Mermaid Moments
The digital art depicting mermaids that Winnie has posted, combined with a link sent to me by Carol Abel has prompted me to explain how I am thinking about this Magic Beach project.
I have prepared a unit based on Blooms Taxiomy which covers the seven ways to learn. Bloom categorizes the learning styles and identifies them as Verbal, Mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Kinaesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal and Intarpersonal and I have prepared activities for each category, covering the elements of knowing, understanding, applying, analysing, creating and evaluating.
So, now that I have Winnie's mermaids I may very likely show them to my students and present them with some alluring options. For example, we could use the mannequins I use for self portraiture with Year 12 students and make some mermaid figures like this 'Muse of the Sea' that Lois Daley created while working on a similar project with me.
Sarah Boland loved what I do with mannequins and so we used these torsos to show what Veronica Bee and other characters looked like when we studied 'To Love Veronica Bee'. Sarah has since had an animator feature the finished mannequins in a short animation. Taking the activity to this level demonstrates to students just how far an idea can be taken and provides them with more incentives to participate.
The link Carol sent to the mathematical, science project shows just what you can do with a simple paper plate. For the Magic Beach I would simply change some of the activities and might get students to make the steering wheel for the outboard motor boat that they ride the waves on and have them do some research about motor boats. The learning opportunities are only limited by our imaginations.
One of the more unusual aspects of what I am doing here is that I am taking a book that would normally be done with Grade 1 or 2 and I am using it as a vehicle to present curriculum to students ranging in age from five to fifteen. I may well engage my Year 12 students and that will expand the cohort and demonstrate that a teacher does not have to find new material for different age groups.
I have prepared a unit based on Blooms Taxiomy which covers the seven ways to learn. Bloom categorizes the learning styles and identifies them as Verbal, Mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Kinaesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal and Intarpersonal and I have prepared activities for each category, covering the elements of knowing, understanding, applying, analysing, creating and evaluating.
So, now that I have Winnie's mermaids I may very likely show them to my students and present them with some alluring options. For example, we could use the mannequins I use for self portraiture with Year 12 students and make some mermaid figures like this 'Muse of the Sea' that Lois Daley created while working on a similar project with me.
Sarah Boland loved what I do with mannequins and so we used these torsos to show what Veronica Bee and other characters looked like when we studied 'To Love Veronica Bee'. Sarah has since had an animator feature the finished mannequins in a short animation. Taking the activity to this level demonstrates to students just how far an idea can be taken and provides them with more incentives to participate.
The link Carol sent to the mathematical, science project shows just what you can do with a simple paper plate. For the Magic Beach I would simply change some of the activities and might get students to make the steering wheel for the outboard motor boat that they ride the waves on and have them do some research about motor boats. The learning opportunities are only limited by our imaginations.
One of the more unusual aspects of what I am doing here is that I am taking a book that would normally be done with Grade 1 or 2 and I am using it as a vehicle to present curriculum to students ranging in age from five to fifteen. I may well engage my Year 12 students and that will expand the cohort and demonstrate that a teacher does not have to find new material for different age groups.
posted by Heather Blakey at
7:02 PM
2 Comments:
Hello Heather,
This looks like a wonderful project. I'm really fascinated with the idea that you're using one book for all the grades. Super teaching skills!
By
Believer, at 11 May, 2005
Thanks so much Barbara
It seems bizarre to me that many teachers spend their day coming up with different curriculum for different classes when a common idea has universal appeal. I tell my students that George Lucas, Shakespeare or Picasso would enjoy working in one of our sessions and that the only difference would be that these professionals might come up with a more polished, more complex response. However I do remind them that within simpicity you find complexity and that their ideas take my breath away.
love Heather
By
Heather Blakey, at 12 May, 2005
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