Power of 3 and Third Graders…

Face 2 Face Reflection….

I was a little nervous about joining Cohort this year but was relieved to have a few familiar faces also participating in this journey with me.  I soon felt very comfortable meeting new teachers and enjoyed hearing their stories. I was amazed at how helpful, and friendly all of the facilitators and coaches were and really enjoyed the small group sessions and working closely with the other teachers.  I was/am not a regular Twitter user, so I appreciated the extra attention and guidance with that, and learning many tips and setting up the Tweet Deck. I am now very confident that this journey will live up to all the hype I have heard about;)

Power of Three

The main focus and urgent matter in my Grade Three class this year is enrichment.  I am fortunate to have a small group within the class that is not only capable of extra challenges but also very eager and excited for them.  There is, of course, the added pressure and high expectations from parents as well to complete above grade material. During my interview process, the first insight I took away was that the students enjoyed and wanted the freedom of choice for their independent project and Math focus group.  I had provided many extension project proposals that continued and aligned with the curriculum however, every student wanted to focus on one of their passions. I think this encourages them to be independent and responsible learners. My second insight was that they all enjoy working with others during the math focus group and do want the opportunity to do a project together at some point of the year.  Yes, they are kids and want to work with their friends, which is great, but I am eager to see their collaboration skills develop. Their problem-solving, oral communication and time management skills will all be tested! My last insight I took away was that they all love technology but still very new to it and can cause some frustration. So far, they have all shown a good grasp of using GSuite apps and are continuing to recognize the importance of using reliable and relevant websites for research.  I think with a little more practice over the next couple of months, technology can also be an area to challenge them further. Starting in Grade Four in my school, students and teachers begin to use Hapara Workspace and more problem-based learning. I would love to extend my knowledge and teaching and begin the Grade Four transition with this bright group.

Thank you…. @gvogt @swelbourn @jgravel @lmustard