Saturday, February 28, 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Read Around the Planet Video Conference



Today, despite the -44 Celsius degree temperatures in Pelican Narrows, the Gr. 7.1's connected with their reading partners to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. This was our first live chat with our partners , although the teachers and students have been communicating somewhat via this blog and with emails between teachers prior to today. By the way , their temperature was +44 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Gr. 6 students from Roseville did a great job with their charades which depicted three of their favorite scenes from the novel "Julie and the Wolves". We managed to guess 2 out of 3 charades correctly- one depicted the first caribou kill by the wolves and they guessed our enactments of the 'belly basket scene and the 'Amaroq ignores Julie' scene.
The Roseville students also gave us directions on how to draw a car/truck seeing as they reside near the 'car capital of North America- Detroit'. They did very well in our Cree language lesson and it seemed like they were eager to guess our Cree words and offer their English translation. They pronounced 'tiniki' and 'tansi' like true Woodland Cree speakers.



The trickier part of the session was guessing their favorite animals as their choices ranged from alpacas ,ferrets,monkeys, chinchillas to penguins. They did a great job researching the facts and they even had illustrations/photos to show us.

Our clues for our favorite living thing were as follows: 'has red eyes, is black, has 2 feet located at the rear of their body, is a great swimmer,eats fish and spears them. We tried our best to demonstrate the call that these 'fowl' make. Do you know what our favorite bird is? Hint #1: One of our coins is has a picture of it on one side. Hint #2: The coin is yellow and is worth half our Twoonie.

My students thought it was important that we give a clue like the call because all animals and birds communicate in unique ways and here in the North , people need to learn to imitate these calls because that is one way to attract the animal or bird to within reasonable distance for hunting/eating/survival purposes. Our favorite bird is not for eating but the Elders say they are good , no great weather and wind indicators depending on the time of day they give their calls out to the world.

We closed off the session with a power point-virtual tour of our community with photos taken by the students. Roseville will email us their power point and we will try to post them here for all to see and enjoy.

I believe that students are teachers and that teachers are students as Mr. Mark Prensky, renowned educator and lecturer speaks of and when we use the tools of technology to highlight students' capabilities and talents, we are using a medium that helps them to engage with others in an immediate and interactive way. Today, both classes of students were quite able and capable of sharing , communicating, collaborating and engaging each other in today's media experience.
Well Done Everyone! Thank-you Mrs. Miglio and students for participating, cooperating and sharing your insights and imagination.

Gr. 7.1 Thoughts about the Video Conferencing Session

"It was so cool to see them in person." C.M.

"I was nervous but after I saw the students, I liked teaching them how to speak our language." A.B.

" It was good to do the acting because it helped us to see what their favorite part of the novel was." A.D.

"It was awesome to be the teachers." J.M.

"I hope we do it again, I'll know what to say next time." D.S.

" I was glad to show them pictures of Pelican, I can't wait to see pictures of where they live." M.B.

" It was unbelievable!" D.H.

" Those students were so tall and big. They looked like they were in Gr. 8." S.M.*

*This comment initiated a conversation that lead to diet and genes and DNA in a round about way. We talked about the price of food in the North and how costly it is to buy fresh vegetables, fruit and milk that help children grow into strong,healthy people.

" It was fun to hear them speaking Cree. They were brave to try!"

" I have never done this kind of learning before. I want to do this again soon!" S.M.

"The Gr. Sixers were so brave and were good speakers!" C.M.

"As a result of our great decision to have conversations and make a commitment to join Reading Around the Planet we have connected with a very intelligent group of peers from Michigan. We have new friends-colleagues-collaborators to engage with and we'll continue learning and sharing what we know in further activities/assignments in our next venture, which is to become epals." Cheryl Morin

Learning Challenge

In our upcoming plan to email our partners, think of some questions to ask them about our video conferencing session.
Be sure to let them know what you liked or learned through the video conferencing experience.

Glogster

I am posting this glog created by a young artist who has graciously given me permission to use it as a great example of creativity and giving voice to an area of interest that students might have and want to share with others.
Web 2.o tool, like a poster with audio!!






This glog shows Tamika's idea of what she would put on a poster to encourage others to read "Julie of the Wolves". The images speak many different messages while her text asks the reader to imagine what kind of life Miyax was living back in her home or might still be living if she wasn't forced to get married and then what might happen to Miyax (Julie) if she continues to roam the dangerous tundra alone. This is based on her ideas after reading Part I.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Roseville Student Bios

Hi my name is Katie. I’m 12 years old. I am in karate, and cheerleading. I love to read. My favorite books are the Twilight saga. I read all of them. My favorite movie is Twilight. I also like Juno. That movie is really funny. I am overly obsessed with ferrets and vampires. Ferrets are adorable. And vampires are awesome. My favorite color is black. I like to paint my nails black, and I have a black room. With Twilight posters everywhere. I love Edward Cullen. ( Robert Pattinson.) and if you don’t know who that is, it’s the lead vampire in the Twilight movie. This is Edward Cullen.




http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/EdwardCullen.jpg
















Hi my name is Austin. I am 11 and I have a dog named jack .I also have a little brother . He’s 4 and is a real pain. I like rock music (metal, alternative, and punk). I have a lot of friends and I am a prank master. I love cars, I know everything about cars. Talk to you later.


☺ Hey my name is Brittany. I love gymnastics and dance.
I have 2 brothers, and a cat named Chloe. I love going on the computer and having fun! I like to play to play games, like Scrabble. I also like to do puzzles. My favorite color is purple and light blue. When I am bored I like to listen to music. My favorite singer is Rhianna. I am overly crazy about monkeys. I just love them. I really want a monkey room. Right now I have 16 monkey stuffed animals.☺

Hi my name is Daniel j.I like Slipknot they are a metal band.They have numbers my favorite one is #3 Chris Fhen.I also like army .My favorite tank is the tiger 1 .I like wrestling I like Jeff Hardy.


Hi! I am Emily! I am going to be 12 in a few weeks!!! I can’t wait! I love animals sooooo much! They are my life! I have 4 pets: a German Sheppard mixed dog named Moe, an English parakeet named Buddy, an Under Water Clawed Frog named Speedy, and a shorthaired guinea pig named Charlotte. I have 2 brothers, a sister in-law, a mom and a dad.
I don’t play any after school sports… I just walk and run around outside. My hobbies are: volunteering at animal rescues, sewing, crocheting, writing and I collect webkinz. Do you collect webkinz? I have 42, and I’ve been collecting for 1 ¾ years. Bye!!!!!!!


Hi my name is Jenna • I’m in the sixth grade • I’m twelve and my birthday is in December • I have two siblings • I’m the middle child • I love penguins, they’re just so cute ♥ I play softball in the summer • I have played softball for six years • Well… That’s me, bye☺


My name is Krista I was born on August 5, 1996 . I also have a brother and a sister . I have two dogs named Zoey and baby . my favorite color is blue and pink . my favorite animal is a duck. So see you later.


Hi my name is Raziya. My favorite things to do are, hang out with my friends and watch television. I love watching reality shows. I have a cat his name is, Felix he gets very hyper at times but he’s still cute .I have a lot of things to tell u, I have a big sister who is 15 years old and I’m turning 12 this year.I’m very DRAMATIC. This summer I’m signing up for modeling and I’m really excited. I love music. I love Beyonce so you might have ever heard of her but if you did that’s cool. Got to go bye!


Hello. My name is Samantha L. I’m 12. I’m turning 13 in December. My favorite colors are red and black. I live in Michigan. I love to listen to music. My favorite singers are Avril Lavigne, Metro Station, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Jonas Brothers, 30H!3,ect. If you haven’t heard of any of them, then you should listen to some of them because they’re good bands. The kind of music I like to listen to is like alternative, rock, emo, punk, dance, and that kind of stuff. I love to skateboard. I love to go to the movies. My favorite movies are The Nightmare before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, and Twilight. I have a girl cat named Billy, a black lab mixed with a German short haired pointer named Roxy (dog), a girl long haired chuwawa named Paris (dog), and a fox terrier mixed with a Pomeranian terrier named Gottie (dog). The instruments I like to play are the Trumpet and the Guitar. I like to act but I’ve only been in one play, Annie. I also like to write stories and books and stuff. I also like to read. My friends tell me that I’m really weird and funny. I like to watch Fred on YouTube, too. Well that’s all I can say! Bye!


Hey my name is Autumn. I’m 11 years old. I don’t really like any books. My birthday is august 27 my favorite sport is volleyball. After school I like to hangout with my friends. But I mostly hangout with my best friend Paige. I have 1 sister and she is 1 and a half years old. I hangout with her sometimes when I get really bored. When I am I alone I like to listen to music.


Hi my name is Collen. I have two sisters one brother I also have two cats and three cats. My sisters are 18, 13 and my brother is 17. I like alot of music and TV.


Hi, my name is Jesse. I have one brother and one sister. My favorite band is Metallica. I have one dog. My favorite hobbies are playing video games and wrestling. I am 11 years old. I am turning 12 on June 11.


Hi my name is Robert I am 12 years old my b-day is Jun,22, 1996 I have 3 brothers and 1 sister. I have 2 dogs named Seaser and Shadow tell me about your self.I like to box people for a sport.


Hi, my name is Tessa. I am 11 yrs. Old. The kinds of music I like are Pop, Power pop, some times a little bit of rap, and some country. My favorite bands are 3oh!3 pronounced 3 oh 3, fall out boy , Avril Lavigne, boys like girls, my chemical romance, weird al,and Taylor swift .I have 3 pets 1 cat and 2 goldfish if you want to call that a pet. I also have 3 sisters and no brothers. The oldest ones live in Florida, and one sister lives in Texas because she’s in the army. That’s about all the info. I can think of.


Hello. My name is Jarred. My favorite kinds of music are anything that falls in the rock group. My favorite band is Disturbed. I am currently reading a book called Halo: The Cole Protocol. My favorite animal is the king cobra. They can grow up to 13 ft (3.96m) long! My favorite movie is Home Alone.





Hiiiii. My name is Paige. E. I live in Roseville, MI. I have 3 brothers, a step-sister, and a step-brother. My favorite colors are Baby Blue and Pink. =]]!!!I love to hang out with my friends, and I like to spend time with my family (, but sometimes they can get annoying.)I love to go to the mall, go to the movies. My favorite sport is volleyball. My parents are divorced, but I still live with both of them. My favorite music is Hip-Hop, R&B and Rap. My favorite animal is a kitty. The things I can`t live without are my phone, music, my friends and my boyfriend. My best friend’s name is Autumn but we call her Autii. I have a very big family I even have family members that live in Canada. I don`t see them a lot, I haven`t seen them since my grandma passed away and that was awhile ago. One of my best friends passed away in 2007 her name was Alison. I miss her a lot. Well that’s all about me.


Hello, my name is Ryan. I am 11 years old and soon to be 12in September. I like playing my playstation2 and playing basketball. My favorite types of music are rock and heavy metal. I have 2 cats named Troop and Faith and I have a fish named Chomper.


Hi my name is Travis. I live in Warren, Michigan. I only have one sister. I have two dogs, and five cats. I like country music. I like the movie Memphis Belle, about a famous Boeing B 17 Flying Fortress. I like the USAAF Handbook. I like airplanes like the Fokker Dr.1. Two of my heroes are Erwin Rommel, and Manfred Von Rictofen. I’ve been to Canada one time. I like this show called Monster Quest. I’ve seen six Undentified Flying Objects. I like the US Marines. My favorite Helicopter is the UH 60 Blackhawk. My favorite ship is U 47. My favorite cars are the Ford F 150, and the Ford Mustang. My hobby is Basketball. My most recent game I won 41 to 13.


Hello, my name is Benjamin . I have 1 brother and sister. I have 1 dog and her name is Ashley. I like to collect star war figures . My favorite book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I like to listen to country music. I have 2 bikes and they are the same style. I like to watch Fox 2 News.

Roseville Teacher Bio









I’ll post a real photo when I find one of just me!

Hello,
My name is Mrs. Becky Miglio. I have been teaching in elementary schools in Roseville, Michigan for about 13 years. This year I teach 6th grade. I have a wonderful husband, and we have 4 children, ages 13, 11, 8 and 6 years old. I also have 2 Boxer dogs named Spike and Isabella. I love to ride horses. I ride English style. Three of my children also ride, but my oldest jumps hurdles when she rides. I play classical piano, but since we just got a drum set, we all have been trying our hands (and feet) on that!! I like to read fantasy and informational pieces.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Cree Lesson #2 Vocabulary from Julie and the Wolves


Get a Voki now!



1. iskwisis- girl
2. mahihkan- wolf
3. kona- snow
4. keewatin- north


The URL below is a wonderful site to access for other lessons in the Woodland Cree dialect as well as other Cree dialects.

When on the site, click on either 'Audible Resources' on the left side for other examples of the Woodland Cree language. Happy Browsing.

http://www.giftoflanguageandculture.ca/seasonsflazoom.htm

Learning Challenge:

Find other key words in the site posted that relate to our novel.

Example: Caribou

- How do you spell the Woodland Cree word that means caribou?
- How do you say 'caribou' in the Woodland Cree language?

Ask your family (parents, uncles , aunties, grandparents) some traditional Woodland Cree words and we'll test other students to see who can guess the meaning.

Create a Cree speaking voki which uses interrogative sentences(ask questions) and declarative sentences. (answers in a statement)

Ex. Where are you going? What is your name? Do you want a drink of water?
I am going home. My name is Rose. No thank-you.

Cree Lesson for Roseville Students in Gr. 6


Get a Voki now!



The animated voices can be created at the site www.voki.com

Key Words:

1. Tanisi- "Hello, How are you?"

2. Astum- "Come Here"

3. Tiniki- "Thank-you"

4. Egosi - "See you later!"

Questions About an Ungulate





What is an ungulate?

What type of ungulate is featured here?

Where might you find this particular ungulate?

How does this type of foot help this ungulate in his environment?

How do you think I was able to obtain these pictures?

What do you think is the story behind this ungulate


Grade 7.1 Responses to our Teacher's Unusual Pictures and Questions

THe discussions took place in the classroom in a very round about way. It was like a game of 20 questions and Clue together! The answers have been typed here by the teacher.

1. An ungulate is an...

animal, a big animal like a moose or an elk. by Austin

animal you could eat. By Monte

animal that lives in the North. By Mathew

animal who can run fast because his feet can dig into the groud to get a good grip. By Jeremiah

animal that has a hard foot. By Jess M.

animal that has a hoof but it could also be a cow from a farm. By Summer

animal that could live in the North and the South. By Cesley

Deductions led to the answer that an ungulate is a caribou or any animal with a hoof.


2. The ungulate in the picture is a...

moose. (Guesses by Austin, Monte, Tamika, Carissa, Darcy, Kerry)

elk. (Mathew, Brandy, Cesley, Summer, Jess C. , Jess M.)

horse. ( Destiny, Ginelle, Colby)

caribou. ( Jeremiah, School Elder Gilbert Linklater, Custodian David Custer)-Right Answer


3. Where might you find this particular ungulate?

*Answers were written on the board by teams.
* This type of ungulate could be found in...

Saskatchewan. Right Answer
Manitoba " "
Arctic " "
N.W.T. " "
Y.T. " "
Nunavut " "
North Pole



4. How does this type of foot help this ungulate in his environment?


*THis type of foot is able to...

kick their enemies so they can protect themselves.
dig for food.
run on rocks without getting hurt.

All of these good ideas above are correct.

5.How did our teacher get these pictures?

*These pictures were ...

taken in Brochet, Manitoba because she went there.
borrowed from someone in Pelican Narrows who killed this caribou.
from clip art.
found in a magazine.
taken by our teacher. Right Answer

6. What is this ungulate's story?

*This ungulate was...

someone's dinner.
a hunter's catch.
in the wrong place at the wrong time.
given as gift from one friend to another.

All of the above.

A hunter from Wollaston Lake area in northern Saskatchewan shared a hind quarter of this caribou with the teacher's dad and family. When the teacher's dad asked her what was new in her life during a phonecall she told her dad about the blog, the novel study with the students from Roseville, MI., he told her he could save the caribou hoof so everyone could see what it looked like up close...in a virtual way!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Virtual Field Trip of Pelican Narrows by 7.1

7.1 in 2008-2009

We hope you get a sense of our life in our learning journey. A picture is like a thousand words. Please share your comments, questions, or suggestions about our first effort at movie making. Thank-you.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Wolf Communication

Auditory-Body Language (Using sounds and actions to send messages.)




What do you think they are communicating?

Lessons in Values from "Julie and the Wolves"

Values are guidelines that we use to live our lives in a good manner. We learn values through lessons that our parents/family teaches use. Honesty is a value . We will tell the truth if we value honesty. We will be able to wait for something if we have been taught how to be patient.

In the novel, "Julie of the Wolves", Julie/Miyax is afraid on many occasions but remembers her father telling her, "When you are fearful of something , change one thing that you're doing and your fear will be decreased." Readers see her as being brave or courageous.Miyax is also resourceful and thankful in many instances throughout Part 1:

Ex. Since there are no trees on the tundra, she uses caribou scat to start her fire in order to stay warm and cook her food.Ex. Miyax prays and makes up little songs to show her thankfulness for the food, friendship ,and protection she receives from the wolf pack.

Describe 2-3 values that are important to you or your family? As you read through the novel, add to the list of values that we learn from Miyax and the other characters- wolves included.
(To share your information, click the pencil in this section to add your post here.)

Personal/Family Values:

I am kind when I share my time or snacks with others without expecting anything back.
I am polite when I say "please", "thank-you" , and "excuse me."
It is important for my family to take care of the land. When we go camping or travelling we put the trash in the proper place. We like to walk to save the air from further pollution. By Cheryl

Values in the Novel:

Amaroq is a fierce protective leader but is also very gentle when playing with the wolf cubs.(Cheryl)

Friday, February 13, 2009

Tamika's Bio

Hi name is Tamika.
My birthday is on december 2,
I have an father that passed on to heaven.
I'am twelve years old
I have five brothers & 3 sisters
my sister Krystal bird is not from pelican narrows.
I have a nice freind named Meagan Custer & NAthaniel Michel.

Jeremiah's Bio

Well my name is Jeremiah i was born in Saskatoon Saskatchewan but now i live in Pelican Narrows. I have a mom named Noreen, a dad named franklin and a sister named naomi and my mom is having an other baby in june. my birthday is in september 8. I like going to the Saskatoon Ex for the summer break and i stay in Saskatoon for the two and a half months for the summer break.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

What is an Arctic Skua?

What do you know?
WHen I was reading a section from Julie and the Wolves, I came across the name of a bird , Arctic Skua , and had no clue what type of bird this was. In my web search for something else, I discovered what an Arctic Skua is. Enjoy. (To access site, Highlight URL, right click on mouse, left click on web search, wait 2 secs.) I am not sure why sometimes my links work this way and sometimes a totally different way!!


http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/arctic-skua.html


When you come across any topic in the novel that peaks your interest or are unsure of what it is, make a note of it, do some research on the web and share it on our blog. When we share information, we are collaborating.

7.1 Learning Experiences Thus Far



You are invited to leave an oral comment during any one of these slides. Click the COMMENT button and follow the directions. It's easy and interesting to do.

Reflections:
Students in both schools have limited access to computers and websites, nor does every student have a computer at home to use. Conversing about the idea of a blog has motivated the Gr. 7.1's to want to talk with the Gr. 6's. The idea of Epals (electronic pen pals) has surfaced.
We are still waiting for one class to have permission to use the blog as part of their activities for Reading Around the Planet and E.L.A assignments. Our class has a lab with very slow Internet connection and has experienced frustration at not being able to log on as a group. We do not have the necessary hardware like headsets or speakers which adds to the irritation of not being able to completely use some tools effectively.
Access to the various tools may also be a problem however students will try tools that their school allows but they might not be able to share their creations on this blog.
As I am learning how to blog, I discover new possibilities and hurdles at the same time. My class has done alot of thinking, trying/problem-solving, asking questions of others , and experimenting to try to arrive at solutions to our blogging dilemmas.

Believe It or Not!!



Yesterday, as we were walking to our arena, we came across this canine. We thought Nanook looked like a huge wolf. He is a giant compared to the other dogs around our town. He is as friendly as a baby but alot of people think he might be part wolf.

What do you think? Describe 4 ways that regular tame dogs and wild wolves are the same? Name 5 ways that they are different.

Colby's Bio


Hi My Name Is Colby. I Was Born In Prince Albert S,K. And Prince Albert Is A Great City From I'm From Pelican Narrows Which I Been Living In Pelican For Seven Years But We Might Move Out So I Only Have A Little Bit Of Friends But I'll Still Miss Them If I Move Out. My Parents Names Are Brennan & Karen And I Only Have One Sister Her Name Is Nicole She's Older Then Me But I'm Taller But Everyone Thinks That I'm Older But My Sister Is. And Hobbies For Hobbies I Usually Go On The Computer But Some Times I Play Games I Love To Travel To Edmonton, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Calgary, Jasper, And Some Other Place That I Don't Know. And Mostly When Were Traveling I Listen To Music Like Miley Cyrus, Simple Plan, Metro Station, Faber Drive, Lady GaGa, Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne, And Some Others Singers I Like Lots. I Have Two Best Friends They Names Are Jeremiah & Kyrie And I Think That's All.

Jeremiah's Bio


My name is Jeremiah I was born in Saskatoon Saskatchewan but now i live in Pelican Narrows. I have a mom named Noreen , a dad named Franklin , a sister named Naomi and my mom is pregnant with my new brother or sister. I have lots of friend and cuzins in pelican one of my best friend is Colby and My favourite cuzin is Kyrie. I like going to the Saskatoon Ex it is really fun. My birthday is Sept. 8 and thats all i have to say well bye bye.

keagan's bio

Well, my name is Keagan. I'm 12 years old and I live in Pelican Narrows in Saskatchewan. I have 6 sisters and I'm the only boy. I'm in Gr. 7.1 . My teaher's name is Cheryl.

Amy's Bio


Hi! My name is Amy Lynn........ I like Pelican the most! Is it cool over there
cause it's cool over here. It's a popular place too.............................................
............Tansi! It means "How are u doing over there? ..............................
Do you understand cree? ...................My best friend is Shania Marie. What's your name? You can be my friend if you tell me your name first ok. I like ski-dooing. What about you friend? My best sports are volley ball and hockey. I am a girl.

Kyrie's Bio


hi im kyrie and there are 8 of us in the family i have 4 sisters 4 brothers
and my parents are marsha & tyler and i live with my grandparents and they are
marriette & roland.....and....i play hockey for the pelican blazers and
i like to play base ball,basket ball but theres no basket ball team here and some times soccer....and...i love to travel to flin flon.prince albert,saskatoon and
la ronge........and......i to go hiking and traping i the woods........and.......
...when i grow up i want to be a teacher........and.......i like to listen to 3 doors down,matallica,akon,lil wayne that all..........and...... i have a friend name colby he really loves soccer and loves to travel to places like prince albert,saskatoon ant that`s all.

David's Bio


Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo people do you understand meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee if you can thats great.I HATE to eat veges but we all got to be healthy right.My favorite is dry meat dry neat comes from moose meat a moose is a woodland animal it has 4 legs and antlers. antlers are long and sharp. and it has a fury body. it has a puffy tail and hooves just like a horse it is faster than a moving car and I,m a boy. Who ever is watching this is cool peace out yall.

jessica c.bio



I like to hang around with my friends and they are Doreen,Jessica,Jazmine,Melissa,Amber,Sylvia,and Rhona. My birthday is July 12. There are 6 kids in my family- 4 girls and 2 boys. And I like to go down hill ski-ing with the class. It takes 4 hours to get there.My name is Jessica.

Kylie`s Bio



Well I'm Kylie and I like nature and hunting for moose and duck meat.I like to eat fish. And what else? I guess I like to go boat riding and catch fish like walleye. And I like hanging around with my friends as in Hommie's... Lol. We like laughing and walking around Pelican. My birthday is on September 6. I Have 2 wonderful parents and I Have 2 beautiful sisters and I have 2 Handsome Brothers Hahaha. Pelican Narrows is a country town. You can do alot of cool stuff here.

Austin's Bio



Hi! My name is Austin and I like to play hockey and I have a hockey team. My hockey
team is called the Pelican Blazers and I have six goals in total. The hockey
coach told me to go score those goals I just went to go score those six goals and I
made my coach suprised when I scored those six goals. I made my parents suprised when I told them I scored those six goals and I even made my self suprised. Okay I am going to say something about my self again okay.

Pelican narrows school is kind of big and I am in grade seven point one. My teacher's name is Cheryl and she is a good teacher. That is my teacher okay.

I was born in Flin flon, Manatoba and I am tewelve years old. I like driving my five fifty ski-doo because its fun driving around Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan but kids here are having alot of fun playing games in Pelican Narrows, Saskatchwan and we have a arena here in pelican narrows saskatchwan alot of kids go skating. After school sometimes I only go skating. When I fall down it hurts but its sill fun skating at the arena. My best hockey players are Ales Hemskyand, Sheldon Souray and my best goletender is Dawayne Roloson. THose hockey players I named and the goaltender I named are from a National Hockey League and thier hockey team is the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Oilers are my best team. Okay, I'm done about my self. By Austin.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Local Wolf Tracks





I used a quarter and my foot to compare the size of the wolf prints. I now wish I just would have used my hand...but it was such a cold day. I was out with my dad and my nephew to walk around the forest and sandy hills. We soon changed our minds and built a huge fire to warm up and I believe to keep the wolves away. We heard two howling and I will never forget that sound. It wasn't scary but it was long and loud and it seemed very close. Perhaps they were saying, "What are you doing in our territory? My dad thinks they were out hunting for moose. We left them some food- chicken and baked potatoes!

1st Voice Thread Venture: Experiences of 7.1 Thus Far

http://voicethread.com/share/345781/

Highlight URL and click on earth icon when it pops up, then click on (go to http://)

Learning Challenge

Add your comments to the VoiceThread you find.

Make your own VoiceThread about any topic that tells us what you value/think is important!

1st Class Visit and Impressions of our Blog

Destiny- "It's kind of weird to see our teacher on the net."
Jeremiah-" It's interesting."
Keagan-"Jeremiah took my idea."
Tamika-" I don't know what to think about this."
Summer- "Not sure."
Brandy-"I want to make one for myself."
Monte-" It's not bad."
Jessica M. -" It is awesome!"

Create Your Own New Virtual Photo Stand In


http://illustmaker.abi-station.com/index_en.shtml


My instructor for my Master's class suggested we try this free program to replicate our students identity for safety purposes. It's fun and easy.

Create image, save onto documents. In a new post, click on the little picture above the box in "Posting- Create", click on the document, paste and here we are. Then publish after a short bio is created: Ex. Likes, Dislikes,Interesting Facts about the students just using the first name.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Modern Day Needs for Arctic Survival



I hope you don't mind the music...if not, ;O)
Do you remember what Miyax had in her survival pack? I believe it was alot lighter than this tourist's pack!

Try to find clothing and supplies that a true Inuk ( singular- 1 person) would wear and use. Perhaps even make your own travel brochure or video...

Team Work

It is the duty of every parent to feed their offspring, and wolves are very good providers and parents.



During our Animal Guessing Game in our video conferencing session, try to have a clue about your animal that focuses on what it eats and how it gathers it's food.

Skill and Speed

This video is intended to show the hunting skills that are required to feed a wolf and/or the pack. In nature, animals are predator and/or prey. To feel sorry for one or the other is a human quality, but in the animal world the wolf needs food to survive.



Learning Challenge

In Science you may have learned about the food chain. Find out where the wolf is on the food chain and what animals share his food chain and are above and below it.

What other food chains do you know about. Diagram one using MacPaint if you have Microsoft tools.

Identify the food you have eaten in one day. See if you can determine where the food original source might be.

ex. A hamburger- ground beef is from a cow or maybe the ground meat is from the moose, the bun is from flour which came from grain perhaps from Canada's bread basket provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta) or from the bread basket states. How many states in the U.S.A. grow grain?

Canis Lupus Arctos Communicating and Connecting



www2.sd43.bc.ca

Sound is only one to connect and communicate with others.

Learning Challenge

Look around your yard at home or parks and watch the behaviour and body language (actions) of animals and birds. What do you think they are saying? What do the actions mean. Ex. If you have a pet dog, does he wag his tail when he sees you?
If you have a cellphone with a camera/video tape capabilities, record some samples of animal communication and share it with someone in class.

If you have permission, go online to learn about other ways that animals communicate verbally and non verbally with each other and toward people.

How do students communicate messages non verbally (without using words)?
Ex. Thumbs up or thumbs down What does this mean to you?

Share your ideas in your journal, on this blog, or with your classmates.

Google Map Locating the Key Players in Reading Around the Planet for Feb. 26, 2009

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=2&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-google-mm&utm_medium=ha

This URL will allow us to add new points on the map if we wish.

Highlight web address and click, you will go to Google Maps, click on Creating Connections and voila, you will see our locations.


View Larger Map

Learning Challenge

If your parents have given you permission to have an email address
try to make your own Google Map showing points on the map where your family (immediate and extended) lives in the world or where you have travelled. Create your own map using your own ideas.

Key in Google Maps in the Google search engine. Once linked, click on Create map.
Invite your parents to help you locate all of the places your family is connected to.
Share your maps with your classmates. Perhaps ask who has relatives across the many oceans or if anyone has visited Asia. Just know that the possiblities are endless. There is no limit to the things that you can do with Google Maps or learn from any Internet- Web 2.0 tool.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Introducing Our Participants


Hi,


My name is Cheryl Morin. I have been teaching for sixteen years in Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan. I moved here from Winnipeg, Manitoba so I could learn how to speak Woodland Cree, which is a language in the Athapaskan Language group. One class that my students have is Cree Culture. In this picture, I am learning how to set a rabbit snare. I didnot snare any rabbits in this outing.


During the winter, I enjoy participating in outdoor sports like snowshoeing and alpine skiing, and in the summer I love to travel, camp in a tent, and go on canoe trips in the wilderness.


I really really love to read books and watch documentary dramas when I have some time for myself.


I am excited to be partnering with the Grade 6 class from Roseville, Michigan and look forward to learning alot from them and my students during our project.



Participant Learning Goals:

1. Have fun learning from your own discoveries and create a connection with your
classmates and partners to find out what their discoveries are.

2. Take the time to explore (read, comment, post) this blog once a week from
home or at school.

3. Experiment with the tools that are introduced and even seek out new tools to
introduce to us.


4. Ask lots of questions and share what you know to help others answer their
questions.

The 5 W's About "Creating Connections."

Introductions:

Hello to our partner Grade 6 class taught by Ms. Rebecca Miglio in Roseville, Michigan for the Reading Around the Planet project which will occur on February 26, 2009.

My name is Cheryl Morin. I teach the Gr. 7.1 students who attend Wapawikoscikan School in Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan, Canada. Wa pa wi kos ci kan is a Woodland Cree word which means "Narrows of Fear". There is a whole legend behind the naming of our community school.
There are approximately 600 students in our school which houses Grade 4-12.
There are multiple classes of every grade in our school.
We have 24 students in our class who speak both English and Woodland Cree which is an Indigenous language.

Project Overview

The purpose of this blog called "Creating Connections", also known as an online journal, is to introduce the use of Information Communication Technologies to you in order to engage ourselves in our school projects and assignments through the use of these tools. ICT consists of tools from the Internet also known as "Web 2.o tools" -"record keeping like DVD/CD, Flash Memory; Broadcasting like radio, television, podcasting; Voice and image communication like cellphones, cameras; Computer hardware like personal computers; Personal hardware like MP3, Ipod; and Software Applications" to students as we participate in a reading project with our partners from Roseville,Michigan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_technology

As many of you already know, the world is a click away when you use the Internet. My goal in this project is to learn right along with you in order to become more aware and more knowledgable about the benefits of the Internet and how to use the Internet tools in a safe and interesting way. For example, you always keep your personal contact information to yourself-do not share home phone numbers, addresses,birth year, parent's last names or work places.

We are in the 21st Century- nine years into the 2000's and the Internet is quickly changing the way that people around the globe work, learn, communicate and grow as individuals, societies, and nations. We want to be part of this forward movement , to keep up with the changes, and use it to become productive solution seeking team players in making our home community and the world a better place for everyone.

This blog is a tool that will be used to connect,communicate and engage with each other in a different way than we are use to. We will try to enhance our learning of the novel "Julie of the Wolves" by creating digital artifacts (assignments)using video, images, audio and other tools like VoiceThread, SlideShare, Voki, Powerpoint, and other tools as we discover them. The students will be able to add their ideas and questions by participating in activities in class and on this blog. The teachers will be posting samples of student work here on the blog.



This clip art was borrowed from this website
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/clipart/download.aspx


The blog is part of the Internet and our URL or address on the internet is
http://rosepelican.blogspot.com

You and anyone in the world can read and comment on our blog "Creating Connections" anytime and from anywhere you happen to be as long as you have access to a computer.You are able to make comments on any part of the blog just by clicking onto the pencil at the bottom of the post. You will have to give your email address at this point and key in the special word that is noted. When you check the blog regularly , you become known as a 'Follower.'

Many students around the world have their own blogs and are members of their class's blog. It is a great way to work with others, to do homework on, make your ideas grow by using various Internet tools and to publish your work for a huge audience to see and make comments on. When you create a blog of your own , you are known as a 'blogger.'


The challenge in this project is to experiment with the various tools you are introduced to in order to increase your understanding of our shared novel "Julie of the Wolves", share what you know about technology, have fun, and especially by interacting with your own classmates and your new working partners. We are connecting with each other through technology and making our learning environment much larger, hopefully as fun as your regular four walled classroom, and creating a new and interesting learning experience for everyone.

Each student in 'Wapaw 7.1' will be adding a short bit about themselves in our next computer class.

We would like to learn about you, your class, school and also your community right here on this blog.
Thank-you in advance for your effort and participation. :o)