1SE: 1 Second Everyday (November 2014)

Better late than never: here is our 1SE video from November (finally)!

Room 18's 1SE - November 2014 from Jeff Hoeppner on Vimeo.

Operation Radio Santa

We were lucky enough to have Operation Radio Santa visit our school on Wednesday. Operation Radio Santa is an outreach program from the Canadian Military Communications Squadron, in which troops set up a command post on our school yard, and allows students to speak to Santa via radio. While the students in our class were waiting for their turn to talk to Santa, they were able to interact with the military troops and learn about military communications, as well as learning first-hand about some of the equipment that they wear. After we went back inside, the students got to enjoy some hot chocolate - what a great afternoon!

I liked the gas masks because when the generator was running, I put it on and I couldn't smell anything. - Brady
It was kind of freaky because Santa knew who was sitting beside me. - Braedon
It was weird because he knew what I wanted for Christmas. - Emma
When I was talking to Santa, it was really loud in the headphones because it hurt my ears. - Avery
Santa was yelling in my ear when he said "Merry Christmas!", and then I heard "Next person, please." - Tyrell
When Santa said "Merry Christmas!", the static made it sound like glass was breaking. - Robert
It was amazing because he got my letter, and knew what I wanted for Christmas! - Matthew
The army helmets were really cool, and so was talking to Santa. - Faith
Santa said to me that I was nice to my sister, I'm good at reading, and I help my friends with schoolwork. - Nolan
Santa said that I was good at writing, and it was really cool that I got to talk to him on the radio. I just loved wearing the army helmet, too. - Eric S.
It was really cool that he knew the names of everyone, and that he knew who the next person in line was. - Kayleigh
When I was talking to Santa, it was echoing and there was lots of static. It was kind of hard to hear what he was saying sometimes. - Jaida

Hour Of Code 2014

This morning, the students got the opportunity to learn coding through the Hour Of Code. What exactly is the Hour Of Code? Well, it is a "...one-hour introduction to computer science..." to "...show that anyone can learn the basics." Why learn coding? "It helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity.", which are all excellent traits for students to develop. Also, by starting at a young age, "...students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path." Here's an introductory video from the website that explains it in more detail:

The students were able to choose from a number of introductory coding activities - they could program Elsa and Anna from 'Frozen' to create snowflake patterns, or they could program Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies games (there was a lot of cheering when I announced the choices!). Here are some screenshots of the coding that was going on. At the end of the hour, they could print off a certificate to take home. There was a lot of great learning that went on in the computer lab today, and we'll be doing another hour of coding later this week! Also, the students will be able to continue coding at home, if they wish - there are activities on the site for computers, tablets, smartphones, and some activities that don't even require require an electronic device!

The iPads are here!

We finally got our classroom iPads (5 in total) today, as part of our school division's program to put iPads in Grade 4 and 7 classrooms, in order to use for Math instruction. We started using them today, and I challenged them to solve a problem, using the Explain Everything app, that I had on the weekend. I purchased 4 items that were $8 each, and gave the clerk a $100 bill. The clerk was unable to do the math in her head, and needed a calculator to figure it out. So, I asked the students to figure out (1) how much I spent, and (2) how much change I should have gotten back. We had a few issues with the students using the program on their own for the first time (I've used it to show them things as a class previously), as well as sharing the work on the iPads in their groups (both of which we talked about). However, overall, we had a great time sharing our learning in class - here are some of the students' reactions:

Even though we just got the iPads today, they were really helpful and fun. - Robert

I am really excited that we got our iPads! - Avery

It took so long for the iPads to come, and now they're finally here, which is awesome. - Kayleigh

It felt like we were bursting with excitement and happiness! - Kevin

It has been really nice to have the iPads today. - Morgan

I am really happy that they're here, so that Math is more fun and to help our Math skills. - Brady

The Ipads are finally here - I'm so excited to have the iPads all year long! - Matthew

There's a game on the iPads that I like - it's called 'Concentration'. You have to match up times facts, shapes, and numbers. - Braedon

I'm really excited that they're here, even though they took two months to get here - it was so worth it! - Eric S.

I'm 100% excited because some of the Math games are my favourite. - Wesley

Even though we're not used to the iPads, we will get used to them in the future. - Albert

It is awesome that the iPads are finally here. - Raina