We are quickly catapulting towards the P'chum Ben holiday next week, but before that, students, parents, and teachers will be working full throttle in room 37!
Math
In math this week, students will be exploring two different concepts related to our place value and base ten number system.
First of all, they continue to explore the different forms of numbers: word form, base ten unit form, expanded notation, and standard form. We are staying on this topic due to a bit more emphasis on how digits change in value across the different place value columns last week. In grade 4, of course, this means looking at place values up to numbers in the millions. In grade 5, students work with decimals again.
Next, we will delve into comparing and ordering numbers in more depth. Grade 4s will be again working with whole numbers up to millions, while grade 5s concentrate on decimals down to the thousandths.
Inquiry through the lens of language
For reading this week, students continue to collaboratively research a belief system of their choice with partners, adding information to a shared Google document. Later in the week, they will be turning this information into some type of oral and visual language presentation. Students will choose what application or media they want to use to show this information. For example, they may use applications such as Haiku Deck, Keynote, or Google slides. They may also choose to use other applications such as Evernote, Show Me, or Educreations. Finally, many students will elect to make a good old poster!
In writing workshop, students still learn about the features of recounts and strategies of planning and writing them. Early this week, we plan and create a joint construction of a recount about our trip to the mosque together in groups on a shared Google Doc. Later in the week, students plan and draft their own recount about either: one of our other field trips for this unit, a trip they have taken to a sacred place outside school, or a celebration related to a belief system they have witnessed or taken part in.
Homework this week...
should be fairly straightforward. Students are being asked to reflect on their development of three learner profile attributes: caring, open-minded, and reflective. In order to do this reflection, students will be using a our Learner Profile Reflections for Report Cards Form. Students will be instructed to use their best grammar and spelling as they write three short paragraphs on how they showed these three attributes in this unit. They may want to go back and review homework assignments as part of reflecting on this.
In math, students will be doing paper homework for a change. This homework sheet will deal with word, standard, expanded, and place value unit forms of numbers. This homework sheet reflects the work students are doing in class exactly. However, as students cannot do this homework until they have been taught the lesson, I have stated on the homework sheet when students should start trying to work on the homework. Grade 4s should be able to start on Tuesday night, while grade 5s can start on Wednesday night. In the meantime, if your child would like to do more math, she/he can play the Live Math game on Mathletics.
Last but not least, students will be doing some small research into the Khmer holiday of P'chum Ben. Parents, guardians, and Khmer relations/family friends...the students want to interview you about this holiday (as well as possibly due some light internet research perhaps using the "research tool" from their homework Google Doc).
After obtaining some of the facts about P'chum Ben, students will create a small presentation about the holiday on either a poster, or one of the digital applications of their choice.
Reading is the same homework as always...read every night and make two entries on our Class Reading Log Form.
Notes about computers and homework
I know that some students and parents have had difficulty with how homework is mostly done on line, especially if students use an iPad rather than a computer.
Please be patient. The quality of digital student homework, and the ease with which they are completing it, gets better and better each week and I am very happy with progress students are making. It is natural at the beginning of the year for students to experience a slight amount of stress when learning new technology on top of trying to complete their homework tasks. However, I guarantee, stress over the technology is quickly disappearing (probably at a faster rate for children than for us adults).
Now, I do realise that sometimes internet does not work, or parents/siblings are busy with home computers. I have asked students to factor this during the week and not to use it as an excuse. Students are always allowed to use classroom computers at breaks, before, or after school if they arrange it with me. Students also can always use the computer lab computers at lunch time break, or before and after school. Part of time management for homework also involves resource management, right?
I also am usually online until about 7:30 PM. Students have been instructed to please email/chat with me if they ever have issues with online homework until that time. Many students have already contacted me with questions and have had their questions answered during these times.
However, I do ask that you ask your child to contact me, rather than you contact me yourself. This is not because I don't want to hear from you of course. Rather, I want your child to get practice in sending clear, polite, and responsible emails/chats in which they have a real world reason to be very precise in expressing their needs, misunderstandings, and questions.
Special Notes
This week we have parent teacher conferences on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Students will therefore be dismissed at 12:00 on both days. See you all there at your allotted times.
Please remember, as well, that next week schools and offices will be closed for the P'chum Ben holiday.
Classes will resume as normal on Monday, September 29.
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