Cartoons in the classroom.

Show the children a clip of playtime in The Simpson’s.

Discuss-What do you notice? Who is friends with who? What are they doing? Why might they have chosen these friends?

Lead on to drama activity-
Give each child a card with a brief character description on.
Encourage the children to role play the first break time in a new school.
Who do they make friends with? Why?
How did you decide who to make friend with?

Written activity-
Persuasive poster / description.
Why would your character make a good friend?
What qualities might they have which would make them a good friend?

Share your poster with your table, do you have any similar qualities?

Things to think about
Cross curricular links to:
Citizenship or circle time – bullying. Playground rules.
Art- picture profiles.
Check that the clip is appropriate for the age group, nothing offensive or that could cause distress.

Reading Path activity

Neopets! Our reading path...... www.neopets.com


Neopets is an interactive virtual world, in which you and your created pet live. This includes making a living to earn Neopoints (money), to feed the pet, play with it , and keep it healthy. You can also explore the world of Neopia and its inhabitants, news and history. On entering the site you are confronted with an exciting and interactive homepage :

This is an easy to navigate site, most of the text and images on the homepage are links to others parts of this extensive site. There is a quick link list down the left side of the page to the main parts of the site. All instructions for signing up and creating pets are easy to follow in step by step stages. Your route through the site is mapped out for you as you follow the step by step stages. As you become a regular user you are then able to become an independant user and can travel unaided through the site. You can also join neopet chat forums and recieve neomails (e-mails) on the progress of you pet or any other activities you are involved with on the site. Many of the activities involve video and sound clips, games, text, images (moving and still) in a colourful and interesting way.

Implications for teaching children to read.......

1. Helps children to become familiar with the language of instructions - including structual features and grammar.



2. Children are presented with a variety of multi-modal texts to choose from, which they have to interpret and use themselves.



3. Children need basic ICT skills to be able to use this site, it promotes an interactive type of text which gives children the opportunity to browse.



4. Giving children this type of multi-modal experience can help children working at text level, it allows children to interact with the text at a deeper level, and have control over what they are reading.



5. The links require the children to associate language and images with areas of interest and make links between their learning and understanding of language. For example in this page of the map of a part of Neopia all of the images are linked to pages, so children need to interpret the images, before they can get to where they want to go;

When children have access to such exciting and multi-modal texts through the internet and new technology, it is a challenge for teachers to match this in the classroom. When trying to engage children in the classroom it is important to consider that they are used to interactive and colourful text which stimulates them. Incorporating this into their learning experiences in school is an effective way of motivating and engaging children.

Penny & Sabine -xxx-

Mother and Baby are doing fine =D

Holly came out of hospital on Friday

Keera will be in til she has built up some weight

Thought i'd keep you guys updated on here =D

Love Laura
XXXX

Neopets!!!!!

www.neopets.com

Neopets is a type of online community, aimed at the young and young at heart, it allows you to create a virtual pet within the world of Neopia. Owning a pet means you have the responsibility of feeding it, playing with it, educating it and keeping it happy. To achieve this you need neopoints (money) which you can earn through working, or winning games or selling valuable items in the auction or in your own shop.

Millions of adults and children use this site, which also includes chat forums, magazines, competitions, and a messaging service. Its a huge site with thousands of links and activities...warning: it can become addictive!

Follow the link and create your own pet, the blue cow thing at the top is mine, shes a self made millionnaire called lovemelotsxxx and enjoys gambling, fighting in the battledome and making money!

I made this account with some friends when i was 14, found it again last year and have become a bit hooked ever since!....for the saddistic among you its also quite fun to torture your pet and find exciting ways to kill it.

Have fun...but if anyone asks, i dont use this site and am a mature grown up.

Pennyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S. we will do the tasky bit on this later in the week this is just a bit of info about it.

Critical Literacy

Critical literacy is a term which is frequently contested as it involves the deconstruction, analysis and meaning making of texts. Some don't like the idea of this as they believe it can take away from the pleasure of reading as a leisure activity. While other just interpret it as being critical towards all text, which is not the case (as stated above). Having the ability to examine texts critically enpowers people to be able to choose their own beliefs from what they read. It also gives the ability to be able to challenge what has been read and offer informed opinions.

As an educator it is important to teach children critical literacy, as they are privy to messages sent through texts everyday-newspaper/television/magazines/advertisments. Texts in its different forms are an important part of our societies everyday life, if children are unable to examine them critically then they will be unequipped to process information in the real world and will therefore be disadvantaged. Having the skills to probe and gain deeper meaning will allow them to more successfully understand and operate in the world around.
To achieve this we would provide a variety of multi-modal texts in the classroom, which are current and familiar to the children. This way they are more likely to have an interest in it, as they can see the relation to their lives, and it makes it a purposeful activity. Using a variety of shared texts in the classroom and discussing the different aspects of it can help children to gain the skills to think critically. While doing, this it is also important to give attention to the fact that reading is also an enjoyable activity, where the children are able to experience different means of creativity and ideas.

Sabine Mclean-Thorne & Penny King

Joke for the Week

Replying to an Intivation to a Scientists Ball

Pierre and Marie Curie were radiating enthusiasm

Einstein thought it would be relatively easy to attend

Ampere was worried that he wasn't up to current research

Ohm resisted the idea at first

Edison thought it would be an illuminating experience

Watt reckoned it would be a good way to let off steam

Darwin said he'd have to see what evolved

Descartes said he'd think about it

Newton was moved to attend

Pavlov was drooling at the thought

But Dr Jekell declined - he hadn't been feeling himself lately

The new addition to the english group.

Holly has had her baby!

Keera Rose Turner!

Shes 4 pounds 10 ounces ......born at 4pm on the 16th January!

Baby is fine but Holly is a bit poorly.

Laura is the proud Godmother!

Isn't she cute!

Laura & Penny xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx