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I noticed while researching thelittlebookroom’s tumblr that they do in fact also have an instagram and facebook account, as well as being tagged all the time on twitter and they have their own website! Talk about accessibility! Whoever is in charge of their media deserves a raise.

 Check out their instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/436487855/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLittleBookroom/

Website: http://www.littlebookroom.com.au

 I do think doing hashtag research is a viable alternative to some websites such as Wikipedia, as the range of results is wider. At the same time though, some caution needs to be taken when students are doing this kind of research for the very same reason. Not all social media platforms are on top of their reporting- I know I have reported some pretty unnessesarily offensive things to facebook in the past which have been “reviewed” and deemed ok, only to be re-reviewed weeks later and removed, at which point the damage has been done. Therefore I think this approach would have to be either heavily supervised by parents and/or teachers, and there would need to be some pretty accurate blocking systems in place by the school. Additionally, this approach could be used to help students understand the authenticity of the information online- students know that Wikipedia should not always be trusted, but cannot tell when- however students will instinctively know that all information on social media platforms such as facebook, instagram and tumblr that these posts are biased because they know just how easy it is to write their own posts.

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We are the oldest bookshop for children and young adults IN THE W O R L D !

While exploring tumblr, I came across this great page that posts every couple of days with the cover and a small blurb or review of picture books. This tumblr page is actually the page of a Melbourne book store that exclusively sells children’s picture books, so all the books it posts about should be available to buy too! This page jumped out at me because it showcases new stories and pays homage to classics such as Graeme Base’s Animalia 30 year edition!

Their site is:

http://thelittlebookroom.tumblr.com

 I have followed them and I already know that I will be spending way too much time and money there. 

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Bush tucker super crop!

http://splash.abc.net.au/home#!/media/103110/developing-bush-tucker-into-a-seed-crop

After watching this video, I would like to see a local indigenous elder visit the school and talk to students about the kinds of foods the local land offers. Where possible, this may also involve a short trip to a local park or reserve where students can explore the land and touch, smell and possibly even taste some of the local bush tucker with guidance from the elder.

This would be an ideal front-loading activity for the book My Home Broome by Tamsyne and Bronwyn Houston (indigenous authors), which explains the six seasons of Broome and introduces some bush-tucker names of that region.

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Another frontloading activity I would have the students do is scaling statements. One side of the room is strongly agree and the other side of the room is strongly disagree. The students will move according to their own feelings of the question and we will discuss their responses, making note first of the “judgment-free-zone” that is the classroom. This will elicit discussion in a way that is open and engaging. The statements the students will respond to are:

·      Poverty is man made

·      My actions affect the lives of people in developing countries

·      Being poor is a choice

·      Poverty is a problem in our society

·      We should send aide to other countries

·      All countries should work together to eradicate poverty

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I would use these questions to prompt discussion, getting students to turn to a partner and talk to each other about their predictions. If it is a whole lesson on predictions I might send the students back to their tables to draw a mind map of their responses or fill in a table, or even use the cover to prompt a whole writing piece. I would finish by reading some or all of the book to the class and ask if anyone's predictions were correct!

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ECL310 week 1 prompt

My most vivid memory of being read to at school was in grade 6 and my teacher read the first Harry Potter book. The series had come out a few years before and I had already read all the books that were out at the time, but I really enjoyed watching other people’s reactions as they heard it being read to them for the first time, and it was really interesting to see the other kids that don’t normally read actually enjoying it and begging for “just one more chapter”.

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The Holiday Prompt

Do you remember being asked to write about your holidays, on the first day of each each term? Well I do, sometimes it was easy, other times I did not have a great deal to write about. Can you reflect on your own experiences with this? Have you asked kids to do it in class yourself, have you used a holiday diary, a travel log, have you put together a photo album, did you write a blog, post to facebook, anything?

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Strangely, the only time I remember doing this was in the dreaded Italian lessons. We were given worksheets that had dotted thirds down the bottom and blank space up the top and we had to start with “Durante le vacanze…” and try and finish the sentence in Italian and then draw a picture. I don’t remember how many times we had to do it, but I do remember that I found it so hard to write a recount in Italian that I just started saying “I went to the movies” every single time.

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#ecl3102016 #ecl310prompt3

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This photo is a foundation classroom. As you can see there are not really desks in the room. Instead, there are learning areas, primarily set up for i-time. These can be set aside so students can do other tasks at the tables.

#ecl3102016 #ecl310prompt4