#My Final Blog

The best thing about Corinna School is that you always have people supporting and taking care of you like family. People are nice, kind and supportive, They take care of you when you are upset. It is easy to make friends at Corinna because everyone is wanting to know you. You feel welcomed and safe. You know that people will have your back

Another great thing about Corinna is that no one will laugh at you when you make a mistake. When I was doing my speech last year and was reading it out to the school, I was making mistakes here and there,  But no one really laughed at my me, they just  accepted it as mistakes. I didn't feel frightened after all.

When I first started at Corinna I was nervous, But people started coming up to me and welcoming me to Corinna. I was scared to play with kids but they started encouraging me to play with them. They would say words like “Come on, Let's go play and I wouldn't feel scared anymore

My Haikus

My speech about 21st Century learning

21st Century Learning

Ever since I started school, just 6 years ago, Learning has changed a lot due to technology! We can now access our learning when we are at home instead of only learning  at school. We choose how, when and where we learn.

Back in the traditional school days, Teachers were really strict. If you get even one answer wrong  you might get whacked on the hand. You also only had a limited time to write down what was on the board into your book and you always had to learn what the teacher was teaching to the rest of the class

In my opinion I believe that technology is helping us kids achieve better in writing, maths, reading and spelling. Many kids have improved in their spelling due to using the spell correct. Using the spell correct is faster than reading dictionaries all the time.                 

Sharing your work is more faster then waiting in line like you use to do. In the old days, we had to wait until the teacher could mark our work before we could move onto the next thing. Now you can share your work instantly by a click of a button. You can share your work with anyone you want and get instant feedback. You can have experts from around the world, viewing and editing your work.

In traditional schools you weren’t allowed to share your thoughts and thinking with the class, You had to remain silent. But nowadays, Sharing your opinions helps give  ideas for other kids learning. In maths were always sharing our thinking and opinions to help solve maths problems.

Here is a quote about 21st Century learning  written by Alvin Toffler - The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn

21st century learning is about preparing us to be successful in life, not just about gettin1g a job. I hope you agree with my opinion of why 21st century learning is the best way to learn and how 21st century learning has helped other students around New Zealand.

Thank  you for listening to my speech

By Sophie

Descriptive Writing

A Nightmare to Remember

Biting my tongue, sweat pouring down my face, and my legs shaking nervously. I taker one glimpse at my mum and saw her looking at me  with watery and sparkly eyes. I knew straight away she felt proud of me. This made me even more frightened like a fly about to be squashed.

I could feel butterflies flying in my stomach, I felt a wave of fear wash over me. I could see eyes directly on me, Staring me down. I felt like I was shrinking. This seemed like a nightmare to me.

I wanted to hide in a cave until the performance was over. My heart was beating at high speed with no control of stopping. My feet felt like they were glued together stuck and frozen.  It was impossible for me to look at the audience without my head being frozen to the right, looking away from the audience.

During the performance I kept adjusting my costume, panicking. I felt like I was a tree rooted to the floor. I wanted to run off the stage crying loudly like a baby.

At last, Our performance was halfway finished. I just wanted this performance to be finished in a blink of a eye. When were getting into our waka (Boat) sailing to Aotearoa I was taking little steps like a mouse.

It got to the point where I felt like I was about to faint on stage. I felt dizzy like I was on a merry go round. Finally, My nightmare was over. I felt calmed down and not tensed.  I kept taking deep breaths in and out. I was so relieved that my nightmare was over.

Year 6 Activity Week.

When the year 7 & 8's went to camp, all the Year 6's came together to create room 39! First I had to introduce myself to the room 9 kids by saying: who I am, where I come from, who's in my family and what my favourite subject at school, colour, food, singer and actor are.                                       

Introducing ourselves  helped us a lot when it came to "Camping in the hall" because we had got to know each other and make connections. It helps us not to be so shy and be confident when working with new people.

In the hall, we each got into groups of 3. The people in my group were Wynter, myself, and the leader of the group was Michael.  

When we were setting up the tent we had to work together and use teamwork.

For me it was my first time putting up a tent. I had to ask questions like: "how do we put up the tent?", "What can I do now?". We were the last group to put our tent up so Nash came and helped our group put the tent up.


After putting up the tent we got to decorate with imaginary, trees but really it was chairs and mattress inside our tent for comfort.                      

      

 Our next activity was using a compass. We learnt what was the purpose of the compass and how to work the compass. It was a fun activity because we learnt where North,  South, West and East were.


Later on we watched a video about how to make home made ice-cream. I was talking to Claudia about making ice-cream back in 2013. We talked about how  we had to shake a big bag with a small bag inside. We remember our hands being numb and freezing cold. 


Here is how you can make home made ice-cream:

                               

You need two bags (small) and (big)

sugar or honey (Your choice)

salt (To make the ice more colder)

Party Ice

vanilla essence

and strawberry or Passion fruit topping (Your choice)

After eating our delicious ice-cream, We had to take down the tents and pack up. Taking down the tent was easy but dangerous. We had to be careful not to poke our and anyone else around us eyes.

I had to untie the knot that kept the tent together. Michael had to take the mattress out of our tent and Wynter had to take back the chairs. We had to fold the tent up so it would fit in the bag that the tent came. 

It was heartbreaking to tidy up because I wanted to stay and do more camping activities. 


Here is an presentation that I created called
"Sophie's EOTC"

Chromebook Ambassador Learning Story

This year I am a Chromebook Ambassador. I chose to apply for this job because I am a Chromebook expert and a leader in my class. When I am being an ambassador, the Key Competency skill I am using is Self Managing.

Firstly, I can welcome our visitors and introduce myself to the audience e.g "Kia Ora!   My name Is Sophie. I am a year 6 at Corinna School"

The purpose of being a Chromebook Ambassador is to present my learning on the Chromebook to explain to the audience how we use our chromebook as a learning tool. I can speak clearly, loudly and slowly, so the audience hears everything I am telling them.

It is important I speak clearly and slowly So they can understand the information I am telling them and they get a good example about what I am learning on my Chromebook.

I can give eye contact so they know who I am sharing the information to and so they feel more welcomed. I have to remember most of my scripts off by heart so I am not always looking down on my Chromebook.

I am confident to allow people to look at my work on my Chromebook and answer their questions. I have to think real fast to come up with a sensible answer. Sometimes I don't know the answer to their questions so I just say "Sorry but I don't know the answer to your question, But you can ask someone else if they know."


Sometimes When Aggie and Claudia don't know an answer to a question, I will help them out by answering the visitors for them. 

When I am showing my learning on my Chromebook (e.g my blog)  I have to tell them how this learning tool helps me become a future focused learner. 

Here is what I will tell them: My blog helps me to share my learning around the world so others can look/comment on my next steps and give me feedback about how I can improve my learning . This helps alot because you can get people from America and all over the world viewing your learning and sometimes commenting what you did well and what you need to work on next.


Here is my Chromebook ambassador presentation and my Chromebook Ambassador scripts. 

Chromebook Ambassador Presentation   

Chromebook Ambassador Script


My next step is to know the answers to all the visitors questions. I have to learn more about my Chromebook and the purpose of using a Chromebook. 

Good Friday Learning Story

The purpose for my sports group and I was to create a sports video about Netball and Kio Rahi. We wanted to inform the audience how to get warmed up for their games and to teach people the rules and skills of the game. 
                                                                                

Our 1st try of recording our sports movie was not highly professional so we got together in our meeting group and talked about how we can make our sports video even more better. 

Eijah told us what role we were doing in our spots video. My role was writing the scripts. It was important because I had  to make sure the scripts made sense and also to add humour to keep the audience entertained. 

An K.C skill I used was listening to other peoples ideas so I can get information about what we are doing, so I can  explain it to others.

I also had to ask wondering questions when I was stuck so I know what my next goal is. (e.g When I didn't know what we were doing next  I asked one of the leaders (Eijah) What we are doing next.) 

I can share my ideas and explain/ justify what I am saying, For example: When we were sharing ideas about what we should do next, I said that we should do netball drills in our sports video. I had to explain what drills were suitable for us to do.



Another K.C I used was being a leader to the room 4 kids when the year 8's weren't in the class. I had to be a role model to the room 4 kids by showing and telling them the good things to do. 


My group and I had to work in a team to get jobs done faster. I had to participate and contribute in the group and help out others when they were stuck. 


Here is a link to our Script Writing that Claudia and I did and our Sports presentation.

 Script Writing

Sports Presentation

Writing Learning Story

In my writing I have been learning to write an Narrative. (e.g) When I was writing my conscription story, I had to describe my character. (For e.g) I was a mother to a 18 year old son, My 18 year old son's number was pulled out from the ballot and was forced to fight in WW1.  

In my conscription story, I was making two of the main characters Which was the mother and son have conversations with each other. Here is a part of one of the conversation: 

“Hello Mother.”

“Oh golly you're back from work so soon.”   

“Well I told my boss  that I was feeling quite tired. They kindly suggested  that I could go home early.”

“Well, you do look tired Tommy. It’s best you get some sleep.”  “I will quickly go and make your bed and get some warm clothes for you.”

“Are you sure mum?.”

“Of course I am Sweetheart.”

In my Conscription story, I had to put what I did in order For example:

I walked casually into  the living room just to find a newspaper lying on my 2 seater couch (Perfect for me and my son)

It was important to put it in order because I could make the reader feel confused. If I jumped a part in my story their probably be thinking: "How did she get in the living room? 


I can include an introduction and facts about the 5ws. An introduction is the important part of the story because it hooks you in.

 Usually you can start with a question for e.g Have you wondered what it would feel like if your son was forced to fight in war? You can make it interesting by saying Have you wondered in your life what it feel like if your son was forced to fight in war, Would you burst into tears and Would you fall to the ground with a stinging bang?. Doesn't that make you feel hooked in? 

When it is silent reading time I am always skimming and scanning for ideas to use in my writing. This skill helps me when I am stuck on a sentence and I want to add either a adjective or simile so I can keep the reader hooked in until the end.

Another example of my writing is my "Why do we commemorate ANZAC Day" We had to pick out the main information about the landing at Gallipoli and why we commemorate ANZAC day. 

I had to use all my research that I have learnt about WW1 and the Gallipoli landing and use it in my writing. The main point of was to explain why we should commemorate ANZAC day. We had to write our point of view of commemorating ANZAC day and why it is important to commemorate ANZAC day.

Here is a example: We commemorate ANZAC day because, Young soldiers wanted us to look up to them. Not because they died at a young age but because they enlisted to fight in WW1 with pride. (Even men who were forced to fight in WW1.) Lots of families were sad over the death’s  of their loved ones. But some families were proud of their loved ones that they got to experience WW1.  


I can also add smiles, adjectives and phases in my story to paint a picture in the readers head. This can also keep the reader wanting to read more and hooked in. Here is a part of my conscription story where I used a smile: I walked casually into  the living room



Here is a link to my conscription story and my "Why do we commemorate ANZAC day" 

Conscription story (The day my heart fell apart)

"Why do we commemorate ANZAC day?"

  

Reading Learning Story

In reading I have been doing my WW1 Jigsaw puzzle. We had to find the key information from books, Journals and the internet. We had to skim and scan to find clues and read between the lines. Once we found the main information we had to summarise the key words in our words so it made sense. 


I can ask wondering questions so I can get more information. Sometimes the information is correct and sometimes its incorrect so I always look it up on the internet to see if it is correct.  

Another  Subject I have been working on in reading is my Vietnam war. We had to read this sheet of paper and look for the keys words about the Vietnam war. I found heaps to others & my questions. This helped alot because I got more information about the Vietnam war and it was like I was going back in time.


I can use my prior knowledge of what I already know from television shows, Books and the internet. This helps others because I can give them examples or tell them what I already know. 

This is a link to a video of me reading a poem called Dawn Service" It is a Level 4/ Year 7 text: 


Click on my link to read my: WW1 jigsaw puzzle and my Vietnam war 
WW1 Jigsaw Puzzle  Vietnam War

Maths Learning Story

In maths I have been learning new strategies so I can solve a maths problem by using my prior knowledge of multiplication (e.g) Times tables instead of repeated addition.  

When I am in my maths group I ask if my learning team can repeat their idea more clearly. I ask ALOT of questions so I can understand what my classmate is saying. Here are some of the questions I might ask: Is there any reason why you chose to do that technique? I didn't  quite get the last part can you please repeat what you said?  

I read peoples body language (e.g) When Manea did not fully understand I could read her facial expressions (Which was the usual "I don't get what you are saying" Expression.) I could ask  "Manea do you understand, do you want me to repeat what I was saying?"  

Here is a technique I learnt with Taki  

13 x 13 (10 x 10) + (3 x 10) + (3 x 3) 

= 100 + 30 + 9 
= 139   

What I did was break down the numbers and was holding onto the numbers for the last part. Then I did 10 x 10 = 100 + 3 x 10 = 30 + 3 x 3 = 9, Next I added the answers up which were: 100 30 and 9. Together they equalled 139  '

My next step is to learn how to solve a problem quickly by using my prior knowledge of what I already learnt/know.