Thursday, November 29, 2012

Kite Instructional Video

This is a little video that we put together to teach you a bit about steerable kites.  Happy kiting!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Test

This movie is Room 18's entry into the 2012 Manaiakalani Film Festival. Inspired by Tama Tu, a film written and directed by Taika Waititi in 2004, we set out to see what this concept (silent communication) could look like for us. After looking at several scenarios that were often related to necessary silence, we decided that we would like to fashion our script around a test. Prior to filming, we storyboarded the entire 1 minute, 32 second youtube clip of Tama Tu. 38 scenes later, we soon saw that this was a challenging project. It involved the entire class with everyone acting. We truly hope that you enjoy our efforts.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

What's The Story?













                                                                                                                                                After studying the picture above, please share what you think the story behind it might be.

What Does A Paintbrush Cost?


Remember to share your thinking and strategies, not simply an answer.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Unexpected Birthday

I can’t believe it, but I have forgotten my very own birthday!  How wrong is this?  Sad but true, and this is how it all played out.

Waking  up, I thought today was just going to be another ordinary day , but...NO WAY!  Unexpectedly, my mum shouted, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!!!”  I stood where I was, completely confused and wondered aloud, “What in the world are you talking about?” “Ahhh ,it is MY birthday,” I said as I smacked myself on the side of the head.

When I finally got up, I was as hungry as a grizzly bear  that had missed out on its’ dinner.  It felt like I was going to starve to death, but fortunately, there was some outstanding news that would save me.  I rushed to the shower,  got dressed, and set out to annoy my mum by asking her  repeatedly, “Can we go now?”   She eventually agreed, and we hopped in the car .  We were on our way.

I saw something in the distance and wondered what it was.  As we got closer ,I saw the sign more clearly,“Happy Days!” It is a restaurant, and my growling stomach is more than a little excited. Closer, closer, almost there now. I opened the door and there it was, my best friend.  I grabbed  a plate and walked over  to the buffet to say hello.   Good to see you Butter Chicken!  Where have you been Hot Crispy Chips?

I love my friends!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

This is a video that is all about some of the vocabulary that we encounter in Maths.  How many of the terms do you know?

Friday, June 1, 2012

Reflective writing - online novel study

In our classroom, we all have a novel study that we are working with. My group, the Einsteins, are reading an action book called ‘The Angel Experiment.’ This week our task is to look closely for new and interesting vocabulary.  Along with that, we are trying to determine what we like or dislike about the story, We MUST give reasons for these likes or dislikes.

This novel is about 6 kids that have some strange powers, but I’ll tell you more about those another time. One of the main characters is Max. Max has wings, is the leader of the group and is tough and fearless. Now you might be thinking that Max sounds like a great guy who looks out for his friends...well he is.  Now, here is the first twist in the story...Max is a girl! Believe it or not SHE fights mutant erasers (wolf people) that have a massive army and is a great leader and friend to her clan.

One of the things that I really enjoy about this book is that there are a lot of different emotions and innumerable action scenes. I love stories that have a bit of magic in them and it always helps if authors use great vocabulary to help hook you into their world.

Our online novel is a great place to share our thoughts and ideas as we read the book.  It challenges us to think about the great vocabulary that we are reading, and it gives us the chance to wonder about things as we read.  I feel like I’m actually participating in the adventures instead of just reading a bunch of words.  It helps me to see what my classmates are thinking as they read the novel with me.  

I’m really looking forward to continuing on this reading journey.  I have read other novels, but this one is definitely the best.  My reasons...action galore, powerful vocabulary and the opportunity to share my thoughts with classmates.  

This book is a MUST READ! You will not be disappointed.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Happy In Room 18!

This is a video that we put together with the help of Mr. Barks' daughter Laurien.  The purpose of this project was to focus on a part of us portray or present a message.  Did our message of happiness come across?  We'll let you decide!


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Mihimihi

This term we have been putting together a mihimihi, which is a story about who you are and where you have come from.  I think that it's not only important to know where you are heading in life but to also know where you have come from.  Be PROUD of yourself!

I hope you enjoy my mihi!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Rhythm and Pics

This is a collection of still shots from our Term 1 camp at school. In this particular project, we tried to take the shots and make them fit the rhythm of the music that we selected to go with them. We found this rather difficult, but recognize that it is an effective way to tell a story digitally. As you are watching these shots, pay close attention to the music and see if we were successful in achieving our goal.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the amazing members of Team 18!

While I enjoyed my summer break (as demonstrated in the accompanying pics),  I am truly looking forward to a fantastic year with each of you.  As we start the year off, let's all remember that our attitude will always determine our altitude.  While this may sound cliche, IT IS TRUE!  The success of the many adventures that 2012 has in store for us will be determined by our positive attitudes.

Ladies and gentlemen of Room 18... fasten your seat belts, tune in with great anticipation and  expectation as we reach for new and exciting learning achievements.