2011 Reflection

It's the last day for the year and for the year 6's and I it's our last day of Enrich. Below are some screenshots of the 2011 reflection I made today.

Today 16/11/11

Today in Talent Development I did a top coat on my lizard. Then I papier machéd my feeling boxes. After lunch I did another top coat on the whole of my lizard.

Week 3 Update

Today at Enrich I started off with Talent Development (as usual). I started off making another texture for my feeling boxes. This one is some tissue with PVA on it and is stuck to the foam stuff. Then I moved on and did a top coat on my lizard. After lunch I did some measuring of the slit I made last week then made more slits in three other boxes. Below are some pics of the stuff I have been working on today.

Talent Development Term 4 Week 2

This week I tested the styrofoam which had glue on it and it went hard just like I wanted it to. So I decided to start designing the boxes. I made a slit to put your hand in and then decided to papier mache the boxes. I decided to make it seem like rocks so I crunched up paper and papier mached it on. I also did another base coat on my lizard so as soon as it's dry it's ready for the top coats.

Pics: Picture of lizard that's just had its second undercoat.

Picture of the box thats just been papier mached.

Picture of the slit in the box.

Primer and Base Coat.

It's term 4 and that means there is only five more weeks to get our art finished. Today I decided to have another go with the feeling boxes (It's when you put your hand in a box and feel the texture in it). I have been trying out different textures and at the moment I have been experimenting with glue and Styrofoam to see if the Styrofoam goes hard. I have also put a primer coat on my lizard and then after that I also managed to fit in a base coat.

PICS:

The glue on the Styrofoam. A picture of the lizard. A close up of the lizards head.

Talent Development (Plastering)

Today at Enrich I decided to plaster my paper måchéd lizard. To plaster things you need to get plaster and put it in water (preferably warm water) and put it on your object and then just smooth it out. It might sound simple but if you do it wrong you can have a disaster! But if done well it is a sight meant to see! Todays plastering had its bad parts and its good parts. Well, it was a very enjoyable experience and if you haven't done it I recommend you try it!

Paper Mache

Today at Enrich we got stuck into Talent Development. I went straight to get my lizard. I did a few touch ups then decided to papier maché it ( I was planning to plaster it last week but I came to the conclusion I would papier maché it first). I got some glue some paper and started. Then after break we had a game of chess (which I won... IN STYLE). After that we got back into Talent Development and I continued to paier maché my lizard. Then after lunch we had a game of octopus, then after that we got back into Talent Development. I am now doing the final touch ups with the glue and I think I am ready for the next stage.

Pic: My Papier Maché lizard

Talent Development Progress

Another week at Enrich but this week there was no must dos / picks to do there was just talent development. This week I have put toes on my lizard and made him more life like. It won't be long until I plaster him!

Today at Enrich 7/9/11

Today at Enrich we started with a game of chess (or in my case three games as the person facing me kept wanting to have a rematch). Then we got stuck into Talent development. Today I was working on a lizard. I only have a few more things to do and then I will be able to paper mache it or plaster it. Then in the afternoon I did some sketching. You had to draw an animal then watch some videos to get some tips. Then after that you had to draw another animal again and it should be better. But mine seemed like it got worse! Then I did a where in the world and this time you had to find where in the world Steve O Stag is. Then we finished off with a challenging cooperative game!

Today at Enrich 31/8/11

It's another day at Enrich and that means a lot of stuff to do! We started off with a game of chess (which I won) and then got straight in to Talent Development. I did a picture of a dragons eye in Indian ink, then started a paper mache snake. Then in the afternoon I went to two workshops, one on mind mapping where we learnt how to use the mind mapping tool on the ipads. Then I went to P4C and the overall discussion was about are 'impossible things possible'? So as you can see it was a busy day at Enrich and sadly next weeks going to be as busy, if not busier!

Debating

It's been another busy day at Enrich getting our must do/picks finished but in this post I am just going to focus on the workshop I went to on Debating. We started off warming up our quick thinking by having been told the first part of a sentence but having to finish it. For example 'School is compulsory because...'. In the debate "Human kind is good vs Human kind is bad" we talked about war, killing animals for our pleasure etc. My opinion is that there are bad and good things about human kind but since I was in the affirmative team so I only said the good things, of course!

Feel free to post a comment on your opinion on the discussions topic.

Today at Enrich 17/8/11

Yes, it is another day at Enrich, so as you would of guessed a lot more work to be done! Today I started of with a game of chess, (which I won) then went onto Talent Development. I made a dragons head out of clay which has an upper jaw which lifts off the bottom jaw and is hollow so you could store possessions in it. Then in the afternoon I did a few things to start completing the must do/picks sheet. I completed drama when I and a few others acted as a fire truck. Then I went and saw Katie to set my goals for the term. After that I went and saw Darryn to learn about the mobius strip. We got to make one for ourselves.

Talent Development

I was impressed with the ideas that you were considering in art talent development today Andrew and I will be very interested to see how this concept pans out over the next few weeks. It is pretty amazing to think that we will be putting together an exhibition for the city gallery at the end of this unit.
Darryn

Week 2, Term 3

Today at Enrich for Art Talent Development we started sketching reptiles and thinking what we would like to put in the Art Gallery. I decided I would like to look at the texture of reptiles. I think I might do a box with a slot you put your hand through to feel the texture that is close to the texture of the reptile in the reptile picture(or something to that effect). So my job for over the next couple weeks is to gather up objects that have the texture of a reptile. For example a pineapple would have a good texture that might feel like a kind of reptile. I also think I could do some clay sculptures of some reptiles(and try and have a lot of texture as that is one of my main focuses). So as you see it is quite a busy day but the problem is it hasn't finished yet.

Talent Development

Today we started Talent Development. The options were storytelling, documentaries and art. I chose art. The thing we are going to focus on in art is dragons. Today we had a look at some pictures of dragons and went for a trip. On the trip we visited the museum to look at the tuatara as it is kind of a dragon. We also went to the Art Gallery as we are going to use a gallery to present our 'dragon art' to the public. It seems the is going to be a tough but fun time ahead!

Teacher Comment

Andrew you have had a great start to the year at Enrich. You have taken part in the Otago Southland chess championship and the art exhibition at the City Gallery and used your outstanding time management skills to create an Alice based earthquake safety game as your passion project that took a lot of perseverance as well as new learning. You also regularly post up dates on your blog and are always making the most of the varied learning opportunities that Enrich offers.

Last day for the term!

It is the last day for the term and I can't believe it has flown away so quickly! My passion project is nearly finished all that needs to be done is to be able to make it be able to be used by other people and I think this is going to be the hardest part! Also you still need to get your must do can do's done. But that's not all, it's the last day of the term you won't be able to move up the chess leaderboard for a few weeks. At the moment I'm in second place and I'm eyeing up the top dog!!! Watch out Tom!!! So with all that going on it's a wonder no-one has fainted.

Alice!!!

It's another day at Enrich (this is the second last day for the term), so that means another day to get my passion project done!!! Today I have made loads of progress and it seems it is nearly done. Today I have made a question which you answer and click on the one you choose and it tells you if you are wrong or right. The question is which one he should choose to do (in an earthquake). What would you do?

Passion Projects

We are getting done to the business end of passion projects as there is only three weeks left. But there is still loads to do. My Alice project(which is making a video game using Alice to help young kids know what to do in an earthquake) still has loads more programming and designing to do! My other project 'project manager' seems to be going well. Most projects seem to be going good and should be finished in the time limit.

Pic: Picture of the programming involved in making a successful Alice game.

What it means to be gifted.

This week is Gifted Awareness week so the Enrich teachers have told us to do a post on what it means to me to be gifted. To me, being able to go to Enrich has made a change in the way I look at things. Before I went to Enrich I think I would have thought that I couldn't change the world but coming to Enrich has changed my thinking on that. Also at my home school I would be repetitively asked the answers questions. At Enrich it is not like that because the children who go to Enrich have minds like mine so I am basically never asked questions at Enrich.

Today at Enrich 18/5/11

Hi

Today at Enrich we started of with a game of bandage tag then I got started on my Passion Project. Darryn had a quick talk with us and showed us a keynote which we would use to help us to decide our Passion Project. I decided to be a Project Manager and I will be working with somebody else in the class. Project Manager also didn't seem to be a big enough project, so I am pondering over another small project but at the moment it is keeping me busy!

After morning tea I went to P4C. Then I did some more of my passion project and collected what the students are doing for Passion Projects.

After lunch I did a 'this week in history' on sheep farming.

So over all it has been a quite busy day!!!

Passion Project

Term 2!!!!

Term 2 has started and we are going down a whole new track. The students who came here this year are doing Talent Development (there might be something from last year on it). Students that came here last year (that includes me) are doing another Passion Project. A Passion Project is when you research about your passion (for more information click on older posts to see some stuff on Passion Projects). This year's Passion Project is under the umbrella of helping out Christchurch and Japan as a result of both earthquakes. I have been thinking so hard my brain wants to retire but I won't let it. I have come up with a couple of ideas which I am going to start thinking more deeply about them. My first idea is managing all the projects here at Enrich to make sure that everyone is on task and getting their work done. My second idea is helping out people who love football (soccer) because without a football I would probably go crazy.

We have also got a 'must do can do sheet' for this term but there isn't as many things to do. After this I will do the 'Current Affairs' and think more deeply about my Passion Project. If I have time later in the day I might tell you how it's going.

Today at Enrich 30/3/11

Today at Enrich we started of with a cooperative game then got to business. First of all I went to the second P4C workshop (P4C stands for philosophy for children) which was about 'should you be rewarded for your effort in school'. We had multiple answers of yes and no and to be honest by the end of the session I was on the fence. I then went to a workshop on Maths Art Tessellations and looked at the paintings of M.C. Escher. After a break outside I answered some questions about bullying and how we could stop it and sent them to my lead teacher. I then looked up a new chess strategy of when you are in trouble consider attacking as it may be your best form of defense. After this I am going to challenge somebody to a game of leader board chess. This picture of me is me persisting to get something done.

Today at Enrich 23/3/11

Today at Enrich I have done another report on the Japanese earthquake and sent it to my Enrich teacher. I have also explored an awesome website which you can go onto if you type in www.counton.org. I have also got a new strategy for chess which is try and keep your bishop, rook, queen to the end of the game because they make a good team. I have also emailed my Multiple Intelligence Quiz results to the Enrich teacher. If you want to know what multiple intelligences are look at the post below. After this I am going to a workshop on history, then to a workshop on the multiple intelligences and then after that I'm going to workshop on photography. Today is going to be quite busy!

Today at Enrich 16/3/11

Today at Enrich we started off with a cooperative game of candlesticks then we got to business.

I went to a workshop on philosophy for children that was about ideas and if they would work out well or badly. Then I found a chess strategy at www.mychessblog.com. After that I went to a comic life workshop where I discovered what button makes everything you need come up it's the 'details' button. Then to a workshop called moments in history that was about the space shuttle called Discovery that is retiring. I then did a quiz on Multiple Intelligences. Multiple Intelligences are how you like to work. My results are displayed beside this. That was all.

Today at Enrich 2/3/11

Hi guys

Today at Enrich we started off with a co operative game and then got to business. I wrote some things about the Christchurch earthquake then I found some new chess strategies. For example try and get your rook onto the 8th and 7th row(where the opponents pieces start). I also explored science kids which is a website. I went to a workshop on Fibonacci numbers and discovered there is Fibonacci numbers in nature and a workshop on questioning which was about open and closed questions.. That was all, but man it was tiring.

2011!

It's a new year!!! This year I'm going to do more learning with Enrich! We have all ready started our concept curriculum which is Interactions. Last week we went for a look to find interactions. I will update you with what I've been doing with interactions throughout the year. We have also started the chess leader board and I'm slowly creeping up it. Today I've been finding out new chess strategies and lots more.