Month: April 2020

Staying in Touch MS Teams April 8 Post #1 of 2

Hello Everyone!

Thank you to everyone who is actively participating in MS Teams. It is so nice to connect with you all through daily chats in our conversation channel!

As a reminder, check MS Teams daily. Here are the things you can and need to do in there:

  • Participate in class conversation, on the Connect with Classmates channel.
  • Join a small group meeting or a meeting with Ms. D. For these meetings, you will receive an email invitation. Please click accept, and it will add the meeting to your calendar. Then, you can go in to Calendar on the left side bar of MS Teams to see the meeting in your schedule. At the designated time for the meeting, just click join!
  • Watch videos from Ms. D about class topics or to hear readings. Links are in the General channel.
  • Get information about assignments, in the General Channel OR by using the Assignments tab at the top.
  • Submitting assignments, uploading documents or putting in links to say you have completed work for the week.
  • Use the Class Notebook tab to access your journal. There is a folder called Independent Project, and you can write in that folder anything you are doing about independent project.  It will only be seen by you and me. The Class Notebook tab may also be used in the future for class discussions under the collaboration section, so at least try to find where Class Notebook is!

To answer some questions people have asked:

  • Do I have to do the assignments? Yes. To show me you are actively participating in our class and to give me feedback I need to create new learning opportunities, I need you to participate in MS Teams by submitting assignments.
  • Are we marked on the assignments? I am providing feedback on assignments and e-ports, going through all of them as fast as I can, and the feedback, as always, is part of assessment for our class. There will be a report card for term three, so participation and completion of assignments will be something we can talk about for that report.
  • Are all assignments due by the due dates? I put due dates to help everyone stay on track and have a schedule. Even with this changed learning environment, we all need some structure, otherwise we would never get things done and move forward in our learning. BUT, I completely understand every family is different, you are all doing the best you can in this stressful situation, and you may not always be able to do things by the deadlines. So, MS Teams allows you to turn in work late. I will contact both you and your parents if I don’t see you participating or turning in anything at all.
  • I can’t seem to access the video link from MS Teams. What do I do? Remember, to access videos, you will need to be logged on to your Microsoft school account ON THE WEB first. Generally, you click on the link for the video, and a sign in screen should pop up. Once you sign in, the video will show. If you don’t get a sign in screen, try logging in to your email first on the web. Go to this link to do that. If you still have trouble accessing videos after that, please email me.
  • I need to talk to you, how can I do that? I respond to emails and the Connect with Classmates channel from 9 AM to 3 PM. Sometimes you will see me on there outside of that time, as well, but I may not respond right away. If you want to talk with me, just schedule a 5 minute video conference with me, any time! Send me an email.
  • How can I connect with classmates? Send them email letters! Maybe start with responding to the pen pal letter that was sent to you as part of assignments. Email is best used for longer communications. You can also connect on our Connect with Classmates channel in MS Teams. I will put prompts in there daily, and you can also do the same! You can also make arrangements via email with a friend from class, and then chat with them outside of school, using a non-school communication tool. As a reminder, please don’t use our school email for chatting. The only chatting is on the Connect with Classmates channel, or by using other tools at home, which your parents will need to supervise. I only supervise the MS Teams chats. Thanks!
  • How do I find someone’s email address? Log in to your email for school.  Put their full name in the TO box. Make sure you know their last name, because there could be more than one person in the District with the first name. If you don’t know someone’s last name from class, just contact me. I am happy to help.

More questions? Let me know, either in our one-on-one meetings happening this week, or via email. I will add them to the list here so everyone can see.

Thank you,

Ms. D

Art Project: Photography, Objects Important To You April 6 Post #3 of 3

Hello Everyone,
The artist and photographer Gregg Segal did an interesting photography project called Daily Bread, in which he took pictures of children from around the world with all of the food they eat in a seven day period. Do some reading about him on his website, and also Google his name under images and you will see more examples. The pictures are great visual ways to quickly see what a child eats, both in terms of how much food they eat in seven days, and what kinds of cultural foods are their favourites!

The pictures are always done with the person laying down on their back, surrounded by foods, and on a solid, coloured background. Someone holds the camera above the person, so all of the objects and the full length of the person can be seen.

Your task will be different. I would like you to take a similar looking picture, taken from above, but I want the theme to be OBJECTS IMPORTANT TO ME OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS AT HOME.

Here are the steps for this project:

  1. Do a brainstorm of all of the things that were important to you during this time at home. What kinds of things helped you get through this time? What could you  not live without? What snacks are important to you? What book is your favourite? Which toys are your favourite?
  2. Gather the objects together.
  3. Figure out how much space you need for your photo. While lying down on the ground, mark out a rectangular space for your picture around you. This way, you will know where objects can be placed.
  4. Lie down in the space, and arrange the objects in such a way that they can all be seen clearly by the viewer.
  5. You may also want to take a picture of you in your favourite comfy outfit. Try  not to do PJs, please, but fleece pants are okay. As long as it looks appropriate.
  6. Once the entire scene is set up, have a parent or sibling take a picture of you from above. Don’t go to them until you are all ready.
  7. Post the picture in your e-port with an explanation of some of the objects.
  8. Put the link to your finished e-port in MS Teams assignments so I know you are done.

Have questions? Please let me know!

SCHEDULE OPTIONS April 6th, Post #2 of 3

Hello Everyone,

Here is an update of possible activities for the week of April 6th. Remember, USE THIS LIST! Don’t sit around bored. There are things to do! Do something from EACH category, EACH day.

Take a deep breath, find a comfortable spot where you think you can do some learning, and find an activity you like to do. 

You don’t have to do them in this exact order, you don’t have to do all of the optional activities, and your schedule can be designed to suit your family. But, please choose something from each list (or use activities from your own family’s choices) and commit to a chunk of time to do each category.

There are NEED TO DO & OPTIONAL assignments. NEED TO DO assignments will sometimes be explained more on the blog and in MS Teams on the assignments tab. Some may require you to submit something in MS Teams.

I hope this helps structure your time this week! Let me know if you have questions.

_______________________________________________________________________

MAKER HOUR (60 minutes)
Do something creative! Make something new!
Take a picture to document your work!

Need to Do:

  • Making art to share with everyone. Ms. D will provide a separate blog entry about how to do this.
  • Provide an e-port entry with a picture of you doing one of the MAKER HOUR choices (or another category below other than INDIE READING), and explain how it went. What did you do? What did you learn? How did it go?

Optional Choices:

FITNESS HOUR (60 Minutes) 
Get moving, get some exercise, get your heart pumping!

Need to Do:

  • Listen to this news story on BBC about a football player in Africa who has created a shoe workout to keep herself in shape. Then, create your own shoe workout. Have someone video tape you doing the workout. Save the video in One Drive. I will put a separate post about how to share videos with us using your e-port or the blog.
  • Part of fitness is also monitoring your MENTAL HEALTH. What are you doing to help keep your spirits up? I use the app CALM. Ask your parents for help to get the app for free. If you can’t, then find a quiet space, put on some nice music, look at a pleasant image, and do some deep breathing to calm yourself. It is good to do this at the beginning and the end of your day.

Optional Choices:

INDIE READING (30 minutes) 
Reading, preferably offline but if you are out of books and need to go online, at least not news or current events articles.

  • Go on to EPIC and read books from the class assignments list.
  • Build a fort with a blanket over a table or chairs and do some reading under it
  • On Amazon.ca, if you have the Kindle App, there are lots of free books to read
  • With a library card, use online resources for Burnaby/Vancouver Public Libraries
  • Use Audible for free right now to listen to tons of online audible stories.
  • Use the Burnaby School District’s Tumblebooks Account to access books online. Press the ebooks tab at the top. I sent you an email about how to access this, as you need a user ID and password.
  • Higher Level Reading — Project Gutenberg free ebooks
  • Open Library — has non-fiction and fiction options, some great for IP!
  • Need a break from reading, but love words? Complete a word search or a crossword puzzle.

SERVICE (30 minutes) 
Clean and help! A great way to help everyone in your family and community feel better during this stressful time!

  • Participate in the 7PM NOISE outside, done by the community to say thank you to our first responders and healthcare workers!
  • Create messages of hope, hearts, or other beautiful things to hang in the window or on the balcony that people in your neighbourhood can see from their windows.
  • Make a homemade gift for members of your family, and learn how to wrap them using Furoshiki, the art of Japanese gift wrapping
  • Prepare a musical performance to share with your family after dinner.
  • Organize a family game activity.
  • Create a dinner night, with fancy napkins, table, outfits, menus, decorations, etc. so when you can’t go out, there is something fun to do at home.
  • Make a shopping list for the family
  • Unload or load the dishwasher
  • Sweep or vacuum the house
  • Call a grandparent, family member, or friend to help them feel connected during this time of isolation
  • Help with the laundry — loading, folding, putting things away
  • Dust the house or blinds
  • Clean windows
  • Help with the garbage, recycling, or compost runs
  • Clean off counters
  • Wipe doorknobs and high-touch spaces with cleaner
  • Take care of a pet
  • Clean the toilet
  • Organize recycling
  • Watch your younger sibling so your parents can have a break
  • Make a dinner for your family so they have a break from it!

GENIUS HOUR (60 minutes) 
Learn something new and document your learning in some way.

Need to Do:

  • Have a one-on-one video conference meeting with Ms. D to talk about how you are doing on your independent project research. Check your email to RSVP for your meeting. If the time doesn’t work, suggest new times.
  • Look at this document and make sure you understand how to cite your sources for your project bibliography. Do the practice examples they give you. If you are using Easy Bib, you still need to ensure your bibliography has correct format and lists resources correctly. Each type of resources (book, website, etc.) is cited in a different way.
  • The Burnaby School District has provided a Digital Web Quest to talk about digital citizenship. As we are using technology even more, I think it is a good idea for you all to do the web quest this week. It says it is for secondary students, but I think it will help you, too.
  • Read Can You Believe It on the Exploratorium’s website and find out the seven questions you should ask yourself when reading scientific claims (such as those about COVID-19 in the news.)

Optional Choices:

UNIT, NUMERACY, LITERACY HOUR (60 minutes)
Specific learning opportunities at grade level or connected to our unit.

Need to Do:

  • Write a pen pal letter (see blog, April 6 post #1 of 3).
  • Go to Science Snacks on the San Francisco Exploratorium’s website and do the activity called Life Size to understand the size of microscopic things. If you can’t print out the handout, just make a list of your own of the items on the handout using scrap pieces of paper.
  • What are all of the currency forms for Canadian money? Write them down (bills and coins), and then think of all the different ways you could make $19.99 using those bills and/or coins. Record them on an MS Word document to turn in, or draw it and turn in a picture of it!

Optional Choices:

Questions? Email me!

With kindness,

Ms. D

Good Morning! Monday, April 6th Post #1 of 3

Good Morning, Everyone!

I hope you all had a nice weekend! Most importantly, I hope you did something that wasn’t in front of a screen. I went to the Pacific Spirit Forest this weekend for a walk. It is one of the regional parks in Vancouver that is still open. There were not many people, as there are so many trails everyone can be spread out, so physical distancing was easier. We also enjoyed the sunshine on our patio. So did my plants! They are all starting to show more green. I hope you were able to get some fresh air, too, and have calm time with your families.

THANK YOU to everyone who has learned how to post their assignments in Microsoft Teams. If you haven’t done this, please take some time today to figure it out or ask me questions about it, so you will be able to send me your assignments. Three assignments were due to be posted, two on Friday and one today.

Each day I will post a video message, but it may not always be in the morning. For example, today I have a meeting, so I will post something later today.

Please continue to work on the categories. An update of the category suggestions and assignments will come later today on the blog. So, in the meantime, please continue with options I provided last week, plus today’s assignment — see below.

I will be scheduling one on one video conferences with you. Starting tomorrow afternoon I will be gradually meeting with all of you, so look for a meeting invite in your email box. If the time doesn’t work, then you can let me know and we will schedule a different time between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. I look forward to talking with you about how you are feeling, what you would like to work on, and your independent project.

I am turning on MS Teams again for comments, but there are now two tabs. The General tab is for Ms. D to post announcements, important questions, or information. The Connect with Classmates tab is for you to ask questions of the whole group. Use the GOLDEN RULE when posting in either section. Please avoid one-word reactions such as ok, sure, or LOL. Just use the emoji reactions for that (they are located on the three dots at the far right of any comment made, just roll your cursor over the far right end of any comment.) Please be kind and be critical thinkers as you post. Help us find positive ways to connect. Ask people what they are doing! Answer my random questions!

Pen Pals Assignment, due Thursday, April 9th. Your first assignment this week is to connect with someone by writing them a letter in email. Write 3 paragraphs.

  • Start the letter with Dear _______,   Note I used a comma, as this is a personal letter. Then skip a space.
  • The first paragraph will ask them how they are doing and tell them how you are spending each day. 5-8 sentences. Skip a space.
  • The second paragraph will tell them something funny that happened to you once, and then invite the person to share something funny with you. 5-8 sentences. Skip a space.
  • The third paragraph will tell them what you would do the next time our class is all together or you can have a real play date with someone. Then, ask the person what they would do. 5-8 sentences.
  • Finally, sign off by saying I hope to hear from you soon and include a salutation.
  • Edit your letter before sending. Send it to the person in email, and then CC me (putting Ms. D in the second line of the addresses) so I know you have sent it and can see the letter.

Here are the match ups. Each person writes the other person.

Ayden — Nihal

Warren — Ambrose

Carl — Charles

Mia — Abhinanda

Victoria — Mavis

Dasha — Shera

Joone — Lucia

Michael — Leo

Stella — Danie

Sasha — Yichen

Ella — Ninad — Stephanie
(Ella writes Ninad, Ninad write to Stephanie, Stephanie writes to Ella)

More to come! I look forward to your letters.  🙂

Ms. D

More Online Reading and Research Resources 4/2, #2 of 3

Hello Everyone,

If you go to the Suncrest Website, you can find free Burnaby District reading and research resources through our library. In order to get the free access, you need to access it through the Suncrest Website portal. Here is how:

  1. Go to the Suncrest Website
  2. On the top menu, select LIBRARY, and then select WEB RESOURCES
  3. On the WEB RESOURCES page, put a check in the box before “Grades 4-7”
  4. Click on any of the resources you see for Grades 4-7
  5. You will need a USER ID and PASSWORD, which is the same for any of the resources listed. I can’t post it publicly, but I will send it to you in email.

You will see one of the options is TUMBLEBOOKS, which is another reading site. I can’t create a class group with suggestions, so you will just have to search on your own. I suggest going to the search tool at the top right of the TUMBLEBOOKS home page, searching for EBOOKS under types of books, and then filtering your choices according to reading level, so you get the most challenging books.

You will also find research resources such as WORLD BOOK, along with EXPLORA, which had many cool things to read and learn about on a variety of topics. We will need these resources when doing unit work, and you may also find things relevant to your Independent Project Research.

Happy reading!! And look for my email to you with the password.

Ms. D

Reading Around the World 4/2 #1 of 3

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your patience as we get everything set up on MS Teams. If anyone is unable to view my videos from the Morning Message or is unable to log in to TEAMS, please let me know via email right away. This week is really about making sure everyone is set up so we can move forward.

Now, I want to talk about READING AROUND THE WORLD!

So, you all had a Reading Around the World Challenge Booklet that I provided earlier this year. Some of the books will be hard to find now that you don’t have immediate access to a library or the school. So, I am going to start giving you reading assignments using the online library EPIC.

  1.  Go to EPIC website.
  2. Click on the blue LOG IN button at the top right
  3. Click on the blue STUDENTS & EDUCATORS button in the middle of the screen
  4. Put in our CLASS CODE under the STUDENT LOG in, on the left side (I will email you the code)
  5. Choose your NAME on the next screen
  6. Go to MAILBOX to look for assigned books I have picked for you to read
  7. Click on a book, then once it loads, press the HEART button to add it to your reading list.
  8. As you read, I will be able to see your progress. Thus, we can continue with READING AROUND THE WORLD!

You are also able to add any other books you want to your favourites list.  You can also search for books. I hope this provides us with another tool for reading, as I know many of you have used up your resources at home.

Kindly,

Ms. D

Morning Message Each Day 4/1

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are doing well today! In the shared Google album link I sent to you in email, I have added a Morning Message for you. Each day, I will try to post a message for you.

If you haven’t responded to your Outlook email from school yet, please do that so I know you are reading my emails. Many thanks!

I am looking at how we can get connected via video conferencing, but in the meantime, we can connect on Microsoft Teams using the messages on our main page or “channel” as it is called. Make sure you check the feed for our class there. Please let me know if you can’t access it.

Our main goal this week? Finish the 3 basic assignments I posted, and then use your schedule from one of those assignments to some of the activities listed. Submit your assignments and e-port entries, and you will receive responses from me showing I saw it! I am loving the e-port entries so far, and thank you for sharing your thoughts!

I will be asking you about your schedule in a future e-port, so please make sure you are creating something you can use daily, so you get a routine going for yourself!

I hope you are all having a good day, and please don’t hesitate to contact me about ANYTHING. I am here to help support you and also to listen if you need it.

With kindness,

Ms. D

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