30.11.16 Get in close!

My favourite session this year!

Once again I was having issues with my whiteboard. It was ok though. Getting the class up close to the small computer screen actually added to the close observations we were planning to undertake around the school.

Descriptions- Naomi gave lovely descriptions of what she could see out of her window.  It was dull and foggy, a bit like here!  Listening carefully we tried to guess what Naomi was describing.    Then Naomi popped up the image of her description- yes an animal- two donkeys in her back garden- imagine that!

Could we go outside and observe, then describe things in our playground  to Naomi? We needed some help to scribe for us. Five willing Primary 7 pupils, with clipboards in hand, ready to record the children’s descriptions.

This was all very interesting to Harry and Aoife. Wow! The P2 boys and girls are doing this very cool stuff! Plenty of questions from the older children finding out about the type of artist Naomi Draper was.  It was a fresh November morning – the last day of the month, the last session before Christmas.

Once again I stopped to think what learning was goes on a Wednesday morning marked ART/UICT on my timetable. What else could I include on that tiny space on the grid?

Literacy -of course such quality exchanges every session.  Quiet pupils finding their voices, growing in confidence as the weeks progressed.

World Around Us -as we explore our own familiar environment and find out more about Boyle, Co. Roscommon, where Naomi lives.

Mathematics – Lots of shape and counting opportunities. Net cubes to follow shortly!

Thinking skills – at the heart of every lesson, with chances to work collaboratively with their friends coming so naturally!

Active Learning – Connected Learning – at its best!

The children made their viewfinders – coats and scarves on – ready for exploring the very familiar spaces. So engaged in the activity that they continued to focus their attention on the task even after the bell for break had sounded.  Seeing the spaces differently with their viewfinders. All classes  in the school should try this too!

The Primary 7 pupils had offered their services for any other Virtually There sessions happening in the near future.

Back in class once again the roles were reversed as Naomi had to guess what it was we were describing. We drew the things we looked closely at.

Naomi gave another set of instructions to help us draw  something. I was an active participant too! The penny dropped- I started to laugh – The children laughed seeing their teacher laugh. We all laughed.

“Did you listen well Mrs Cross?”

*****NOTE TO SELF – LAUGH MORE WITH THE CHILDREN************

 

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