Presentations Galore

Karthiga and Sophie developed a system that ensures balls come off the roof and are not left stuck in drains.  They would promote their product using a series of radio interviews.  Copy and paste this link to youtube to watch their ad.  https://youtu.be/NfsaB2XxiNY

Advertising material for Ball-offer-roofer

The nano tech computer by Brayden - charged using recycled batteries.  Great thinking, Brayden.

The Remindanator helps you remember your homework, library books etc.  It uses a nifty keypad and storage system.  What a fabulous idea! Sign me up for one pronto! :-)

Using solar panels, this invention revolutionises mail collection.  Brayden has developed a Scratch game as a slick marketing gimmick.  He also made a series of pop-up ads.  Great work!

Technology Presentations

Olivia and Angie share their prototype.  In the background you can see their original design concept.

'The Dooranator' uses the power of magnets to secure and release students from their classroom studies.  A quirky invention by Carol and Fiona

Advertising campaign for 'The Litternator' by Angie and Olivia

Technology Presentations

Computers are incredibly helpful, however they are not capable of creative thinking as a means of problem solving.  As part of our Inquiry unit, the fantastic kids in Room 2 have been working hard, researching and developing new ways of solving age old problems .

Weeks have been spent constructing their inventions; producing advertising campaigns and writing pitches.

Finally we have started presenting.  This is the fun part, and everyone loves fun!

'Make-up Gun' by Nicholas.  Nicholas conducted research and discovered women spend between ten and sixty minutes applying make-up every day.  He took inspiration from The Simpsons and designed this time saving device

'The Equipment Collector' by Jacob and Travis.  This clever device seeks out lost items and then stores them safely until they can be retrieved.

A.P.F. (Automatic Pet Feeder) by Liam.  This invention is equipped with a firing device that shoots out food for cats, dogs and pet rodents.  Inspired!

Cam Ed. (Camera Education) by Ruby and Nadia.   These creative girls also built a website to market their invention.  Well done!

Creativity is King

'Ball off the Roofer' by Soph and Karthiga

'Mail Collector and Deliverer' by Brayden
The 'Ding-a-ling a-Bot' by Nessa

Marketing Team at work

Manufacturers at work ... and play

On the assembly line

Creative Chaos

Mrs. Venville talks design with Ruby

Working together in order to lighten the load

Careful construction by Jasmine

A Hive of Creative Activity in Room 2

Jacob and Travis are working on their concept.

Olivia and Angie are in the process of constructing their robot.

Carol is designing a slide show as part of her advertising campaign

Nicholas is working on his 'make up gun'.

Ever the perfectionist, Brayden works on his prototype

Concept to Construction

After the brainstorm.  Kees' initial idea was a desk with a massive sliding insert.  Much more convenient than a flip-top desk 

An automatic pet feeder = inspired.  Kensington will love it!

The make-up gun.  Women are the 'target' market.

Cam Ed ensures kids stay 'in bounds' when at school

The kids are hard at work.  Most are now in the process of turning their initial drawings into detailed digital versions.   Construction will begin shortly! 

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

It has been a busy couple of weeks in Room 2 as we have focused on the art of innovation and design. 

             Last week we came up with designs to meet two briefs.  In the first task, the kids had to design a butterfly trap.  In order for it to be deemed successful, it had to meet certain criteria.  First and foremost it had to trap the butterfly safely - not damaging its fragile wings in any way.  There needed to be some kind of storage facility in the contraption, it need to pay homage to the old style butterfly net by incorporating some form of netting, and it had to be user-friendly for single operator use.  

            The kids, who were working in collaborative groups, had to pitch their designs to their classmates.  They had only one minute to 'sell' their idea.  Following the presentation, they accepted five questions from the floor.  The questioners were looking to find weaknesses in the design. Designers had the right of reply.  It was very intense but also fun.

              In the second task, the kids had to design systems to get people quickly and efficiently around a busy airport.  Their design had to include buttons, safety had to be prioritised through thoughtfully applied safety features, their design had to be based on current technologies (no more than fifty years in the future), and any 'vehicles' had to fit an average sized kiwi family (four or five people).  Some of the thinking was out of this world!  The ability of the kids to think divergently in order to solve a very complex and real world problem was truly impressive.  

                 This week we have discussed the reason for inventions and inventing (and also scientific exploration and discovery).  Inventions are about addressing human need; about identifying and resolving problems that hinder us from moving forward.

                 Today we considered problems that we see currently exist in our homes and in our school.  Again we worked in collaborative groupings to brainstorm all the problems, and by extension all the possibilities.  An automatic pooper scooper was a fantastic idea, and what about our school lunch orders being delivered via zip-line to Mrs Coombes?  Kids loved the idea of an automatic bed maker... and why wouldn't they?  Isn't walking the dog a total pain?  Why hasn't anyone ever designed a robotic dog walker?  These are the big questions...... Forget what is the meaning of life?!

                We will start with concept drawings soon and will begin researching the possibilities to see whether our ideas have popular appeal or are even 'do-able'.  

                Gee whizz, it's all go, go, go in Room 2 as we race towards the future.

    

Diwali

Nessa and Karthiga - celebrating the festival of lights

Looking to the past when we anticipate possibilities for the future

MOTAT is New Zealand's largest transport and technology museum.  Today the pupils in the senior school visited it in order to discover just how far things have come since settlers first came to New Zealand. If you were given a huge number of cogs, could you arrange them to operate in unison to do work?  The trip's purpose was multi-dimensional - we also explored the way technological development has transformed the way we live now, and will continue to impact our lives as we move towards the future.

The interactive displays encourage innovative and divergent thinking: given a fairly unlimited number of virtual gadgets could you build a modern day butterfly net?   That's what the students were invited to do when they stepped up to the interactive screens/displays in 'The Idea Collective'.   The children were awed by a very young inventor who built a tool to help you to safely cut wood into kindling for fires.  Another group of young and ambitious inventors had created an interactive game that promotes fitness by being paired to a trampoline you are required to 'play' on.   All of these displays have one purpose in mind - to inspire... and to give the children a glimpse into the future.

Ruby 'playing' on the tramp

We hope to take the learning back into the classroom.  From tomorrow the students will start to think about the way they can affect change through their own technological imaginings, investigation and innovation.

Brayden B as inventor

M.O.T.A.T Madness

The same question kept coming up, "How do you take a selfie?" Liam and Skylar discover how cameras operated in the old days (or should that be ye olde days?) and also about their limitations. ;-)

Before Facebook and Instagram and texting there was the phone; it only had one purpose (communication) and no internet options.  Kees, Jacob and Brayden were fascinated by the 'brick'.

Thank you to all the parents who came to M.O.T.A.T to support our learning: your enthusiasm was much appreciated.

A trip on the tram was an unexpected bonus.

Most of the children showed impeccable Sunnyhills manners. ;-)

Snakes for snake's sake

Kids happy 'cause they've got snakes

Key Competencies - Participating and Contributing, Managing Self, Relating to Others, Having Fun
(Okay, I just added the last one!)

There's something about Buddy Class

       Once a week we have buddy class.  Buddy class is great and it's a chance to build bonds between the kids.  It's fun and it develops confidence and social awareness.  

       There's something about buddy class.  I have witnessed it and it's a truly curious phenomenon.  The big kids love to do the crafty activities at least as much, if not more, as the junior kids. This week it was snakes. The sound of kids issuing instructions, folding paper and laughing at the snake expressions they created, filled the room with a vibrant hum.  It was a series of happy moments as I was asked to meet Mr. Giant Snake, twin baby snakes and many snake families (and that was just the big kids).

         The Year 2s packed up and left with their snake families, leaving my kids to ask, "Mrs Wallace, can we make some for us this week too?" 

         Yes, school is about learning, but sometimes that learning can come in the form of celebrating the place of fun, and about laughter, and about finding pleasure in the simple things - like folding two piece of paper to make a snake.  Yes, yesterday the lesson was mine to learn. Remember that your Year 5 and 6 kids are still kids and make sure you acknowledge this need in your planning, Mrs Wallace. Don't forget that frivolous fun is a vital ingredient in making a child truly engaged in the Sunnyhills School experience. 

Yip, kids, snake making is locked and loaded for Friday afternoon!

An Audience with Stu Duval

What an awesome afternoon!  Today the Senior School had the pleasure of hearing Stu Duval give a taste test of his upcoming novel - working title 'The Flax Cross'.  

               Man, it was awesome; it possessed so many of the elements we explored when we studied narrative.  There was the protagonist, Red McAllister, who is sent to Botany Bay in Sydney for stealing bread thrown out by a London baker; the menacing antagonist in the form of the Reverend Scree, who has clawed hands and dresses all in black, and Red's love interest, the beautiful, but downtrodden, Sarah. There was excitement, there was drama .... there was true and enduring love.  I won't give away the story, but needless to say we were all captivated, and a few tears were even shed. I think there will be no argument when I say we are all waiting with bated breath for Stu to finish the writing and editing process, before sending it off to his publisher. 

                There was a quiz and prize at the end of the session.... So which class won?  Well, that'd be the best class in the school, of course.  Thank you Cailan and Jacob for your efforts in winning us this original Stu Duval artwork.  You guys rock!!!!

Farewell Aimee

The last of our international students left on Friday.  It was a pleasure to host you, Aimee

Sophie and Jared shine at Speech Final

Sophie's speech about a world without wifi left the audience nervous!  What would would you do if there was no youtube?

What's next?  Looking to the future has Jared choosing to live in the present

Creating a menu to sate a leprechaun ... and get him talking about all his secrets

Here's a taste tester (get it?) of some of menus, and portions of menus, that were created by the kids in order to charm the leprechaun that visited.

A significant amount of research went into creating the perfect menu, considerable thought went into using language to get his greedy little mouth watering, while an attractive page layout sealed the deal. Our leprechaun was more than happy to submit to being interviewed.  (Some of the interviews have been put on our blog, so, if you're curious, scroll down.

We all ordered from the menus that were presented.  Few could go past the mini shepherd's pie

Carrageen pudding anyone?  Ruby, I loved the addition of the shamrock

Front of Jacob's menu

Fine fare on offer at Irish Dream

A portion of Angie's menu.  When we placed our orders (imagining we were seated in the restaurant) most passed on the black pudding offering!