I think I Prefer Screenr.

Yesterday in the post below I made a screeencast that took me a long time to figure out and at the end I was not that happy with the quality.  I also had to download the software, and that can be a nuisance when you are dealing with computers and a server.

So today I thought I would try Screenr.  This is an online service so nothing needs to be downloaded, and I can embed it in a blog.  So I tried it out and I was much happier.  The sound is reasonably good, despite a little hiss, and the picture is significantly clearer.

I can definitely see this little piece of software being very user friendly for my class.  They often teach each other about blogging, so this could inspire them to make a series of tutorials that we could have as a bank for new students. They could then follow them in their own time.  They do need to log in, but this can be done easily with your google email, which the students have.  The other requirement is Java, and I know we have that installed, I am not sure if its updated but that is easily seen to - I think!

Here is a very brief video to my students using the reply button for threaded comments, which we are not doing! Myself included.

Sabbatical Adventure Begins.

Well actually it began a little inauspiciously with a trip to the Doctor for antibiotics.  Can you believe it, first day in and I get sick!  Typical teacher story I guess!  So five weeks to explore and learn about what interests me.

However today I have started to feel the excitement of taking time to think about, learn about and increase my skills in the area of digital storytelling mainly.  I have just been searching on my computer for my application form for the sabbatical. Can't find it. Luckily I made a blog post about it here, so  I have my map!

As I read through it my first thoughts are - "Way too much!"  However one step leads to another and I think while I will keep the map and questions in mind, I will go where my interest at the time takes me. I sense I will focus on digital storytelling and only include the rest if I have time.  Over the last year  I have been saving web pages that I have come across into Diigo, so I have plenty to start with.  You know, all those interesting pieces of information you just don't have time to explore as you are caught up in the nitty gritty of everyday school life.

People have asked me are you going to travel, visit other schools?  Well I don't plan too, but who knows.  The beauty of the web is I can visit the USA, or Auckland or Christchurch or wherever, and never leave my study room. I can attend a online seminar or if I can't attend the seminar led by a teacher who's work I admire,  I can view his Prezi and interact with him on his blog.    So I have started exploring  Kevin's Meandering Mind blog, he is  an active teacher, learner and person who shares his learning story so that others may learn too.  I quickly peruse his post when he writes, but now I have the time to really dig deeper into it.

Today because of a screencast I watched on Kevin's prezi I have spent some time exploring software that would enable me to do that.  I have Jing downloaded but didn't go too much further into it because it does not have a file format suitable for uploading to say You Tube. I spent quite a bit of time looking at Screenr, Screencast etc.   What do I want - something that is:
                                                                     free
                                                                     has audio and video
                                                                     allows a little editing
                                                                     has a friendly file format and allows music to be placed.  (Couldn't find a free one - I guess you could have it playing on your computer as you screencast.  I trialled that, sounds a little tinny but would be an option.)

Finally I settled on Active Presenter and here is a little screencast I made exploring this software. I haven't got a full handle on it yet. I suggest you watch it in full screen as it is not clear when in the smaller size.

It's Monday...

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

I read just the one book this week - Super Finn by Leonie Agnew.  It was a quick read once I got going, and I even surprised a few laugh out loud moments out of myself.

This book would mainly suit about Year 6, although one of my Year 8 students awarded it 4 out of 5 stars.

Leonie Agnew is a teacher and I think there was some gentle ribbing going on regarding how PC our schools can sometimes be.

This coming week I thought I would go for:

Marty Maguire by Kate Messner            - been meaning to read this for awhile.

The Flying Beaver Brother and the Fishy Business by Maxwell Eaton.

Babymouse  Puppy Love.

It's Monday...

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

I fell off the wagon there for a couple of weeks towards the end of term and first week of the holidays.  I kept reading but just didn't find the energy to blog. Up and running again now!

During that time I finished the Hunger Games trilogy, I had to stand in line with some of the readers in my class who were also madly passing them from hand to hand. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them, even though the whole concept was so repugnant to me.

Another book that stands out to me in last few weeks is Smile by Rainer Telgemeier, a true story told in graphic form.  It so speaks to girls of that 

12 -13year age group and some of those in my class are reading and liking it.  I book talked it to those who had braces!  What I notice is when I have finished a book I drop it on the small table by my desk.  Before I pick it up to book talk it someone will approach me and ask to read it.  Seems they keep an eye on 'the 

spot'!

I am going to count Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt into this week as well.  I did read it over the NZ summer break, and have spent our 1st term reading it aloud to my students.  They all fell in love with it too! We finished on the final day of school, as I closed the book there was a spontaneous round of applause.  Now I know its not my reading, it was the book. I so love this book, I loved reading it again - the voice of Doug comes through so strongly. His intimate way of addressing the reader had some of my students spontaneously answering him as I read.  As we read along I placed a picture of the bird that the chapter referred to and I found that a tremendous help.  Fabulous read aloud book. My students are very keen to read more books by this author so I must check out The Wednesday Wars.

I have just finished this book Wonder and it was amazing. I know everyone that has read it will say that.  This is a book that I want to read aloud to my class.  I won't be there this term and I can't decide whether to drop it into the class library now, or hold it over to when I return in Term 3.  It can be bought in NZ book shops which is a plus.  

Reading this book was a spiritual experience, one that touches the human heart in a way that you know you can never be the same after reading it.  If you are looking for a book with a theme of kindness this is it.

This morning in my Google reader I noticed these two posts, I think you would enjoy finding more out about this book here in this post by Teach Mentor Texts

and this one on Read, Write, Reflect.

This coming week I am going to be reading Super Finn by Leonie Agnew, a book contender for the NZ Post Book awards.  

Maybe something else as well, I will see where the mood takes me.

It's Monday. What are you Reading?

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

I was able to read the books I had set myself, with a little self - discipline thrown in. Why? Because my first read was not an easy one!  It is an entry in the non fiction section of the NZ Post Book Awards.

This was a non-fiction book and told like a graphic novel. Except it was non fiction! It recounts the life of Kimble Bent who was born in Maine USA, and grew up there. As a teenager he travelled to Britain and joined the British Army.


Eventually he found himself in New Zealand fighting with the British in what has become known as the Taranaki Wars in the 1860's.  It gives a lot of insight into this period and into this remarkable man. Deserting the British army he was taken into a maori tribe and lived and fought alongside them, although he was treated as a slave.  He learned many of their customs.  He eventually died in 1916, he would have liked to travel home to Maine towards the end of his life but that was not to be. 


It was stark black and white and at times I found it difficult to follow, also the list of maori names and place names also had me struggling a little.  One of the boys in my class has just finished reading it too, he relished the fighting and history!  One of the girls gave up on it.

My next book Babymouse Cupcake Tycoon was light relief after my previous book!


Some of my girls are now wanting to know when I am going to have more Babymouse books!

I was also able to speed through my next book The Stonekeeper which was a very good graphic novel. I have the next one waiting to be read as well.

The last book I have read is The Flytrap Snaps - #1 in The Flytrap Papers.
This book is by NZ author Johanna Knox and is a contender in the junior fiction section of NZ Post Book Awards.  This one had not been entered into Goodreads  so I got that privilege.

This book is set in Filmington! A place that used to be farmland but has been taken over by the movie industry because it has volcanoes, snow capped mountains and rolling farm land within easy access.


This book is a good example of an author writing using What if.....  What if a place that is great for movie making ( and in NZ who doesn't think of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit locations) is taken over in a fanatical way by movie makers. And so the story goes on.  An easy read, but entertaining, humourous and well paced.


The coming few weeks are going to be busy - school wise. However this week I hope to read
The Life Cycle of the Tuatara by Betty Brownlie  Non fiction - NZ Post Book Awards.
Shaolin Burning by Ant Slang   Picture section - Graphic novel - NZ Post Book Awards.
The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm.
Zita - The Space Girl  by Ben Hatke

Daily Five 6 Weeks In.

We have now almost completed six weeks in our new school year and Daily Five is up and running.  We have Read to Self, Writing, Working with Words and Listening all operating.  I haven't reintroduced Read to Someone and may not this term.

I have managed to organise my conferring a little better this year. Signalling who I am going to see listed on the whiteboard has been helpful.  I am note keeping using Evernote.  I have given up using the table form I set up at the beginning of the year as it moves around too much.  So I just keep a plain page - dating each conference and adding notes. Each student has a notebook and I have a Reading Conference page for each.  It is working well, I find it suits me better to jot down a few words as I work using pencil and paper and then I  spend 5 minutes at the end of a session putting them into Evernote.  I keep watching out for the Penseive app from the Two Sisters!

I have also introduced the students to writing a letter response to me about their reading.  I have assigned them a day on which to hand these up.  As yet they are in their initial stages and still need encouragement to share their thinking. I am finding it a challenge to make the time to reply to each.  I think it will take us awhile to develop this aspect.  I was just thinking I need to model it again and wondering where I will steal the time to do so.  Then I remembered a book review I read yesterday on Zita the Space Girl that I think might suffice for now.

CAFE has been introduced and we are exploring expanding vocabulary.  I am finding that students are needing some strong encouragement in this area.  Having noted the Vocab board in the Two Sisters newsletter a few weeks ago I have set up a similar board.  We worked on a word taken from the book I am reading aloud.  We had some fun today using it in our oral vocabulary.  I have just read an article in the March Reading Teacher on vocabulary which has been helpful.  I have heaps more that I can read so I must explore this area more.  I want the students to grow their interest in words while they are working independently.

A video of our session today.  As we walked down to the local library we only managed one session today. The visit to the library once a fortnight gives us access to some wonderful books and we thoroughly enjoy going there.  I was able to take out Zita the Spacegirl to add to my reading pile.

You will notice we have a long narrow room with spaces that work well. Love it.

It's Monday. What Are You You Reading?

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

 I had a better reading week this past week, the week before was a bad week for reading with nothing finished.

The first book I finished this week was The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis. Very interesting and really liked Deza very much. A very courageous young girl. However if I had to choose between Doug Swieteck of Okay for Now or Deza, well I have to admit it would be Doug.







In New Zealand we have the NZ Post Book Awards. There are 5 nominations each in picture books,  non-fiction children's books, junior fiction and senior fiction.  The final choices will be made in May. They can be seen here.  NZ Post Shortlist.   Some of our students are reading them and then in May we have a local Mastermind quiz on the books among local schools.  It is a lot of hard work for them but also very rewarding. As I want to read these books as well some of my reading has been and will be these books.

Just Jack by Adele Broadbent is the story of Jack who leaves his home at 13yrs to become an apprentice jockey.  It is set in 1931 and includes the Napier earthquake. I enjoyed this book and rated it 4 stars.  Realistic and historical fiction.

This book is by Barbara Else and was also enjoyable. It started really well and left the reader with many questions to be answered. So it is both mystery and fantasy.  It is well written and for most of the book I was hooked. However by the end of it I was a little more disengaged. Everything ended very well tied up and I just got a little bored. I am interested to see what my students make of this one. I awarded it three stars.




For the coming week I plan to read:
Babymouse Cupcake Tycoon - Jennifer and M Holm
Amulet - Book One The Stonekeeper - K Kibuishi
And two NZ Post Award books -
The Flytrap Snaps by J Knox  and...
Kimble Bent - Malcontent.  By C Grosz