Moving into Literacy and Creating

Year 3W are looking forward to using the Literacy and Creating apps this term. We've had fun investigating what exciting apps we can use this term. We are looking forward to 'creating a martian'. We are looking forward to creating texts using StoryKit and Comic Touch. We've also discovered Puppet Pals, I Can Animate and Cut the Rope. We think Chicktionary looks like lots of fun and we can learn lots of words at the same time. 'Blanks looks as though it would be rather challenging.

We look forward to sharing our creations with you and improving our literacy skills at the same time. We will keep you posted!!!

Using Ipods in Literacy Rotations

This term 3S is going to be using the Ipods differently to last term. We will be using the Ipods in our literacy rotations rather than in science, religion and history.

This week in our literacy rotations we worked in groups of 6 and explored some of the different literacy apps on the Ipods. Here is what we think about some of the apps we explored:

Shapes
Shapes is an app where you have to guess the shape of an animal and put it together like a puzzle.
• Bri said that it was fun putting the puzzle together
• Miggy like the app because he could learn about the shape of animals
• Ryan didn’t like this app because he thought it was to easy and it was not challenging
Members of 3S thinks this app can help them learn new shapes and sizes of shapes.


Chicktionary
Chicktionary is an app where you are given letters and you have to make as many words with the letters as you can in the time limit.
• Peta said it was a fun app because you can spell out the words
• Sean liked the noises which the app made
• Bri thought that some of the words were to easy in the app
• Ryan on the other hand thought that some of the words were tricky
Chicktionary can help us to learn by showing the user different words and how to spell them.

Magnificent Maths

This term, 3F will be looking at different apps related to Mathematics. As well as playing some of the wonderful math’s apps that are on the iPod Touch, we will be making our own presentations to help other children in years 1, 2, 3 and maybe Prep, to learn about Maths.

To start this project, we wrote ideas for what math’s concepts we might like to use for our presentation. We will be working in small groups and we will need to work out what we want to teach and what apps we might use to make our presentation.

This week we looked at some of the Math’s apps and here are some that we liked.

Pat and lots of other year 3s liked Pop Maths because it helped him with their math’s skills and it was fun popping the balloons.

Maia, Rory and Jacob enjoyed Cut the Rope because you really have to think about what you do before you do it. It is good for problem solving.

Hannah, Meg, Emerson, Daniel and others really liked Dot to Dot because she had to use her counting skills to discover what the picture was going to be.

Kid’s Maths was an app that Celeste enjoyed because she thinks it will help her to learn her time tables and her math’s facts.

Alex explored the app StoryKit, which is a storytelling app that he might use for his presentation.

A Visitor from Europe

How exciting!  We've had our first visitor from Europe - did you see the little red dot on the map, high up in the middle?  The dot is in Poland.  Does anyone know anyone from Poland?  Is anyone traveling at the moment?  I'd love to find out more!  Please make a comment on this post if you can tell us anything about Poland.  For example:

• What's the weather like?
• What are some Polish foods?
• Can anyone find out what Poland's flag looks like?
• Is anyone from your family Polish?
• How did you know about Poland - tell us if you did any research.
• What countries are neighbours of Poland?  (check out the map below)

I wonder if anyone can use the iPod Touches to find out about Poland.  What app would you use?
Looking forward to learning more from you Year 3.

Mrs Mead

[map source:  http://www.backpackers.no/engelsk/]

Crazy about Comments!

Year 3, I have just LOVED reading all your comments this week.  Thinking back about what you have learned is a very important part of your actual learning.  This habit will make you more 'switched on' learners.  That's GREAT!  Good to see Mums and Dads helping out too.

This term we will working with some children on the Gold Coast who are also using iPod Touches in class.  You will each have a buddy class to share with.  Start thinking about what sort of things you would like to share with the children from St Francis Xavier at Runaway Bay...  (photos?  stories?  reflections?) What questions would you like to ask them?  What would you like to tell them about?

Our wonderful Parents and Friends Association have bought some more iPod Touches for St Catherine's students in other classes to use.  Now, you are our school iPod experts of course!  I imagine the other teachers and students will be needing your help and advice this term.  Be ready!

Mrs Maitland and Mrs Wilson visited us from two other Brisbane schools in the last week of term 1 to talk to some of you about how you are using the iPod Touches.  They were grateful for your advice, and very excited to see what you had to show them.  They have decided to buy some iPods for their own students to use!

I'm looking forward to sharing more learning with you this term. 
Mrs Mead