Netbook Maths – arcademicskillbuilders

This is a quick post about the following site, arcademicskillbuilders.com which I found out through my PLN on Twitter via @bevevans22.

I’d been looking for some Maths sites for Netbook use and in particular team games and collaboration. We have used and still do use the brilliant tutpup site but I’m always on the lookout for others to add to the resource list. This is one site that will be bookmarked for continued use by my class as they enjoyed the activities and learned too.

Using Voice thread in the classroom

Voicethread is one of those tools that I have only just discovered and wish I had done so a few weeks back. In case you don’t know it’s

a place for creating and collaborating on digital stories and documentaries, practicing and documenting language skills, exploring geography and culture, solving math problems or simply finding and honing student voices.

I have used it with my class to document a school trip and I asked them to do it in Spanish, their mother language. The Voicethread I have started only contains two slides and 2 comments but the potential as a documentary tool is impressive. You can see for yourself here.

Myst V – first week finished

I thought it would be of interest to post my thoughts, conclusions and also comments from my class after our first week of exploring and using Myst in our classroom. 

I had my initial doubts whether the use of the game as a teaching and learning tool would be suitable for a class of children who have Spanish as a first language but after playing with the game I decided it would be a wonderful opportunity for developing speaking and listening skills. My thoughts were proved correct as the game has brought so much conversation into the class and with it more descriptive and interesting language.

Myst V – Day 3

The excitement and anticipation that this game has brought to my class is truly an inspiration. Before we had even gotten into the classroom children were asking me when we were going to do Literacy. It’s become their favourite subject with no exceptions.

I set up two chairs for hot seats and asked the class to recap on yesterday’s events. I use hot seats in the way wrestlers use their partners – children can tag others to get into the seat to talk and since we started using Myst everyone wants to talk. It’s a busy 5 minutes and the conversation is wonderful; I will have to record one session for you to listen to so you can experience the intensity of discussion.

Myst V – Day 2

Wow! What an amazing lesson we had today. The collective sigh of extreme disappointment that the class let out when I had to stop the lesson was felt around the room.

We picked up from Friday’s first exploration by discussing what might happen next, who we might meet and the clues we have found. I provided my class with a template to work from and they discussed the following questions with their buddy (working partner).

• We have met two characters – Yeesha and Esher, both have stories to tell. But do you trust one character more than the other? Who do you trust? Explain your answers.
• What is Myst? Can you describe the world that we have encountered so far? What other places do you think we might find?
• What are your thoughts and feelings so far about Myst?

The children sat working diligently for 20 minutes as I walked around joining in on conversations, asking questions and listening to their responses and explanations. I have only witnessed this level of interaction from my class when we have been on excursions or during Science experiments but never in a Literacy lesson. The level of anticipation grew as I invited buddies to speak to the class.

And then the windows were closed, lights switched off and the door firmly shut so that we could continue on our quest.

Amazing!

Myst V – the beginning of our adventure

I have been reading all about Mark Warner’s uses of Myst in the classroom over the past couple of weeks and I just had to buy a copy of the game and find out what all the fuss was about. As soon as I installed it and started to play I immediately saw why it has been given such a positive response by many teachers as an inspirational teaching and learning tool.

Over the next 6 weeks I will provide a daily account of how I have used the game with my class, what skills they have developed from using it, the lessons I have taught and the work they have done so that you too might just decide to take the plunge and try it with your own class.