This has been a tough week .. or weeks even - so this is just a very quick post to remind you all that you are truly wonderful and fantastic - and that, whether you realise it or not - you have GOT this.
The weekend is here - and we have 2 weeks to go to Term break. We can do this!
Just carry on being the AWESOME people that you are!
This year Earth Hour has partnered with Cool Australia to create an extensive curriculum toolkit. Teachers can download lesson plans, digital worksheets, Smartboard activities and a host of other resources to teach lessons that will last a lifetime.
Earth Hour is a WWF-Australia initiative, and is the world’s largest community-driven climate change campaign. At the center of Earth Hour is switching off lights to show a commitment to taking action. Thousands of teachers use Earth Hour’s education program to enrich their curriculum and provide pathways for young people to create change in their world.
Download the Earth Hour starter kit for your school: Earth Hour for Schools and check out the link below for a range of curriculum ideas and activities.
https://www.coolaustralia.org/unit/earth-hour-primary
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/QR-codes-teaching-andrew-miller
https://besthistorysites.net/ancient-biblical-history/general-resources/
https://www.bighistoryproject.com/home
https://www.abc.net.au/education/#!/home
Above are a few weblinks that may be helpful for either teachers or students. Two are history based and the other is our ABC education page - which covers a large range of materials. Check them out if you have a free moment or two. There is also a link with 12 Ideas for teaching with QR Codes.
Just a couple of Edutopia links to round off the week and give you something to think about. I also have the Edutopia site on the Blog Roll on the right hand side of the post, as there is lots more there to check out, if you are interested.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-unleash-student-creativity-and-reduce-fear-failure
https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-steps-getting-started-pbl
Just a reminder that you can always get your students onto snopes.com to check out the truth - or otherwise - about things that appear on Facebook, or all over the Internet.
Below are a couple of links to some of the more current things that people have been asking about recently - but there is so much more to be found. Take a look at the Crystal Pyramid one if you get a moment.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/crystal-pyramid/
https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/02/25/tank-kyiv-car/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/putin-hitler-time-magazine/
There are a few Special days coming up in March to remember. World Storytelling Day/World Poetry Day and International Day of Forests for a start. I have links below for people to check them out, if they wish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Storytelling_Day
https://www.wincalendar.com/au/World-Poetry-Day
https://internationaleventday.com/event/international-day-of-forests/
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
Then we have National Day of Unplugging - and also Pi Day for those Maths people among us. Links are added below.
https://www.nationaldayofunplugging.com/
Added to this is March being designated as International Ideas Month and also Craft Month.
Library Lovers' Day 2022
Remember the wonder you experienced when you first discovered something as a child? Maybe it was an idea, a place in nature, new understanding, or the pure joy of becoming lost in a new imaginary game for hours.
This feeling of childlike joy is the feeling that we're encouraging people to remember on this Library Lovers' Day through the theme: 'Show the love'.
It's a day to remember that our libraries are a place where we can get lost in an idea we are following, find an adventure we are seeking in a book, discover more about an issue we feel passionate about or get help from someone about something we want to know. These are all the reasons (and SO much more) to celebrate the valuable roles libraries play in our lives and to re-engage with our libraries and 'show the love'.
Below are some weblinks from the Edutopia site. This is a USA based site, but it has some interesting ideas and activities that look good for classes. I am not teacher trained though - so I just put them here, and let the experts (all of you) rifle through for anything useful.
Take a look when you have a little spare time and check them out. I have also mentioned it on the Blog List on the main page, so you can check them out for yourself.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-clever-teacher-tested-tech-hacks
https://www.edutopia.org/article/engaging-students-community-based-projects
https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-origami-teach-children-about-endangered-animals
https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-sustainable-future-one-classroom-time
Welcome to 2022 - and whatever that will bring for us all! It has been an interesting couple of years so far!
A big welcome to our new staff as well. And please don't listen to any scary stories that the other staff tell you about me - it's all fibs! I am truly the sweetest person around here!
Please see below for a brief run through of what is available/offered through the Library. If you have any questions, please just ask and any suggestions would be appreciated as well.
"Below is a list of some of what we can help you with. I put this list up each year, so if you go back through the posts, it is all there. Anything else? If there is something that you think we can help with, just come and have a chat. We have learned to be fairly good at pulling rabbits out of hats and we also like a challenge - most days anyway!
Students have a 3 week borrowing period while staff have a month. For most of the resources, we can adjust the loaning period for whatever is needed - at least till the end of term. However, this doesn't include the AV materials - that is a 1 week loan period only.
The school also subscribes to the TV4Ed system so if you are looking for something that has been screened on TV at some point, let me know and I will do my best to find it and put it on the school system for you to access. This often solves the problem of staggering and buffering while streaming the program. I can usually have the required programs up on the system within 24 hours - assuming that they are available on TV4ED, of course. "
So ... here's wishing you all an awesome term/year with lots of books and reading involved. Let me know any way that I can be of help to you this year.
We made it - and survived! Well, I think we did anyway?
It has been a tough year in SO many ways - and I'd like to thank everyone who has been there and helped to make it all work. I truly appreciate the support.
Time for you all to spend the next few weeks relaxing and getting ready for whatever 2022 brings us. (To be honest, I think that maybe we need to view the Terms and Conditions before we accept it!)
Remember to take the time to READ! It is relaxing AND research shows that it lowers the blood pressure. Besides - the Dinosaurs didn't read, and look what happened to them! Why take the chance??
For those of you moving on from here, I wish you all the best wherever you go and for those of you staying on, I'll see you all back here next year to do it all again.
Merry Christmas and the best of everything to you all!
Check out the weblinks below - they are from the Edutopia website (which is American based - but may have something you could use).
Not being a teacher, I am just guessing as to what may be helpful - so I'm hoping that this may be of some use - otherwise check out the Edutopia site for yourself.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/framework-boosting-high-school-students-math-confidence
https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-math-games-you-can-use-class-today
https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-simple-outdoor-science-lessons-inspire-students
https://www.edutopia.org/article/engaging-students-community-based-projects
This is probably running a bit late in the school year - but it will be there for next year. The first site is actually a game to teach skills needed - and the other two will help put together bibliographies for assignments - which is a skill that is needed for anyone with aspirations of going to Uni at some point. These sites will help cut a couple of corners and also cover a variety of referencing methods.
https://refquest.westernsydney.edu.au/
https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/how-do-i-cite-electronic-sources
https://www.citethisforme.com/
