Room 15 explains Pirate Club, the Unthinkables and more!
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A Pirate Club Story
Defeating the Unthinkables one strategy at a time.
Body Snatcher is another unthinkable that the class declared was Brain Eaters BFF. This unthinkable can make your body leave the group and ignore personal space of others. ( Space Invader) . This month we started using GO NOODLE a fabulous web based program that provides minutes of brain breaks to get those wiggles out. A Brain Break is a strategy to get your body moving after sitting or when tired to become more alert and focussed. We hope this strategy will defeat Body Snatcher (and maybe Brain Eater ;-)
Go to Gonoodle.com for more fun breaks and to learn more.
Go to Gonoodle.com for more fun breaks and to learn more.
Brain Break Strategy to defeat Body Snatcher and Brain Eater
GO NOODLE
We are Brainiacs and are learning how to defeat the Unthinkables!
Wearing our Brain Hats
Brain Eater has been observed in room 15 and now the students are prepared to beat this unthinkable with some strategies when it tries to take over their thinking. After learning more about how our brain works and how easily we can be distracted we worked on developing strategies to help us focus in and out of class. These strategies were then blasted into our memories with the strategy blaster.
Brain Eater has been observed in room 15 and now the students are prepared to beat this unthinkable with some strategies when it tries to take over their thinking. After learning more about how our brain works and how easily we can be distracted we worked on developing strategies to help us focus in and out of class. These strategies were then blasted into our memories with the strategy blaster.
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Conversations that solve a problem.
Using Puppet Pals the children were asked to create a conversation & solve a familiar problem with another person without using roadblocks or just me thinking.
These are their conversations. Enjoy!
E.E.N.R.D.P.D.Q. |
T.O.B.H.J.L. |
Communication Skills
Verbal & Non Verbal
Following up on the verbal communication games using Story Cubes and Giving Directions with pattern blocks, this next month we are going to work on body language and non verbal communication. Our ability to observe and integrate non verbal cues like gestures and thinking about what others are doing is an important social thinking skill. These games requires close attention to each others body language, facial expressions and incorporating each person's contribution into the whole picture.
Careful steady attention is required!
Careful steady attention is required!
Learning more about how our brain works will help us defeat Brain Eater!
More strategies here !
We need to become BRAINIACS to defeat Braineater. Room 15 is learning how the brain works and more strategies to defeat the forces that distract us in class.
What is the unthinkable Brain Eater?
Our Next Unthinkable - Brain Eater!
The what do you know about Brain Eater activity begins the next almost unstoppable unthinkable of all! Brain Eater and his team. Brain Eater is known for his ability to distract us and take our brain out of the group. He makes us react without thinking and keeps us from paying attention and learning. We will be learning about strategies to focus our attention and ways to defeat him!
'Roadblocks' in conversations always stop a conversation!
We are learning the difference between a roadblock and ways to keep the conversation going on the open road. This skill is important when talking or listening to others, blogging and writing!
Miss Bria and I read aloud from the book, The Interrupting Chicken, reminding the children in a fun way that interrupting has consequences and is considered a conversation road block .
( Stops a conversation)
We have been working on maintaining conversations on a given topic for some time . (Not always on a preferred topic.) So, for their final project, the children have been given a situation with a sentence starter where they will be writing a conversational script without roadblocks then making a sock puppet or puppet pal story using their iPads & their pre-written script. Coming Soon!
( Stops a conversation)
We have been working on maintaining conversations on a given topic for some time . (Not always on a preferred topic.) So, for their final project, the children have been given a situation with a sentence starter where they will be writing a conversational script without roadblocks then making a sock puppet or puppet pal story using their iPads & their pre-written script. Coming Soon!
We have ended our Worry Wall unit with strategies that even has Worry Wall worried! Each child made a Worry Wall Strategy Catcher that included 8 strategies they could use to beat the worries when they come and overwhelm them. Once these were completed, the students went outside to jump on the strategy blaster while yelling out the strategy they plan to use when the unthinkable returns. A fun day!
Have your child tell you their favorite strategy.
Have your child tell you their favorite strategy.
Yell It, Stomp It to Blast Off!
Snowball Feelings & Perspective Taking
Maintaining a Conversation on Student Generated Topics
Strategies to Beat the Unthinkable Worry Wall
TWO APPS
Feel Electric & Zones of Regulation
Each App helps students identify and learn about our daily feelings, those of others and ways to regulate and understand them.
Busy Pirates!
Ending 2013 with a tricky gift exchange scenario
Books & Gift Exchange
Each child was paired up with another child in room 15 and given the assignment to observe, talk and find out what kinds of books their partner liked to read. Then they were asked to get a book , wrap it and give it to their partner during the book exchange. To prepare the children for the book exchange & the possibility of being disappointed we played a game. We passed out teacher made green gift bags filled with an unusual gift to a holiday tune ( think hot potato) . The children opened them and practiced saying or showing thanks. A discussion about why we give gifts and what to do if we get a duplicate or unwanted gifts ensued. This was followed by the 'real' student book exchange. It was full of many heartfelt thanks with very few reminders. It was clear many of the children had paid careful attention to their friend's book preferences and interests. Later during the day the children were given another 'real' s gift bag from the teachers. Most remembered to say thank you or express appreciation unprompted. It was clear they enjoyed the gift. Enjoy the slide show !
Each child was paired up with another child in room 15 and given the assignment to observe, talk and find out what kinds of books their partner liked to read. Then they were asked to get a book , wrap it and give it to their partner during the book exchange. To prepare the children for the book exchange & the possibility of being disappointed we played a game. We passed out teacher made green gift bags filled with an unusual gift to a holiday tune ( think hot potato) . The children opened them and practiced saying or showing thanks. A discussion about why we give gifts and what to do if we get a duplicate or unwanted gifts ensued. This was followed by the 'real' student book exchange. It was full of many heartfelt thanks with very few reminders. It was clear many of the children had paid careful attention to their friend's book preferences and interests. Later during the day the children were given another 'real' s gift bag from the teachers. Most remembered to say thank you or express appreciation unprompted. It was clear they enjoyed the gift. Enjoy the slide show !
Kind Acts
Even Elfy got involved in reminding us to think of others during our daily count down kindness chain to our holiday break.
Meet the unthinkable of the month-
Worry Wall!
The children created a Worried Person Diagram and labelled it with the adjectives and actions a person would feel, do or be observed by others. Then they wrote a Show-Not Tell paragraph about their person but were not allowed to use the word Worried or any synonym in their writing. Using Doodlecast hey read their paragraphs in a worried tone. Many of these were real worries the children expressed. We are learning strategies to beat Worry Wall.
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Roll an Emotion
The Unthinkables are back!
Last year we focussed a great deal on Glassman, Rock Brain and Brain Eater . While these Unthinkables will be revisited through out the day as they appear, we begin our next area of focus on Worry Wall. Worry Wall is the unthinkable that fills our minds with 'what -if ' thoughts and worry that things could go wrong. It gives us a bad feeling inside and increases our anxiety. We will learn strategies to defeat Worry Wall!!!
Last year we focussed a great deal on Glassman, Rock Brain and Brain Eater . While these Unthinkables will be revisited through out the day as they appear, we begin our next area of focus on Worry Wall. Worry Wall is the unthinkable that fills our minds with 'what -if ' thoughts and worry that things could go wrong. It gives us a bad feeling inside and increases our anxiety. We will learn strategies to defeat Worry Wall!!!
The Group Plan ( shared thoughts) is a simple book we have read, made a Puppet pal retell and acted it out. We are now watching short Shaun the Sheep videos ( class favorite) to discuss what the group plan is , who has it, why and did it work? These past two weeks we have been playing a game where a group plan was indeed required! We will compare the following two weeks with games we play without group plans.
Ranking problems typically encountered at school and home is difficult for children. How to respond to them and solve them is an ongoing focus.
This collaborative poster made by the students is posted at Maroon Island.
This collaborative poster made by the students is posted at Maroon Island.
Strategies the children came up with this year to calm themselves when they encounter a problem. These ideas and more will be further developed as the Emwaves are used.
The classroom environment makes a BIG difference for these students!
Room 15 provides numerous seating and working locations in the room to provide flexibility and opportunities to work in a student's optimal setting.
I ordered this seat and paid for it personally to help a student 'sit actively' and it is a hit!! I wrote up a proposal and asked the SD for 5 more. To my surprise it was approved and they are coming. Now to figure out a way to get 6 more! Kids LOVE them but they are $100.00 each! OUCH. ( I want one too.) They are remarkable great for strengthen your core too so, OT liked them too. They are called Hokki chairs. Here is the link - HOKKI . I got mine from Amazon. You might find them helpful at home too!
Kindness Rocks!
After reading & discussing "Each Kindness" each student stated one kind act they have done, dropped a rock into the bowl of water & watched their kind act ripple out and spread.
What is Pirate Club?
A Social Cognitive Class where students learn to think about others and more!
Pirate club is a collaborative effort using a push-in service model. A SLP, ABA specialist, my fabulous aide & myself teach specific & targeted skills twice a week. These skills are then practiced & reinforced through out the day. I integrate Pirate Club topics, vocabulary, concepts and strategies into academics, recess, lunch basically at every opportunity that arises and it is applicable. We have adapted some of Michelle Garcia Winner's fabulous social thinking curriculum and have also created many of our own lessons to teach needed social cognitive skills. Our program, which started as a Pre K-2nd grade program now spans across all grade levels in our school district. The consistent curriculum & service model through the grades makes a big difference for these children. Aside from specialized curriculum , we consistently use ordinary board games with facilitation & modification as needed to facilitate these social, communication and interpersonal skills. We also integrate the iPads since they are extraordinary tools for video modeling & social stories.
You should see our game collection and Read Aloud Books!
Pirate club is a collaborative effort using a push-in service model. A SLP, ABA specialist, my fabulous aide & myself teach specific & targeted skills twice a week. These skills are then practiced & reinforced through out the day. I integrate Pirate Club topics, vocabulary, concepts and strategies into academics, recess, lunch basically at every opportunity that arises and it is applicable. We have adapted some of Michelle Garcia Winner's fabulous social thinking curriculum and have also created many of our own lessons to teach needed social cognitive skills. Our program, which started as a Pre K-2nd grade program now spans across all grade levels in our school district. The consistent curriculum & service model through the grades makes a big difference for these children. Aside from specialized curriculum , we consistently use ordinary board games with facilitation & modification as needed to facilitate these social, communication and interpersonal skills. We also integrate the iPads since they are extraordinary tools for video modeling & social stories.
You should see our game collection and Read Aloud Books!
Why the Pirate Theme?
Aside from it is just plain fun and Pirates have a strong code of conduct. We work developing these life skills and more! Arrrgh!