Sunday, June 24, 2012
Day 16
This morning started out with a continental breakfast at the hotel, which consisted of toast and other types of bread, orange juice, and coffee or tea. A little different than the United States continental breakfast, but still pretty good. After breakfast we headed to The National Gallery in central London. Here, we got to see paintings done by Monet, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and many others. The gallery is huge and it could take you days to get through if you spent more than a minute looking at each painting, but is definitely a place to check out. After we had finished at the gallery, we decided to go to Camden Town to get my sister some cheap souvenirs. There we were able to get a ton of things like mugs, keychains, necklaces, etc. After Camden Town we decided to get some lunch in an American favorite, McDonalds. Lunch came and went and we decided to go back to the hotel since most things in London close by 4pm on Sundays. We got back and chilled for a little while and then decided to walk around in Hyde Park because it became sunnier out than in the morning. The park was beautiful full of so much green and there was even a big pound in the middle. While on our walk we got to see Kensington Palace and a statue of Queen Victoria, as well as, get some amazing ice cream with a chocolate stick in it. The ice cream here is more whipped and tastes great. Definitely try some if you ever come. After the park we went back to the hotel for the night to get ready to travel to Paris, France the next day. So far the trip has been amazing and I can't wait for the next 2 weeks!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Day 15
Today started with my sister, my mom, and I meeting up with my cousin, her husband and the child. This was the first time I have seen them since my grandma's funeral about 4 year ago. Immediately we were off. We went to the Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, Tower of London, a Pub to have lunch, Greenwich, and the Cuty Shark ship. I had already seen the Tower of London, but it was nice to see the Crown Jewels again. The whole trip though their child Maddy was having a blast, chasing after birds and smashing cheerios. We ended the day with some dominos on the steps of a church in the banking district. It was a great end to a great day!
Day 15
Today started with my sister, my mom, and I meeting up with my cousin, her husband and the child. This was the first time I have seen them since my grandma's funeral about 4 year ago. Immediately we were off. We went to the Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, Tower of London, a Pub to have lunch, Greenwich, and the Cuty Shark ship. I had already seen the Tower of London, but it was nice to see the Crown Jewels again. The whole trip though their child Maddy was having a blast, chasing after birds and smashing cheerios. We ended the day with some dominos on the steps of a church in the banking district. It was a great end to a great day!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Day 14
Today was my last day at the school. It started off with the students having a sex education class time, so I went down to another year 6 classroom to help with mathematics. Here they were doing what we did the day before with the data we had collected, so I helped different groups when they were having difficulty. After math, we started back up on rehearsal. During this time I was asked to help choreograph a dance for the "Waka Waka" song again, except for the boys that would be on the other stage. So, we did that up until play time. After we came back from play time I went back with the girls from the day before and helped them to practice and critique their dance. It went very well and they again performed it for their class the whole way through. The kids then surprised me with a large card that they had all signed and pictures of us as a class, as well as, some chocolates. I was so happy that they had enjoyed my time at their school and I will miss them so much. They told me that they would be sending along a copy of their performance so that I could see how they did. I will miss them so much!
After school we went back home to pack. At home, our host moms grandchild were over because she was babysitting them in the afternoon. After packing, we came down played with them, as well as, watched "Gnomeo and Juliet". We then had our last dinner with our host mom. It was sad to think this is the last time we will be together...ever. After dinner, we went to drop of the kids at their parents house and our host mom brought us to the train station. There, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Terese went to meet up with there cousin and I went to meet up with my mom and my sister. Once I got to the hotel where I would be staying the next 3 days, we settled in for the night and went to bed.
Day 14
Today was my last day at the school. It started off with the students having a sex education class time, so I went down to another year 6 classroom to help with mathematics. Here they were doing what we did the day before with the data we had collected, so I helped different groups when they were having difficulty. After math, we started back up on rehearsal. During this time I was asked to help choreograph a dance for the "Waka Waka" song again, except for the boys that would be on the other stage. So, we did that up until play time. After we came back from play time I went back with the girls from the day before and helped them to practice and critique their dance. It went very well and they again performed it for their class the whole way through. The kids then surprised me with a large card that they had all signed and pictures of us as a class, as well as, some chocolates. I was so happy that they had enjoyed my time at their school and I will miss them so much. They told me that they would be sending along a copy of their performance so that I could see how they did. I will miss them so much!
After school we went back home to pack. At home, our host moms grandchild were over because she was babysitting them in the afternoon. After packing, we came down played with them, as well as, watched "Gnomeo and Juliet". We then had our last dinner with our host mom. It was sad to think this is the last time we will be together...ever. After dinner, we went to drop of the kids at their parents house and our host mom brought us to the train station. There, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Terese went to meet up with there cousin and I went to meet up with my mom and my sister. Once I got to the hotel where I would be staying the next 3 days, we settled in for the night and went to bed.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Day 13
The day started out with the students working on an opening word problem, where they were given 9 letters and they had to find as many words with 3 or more letters in it as they could. I should also mention that for the morning we had a substitute teacher in our classroom. She is a teacher helper from the building so the children knew her pretty well. After the warm up we started with mathematics, which consisted of the students using the data that they had gotten from the previous days and finding the mean, median, and mode. This took a while for them to complete because there was quite a bit of data. Something that I would also like to mention, is that when they did their mathematics, they did it in their house groups. In the school there are 4 house groups that the children belong to, which I always compare to Harry Potter, but the houses are Richmond, Bedford, York, and Garraford. While the children worked with the data, I went around to help out and answer any questions that they may have had. After math, which they call maths, we went to assembly. During this assembly time, they talked to the students about working in teams and how important it is. After assembly, we went back and worked on literacy. For literacy today, they got back the poems titled "The Magic of the Mind" one had to come up with ideas on how to create poems that are similar to it. To do this they created bubble charts for ideas and then passed them to the different groups to see what they were thinking. During this time, I also went to see "Chicken Shed", which is a preforming group that comes in for the younger students in the school and does fun activities with them (reminded me of The Wiggles from the United Stated television). Next came their play time and when they came in, they got to work on the brochures that I had them start during my lesson the day before. The students got pretty far and were almost finished by lunch time. After lunch we came back and the students had rehearsal for their play. During this time, I went with Mrs. Brown, our teacher assistant, and the four girls from a dance group called acrobatics and worked on their dance routine. Together we came up with all the dance moves for the song "Waka Waka" by Shakira to perform in the play, as well as, practiced. We did that for the rest of the day and then performed it for the class at the end.
After class we went home and hung out with our host mom until around 7 when we had dinner. After, we went into Southfield to the New Crown for a last little night out with our classmates.
Day 13
The day started out with the students working on an opening word problem, where they were given 9 letters and they had to find as many words with 3 or more letters in it as they could. I should also mention that for the morning we had a substitute teacher in our classroom. She is a teacher helper from the building so the children knew her pretty well. After the warm up we started with mathematics, which consisted of the students using the data that they had gotten from the previous days and finding the mean, median, and mode. This took a while for them to complete because there was quite a bit of data. Something that I would also like to mention, is that when they did their mathematics, they did it in their house groups. In the school there are 4 house groups that the children belong to, which I always compare to Harry Potter, but the houses are Richmond, Bedford, York, and Garraford. While the children worked with the data, I went around to help out and answer any questions that they may have had. After math, which they call maths, we went to assembly. During this assembly time, they talked to the students about working in teams and how important it is. After assembly, we went back and worked on literacy. For literacy today, they got back the poems titled "The Magic of the Mind" one had to come up with ideas on how to create poems that are similar to it. To do this they created bubble charts for ideas and then passed them to the different groups to see what they were thinking. During this time, I also went to see "Chicken Shed", which is a preforming group that comes in for the younger students in the school and does fun activities with them (reminded me of The Wiggles from the United Stated television). Next came their play time and when they came in, they got to work on the brochures that I had them start during my lesson the day before. The students got pretty far and were almost finished by lunch time. After lunch we came back and the students had rehearsal for their play. During this time, I went with Mrs. Brown, our teacher assistant, and the four girls from a dance group called acrobatics and worked on their dance routine. Together we came up with all the dance moves for the song "Waka Waka" by Shakira to perform in the play, as well as, practiced. We did that for the rest of the day and then performed it for the class at the end.
After class we went home and hung out with our host mom until around 7 when we had dinner. After, we went into Southfield to the New Crown for a last little night out with our classmates.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Day 12
Today was the third day at the school in Galliard Primary School. We started off the day with register and then moved on to mathematics. For mathematics, we finished the second part of our record taking. Tomorrow we will be using the data to find the mean, median, and mode. After numeracy, we moved on to my lesson plan. For this lesson plan, I had the students split into groups of three and chose a country out of a bag. When they were done with that they all got an iPad from the iPad bins and a worksheet to complete as a group. On the worksheet there were two websites that the students would use to find the answers to all the questions. After they completed the worksheet they had to create a brochure for their country with pictures and the information they found earlier. After my lesson they had play time and then a drug talk. During the drug talk the students were allowed to ask questions and get to know what is out there. Next was lunch time and then the students had to do their weekly responsibilities. This included reading buddies with the your grades and helping with mathematics and literacy. Picture time came next and took a while because the students had to take individual pictures, then class pictures, and finally a whole year six picture. After pictures we went back to the classroom and I read some more of the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book that they have been reading.
Day 12
Today was the third day at the school in Galliard Primary School. We started off the day with register and then moved on to mathematics. For mathematics, we finished the second part of our record taking. Tomorrow we will be using the data to find the mean, median, and mode. After numeracy, we moved on to my lesson plan. For this lesson plan, I had the students split into groups of three and chose a country out of a bag. When they were done with that they all got an iPad from the iPad bins and a worksheet to complete as a group. On the worksheet there were two websites that the students would use to find the answers to all the questions. After they completed the worksheet they had to create a brochure for their country with pictures and the information they found earlier. After my lesson they had play time and then a drug talk. During the drug talk the students were allowed to ask questions and get to know what is out there. Next was lunch time and then the students had to do their weekly responsibilities. This included reading buddies with the your grades and helping with mathematics and literacy. Picture time came next and took a while because the students had to take individual pictures, then class pictures, and finally a whole year six picture. After pictures we went back to the classroom and I read some more of the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book that they have been reading.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Day 11
The day started out by the students working on coming up with a different way for scoring an olympic event for a warm up. After that, we moved on to mathematics. Today for mathematics we combined with the other three year six classrooms and went outside to get different measurements to calculate mean, median, and mode. There were four different events which included: standing long jump, standing high jump, relay, and shot-put. We did two today and will be doing two tomorrow. Next we had literacy where we had individual reading time. After literacy we had our rotation sessions. These three sessions included: african drumming, science, and physical education. For the first session, I decided to go and watch african drumming. During that time, the students worked on the dancing that will go with the drumming they had been working on. Lunch came next and then session two. For session two, I decided to participate in science, which consisted of the students getting measurements for their science experiment by running outside. After session two we had singing again with their music teacher to rehearse some of the music for the play. We ended the day with a reading from the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book.
After school we went into downtown London to see a play. We decided on Wicked, which many of us have seen in the states, but wanted to see here to compare. The cost of the play ended up only being 22.50 pounds and got us great seats on the ground level about 14 rows back. The play ended up being spectacular! If was very interesting listening to the play in a british accent and I noticed that some of the words were different because of that. Overall, it was a great time and I would recommend it to anyone.
Day 11
The day started out by the students working on coming up with a different way for scoring an olympic event for a warm up. After that, we moved on to mathematics. Today for mathematics we combined with the other three year six classrooms and went outside to get different measurements to calculate mean, median, and mode. There were four different events which included: standing long jump, standing high jump, relay, and shot-put. We did two today and will be doing two tomorrow. Next we had literacy where we had individual reading time. After literacy we had our rotation sessions. These three sessions included: african drumming, science, and physical education. For the first session, I decided to go and watch african drumming. During that time, the students worked on the dancing that will go with the drumming they had been working on. Lunch came next and then session two. For session two, I decided to participate in science, which consisted of the students getting measurements for their science experiment by running outside. After session two we had singing again with their music teacher to rehearse some of the music for the play. We ended the day with a reading from the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book.
After school we went into downtown London to see a play. We decided on Wicked, which many of us have seen in the states, but wanted to see here to compare. The cost of the play ended up only being 22.50 pounds and got us great seats on the ground level about 14 rows back. The play ended up being spectacular! If was very interesting listening to the play in a british accent and I noticed that some of the words were different because of that. Overall, it was a great time and I would recommend it to anyone.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Day 10
Today was our first full day at Galliard Primary School. I was placed in Ms. Carrington's year six classroom. In London, when they refer to a classroom as year six, it is equivalent to fifth grade in the United States and is also their last year of elementary school. For the first part of the day, we started with attendance, what they call register, where the teacher goes through and says good morning to each student and they respond with a good morning to her. Lately, the students have been learning french, so they sometimes say good morning in french. After register, we moved on to numeracy, or what we would call mathematics. For this section, we went through an article talking about relating mathematics to the olympics and how it is needed. Before they read the article, the students got in groups and discussed what they would use mathematics for in the olympics. After numeracy they move on to literacy where they read a part of "Goodnight Mr. Tom". This story is about old England and takes place during war time. Next came play time, where the students get 15 minutes out on their playground. When they came in from play time we had singing where they practiced songs for their play they will be putting on later in the month. Lunch came next and in England they get a whole hour to do so. After lunch, all the year students were brought into the assembly hall for a play rehearsal. This rehearsal lasted the rest of the school day and included much singing and rehearsing of lines.
Day 10
Today was our first full day at Galliard Primary School. I was placed in Ms. Carrington's year six classroom. In London, when they refer to a classroom as year six, it is equivalent to fifth grade in the United States and is also their last year of elementary school. For the first part of the day, we started with attendance, what they call register, where the teacher goes through and says good morning to each student and they respond with a good morning to her. Lately, the students have been learning french, so they sometimes say good morning in french. After register, we moved on to numeracy, or what we would call mathematics. For this section, we went through an article talking about relating mathematics to the olympics and how it is needed. Before they read the article, the students got in groups and discussed what they would use mathematics for in the olympics. After numeracy they move on to literacy where they read a part of "Goodnight Mr. Tom". This story is about old England and takes place during war time. Next came play time, where the students get 15 minutes out on their playground. When they came in from play time we had singing where they practiced songs for their play they will be putting on later in the month. Lunch came next and in England they get a whole hour to do so. After lunch, all the year students were brought into the assembly hall for a play rehearsal. This rehearsal lasted the rest of the school day and included much singing and rehearsing of lines.
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