Today was the last day of the Shongo networks. I gave the students a very difficult problem. The solution was to figure out there was no way to complete the network. They have the problem in their binders. I would be thrilled if they would try to share it with you. No one was able to solve it without guidance, which is actually ok. It was VERY hard. Once I explained it however, they had a better understanding of the dilemma. The children also wrote network stories. I'll be copying these to share with everyone, so you'll see those next week.
We also did our regular Think and Touch activities. Feel free to look through your child's binder. They can explain the problems to you so you can see what they are doing when they first walk in my door.
I didn't have enough time to start another activity so I gave the students a choice of activities. The choices ranged from Reading to Math activities. I saw students reading books on mythology and short chapter books. Some students were trying to solve Rubik's Cube while others were using pentominoes to try and make a rectangle. Then there were the students waiting to get to use the Hanoi Tower games I have so they could continue to work on getting those discs moved in the fewest possible moves.
It's really interesting to watch what children choose to do with free time. I once had a student complain that free time in the GATE classroom, isn't really free choice, because everything here makes you think. :) That made me very happy. They are thinking, but when they can choose the activity, they don't see it as learning or work, just as fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment