Daily 5 - Self Directed Learning

For the last two weeks, we have been focusing on self-directed learning during Daily 5, and exercising our "independence muscle"!

We have a range of Literacy-related activities that we need to work through and we decide what order we complete these. 

Everyone is getting really good at working independently and they have been completing some wonderful work.  This week Bryan completed a wonderful poem called 'Mice'. Look at his amazing illustrations!

By Bianca and Ezrah

Mystery Skype - Global Connections

What great fun Mystery Skype is! There are so many different jobs. Photographers take photos. Atlas readers read the atlases and come up with questions for the Inquirers to ask. Question Keepers, keep a record of questions we ask and write them on the whiteboard for everyone to see. Inquirers talk to the opposition and answer and ask the questions. They need to remember to speak clearly and be polite. The Clue Keepers cross out countries on the map and come up with our next questions. Logical Reasoners come up with and decide what the final questions should be. They need to check the questions we've already asked and make sure our questions are the best ones we could ask next.  The Google Mappers use Google Earth and other maps to help find the countries.  As for the Runners, they tell the Logical Reasoners the questions given to them from the other groups and then tell the Inquirers what question to ask the opposition.

So far, we have Skyped a school in Vancouver, Canada, a school in Kapiti, New Zealand and another school near Los Angeles, in the United States of America.

It is so much fun and a highlight of our week. It's important to work as a Team, show good Sportsmanship, and represent ourselves, whanau, class and school well.  In other words...we need to show our Mahora Values!

This is what we received today from the teacher of the class we Skyped.

By Bianca and Ezrah

 

                     

Optimist Yachting ( Sailing Pandora Pond)

Last week we went sailing in the amazing Pandora pond. We practised capsizing in the school pool a couple of days earlier. When we finally got there we where very nervous but that didn't stop us from having fun. To fill in our time we went kayaking too. Its definitely a great opportunity, We are all so proud that we accomplished something that big. Here's a quick video of some fun times at Pandora, Hope you enjoy!

By Nina and Esther

2016 Optimist Yachting from Room 13 Dream Team on Vimeo.