Quick and easy word searches

When planning for a whole class big book reading lesson I needed a fast finisher activity.  The class I am teaching has a wide range of abilities which need to be catered for.  I decided to create a word search using words from the book we were looking at.  This site The Teachers Corner has a program which allows for you to easily create a word search.  You can add words from the book and choose the size and complexity you would like.  This will be so helpful as the kids love a challenge and they need to be kept busy and staying on task.  Have a look and see if it may be useful for what you are teaching at the moment.

Keep soldiering on, we are half way through now.

History APPs

Hi everyone, how is your Prac going.  I am having a great time and have learnt so much.

Have you seen this?  As I was googling information for my lesson plans I came across this site Kids Discover which has APPs that assist in teaching content and includes lesson plans for learning about different countries.  It looks like a great idea and when I get a chance I will look at all the options available.  Have a look and see what you think.

TPACK ?

On week 1’s  learning path TPACK is explained.  As I am a visual learner I found the link that has been provided to a video by Clare Kilbane has been very helpful in explaining what TPACK is.  It will take a bit to get my head around but at least now I have a better understanding.

I am so grateful whenever the learning path offers a video to help explain the learning path content.  I know when I begin my teaching career it will be a strategy I ensure I use in my classroom.

Cyber Smart

As a parent I have sat through a cyber safety night at my daughters school as a prerecquisite to getting her school laptop and no matter how prepared you think you are to tackle the issues the internet and teenages brings you can be blind sighted. In order to children young and old to be safe on the internet as they can be quite nieve and easily lead.  It is the parents/teachers role to make sure they are prepared for what can happen and how to play it safe.  The old saying ‘It won’t happen to me’ isn’t realistic and it is time to get real.

After going through the last learning path and learning that sickos can hack your computers camera scared the hell out of me. I didn’t even realise this was a possiblity and what if it happened to me already and I don’t even know it.  Mind you watching me study, fully dressed and makeup free surely isn’t that thrilling for anyone.

I have also noticed that the Cybersmart kids website has a quiz kids can take on cyber safety.  The quiz has clear guidence and the students should enjoy the process.

I have completed the Cyber Smart modules and have earned by certificate.  In this process I have found that Cybersmart have their own blog page which you might find interesting.

One week to go, but where am I going

I feel that I need to vent to those who will understand my frustration.  I can’t believe that prac is only 1 week away and I still don’t know what school I am going to.  To make things even worse next Friday is Ipswich show day so if I go to an Ipswich school there is only 4 days (that is if I no by Monday) to contact my mentor teacher and hopefully get the chance to meet them before the big day arrives.

This situation make us look really bad.  We know how much work teachers have and yet we need them to find the time to meet us and give us a basic knowledge of their classroom setting.  They are going to think we are slack when the whole situation is out of our hands.  I don’t feel that this is allowing for us to start off on the right foot.

Ok, fingers crossed we find out Monday morning, email or call the teacher before school finishes on Monday to fit in a visit before Friday.

Thank you for listening (reading).