Classroom+Rules

LET'S DEVELOP OUR OWN CLASS TREATY How Do We Want To Be Treated? How Do We Want To Be Talked To? What Will Help Us Learn? What Do We Need To Do To Learn Best?

Using An inquiry Approach...
** Class Rules - What Are They? Why Do We Need Them? What Difference Do They Make? **
 * IMMERSION: ** You could build a scenario here, use a video, stimulate discussion through a photograph...

The Students....

**1. DECIDING:** Following an initial brainstorm, students come up with their own questions using Who, How, Which, When, Why, Where, What

Use the class blog to visit other classes of a similar age who are also blogging. A range from other countries would add interest. Have students ask their questions as they visit. Remember to leave a return URL so they can recevie the reply. You could stimulate the inquiry with the Challenge "I bet you can't come up with (e.g. 10) different rules....."
 * 2. FINDING OUT: **

Have students post their own thoughts in their blog articles. The richness of ownership comes from each student doing this and contributing what they find back into the larger group.

Compare the results gained.

DIGGING DEEPER Divide the students into groups of four and ask them to select a rule that they feel they would like to have in their room. One rule for each group. No-one sharing the same rule so you will need a number of rules... Have some spare for early finishers. They could do another. Reread the rule. Discuss why it is so important. What would the results be if this rule wasn't part of the class? Could the rule be reworded in a more positive way?

A Mini Inquiry (Practicing the inquiry skills) Have each group: - Brainstorm ways to communicate this visually in a photograph. - Plan your visual story outline - Take four photographs to capture the meaning of their rule in their class.
 * 3. USING THE INFORMATION **

Review: - Consider effective use of text, image and music - View Effective Advertisements. What makes them effective? Are they emotionally engaging? What makes them a powerful learning tool? What is powerful learning? Develop a set of criteria as a class for your multimedia advert

What photographic techniques would help in conveying this information more effectively. Perhaps comment could be invited from a photographer, posting questions via blogs or having one come in to talk about this with them. They will need to arrange this although the teacher will need to prepare the photographer that this request may come, selelct blog sites that are reputable that children could post questions on to etc.. Introduce photographic techniques, different types of shots, and look at the placement of subjects within a photo frame. The teacher could provide some examples of still photographs from google images, movies and magazines images to illustrate how photographic and mulitmedia techniques can be used to convey different moods and meanings. What effect does the music have in a video or DVD? Check out picture books in your library...

Have children revisit their photos and take new ones if need be. Develop a MS PowerPoint slide show and save in a class folder under the file name which relates to the Rule.
 * 4. ANALYSING THE INFORMATION **

Poweproints could then be uploaded to Authorstream and then embedded within each students blog article so they ge tthe kudos for their creations.

Next Step: The Class Presentation: When all are completed, with sound, text additions etc, these powerpoints can all be loaded into the one class slide show using Insert File.
 * 5. COMMUNICATING: **

**6. EVALUATING OUR PRODUCT & PROCESS** : You could then celebrate your learning. Rebrainstorm and compare what you knew then to what you know now. Ask children "What Difference Did We Make? How has this made a difference for you? Consider the effect on others, our use of the tools, who and what helped us learn? What have the outcomes been? What would we do differently next time - to improve the product? to extend ourselves?

**Going Further / Spiral On Up** ....This powerpoint slide show can then be printed out and used in he "What Rule Didn't You Understand?" How could it be made more meaningful for you?" Students could then redesign an advert repeating in a similar fashion some of the stages above or perhaps coming up with a rap. a drama, a logo...


 * ===[|Use This Site To Create A Bill For Your Class Just Like They Do In Parliament NZ] ===