoco, Jade Gibbons-Lawrie and Lachlan Patterson might not be able to vote but on Wednesday they will giving a verbal submission before Parliament’s education and science select committee inquiry on digital learning.

“Schools these days aren’t just about listening to the teacher drone on for ages about why pi equals 3.1415927,” said Year 8 student Lachlan, “Teachers use hands on learning to help students learn.”

 “As part of our school-wide topic on citizenship our class decided that we wanted to make a submission to the inquiry because we want more digital learning and more comfortable classrooms for students,” said Year 8 student Stephen.

“So we made a video and put it on youtube for the MPs to see. We were pretty proud when chairwoman Nikki Kaye commented on our classroom blog”  said Year 8 student Jade.

 “I’m feeling nervous about speaking in front of the MPs but I’m excited about making New Zealand schools better and more comfortable places to learn,” said Year 7 student Helen.

 In preparation for the submission the students visited Amesbury School, skyped Room 21 at Point England school in Auckland where the students have 1:1 notebooks, and met with lobbyist Mark Unsworth.

The students submissions will be speaking to their submission at 11.45 on Wednesday August 15 in Parliament Room 3.

You contact us through our teacher.

Mark Unsworth's Visit

The submission students with Mark Unsworth

Yesterday the student submitters had a very exciting visit from a lobbyist called Mark Unsworth. He came to help us with our verbal submission to the education and science select committee.

Mark's firm works with a lot of big businesses like Air NZ, Coca Cola and Telecom. Usually clients would have to pay but Mark was very kind and gave us some advice for free. Mark told us about what it is like to go in front of the committee of MPs and helped us with our speeches. He also asked some questions that the MPs might ask, so we were ready for anything they might throw at us.

Mark was very helpful and we are very thankful for his help and the free pens.

Thanks Mark.

By Lachlan, Giorgi, Stephen, Helen and Jade.

Point England Skype visit

Students submitters

Today our student submitters Giorgione, Jade, Helen, Stephen and Lachlan had a skype visit with Room 21 from Point England school. Point England school is pretty amazing because each student from year 5 up has their own netbook.

We asked Room 21 questions about their use of netbooks.  Room 21 told us that they use netbooks for their writing, making movies and maths games. 

Their parents pay fifteen dollars a mouth for three years and then the students have their netbook for life.

I really like the idea each kid having a netbook. Netbooks can make learning easier and help us use technology in the classroom.

Thanks to Room 21 and Miss Lagitupu for helping us with our submission.

3-2-1 Fun!

One of the reading strategies we have been working in Room 15 is 3,2,1 Fun! Sammiiee made a short film to explain more about it.

Thanks Sammiiee!

Amesbury Visit

Jade and Stephen checking out the storage at Amesbury

Today the student submitters went to Amesbury  School to see modern learning in action.

We saw some cool furniture and technology to enhance their learning in a fun environment.  Amesbury had some really cool leather seats and tables that the children can choose to use or they can sit on the floor. They have choices to sit where ever they want.

We liked that the students can make their own schedule but there are also requirements to do like one reading one writing and one maths so kids and teachers are on track. Students also had I-time for independent learning.

We would like to thank Tara for showing us around the school and our principal, Mrs Stuart, for taking us there.

Stephen, Jade, Lachy, Helen & Giorgione

Our Olympic Interviews

Last week I spotted an awesome idea for an Olympic-themed blog assignment from 4KM and 4KJ  over in Geelong in Australia, interviewing famous Olympic athletes. While 4KM and 4KJ had an Australian theme some of our class decided to research other famous Olympians.

 Can you please post your interview to your individual blog. If you need help you can talk to Lachlan or Giorgione.

As a bit of feed forward some of the camera people need to stand a bit closer to their subjects (the people they are shooting) and also be careful not to shoot your films anywhere where there is a lot of wind blowing (easier said than done) as you can't hear some of the interviews.

Ram and Shavee

Sammiiee, Sarah and Sally-Ann

Brad and Fraser

Josh and Jono

Logan and Nikki

Michelle and Lele

Brit and Giorgione

Nick and Michael

Helen and Elizabeth

Stephen and Lachlan

Arohatia Te Reo - Our submission for Maori Language Week

Tawa Intermediate held its first ever Arohatita Te Reo competition. The brief was to design a learning resource for others to learn Te Reo or about the Maori language.

We thought carefully about what some learning needs are around the school.

At our assembly last week we noticed that while many students didn't know the colors in Te Reo so Stephen, Lachlan, Shavee and Ethan helped produce a song based on from the lyrics to Ma is White.

There were some pretty cool entries from Sammiiee and Helen who made a Te Reo mobile and Giorgione, Nikita, Brit, Sarah and Jade who made signs for all the classes at Tawa Intermediate in Te Reo.

Student government in action

Every week our representative to student council, Stephen, represents room 15's voice at Tawa Intermediate's student council. He reports back to us and as can you can see from the picture he takes his job very seriously.