Bomcombra P.S. | Teacher Journal

For 12 weeks we worked with artist Maree Hensey ‘virtually’ ,using video conferencing. We decided on a theme of ‘Birds’. For our first session Maree came up to visit our school and we went outside in groups to find some playground birds and look at where they might live. After lots of discussion on ‘what is a bird’, we produced a brain storm about birds. In the weeks that followed we completed many exciting lessons, learning really big words like murmuration!

This was Year Two’s first go at video conferencing. The children took to it like little ducklings to water, however it took me a little longer to get to grips with the technology (maybe this has something to do with my age!). We link up with Joe in Dublin each Wednesday morning. Joe explains our work for the day and the class join in using the microphone and we can also draw on the interactive whiteboard and interact with Joe’s work. We carry out the work in class and the children show the artist their work via the webcam at different intervals during the day. The children are keen to get Joe’s feedback and as is typical of Year Two, Joe gets to hear about everyone’s news!! So far we have used paint, clay, markers, paper strips and large sheets of card.

On March the 27th we had to go outside and listen to the sounds!

Firstly we had to listen to the sounds and not make any sounds!

Next we had to listen to our body and take ten seconds to listen and then make the sounds for 2 mins!

Then we had to listen to the sounds 12 feet away.

After that we listened to sounds 5 mins away if you walked, which was really hard!

Then we went inside to the Primary 1 area and listened to them, they took for ever to go to dinner!

Once they were gone we made the sounds they made which was really fun.

Carter

Yesterday we did some recording with Finnouala, we did four recordings.

Our first recording was the sounds our body was making.

Second recording was the sounds around us.

Thirdly was the sounds that would take around 5 minutes to get to.

Then the last recording was in the P1’s resource area.

Working with Finnoula was great fun.

We had to make a musical score and then perform it.

We also watched a Honda car advert to see what noises we can make with our bodies. It was great fun to watch and listen to.

Every Thursday we meet up with Finnoula. Yesterday we did some recordings, it was great fun. We had to listen out for sounds that were outside. It took a long time but we got through it all.

I am looking forward to what we might be doing next week!

The last few weeks we have been working with Finnouala, we have been working with our scores and keys (legend) that we made ourselves in our groups a few weeks ago. We all made them in our groups, I mean the girls did all the work and the boys just gave us ideas!

We then gave the boys some jobs which were colouring the key and scores.

After we got the scores finished we took a picture of them and our teacher Mrs Flack sent them to Finnouala and she put them on her blog on the Kids Own website. Now Finnouala is going to get her vocal group to sing our scores, her vocal group is called Silver Kites. We have heard their music before it is very cool.

Alana

We spent all day talking with Fionuala on the webcam. She told us to record some sounds and create them in our circle time hut.

We sat down as our coats rustled against the wood. Firstly we recorded what we heard around us.

Then,we tried making the sounds. We blew as the wind and whistled like the trees.

We decided next to record the sounds within a 12 foot radius. That meant we had to make the sounds from our school grounds. Outside the caretaker was talking to somebody so we murmured pretending to talk. Some of us made rustling leaves sounds.

After that we made sounds outside school grounds. We made sounds like cars and cans being blown by the wind. Megan did really good sound effects. I liked doing the cars and lorries.

Lastly we went to the P1 play area. It was nearly lunch time. When the P1s went out for lunch, we listened to the noises they were making. They were loud and brilliant and they waved excitedly to us. So in our last recording we imitated the infants. We said things in squeaky voices and copied all quotes. I stamped my feet to repesent them running into the playground. Some kids said prayers and some squealed loudly.

We went back to Fionnuala and she listened to our recordings. I can’t wait for next week!

This week we went outside to listen to sounds around us  and make them ourselves.

First we listened  and made no sounds, next we listened to our body and made different sounds like our heart, our breathing, the wind in our hair and our tummies.

After that we listened to sounds 12 feet away and made them.

Then we made sounds about a 5 minute walk away e.g cars,trucks and cars going over bumps.

Finally we went to the infant end and screamed like them when they went for lunch, it was really fun.

By Jonathan

This week we went outside to the circle time hut and listened to the things around us and then Mrs Flack recorded us copying them.

The first one we did was listening to the sounds we can hear in our body like our heart beating, our breathing and the wind blowing through our hair.

The next one was to listen to the sounds about 12 feet away from us and copy them with our eyes closed like the trees whistling, the birds singing and the wind blowing.

We had spare time so we thought we would go into a noisy place, the infant end. They were getting ready for lunch and were very noisy and after they were done we copied them being crazy like any child would be.

Fionnuala was impressed with what we heard. I think this was the best week we have done so far

By Nicole