These Kids Love to Code!

At Ashaway School, December became the "Month of Code"!

We started off with the world-wide "Hour of Code" initiative which took place during the first week of December.  (You can read more about this event and Computer Science Education Week by clicking here!)  During Monday's morning meeting, the students enjoyed a surprise visit from Ash, an adorable robot who introduced a short video about Coding. 


[Pay no attention to that principal with an iPad behind the curtain!]

Then, throughout the week, I demonstrated how to play some fun online games in the library that are designed to teach the basics of computer programming. We talked about how the students would be paired up and each student would have a turn to be the "driver" and the "navigator".  Then I set the students loose!  They worked remarkably well together as they collaborated on solving a series of puzzles, and the room was abuzz with laser-focused learners!

"Drivers" control the mouse and keyboard while their "navigator" partners make suggestions for solving the puzzles.  After completing each level they switch places!

Assistant Superintendent Jane Daly came to visit and was able to watch the "Hour of Code" in action!

In the following weeks I experimented with a program I had discovered through my exploration of Code.org.  Called Kodable, this learning website allowed me to enter my classes, along with the students' first names, to enable the students to keep track of their own progress.  Now they can access the game from any computer, at home or at school, and pick up where they left off!  They were so excited to see evidence of their progress as they achieved each new level.  Click on the video below to see the reactions of some third graders!

The students were so excited to know that each new level they achieved would be saved for the next time they got to play!

In addition to the desktop computers in the library, some of the younger students used iPads while the older students used their classroom Chromebooks!

We will be continuing our exploration of Code in all grade levels during the new year as part of the Computer Science for Rhode Island Initiative, or CS4RI.  I'm as excited as the kids are to explore this new territory!! 

Hail to the Chief: President Jones!

And the winner is...

SKIPPYJON JONES!

Ashaway School held its first-ever presidential election, and the results are in!  Congratulations to President Jones and to his hardworking team of second grade campaign managers! 

It all began back in September when I stumbled on "The Failed Presidential Campaigns of Children's Book Characters" by Travis Jonker.  (It's really great; you should follow the link and read it!!)   This was the springboard for what became a collaboration between the second grade teachers, our art teacher, and me!  

I started by inviting my students to nominate candidates.  In the third and fourth grades I showed them how to use Padlet to suggest why their book characters should be considered, and they even learned how to upload pictures from the books I had on the shelves!  My second graders created mini posters to share and illustrate their ideas.

4th grade Padlet nominations - Click to enlarge!

2nd grade nomination - Click to enlarge!

Next I created a "primary ballot" that included the nominated characters...all 33 of them!  The second graders used them to narrow the field down to ten candidates, and each classroom was divided into five groups.  With that, the planning began!  Each group worked together to identify three reasons their candidates would make a good president.  They spent time in the classroom and during library class looking through their characters' books to find evidence that supported their opinions.  


Then, during "morning meeting" before the start of the school day, each group had the chance to deliver a mini "speech" to share some details from their writing to try and convince other students to vote for their candidates!

 

Starting off with a sketch!

The students also created campaign posters in art class and hung them up all over the school!  I spoke to them about campaign slogans and Ms. Mandeville talked about layout and use of space on the page.

Our art teacher, Ms. Mandeville, introduces the lesson

  

On Monday morning I distributed ballots to all of the classrooms which is where the voting took place.  (Thanks again to all of our classroom teachers for supporting our project!)  I had them all gathered by dismissal, and the students went home to enjoy their upcoming day off for the real Election Day!

On Wednesday morning it was time for The Big Announcement!

I really appreciate all of the teachers who kindly presented and gathered all of the ballots in their classrooms, and thanks again to Travis Jonker for the inspiration!  I am also grateful for the interest and enthusiasm shown by Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Pearce, Ms. Mandeville, and Mr. Scanapieco!  It was a lot of fun!!

Inspiration & Celebration!

Once again I had the pleasure of attending the Rhode Island Children's Book Festival at the Lincoln School in Providence.  This year the highlight for me was a presentation by Cece Bell, the author of El Deafo and this year’s winner of the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award!

Cece spoke about how she lost her hearing, what it was like to be the only student in school with a hearing aide, and how she reframed what made her different into something that made her feel special.  She compared herself to Batman, a normal man who turned himself into a superhero with the help of technology!  She is a wonderful presenter and storyteller, and she had her whole audience completely under her spell.  (Hmm...she claims to have just the one superpower, but she has many other gifts tucked into her utility belt!)  

Cece actually brought her original Phonic Ear with her on stage and showed us how she’d put it on.  Click on the video below to hear Cece retell her own superhero “origin story”!

In school Cece would always wear the Phonic Ear under her clothes, and she told a really funny story about how she tried to explain away the enormous bulge it created:

Cece told the audience that the book’s theme is about finding true friendship.  “It’s a book about friendship and trying to find people who like you in a genuine way, who like you for who you are.”  While I know my students truly enjoyed the humorous scenes in the book, that wasn’t the only reason that they awarded the title with a column full of gold stars.  The story really spoke to their own deeply felt need to belong and to feel a true connection with someone else.  It’s difficult to read about her efforts to stay friends with the bossy and self-centered Laura, and she even debates whether the unsatisfying relationship is worth it.  This makes it that much more wonderful to watch Cece’s friendship with Martha develop, and we all desire the same effortless rapport that they enjoy right from the start.  Of course, we can all also relate to the common fears and worry over saying or doing the wrong thing and suddenly finding ourselves on the outside.  Not only is Cece’s story relatable, but the triumphant ending is also heartwarming and satisfying. 

El Deafo reminds me of Ruby on the Outside, one of the current nominees for the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award.  I’ve been reading it to a group of fourth-graders, and they are really responding to the theme of true friendship. Ruby is warned to stay away from Margalit because she's different, but Ruby discovers that she really enjoys spending time with her. My students are a really drawn to the free-spirited and confident Margalit, and they’re critical of the girl who tells Ruby to stay away from her. Of course, the pressure on kids to fit in and be accepted by their peer groups is enormous, and there's something comforting about seeing Ruby making a connection with someone else. Ruby has a secret that she's terrified others will learn, and she's worried that she'll lose Margalit’s friendship if the truth about her is revealed. My students are anxious to discover what is going to happen next and if Ruby has found someone who can look past what embarrasses her and makes her feel different.  Like El Deafo last year, I’m confident that Ruby on the Outside is going to be awarded a lot of gold stars by the students who read it!

Thanks to the RICBA Committee for the fun photo op!

Cece ended her presentation with this inspirational message:

“It took me a long, long time to finally be comfortable with telling the world, ‘Hey, I’m deaf! It’s not a big deal!’  It’s just something about me that actually has made me stronger. And I’m hoping that all of you who read the book will take away the message that even though you might feel different from everybody else those things that make you different are actually the things that make you interesting.  Those are your superpowers!  Use them and share them with other people because it’s so much more fun to share the things about you that make you different and cool and interesting than it is to keep them tucked away and hidden like I did for so many years.”

Needless to say, it was another energizing

and exciting book festival, 

and I'm so grateful to Meagan Lenihan

and all of the other organizers, presenters,

and volunteers who make it all happen each year!!!   

THANK YOU!!!

I nearly missed my chance to get our copy of El Deafo signed; her line of fans was reeeeeeally long and she had another engagement to get to!  I was so happy to get a chance to say a quick hello!

Having a Hoot with Kahoot!

To review the library rules with the third and fourth grades I decided to try out a free online resource called Kahoot!  The students loved it and the game certainly jazzed up the lesson!







Teachers can sign up for a free account at https://getkahoot.com and create multiple-choice quizzes to be displayed on the SmartBoard (or with any projector).  The process is really easy and I had my rule review game set up in no time. 

I signed out our school's classroom set of iPads so every student had a device to use, but Kahoot does offer a "team" option.  All the kids need to do is visit https://kahoot.it/ to enter my game's pin number and type in their first names.  (The students don't need individual accounts so there's nothing to set up ahead of time.  It's so simple!) 

Ready?  Set!  START!  The first question appears on the board.  A few moments later four possible color-coded answers show up and the countdown begins.  On their iPads, the students see four colored blocks that match the ones on the board, and they tap the one they believe is the correct answer.  After everyone has responded (or the timer reaches zero), the students either get a green screen indicating they were correct or a red screen with the right answer displayed.  On the board, a graph appears to indicate how many students selected each possible answer.  This allowed me to explain why the wrong answers were incorrect and clarify any misunderstandings.

The students had a blast and I definitely had their attention!  :D

Summer Reading at HopRec!

This summer marked the seventh consecutive year of the Hopkinton Recreation Summer Read Aloud Program!  The program invites Chariho staff members to volunteer an hour of their time to read aloud to the camp's participants.  (The reading program is also took place in Charlestown!)  The students get so excited when they know one of the teachers who has shown up to read to them!

Like last year, I started off the first session by introducing the children to the available books with a short "book talk".  Then each child was allowed to select which reading group to join.  In the past we split them up by grade, but we've decided that it's even better to offer them a choice.  Not only did that increase their excitement, but it also introduced them to titles that they might decide to pick up and read on their own! 
  

This year's chapter book selections from the list of RICBA nominees!

Normally I select three books, but this year the decision was simply too difficult and I ended up bringing four.  All came from a list of books nominated for the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award (RICBA).  During the school year, students are encouraged to read at least three of the books from the list in order to vote for the winner.  In addition, several of the schools (including Ashaway) hold competitions called the Rooster Games based these nominees.  By selecting books from this list, the children participating in HopRec will already have one of these books completed by the end of the summer or, at least, will have gotten an extended preview!

Mrs. Potter, a 5th grade teacher from CMS

 
In addition to our "chapter book" groups, I also bring along a bin of picture books with related activities for the younger kids.  Here's our own Mrs. Bliven reading to a group of campers.  (That's one of her daughters on her lap!) 

Some of the older kids enjoy having the opportunity to be the "reader leader"!

We had some terrific volunteer campers who enthusiastically jumped in to help whenever we needed more readers.  They did an outstanding job and I was so impressed with their initiative!

No matter which group a child joined, every one of them spent an hour each week interacting with some excellent books.  It truly is a wonderful program, and I'm very proud to be a part of it.  My sincerest thanks go out to the fabulous staff at the camp who were so accommodating in order to make it all possible and to the teachers who volunteered to participate! 

Rooster Games 2016!

Team Red matching book titles with their characters

On Monday our fourth graders participated in the 8th Annual Ashaway School Rooster Games!  All of the students who read at least five of the books on the list of nominees for the Rhode Island Children's Book Award were invited to participate.  The five teams (each a mix of boys and girls from both fourth grade classrooms) competed in a variety of games that were based on books from the list.

I had three students who earned special recognition by reading all 15 of the RICBA nominees that I bought for Ashaway School.  I started off the games by awarding Champion Reader medals to these students!

Two of the games are set up on PowerPoint and the students use marker boards to display their answers. Students match pictures from each book to their titles in the Illustration Round, and they answer multiple choice and short answer questions in the Question Round.  Two other games involve matching the titles to characters and matching objects to the books they represent.  

Team Yellow earning a point during the Question Round

Team Green earning a point during the Illustration Round

"Boards up!"

Team Blue shows a pair of matching object cards

Team White working together during the Object Round

This year I introduced reading relays, and the kids loved them!  I based the first on a game that was featured on the show "Minute to Win It" in which students held an uncooked strand of spaghetti in their mouths and used them to pick up pieces of ziti without using their hands.  I called the game Sharks and Seals after the RICBA book Neighborhood Sharks.  The team earned one point for every seal captured by each shark!

I called the second reading relay the Homophone Hustle.  In the story Rain Reign, main character Rose has an obsession for homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings).  In this game, the students raced to match their homophone cards with the corresponding words on the other side of the gym.  It was fast-paced fun!

Making a match!

Rushing back to the starting line so a teammate can go!

With six teams competing at once, there was a LOT of action!

This year's winner was Team Orange, but there's no prize for winning the Rooster Games.  At the end of the day all of the students who qualified to participate in the games gets to enjoy a pizza party sponsored by our P.T.O., so they truly are all winners!

Team Orange: Winners of the 2016 Rooster Games!

     

It was a really fun event, and it couldn't have happened without the support of our fourth grade teachers, our parent volunteers, and our Ashaway School P.T.O.  My sincerest thanks go out to them all! 

A Week Full of FUN!

Ashaway School families enjoyed another week full of fun during this year's "No Time for TV Week"!  I received participation forms back from over half of our student population as of Friday, and I'm sure a few more will trickle in once the kids start seeing the prizes getting handed out next week!

Our ten lucky Scholastic Books Gift Certificate winners!

I really enjoyed reading through the forms to see what activities were added to the standard suggestions.  Write-ins included riding dirt bikes, playing math games, skate boarding, playing with Legos, going to the beach, fishing, swimming, jumping on a trampoline, gardening, yoga, kayaking, canoing, playing Twister, horseback riding, doing magic (cool!), going on a hay ride, knitting, Ashaway's Family Fun Day activities (mini-golf was especially popular!), practicing the guitar, playing kickball, playing in the sprinkler, playing chess, playing badminton, flying a kite, practicing karate, cooking dinner, using Playdough, playing with and taking care of bunnies (awww!), visiting the public library (WOOHOO!), playing baseball, playing basketball, four wheeling, and, one of my all-time favorites when I was a kid: playing in the mud!

Another special event that many participated in was our first-ever geocaching program!  We had over 25 kids and 15 adults come to the workshop on Wednesday to learn all about it.  Fourth grader Gabrielle Macaruso did an independent study on the topic throughout the year and prepared the presentation as her culminating activity.  She shared a lot of great information, and I jumped in to comment on some aspects of geocaching that she hasn't experienced yet.  It was a lot of fun to share what we know with so many "muggles" (non-geocachers)!

Gabrielle instructing an interested bunch of "muggles".

Then came the hands-on part: a geocaching "field trip" to the Westerly Town Forest!  We had so many people join us for the workshop that I offered three different excursions so the trails wouldn't be too crowded!  The turnout was fantastic, and it was a joy to see the families outside and enjoying the beautiful day. 

Into the woods!

Found it!  Signing the log and swapping trinkets, or "swag".

I wonder who put a purple button in that cache?  (Yeah, it was me!)

(If you missed the geocaching workshop, you can still learn about this engaging activity by visiting www.geocaching.com.  You are welcome to contact me if you have any questions!)

As always, a very special thanks to the Ashaway School PTO.  

It is with their support that I can offer the motivating prizes 

and Scholastic Books gift certificates!  I so very much

appreciate all their hard work on behalf of our students!!

Many Happy Returns!

This morning we had a visit from the Chariho seniors who went to Ashaway School so many years ago!  Our students lined the halls, clapping and cheering, as the soon-to-be graduates walked down the halls in their caps and gowns.  It was SO much fun to see my former students all grown up! 

I carried Bear in my arms because I guessed that some of them would enjoy seeing their old friend again.  I heard many happy exclamations of "BEAR!" when they saw him.  When their walk was done I couldn't resist following them outside for a quick visit before they had to leave.  Before I knew it a group of the seniors were calling out for me to "wake him up" just like I always do before reading a story in the library.  I playfully said that the students are supposed to be sitting "criss-cross applesauce" before I wake Bear up (like I do during class), and the next thing I knew the whole group of seniors were on the ground, ready and waiting!  HA!  I plopped right down, too, and went through the whole routine:  Bear stretched his arms up while making a huge yawn, rubbed his eyes, and looked around at the whole crowd.  "Look who came to see us, Bear!  You haven't seen these faces in a long time, huh?"  Oh, how I wish I had pictures of those kids' faces.  It was such a special moment!

One of the seniors shared the following video.  You don't get to see the audience, but you can hear their reactions.   I love it!  Thank you, Rachel!!

My sincerest thanks to Mrs. Weber, Chariho High School principal, for making this moment possible!  :)

Congratulations,

Class of 2016!

We are so proud of you!