Our 1st class blog: Explaining the Classroom

Today, this class collectively, through group work, described a portion of our classroom on chart paper. Each also took a photograph to accompany the writing. Each group had 4 persons and each person took on a role: writer, editor, photographer and presenter (they were presented to the class when done). Everyone was expected to contribute ideas. In all cases, students had not been introduced to the meaning of that particular poster/area & had to 'figure it out'.

Here we present to you our 'short sentence explanations' of different parts of our classroom:

M, J, J, B "Achievement Unlocked"

It shows the class goals under it that we should achieve.

K, M, J, C

"The Game Zone" TV

The game zone is a place to learn and play games on a television. [We will be writing game reviews of games played in class & also some Wii math-Mrs. J]

K, S, T, E

"Student Events"

The student events chart might be up because it can tell people when birthdays are. [It's also for noting special extra-curricular events in student's lives, like a weekend hockey tournament-Mrs. J]

K, A, B, C "5 point scale"

To us, the scale meant "the volume level" The 5 would be the worst and the 1 would be the best."

J, J, M, S "The Back Wall"

I think the back wall will display spelling words and similes and metaphors.

N, M, D, J "Fair does not equal same"

Nobody needs what everybody else has. [Fair is not the same as equal. Someone may need special tech for learning, you may not. You have equal right to learning; your needs may be different. Everyone gets what they need.-Mrs. J] See this  link for an expanded explanation.

S, K, T, T "Learning Skills Folders"

It's used for students that don't follow the learning skills. It helps them know what the problem is and know what they should do next time. [Inside are small tickets upon which students reflect on the problem they are having with that particular goal & how they need to improve. It tracks student learning skills over time, as tickets are handed into the teachers as they are filled out.-Mrs. J.] 

M, M, A, C "Writing/Reading posters"

We think this is in the classroom because it means that when we read we always have a thought in our mind. We think that it means that writing is that you're not using short forms for words. [In other words, it is editing 'talk' that is written down.-Mrs. J.]