I continue to be impressed by the conversation that Codenames is eliciting in my students. Hearing the discussion on a clue of “Birds:5” was interesting to see how they could connect it to as many cards as possible. I also added in the “0” clue, where I tell them at least one card/concept that is…
Category: Language
Language, Videos
AVADIN – Day 9 – All Grown Up
by Brian • • 0 Comments
One of my favourite BNL lyrics comes from a song called Baby Seat, “If you think growing up is tough, Then you’ve just not grown enough…”. I think it hits to the heart of the human experience, that the life we have lived doesn’t really get easier, and the things that we thought were so…
Language, Videos
AVADIN – Day 8 – So this is how they took the Hobbits to Isengard
by Brian • • 0 Comments
Video is a great way to find a provocation for different writing forms. Instructional writing is one form that can be staid and dry. I know that I am more engaged when there is an element of entertainment to it. Like this “How to Pet a Kitty” from theoatmeal.com. Some airlines have been doing the…
Language, Videos
AVADIN – Day 7 – What’s For Breakfast?
by Brian • • 0 Comments
One of the key tasks that students need to perform is the compare and contrast. It is the basis for many of our day-to-day decisions, and one that students find hard to verbalize. I like this next video because it gives the students an easy topic to look at, and then pick their own avenue…
Language, Videos
AVADIN – Day 6 – In Which You Speak Like A Conquering Hero
by Brian • • 0 Comments
I’ve always enjoyed a good twist on a formula, like Kimchi Fries, or techno played on a child’s instrument. And so I have found that students enjoy a good writing challenge that allows them to fill in the content to a unique structure. Witness the following: Based on a post written for The Best of…
Language, Videos
AVADIN – Day 3 – OK GO do this!
by Brian • • 0 Comments
Our board has delivered at least 50 mobile devices to each of our schools, with the hope of bringing these tools closer to where the learning is happening. The instructions coming along side their delivery was that their purpose was not to be a game station (or as “free-time” devices) but to be used for…
Language, Videos
AVADIN – Day 2 – *Gulp*
by Brian • • 19,620 Comments
Leading on from yesterday’s animation talk – this next video is an examination of what is possible with what is in our pocket. Billed as the world’s largest Stop Motion animation, take a look below: It is filmed entirely on the Nokia N8, and shows students how easy it can be to create using the…
Information Technology, Language, Videos
AVADIN – Day 1 – Bloop, There It Is! (or how I learned to stop worrying and love Pixar)
by Brian • • 19,670 Comments
My class is currently in the middle of an examination of Visual Literacy using short films. We have been focusing the work of Pixar (with a few other added in for variation). It is a great examination of both how we make movies, and the stories that camera composition tell, but also of the great…
Language, Math, Resources
ARADIO – Day 27 – If You Can Find It, Use It
by Brian • • 0 Comments
In my pursuit of cross-curricular applications, I stumbled upon a book that was at once awe-inspiring and wonderfully useful. It was “How To Count Like A Martian” by Glory St. John. Told as someone trying to decipher a message from mars, it goes through the history of counting systems and asks the reader to compare…
Information Technology, Language, Resources
ARADIO – Day 22 – Front Pages From Around the World
by Brian • • 23,035 Comments
While newspapers are fast becoming a niche market, it is still important for students to think critically about what they read and write. I find that when big news stories hit (like today’s), having students look at a range of responses helps them process the information, and gives them an idea about how the media…