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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Term 1 Reflection

What did you learn?

I learnt that in this class that I am in, that I need to be very self managing because I found out the hard way. I left all of my tasks to the last couple of days of the term and I was struggling to complete them, but finally I did.


How do you know you got better?

By finding out the hard way and realising that the tasks needed to be done.


What were the highlights of the term?

Going to the Stomach music studio, the Wellington trip to Te Papa, Interock practice, achieving my goals.


How would you like to learn next term?

I would like to learn in a different kind of way than this term. Mabye having an alternative learning strategy.


Do you think your teacher gives you good advice about your learning?

Justify Miss Gorrie gives very good advice about my learning because whenever I had a mistake in my work, she would show me how to fix it in a way that I could understand.


Was there any learning you didn’t enjoy?

If yes, what and how could this be improved? I didn’t enjoy getting told off for doing something wrong. I could improve on not getting told off by not doing naughty things.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Swimming Video

This is me swimming freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.

I think that my freestyle arm stroke is the best atribute of mine. What i need to work on is my diving.

Payback Book Review

This is a novel book review that I wrote then recorded it using a microphone.

Writing Anthology Term 1

29.03.2010
On New Year’s Day, Mum, Dad, Lewis, April and I we’re about to go on what was going to be the best holiday of the year with our boat, “Jump in jack”, to lake Taupo! The sea biscuits and water skis were all jam packed in the boat, while all of our bags were loaded in the Jeep. We were all set and ready to go. We set off on the boring, tiring, very long journey to the biggest, most fun lake in all of New Zealand. Sitting in the middle of the sun-struck Jeep, squished by my bigger brother and little sister because my sister was squealing about sitting in the middle. So, being the middle child, I had to sit in the middle of them thanks to that little devil that my parents made.

Finally, after it feeling like driving for 10 years we stopped in a small town called Putaruru for some lunch. We call it ‘Potato Root’ because we always stop there when heading north on a holiday and get fish ‘n’ chips for lunch. Walking into the fish ‘n’ chip shop, the smell of delicious thick cut chips filled the air. Then I thought to myself. Do I want a hotdog, or a piece of fish? But I didn’t get a choice. My dad bought a $15 dollar pack and a plate of chips. This shop was also a café so they served us the fish, hotdogs, and fritters on a plate and the chips were on another. “What do you kids want to eat?” My dad said in a ‘tired from driving’ sort of way. “Hot dog please.” my siblings chorused together. “Here you go you two. What about you Mitchell?” said my dad. “Um, Fish please.” “Here you go.” said dad. As I chomped down on the very tasty piece of shark, my mum poured some Coke into our glasses and she said: “grab some chips you guys”. “Thanks dad, thanks mum. This is delicious!” I said. The others said thanks too. Once we were all done, we left the café and set off as slow as a snail.

Like a miracle, we were finally at the Bach at 4:30. Walking inside as tired as a sloth, I fell on the couch, hoping for a sleep. But no. I was wrong. “Oi!” said Dad. “Come and unpack the Jeep!” So as sleepy as I was, I unpacked and gathered a thing and dropped them on the floor of my room with a big plonk! I looked around it. Oh no. I had to share it with, guess who? My sister. I knew that getting to sleep was going to be painful. With her reading till about 10 o’clock every night, and asking me numerous questions. Painful I tell you.

Just when I was about to doze off into ‘la la land’ I was shaken awake my brother. “Dinner time.” He said to me in a bored kind of way. “Sweet Bro. It’s about time.” I walked into the kitchen and gazed at the bench. “Whoa. An orange bench?” I said confused about it. “What’s for tea Mum?” “Ham on the barbeque.” She said. “Nice” I murmured to her. After eating, I finally had a time to go to sleep. This would be the perfect time to get to sleep without getting annoyed by my Sis.

I woke up. It was as silent as a graveyard. It was a bit creepy, so I decided to have some breakfast. Walking into the kitchen, I found out why it was so silent in my room. Because everyone was in the lounge watching T.V. This must have meant that I had a very long sleep. “Alright guys, let’s get going to the boat ramp” said Dad. “Already? I only just got out of bed!” I said. “That’s because it’s 11 o’clock.” He said. So without any breakfast I got my wetsuit on, put the biscuits in the boat and got into the Jeep.

Once we were at the boat ramp, I got out of the Car and waited on the dock because Dad, Mum, and Lewis had to get the boat off the trailer. Dad reversed the boat into the water, and suddenly stopped the car. This is how you get a boat off a trailer. The boat floated slowly off the trailer like a rubber duck. Lewis slowly pulled the boat over to the dock so we could get in. After that we got into our boat and sped off like we were going for a water speed record. Where were we heading you ask? We were going to a beach that you can only get to by boat. We were racing with another boat to get there. “The bounty hunter”. The person driving it was my Dad’s friend Craig McIntosh. He and his family were in it. They had come up to Lake Taupo at the same time as us so we decided to go to this beach together. Once we were there Craig and my Dad beached the boats and we unpacked them. We had a portable barbeque so we had a barbeque. BBQ Christmas ham, Venison sausages, Delicious.

Then Craig said, “Do you kids want a go on the hotdog?” The hotdog is a type of sea biscuit that is shaped like a hotdog, and is soooo fun! “YEAH!” we all said. There are 3 seats on the hotdog, but there were 5 of us. Me, April, Lewis, and also Craig’s sons Travis and Gareth. “Lewis, Mitchell and Travis, you 3 can go on first.” Craig said. So Travis, Lewis and I raced to the hotdog to get the adrenalin running.
Craig started up “The bounty hunter” with an outrageous roar from the engine. Vroom! We sped off like a cheetah on water. Drifting around the corner because we were going so fast! Then suddenly... SMACK! We all fell of the hotdog with a slap to our chests. Swimming up to the surface of the water, Craig drove the boat over to us to get into it. We hopped in it with a huff and a puff because the hotdog is very tiring.

Getting back to the beach, I saw my Dad cooking on the BBQ. Mmm! Lunchtime. My mouth was watering at the smell. Then He said: “We will go back home when we have finished lunch O.K?” “O.K” I said. So we ate the magnificent hamburgers and set off back to the Bach. “Man the rest of this holiday is going to be awesome” I thought to myself.

By Mitchell Holm

Picture Book Review



This here is a picture book review that I did with my friend Logan.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Weekly Reflection 25.03.10

Guess What?
My goal was the same as last week. To approach the problem in a variety of ways. Finally I’ve completed it. I went towards it fairly well.

What?
Played music, went swimming, played more music, had buddy class, used voicethread, Had assembly, ate, slept, used Tutpup, done maths; writing; and reading, used pivot.

So What?

What I have learned is that to complete a goal, I need to work hard at it, instead of just slacking through the week doing nothing, and ending up at the end of the week with tons of work to do.

Now what?
My next goal is to share ideas with people and to not be afraid to try them.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Weekly Reflection 19.03.10

Guess What
My goal was to approach a problem in a variety of ways. I didn’t reach my goal this week. I didn’t reach it because I still use only one way to solve problems for example: If I don’t know what to do I go and ask someone, instead of finding out myself.

What
Finished my power of one slideshow, wasted room 18 at softball, beat room 1 at Indian tag, had Interock practice, Went to see some Ucol music groups perform at the Stomach Creative Sounds Studio, went swimming, Went to Wellington to go and see the Anne Frank Exhibition at Te Papa, Went to KGAS( Kelvin Grove After School), ate, slept.

So What
I learnt this week that if I want to succeed in my goal, I need to purposely try and find another way to solve it, rather than just solve it how I would normally and wait for another way to solve it to come to me.

Now What
I think my next goal could be the same as this week and try and succeed it in the next week.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The one man band writing.

This was a piece of group writing that I wrote last week and this week.

WALHT: Plan our writing using a flow diagram.

Once upon, a medieval time, a pale, obese, exhausted man was standing at the side of a castle courtyard on this fine day, with plenty of drums, trumpets and cymbals on, or hanging from him very still.

This is no ordinary man. No sir. He was a one man band. Standing there, his feet as still as a dead fly, while the rest of his body was moving like a group of restless children, with all of the instruments he had to play. Why was he doing this? Getting tired for nothing? Of course he wasn’t doing this for nothing. He was a busker, playing this wonderful music to earn an income. To collect the money: a metal mug.

After about 5 minutes, given up on playing music, he sees her walking slowly into the courtyard. Who’s this ‘her’ I’m telling you about? This very short, little girl wearing a ‘purple riding hood’ is walking towards the fountain in the middle of the courtyard with a coin in her hand. A schilling I think it was. But then, amazed by the sound of the fantastic melody that had just started ringing in her ears, she turns to the busker and sees the stone cold metal mug sitting there, lonely without a coin to keep it company.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Weekly Reflection 11.03.10

Guess What

My goal this week was to participate in classroom discussions. I think I have achieved my goal this week. I’ve gone pretty well towards it, each time Miss Gorrie asks someone for the answer of a question, I always put my hand up if I know the answer.

What

Technology, guided reading, group maths, Tut pup maths, read e-mails, edited my blog, played music in the music room, introduced myself to some Japanese university exchange students on an O.E, shared ideas, had a conference.

So What

I’ve learned that if your answer is wrong, you don’t have to feel embarrassed. Everyone answers a question wrong from time to time.

Now What
My goal now is to approach a problem in a variety of ways.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Weekly Reflection 5.3.10

Guess what

My goal this week was to help others who are stuck with their work. I think that I have reached my goal. Throughout the week I achieved this by finishing what we're supposed to do, then if anybody needed help I just asked and they would call for me and I instructed to them what to do.



What

Played music, Made my highland home camp movie, ate lunch, Played indian tag, personalsed my blog, had a 1 on 1 conference with Miss Gorrie, Made my progress report for this term, wrote a success criteria for why the internet should be free (if it wasn't).



So What

I have learnt that you can't help someone before you finish yourself, so finish your work, and if you feel that you have the skills to help someone, go and help them.

Now What

My goal next week is to participate in classroom discussions.

Highland Home Camp Video