Sep
11
We have been reading ‘Where the Forest Meets the Sea’ and ‘Belonging’ by Jeannie Baker. We put the two books together and thought about weaving some beautiful trees. First we drew the landscape onto a plate. Then we painted it using watercolours. We then made the tree trunk in the middle of the plate. After this we chose different colour wools and wove them in and out.
We hope you like them, by 2B
Aug
22
Jun
5
2B worked hard today to develop their skills in navigating a keyboard and mouse with two hands, whilst completing another Learning Zone activity in MinecraftEdu. This time students’ had to build a bridge across a lava pit without falling in. Afterwards they needed to recount their adventure and draw a diagram with labels in their English journals. This is an extremely busy and popular literacy session.
Mrs Booth and Mrs Butler
May
14
2M are taking part in the following English/Minecraft project. It is hard as they must learn how to navigate the space, keyboard control keys and read at the same time. This is also tricky when you have small hands and have to use both of them simultaneously. For many students this is the first time they are using this program which has been specially modified for teachers. The reading in-world and crafting of tools exposes them to different forms of sense making/comprehension as they problem solve the task. Already there are student experts on hand to guide other students who are having difficulty. Finally, the students are documenting their experiences and creating illustrations reflecting their learning.
Task:
The MinecraftEdu map being used is called ‘The Learning Zone’ and was created by teacher Mr Solomon. Educators’ click on this link to access the download:Â The Learning Zone
Mrs Booth and Mrs Mellitas
Mar
20
The Hiroshima Bombings
Dangerous and devastating
People having trouble
Communicating.
Full of fright
Unable to fight
Shocking and painful surroundings
Concrete hits the ground pounding
It was 1945
When the radiation filled the sky
The land is flat
From the explosive attack
If you look ahead
There are people dead
People die in unfortunate ways
They will love each other always.
Sickening wounds that never heal
Broken hearts that continue to feel.
By Blake
 6H have been viewing images from Nagasaki Journey (some are confronting and not for younger years). They discussed the impact of images on the viewer, considering features such as portrayal of people and places, colour, light and shadow, balance and unity, contrast, mood, perspective, symbolism, salience of various components, etc. They also spoke about the impact of the text slides and their effect on the viewer. Then they discussed how similar ideas could be communicated through words alone, and techniques that could be used to emphasise key ideas, eg repetition, simile and metaphor, alliteration, imagery, personification, etc. Finally, the students created a poem which communicates what the photos make them think and feel, and to encourage people to live in peace. Some of their poems have been published on their individual blogs. Others are still in draft form and will be published shortly. Click on the names to read them.
Jun
1
The challenge as educators is how we view and challenge ourselves, eliminate prejudice and develop and enrich our pedagogy to embrace digital technology. As Yager and Weeding (2012) write “In a society where digital technology challenges teachers to re-think traditional pedagogies, the re-designing of how curriculum is delivered could not be timelier” (p.105). Even the ACARA  Framing Paper Consultation Report for Mathematics states that “new and emerging technologies provide not just new tools for doing mathematics but also new possibilities for pedagogical approaches” (p.9).
Recently Mrs Hayes (our relieving Principal) and a number of other School Executives, who form the Collegial Leadership Network, met at our school to look at how they could meet digital technology requirements relating specifically to the NSW English Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum which becomes mandatory in 2014. After being exposed to some of the technological projects we are doing here at Coffs P.S. many of the Executive left feeling very inspired.
It is a reality that all Australian educators need to redefine their curriculum approach and how it should be delivered for the 21st century learner. This can be overwhelming however, as technological innovation and media saturation can cause many teachers to experience what is called “the pedagogy of discomfort” (2011, Hedberg). Ultimately it is up to the educator to become proactive in curriculum delivery and pedagogical approach. We must be able to navigate through the vast amount of digital information available, contribute to the knowledge base and develop rich learning experiences for our students.
Staff at Coffs Harbour Public School have been working hard to implement meaningful and authentic technological experiences for their students’. We are very fortunate to have had great success with a number of our leading technology programs. This makes for a fantastic head start into the new curriculum and with a number of exciting digital and virtual technology projects planned for the rest of the year we can feel confident that we are equipping our young students to become productive and worthwhile citizens in these new times.
Mrs Booth
Apr
7
On Thursday 6M wrote a draft response to a letter about a television show called The Simpsons written by a mother called Betty Boo. This mother thought the show was terrible and unacceptable and wrote that she would take the television station that screens it to court if they didn’t take it off air!  6M discussed the positive attributes but also explored the negatives and some ethical reasoning behind the story-lines. Afterwards the students drafted a written response  to be sent to the television station. Betty Boo’s letter was also full of errors and the students needed to identify and correct them. All students did a great job and Mr Murphy read out Cody and Pyke’s draft letters.
6M
Mar
21
Two fat green frogs live together in a pond. One day when old Clyde was asleep in the sun, young Lester decided to have some fun. This is a story about the pollution caused by humans and how it impacts the environment.
Here is a fun paper animation of the life cycle of a frog created by Studio Nos for Sesame Street.
2M and Mrs Booth
Dec
4
Stage 2 have recently finished the ‘Human Body’ unit of learning. The students created powerpoint presentations, quizzes, completed virtual activities, visual art and written projects. They were extremely busy and engaged as they immersed themselves in their learning. Click on the Youblisher book to view examples of their work. Great work everyone 🙂
3C, 3/4HE, 4P
Nov
26
As part of their English information report unit students from 5M also had to complete a virtual element by building the Antarctic animal they had been researching. They then needed to capture and upload their information report to produce a display. The students worked in groups and only had four lessons to complete the building component. They all did a great job sharing the task and collaborating on ideas. They used books and images when building to obtain authenticity. The Humpback whales look wonderful as they are feeding on krill 🙂 The other animals researched were:
Virtual Antarctica Information Reports
Ms Mulrooney, Mrs Booth and 5M
