where are the books?

Courtesy of: Schools.com

corkboard.me

My Corkboard for my SAT students.

http://corkboard.me/OaoZMDi7NM

a quote

http://www.onlinemathtutor.org/help/wp-content/uploads/math-cartoon-02122009.gif

"As a general rule, teachers teach more by what they are than by what they say." by Unknown

So cute. . .

Dirt Devil-The Exorcist from MrPrice2U on Vimeo.

Can't wait to use this in the fall with my English B students - hahahahaha

Graduation

June 22, 2011 Middle Years Graduation

Wednesday, June 22 marked our first graduation ceremony at the new school. We are an MYP Candidate school and as such we had our first Middle Years graduation.

The students chose a teacher to speak at the ceremony. I was honoured to be that teacher. My speech is here.


Oh yeah, I also made the program.

stop motion

http://mildlymelancholy.blogspot.com/2010/10/lets-see-if-this-works.html#comments

upcoming event . . .

Oeiras International School will be hosting a summer festival on June 17.

If you are in Portugal, please stop by!!!!

(oh yeah, I made the poster;-)

This sings of the IB Learner Profile

I would like to share this TED Talks with each of you. The speaker is Barry Schwartz-Psychologist. According to the blurb on TED Talks, “Barry Schwartz makes a passionate call for "practical wisdom" as an antidote to a society gone mad with bureaucracy. He argues powerfully that rules often fail us, incentives often backfire, and practical, everyday wisdom will help rebuild our world.”

When I watched this insightful presentation, I thought about the IB Learner Profile and how important it is. I liked his ideas of celebrating moral exemplars and acknowledging people. I agree with him when he says that we should act as moral exemplars to the people we are mentoring.

He’s right when he says that as teachers, we are always teaching; someone is always watching!

I especially liked it when he talked about being virtuous and people wanting to do the right thing, in the right way and for the right reason!

I think this sings the IB Learner Profiles.

Make yourself a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy (video is approx 21 min). Enjoy!

More about videos - oh yeah and important blogs and bloggers;-)

What does joy have to do with learning? Well,just about everything. To read this amazing blog post by Dean Shareski: http://ideasandthoughts.org/2011/02/17/what-does-joy-have-to-do-with-learning/

Oh, Wow! Videos - my new favourite thing!

Videos are becoming increasingly important. . .

http://chronicle.com/img/photos/biz/photo_12116_carousel.jpg

Across More Classes, Videos Make the Grade

In some science and writing courses, final papers are giving way to multimedia

Film students aren't the only ones producing videos for homework these days. Professors teaching courses in writing, geology, forensics, sociology, anthropology, foreign languages, and many other disciplines now assign video projects, pushing students to make arguments formatted for the YouTube age. 


To read more . . .
http://chronicle.com/article/Across-More-Classes-Videos/127422/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

12 Comics

The 12 Comics Learning Support program is an exciting and unique program that makes learning fun through the creation of a custom comic book, video game and short film. The primary focus of the program is designed to provide additional tools for organizations to empower, motivate and encourage students to enhance their knowledge and experience the incredible benefits of creative learning.

http://12comics.com/

May 7

The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries

Holly Gressley

An interesting op-ed article from the New York Times (By DAVE EGGERS and NÍNIVE CLEMENTS CALEGARI - Published: April 30, 2011)

WHEN we don’t get the results we want in our military endeavors, we don’t blame the soldiers. We don’t say, “It’s these lazy soldiers and their bloated benefits plans! That’s why we haven’t done better in Afghanistan!” No, if the results aren’t there, we blame the planners. We blame the generals, the secretary of defense, theJoint Chiefs of Staff. No one contemplates blaming the men and women fighting every day in the trenches for little pay and scant recognition. . . 

It's worth a look.  To read the rest of the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/opinion/01eggers.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212 

Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy

100 People Project

TZ from Ramona Dietrich on Vimeo.

My Year 11 group participated in an international project this term:
100 People: A World Portrait  (http://100people.org/)

According to the 100 People Project, "this project aims to capture in film, photography, music and text 100 individuals who represent the global population, proportionate to annual global surveys and statistics.  This world portrait will be used to make an introduction between the peoples of the earth and to facilitate an understanding of the diversity and the commonalities among us."

This is one contribution by one of the members of my Year 11 class.  Thank you Tiago, this is amazing!

Donaldson Report

The Donaldson Report, Teaching Scotland's Future, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/01/13092132/0 was the outcome of the Scottish government's national review of teacher education.

According to the findings teachers of the 21st Century should:

• be reflective, with critical and creative thinking skills;
• be committed to teaching as a vocation;
• be committed to the development and learning of each child;
• work in a range of partnerships to support the learning and development of each young person;
• have a passion for learning and deep understanding of and enthusiasm for their subject;
• have discernment to be able to put relevant theory into practice;
• share ideas and network with colleagues; and
• be keen to participate in their own personal learning and development.

Easter Egg Hunt

This Friday we pause.  We will have a well-earned 2 week hiatus commonly known as spring break.  But before we leave, we have a very full week culminating in an Easter Egg Hunt and end of Term 2 assembly. 

It's Yearbook Time!

It's yearbook time and I'm the Yearbook Co-ordinator.  So for the month of April, the push is on.  My deadline is May 2.

World Poetry Day - March 21

This week was amazing.  Maggie (an English A teacher and friend at school) and I ran a poetry contest complete with prizes to celebrate World Poetry Day.  We got a whopping 24 submissions.  Great turnout considering that we are a start-up school with 56 kids.  Can't wait for next year - I'm already making plans . . .

Global Warming 2

Another look at Global Warming. . .

English B Standard - Criterion A, Criterion C Assessment
This is a small video that a student has created to inform you about a global issue.

Jazzzzz too! - February 27

On Sunday, February 27 at 5:30pm Oeiras International School will present  the 2nd event in a series.  This event is a music and poetry recital which involves students and staff from our school, members of the CAP program, and parents.  These events are setting our school apart from the others;-)

I made the poster. . .

Jazzzz too! tickets

and tickets too . . .

Student Work - VOICE THREAD

http://news.meridianschool.edu/files/Microphone-Clipart-Illustration.jpg

Oral language work has taken on new dimensions in the past few year.  We have moved beyond role-playing and into moved into a cyber realm.  Our audience now transends the local classroom and has spread across the planet.  Everyone can now participate in our learning.  WoW!!!  Imagine that!!!

Below are my Year 11 English B contributions to cyber-learning in the form of a VoiceThread;-)

Freedom of Religion - http://voicethread.com/?#u1551847.b1719739.i9051982
Freedom of Speech -  http://voicethread.com/share/1708770/

Global Warming 1

English B - Criterion A, Criterion C Assessment
This is a small video that a student has created to inform you about a global issue. 

You don't get harmony when everyone sings the same note. . .

Ain't that the truth.  Too many schools try to be one-note schools, where everyone is pre-programmed to think the same thing.  This does not allow for creativity, flexibility and growth of the organization or the individuals - staff and students alike.

Check out this blog post that I happened upon to learn more. http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/1774

Changing Education Paradigms

http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html
You can also see Sir Ken Robinson here;-)

Google does it again . . .

Now the major art museums around the world are only a keystroke away with Google Art Project. It's like taking a holiday without every leaving home.  http://www.googleartproject.com/

So you want to get a PhD in the Humanities

This is an example of an Xtranormal movie created by Leslie Allison a doctoral student studying 20th-century American literature at Temple U.   (source: The Chronicle http://chronicle.com/article/So-You-Think-an-English/125954/ )

I'm going to use this tool with my English B kids - they will get a kick out of this!!!!!   

Xtranormal - text to movie

 This is a very interesting site that I would like to look into: http://www.xtranormal.com  .

If anyone tries it, please share your opinion.  Thanks a bunch in advance;-)

The Networked Student

What does your PLN look like?

I included this as a post on my Year 11 blog to help them understand how important their digitial presence/identity is.