tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85797091221678053672024-03-05T18:53:27.633-08:00Katie's Kiwi EducationAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-6940881312376637182015-03-19T03:22:00.000-07:002015-03-19T03:25:07.099-07:00Friday Night Family Time <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Morena (good morning in Maori)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of my favorite Friday nights in NZ was when I had a very traditional kiwi dinner with my host family and we ate fish and chips on the beach. It was scrumptious and so relaxing (although I did get slightly nervous when Paige started feeding some very aggressive seagulls our leftover chips!). Afterwards we played in a park playground overlooking the beach, enjoying the nice weather and being silly. It was my ideal Friday night!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span id="goog_572149458"></span><span id="goog_572149459"></span>Lachie splashing in the beautiful beach at Cockle Bay! Him and Paige enjoyed a nice afternoon swim.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoying fish and chips on the beach with my little buddies :).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">And they started feeding and attracting some very aggressive seagulls and I started getting nervous!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">We even attracted ducks! Eventually I just gave into the craziness and started feeding them, too. Truth be told, it was really fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Taking the scenic route to the park with Paige!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span id="goog_32072872"></span><span id="goog_32072873"></span>Taking a break to climb a tree!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was such a fun night, not unlike many nights with the McKechnies! I have so loved being an adopted member of this lovely family. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>The pohutukawa tree is known as New Zealand's "Christmas tree" as its beautiful red flowers red flowers only bloom in December. Despite missing the blooming season, I have still loved seeing the beauty of the pohutukawas!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-2558902323567589912015-03-19T02:48:00.002-07:002015-03-19T02:48:44.748-07:00Class Aquarium Sleepover<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kia Ora!</span><br />
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During the fifth week of school year 5 headed to Kelly Tarlton's sea life aquarium in Auckland for an overnight visit! The kids we so excited although many of them were a little nervous because it was their first time sleeping away from home. However, once we got there it was a magical experience for them and thoughts of home were quickly forgotten!</span><br />
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We had an educational and fun time receiving special tours with the aquarium all to ourselves! Highlights included walking through a simulation of an arctic tundra, feeding stingrays and other fish, a special penguin viewing ( too cute!), and sleeping under a shark tunnel. It was also so much fun to see my students in a setting outside of school and it was a real bonding experience as we had lots of laughs and explored the aquarium together.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3i9o6_ssHhIElC1ySyUb8V2i73-STcReQ2EF4LZkUsMIla7Isob65rDL_71FoTeOW6OZ9s-VcYFCTVQOiwoU3bxa0BQwx-al9JO-tkW9X1DN3waF-xKiNDKrrM-YL03_Oeg1VNJdG29z/s1600/IMG_3362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3i9o6_ssHhIElC1ySyUb8V2i73-STcReQ2EF4LZkUsMIla7Isob65rDL_71FoTeOW6OZ9s-VcYFCTVQOiwoU3bxa0BQwx-al9JO-tkW9X1DN3waF-xKiNDKrrM-YL03_Oeg1VNJdG29z/s1600/IMG_3362.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Girls from my class looking on in awe at the stingray feeding!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQq3vdoz4tRT2IURd26jEinbPmFA7RSCbcFeNmdBnJ_k6wYzeABrpE6PEh1-2ojkqJZ6kHePQBdQfdjnLR6LQcYiHOZbKUdtBa_8sfZINMRE4EYenn5JGyfu5Wsrw-cwvEXo4YccfdF7oP/s1600/IMG_3359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQq3vdoz4tRT2IURd26jEinbPmFA7RSCbcFeNmdBnJ_k6wYzeABrpE6PEh1-2ojkqJZ6kHePQBdQfdjnLR6LQcYiHOZbKUdtBa_8sfZINMRE4EYenn5JGyfu5Wsrw-cwvEXo4YccfdF7oP/s1600/IMG_3359.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The stingrays were huge!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Shark tunnel poses!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Ahhh, run!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIqHrj7J0adl4-5Z9VP4czXXuqwnSMUUi_RwKjo1LniFE4d55Igf7zySsxv8unntqkLzYeDGG2_9gTuHeHxiYa1z5Eld5EO1e4Y09vxVWglJ_ykL_vL870w_ZAzSGb0KmEP-hQJKOZz5N/s1600/IMG_3408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIqHrj7J0adl4-5Z9VP4czXXuqwnSMUUi_RwKjo1LniFE4d55Igf7zySsxv8unntqkLzYeDGG2_9gTuHeHxiYa1z5Eld5EO1e4Y09vxVWglJ_ykL_vL870w_ZAzSGb0KmEP-hQJKOZz5N/s1600/IMG_3408.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My only challenge was getting my students to sleep when they were so excited! I was particularly grumpy when a few boys from my area of the shark tunnel woke up at 3 in the morning thinking it was 7 am and beginning to pack up. Me: "Boys, what is that ruckus?! Back to bed this instant!" Boys: "Miss Lauricella, we have to hurry because we have to meet the bus!" Me: "IT'S 3 AM urgggggh!" We laughed about it the next day, but in the moment I was not pleased.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Look at all of these ecstatic faces! Sleep? Yeah right!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The shark tunnel that we slept under!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Super sleepy selfie the next morning!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next day was also an adventure as we headed to a Marae, a Maori sacred meeting place, in Howick. The students enjoyed taking part in Maori ceremonies, learning about the history of the Marae, and going on nature walk. It was also a neat experience because our school had worked alongside the community to re-open the Marae in recent years, so students felt a personal connection to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Group shot in front of the Marae!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The trip was not only an excellent opportunity to spend time with students outside of school hours, but also demonstrated the importance of providing experience-based educational activities for children. Students left with more knowledge of the world and can use this knowledge across subject matter. They've already written some impressive creative writing pieces about the trip and made text-to-self connections in guided reading groups due to the trip. Plus, it was an opportunity for students to grow in their independence by taking a trip away from their parents and learning to be responsible for themselves and their belongings. this is done purposefully in year 5 to prepare students for the year 6 camp they will attend (more on that to come!)..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks for reading as I try to post as much as possible before I return to the U.S. soon! It is so much fun to re-live these incredible experiences through blogging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>In preparation for our trip to the Marae our students drew koru patterns. These are widely used and extremely important in Maori culture as they represent a new unfurling silver fern and symbolize new life, growth, and strength. I somehow managed to teach this art lesson with success :).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Koru pattern.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-64771987185652252042015-03-18T04:51:00.001-07:002015-03-18T05:18:46.844-07:00Rotorua<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kia Ora, everyone! (Maori for hello, translating directly to "be well/healthy")</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This post is about our weekend journey to Rotorua, an area known for its geothermal activity and geysers. Like our other weekend travels we discovered many beautiful sights and had tons of random and thrilling adventures! We started our expedition on a Friday night and rented a car in order to have the freedom to travel to different sights throughout the area. It was the way to go in order to see all that we wanted and Yara led the way as our fearless driver, getting us to our destination safe and sound!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I must admit, our first impression of Rotorua when we arrived late on Friday night was not very positive due to several factors. First off, as we drove towards the neighborhood of our hostel we witnessed an arrest of rather dubious looking individuals--not a great start! Secondly, the smell hit us like a ton of bricks. We were all warned that Rotorua, nicknamed the Sulphur City, has hydrogen sulphide emissions that cause the city to smell like "rotten eggs." However, we were not quite prepared for just how potent the smell was and it took us awhile to adjust. We also were taken aback by our hostel. While our previous hostel in the Bay of Islands was lively and located in the heart of the city, this hostel (The Four Canoes) was eerily quiet and located in a dark area on the outskirts of the city. Plus our hostel contained some creepy, crawly friends....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite this first impression, we managed to get a good night's sleep and woke up the next morning ready to explore. Things quickly turned around as we headed to the beautiful Wai-O-Tapu known as the "Thermal Wonderland." We started off seeing the daily eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser which was very impressive! Then, we explored the breathtaking geothermal area with mud pools and colorful volcanic features over 1,000 years in the making. We were absolutely blown away by the sights! I could not believe the bright colors and volcanic material that we were witnessing. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Brianna, Eric, Yara, and I in front of the erupting Lady Knox Geyser!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The sights were unreal and with the rich history of the area felt somewhat mystical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Volcanic craters and hot springs on every turn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Mud pools and springs!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">There was no wandering off the path unless you aimed to burn yourself to death!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Particularly blown away by the amazing green of this pool! </span></div>
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After we finished our incredible morning at Wai-O-Tapu we decided to switch things up and do rather extreme physical activities at Skyline Rotorua. Here we journeyed up the 900 meter gondola to the high point of Rotorua. It was a great vantage point to see the area's sights. Honestly, that was enough to thrill me, but the fun didn't stop there. We went on the luge which was part go-cart, part toboggan. We raced through the track, seeing lots of beautiful outdoor landscapes. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Heading up on the gondola!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Racing on the luge!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Posing in a luge cart!</span></div>
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Then, we got even more extreme, heading to the sky swing. When we first heard about the "swing" in the ticket area we thought it would be fun and relaxing. Little did we know, it was basically a seated bungee jump! Eric and Brianna went first, while Yara and I watched below in horror and begged for a refund (no joke!). Since we could not convince them to give us a refund despite our best efforts, we forced ourselves to take the plunge. It propelled us over 50 meters above ground level, up in the trees and then we free-fell reaching speeds of 120 kilometers per hour. We bounced back and forth like rag dolls in the swing and I lost my voice from screaming so much! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I do not have any pictures of the sky swing, but I do have this hilarious video with Eric narrating as we prepared for our descent. If you listen closely you can hear my screams of horror from afar! Thank goodness for me it cut off before the release :).</span></div>
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Next we headed to the Tamaki Village for a 3-hour Maori experience. This was an excellent way to learn about Maori culture and we had such a blast. On the bus ride into the village with the other tour members Eric was declared the Chief of our waka (Maori word for canoe)! He had to take part in the welcome ceremony and received special treatment throughout the night. We felt special by association. The only challenge was that he could not smile during the ceremony...a hard task for someone who never stops smiling and laughing!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Eric taking part in the welcome ceremony known as the Powhiri!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The welcome ceremony!</span></div>
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Once in the village we saw and participated in various cultural demonstrations! Yara played a stick game (and was runner up!), Brianna and Eric did a warrior agility test, Eric learned the Haka (war dance) and I learned a traditional Maori dance for women. We also saw displays of weaving, pottery making, and tattoo explanations. We also saw performances of traditional songs and dances.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yara mastering the stick game!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Eric and Brianna about to do the agility test!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Eric learning the Haka dance!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Me (the girl with no rhythm or coordination) attempting to learn the dance while twirling a feather bow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Not an easy task!</span></div>
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The best part of the evening for me was the traditional hangi feast. This Maori method for cooking food involves placing baskets of food underground on top of heated stones and cooking it for hours. I was so interested in this method and loved seeing them unearth the food. It included chicken, lamb, fish, potatoes, carrots, and kumara (sweet potatoes) was scrumptious! It was tender and the juices from the meats and vegetables blended for an amazing taste. Plus we had tasty rewana bread and delicious desserts including pavlova (although not quite as good as Erin's!).</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Eric was in a state of euphoria because he loved the rewana bread so much and he even gave an</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> impassioned speech about it on the bus ride home!</span></div>
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After returning from the village we were not quite ready to call it a night, so we decided to explore the city of Rotorua more and found the center of town where it was lively and there were tons of restaurants, bars, and shops. Much better than our shady hostel! In a very lucky move we also happened to stumble upon an incredible public concert and fireworks show in a park. There were thousands of people who came for the concert since it was such a huge deal and we just happened to come across the spectacle. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Unfortunately my phone died at this point so I have no pictures to remember this moment.</div>
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With such a jam-packed Saturday we decided to center Sunday upon relaxation. Yara and I ventured to the Polynesian Spa to take advantage of their world renowned mineral hot springs and mud massages. The mineral water and famous Rotorua mud felt awesome on my skin and we were definitely feeling relaxed afterwards!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="goog_1110408418"></span><span id="goog_1110408419"></span>The hot spring mineral pools at the spa!</span></div>
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Afterwards we met Brianna and Eric back in town for a lunch on "Eat Street" which was filled with restaurants. We went to a great spot that featured craft beer, coffee, and great food. And afterwards of course we had to make a stop for ice cream (my sweet tooth cravings were seriously out of control). Our final stop was to Warehouse which is similar to Walmart to buy cheap CDs for the car ride home since the radio in our rental car was broken! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Excellent craft brew and coffee restaurant on "Eat Street."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cute and delicious ice cream shop! Some smart guy to me on the way in: "Why don't you actually go in and eat the ice cream instead of taking a picture outside?" My feisty Italian girl response: "Um, please, I'm about to do both, crazypants." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="goog_1259047974"></span><span id="goog_1259047975"></span><span id="goog_1595330745"></span><span id="goog_1595330746"></span>Our CD selections! Eric and I pushed for the musicals.</span></div>
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On the way home I had one last thrill and drove on the opposite side of the rode for the first time! It was a little strange and unnatural at first, but I got used to it and drove safely for about an hour and a half. Yara was kind enough to relieve me of driving duty so that I could sing and dance along to the musicals CD to my heart's desire (with Mamma Mia and Hairspray how could I not?!). </div>
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Lots of Love,</div>
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<b>Fun Fact: </b>In ta mako, the traditional Maori body and face tattoo, one side of the tattoo represents the maternal heritage of the individual while the other side of the tattoo represents the paternal heritage. It was very neat to hear the meaning and cultural significance behind Maori tattoos, but I will opt for the wash-off. :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-22607284239725497402015-03-18T02:21:00.000-07:002015-03-18T04:52:10.473-07:00Full Classroom Takeover and Fun with Shapes<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi everyone,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Apologies for my lack of blogging lately! Between traveling all over NZ on the weekends and being very busy at school, I have not had a ton of time to update. I also ran into a bit of a technology issue when my hard drive decided to misbehave 2 weeks ago. I just got my laptop back last week (thanks to help from Erin and Scott) and was frantically trying to complete a grad assignment! I hope that this and the following posts make up for my absence. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the reasons that I have been so busy at school is because I have been in full control of the classroom! It was a very gradual process up to this point. I started off slowly, picking up more and more lessons as well as team teaching with my cooperating teacher. However, for the past 2 weeks I have been the main classroom teacher. It is definitely challenging and exhausting to be in full control of the classroom, but also very valuable practice. One of the most time-consuming aspects is planning, although I am lucky because we plan closely with other team teachers and I have a lot of guidance and ideas from excellent teachers. I am also excited that I have a bunch of new unit and lesson plans to add to my repertoire as well as practice with planning classroom logistics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I work especially closely with the other team teachers when planning for maths since that is structured in a modern learning environment (MLE) where our class combines with 2 other classes. I have been working with 13 students from years 5 and 6 who are at similar ability levels. We are on geometry and I am teaching them about 2D and 3D shapes and their attributes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">A glimpse of our 3D shapes work!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also used this group for a graduate project called the "Teacher Work Sample." This project involved issuing a pre-assessment, lesson planning based on pre-assessment results, and then post-assessing to measure student gains. This project was useful practice with data analysis and setting goals, but took a lot of hard work (especially since I was without my laptop while completing much of it!) and sometimes I felt slightly confused when trying to translate the MLE structure and NZ curriculum to the assignment. However, I think that I learned a lot from the assignment and it was a relief to hand it in this morning! I also had a ton of fun teaching my group and planning creative lessons. One of my favorites included a 3D shapes guessing game where students had to describe 3D shapes based on their attributes and have classmates figure out the answer. The students really enjoyed the game (they got slightly competitive in good fun!) and it was encouraging to see them truly grasping 3D shapes and mathematical language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">A page from my group's math modeling book. The group took turns </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">i</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">dentifying faces, edges, and corners of 3D shapes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have also enjoyed planning creative lessons for other subjects, particularly writing. More on that to come!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>In New Zealand upper primary homework is encouraged but optional. The idea is that students should not burn themselves out after a long day at school and should instead spend quality time with their families. However, many students will choose to do a weekly homework assignment (like a mini project) assigned at the beginning of the week. Teachers will try to motivate students by applauding those who complete the HW. A positive of this philosophy is that encourages students to be self-motivated instead of forced to do homework. It also nice for parents who don't have to chase their children down to do homework :)! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-47471046968003205982015-02-26T04:36:00.003-08:002015-02-26T04:43:42.037-08:00The Bay of Islands<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi, all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This post is dedicated to our travel expedition to the Bay of Islands. This weekend can only be described in one word: epic! We packed in so many amazing experiences and encountered some thrilling surprises along the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We embarked on Friday afternoon right from school. Yara and I met our other student teacher friends, Brianna and Eric, at Half Moon Bay to take the ferry into Auckland City. We even had a blast on the ferry! Once in Auckland City we hopped on a bus for a 4-hour ride northward to the Bay of Islands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Yara, Eric, and Brianna on the ferry! This was the first time we all hung out. At the time this picture was taken I don't think we could have anticipated just how many laughs we would have together. :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjie5AtiJACf-kDzXmwUqUX1LhRkfQysbLOnvviGMxrCIjxikWMZ347dHjpOrWrCna2jwxb59ZOUQwT9EBJh9BsjWceGpOgZ_YjWLjjyJoqO5vpCWz8l84l1_zqhwnii27oiktDb8d3f1Co/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjie5AtiJACf-kDzXmwUqUX1LhRkfQysbLOnvviGMxrCIjxikWMZ347dHjpOrWrCna2jwxb59ZOUQwT9EBJh9BsjWceGpOgZ_YjWLjjyJoqO5vpCWz8l84l1_zqhwnii27oiktDb8d3f1Co/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">On the ferry with Rangitoto (volcanic island) in the background!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We arrived at our hostel in Paihia around 9 pm. It was located on a row of streets with other hostels and motels. The street was relatively quiet....except for our hostel! There was a restaurant/bar that drew quite the crowd and it was booming when we pulled up. We all exchanged skeptical glances as it was our first time staying in a hostel. It was definitely an experience! We met some characters including our quirky roommate, Cynthia, who was stuck with all of us. However, we wound up having a lot of fun and it was definitely cost effective. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That night we also received a shocking surprise and one of the highlights of the weekend: Yara's husband, Mazen, showed up all the way from Bethesda, MD to surprise her for Valentine's Day! As he located us, Yara was absolutely floored and kept repeating, "Am I dreaming?"! It was probably the most romantic gesture I have ever seen and Mazen was a great addition to the group, fitting right in with the rest of us! Plus, everyone who worked in the hostel loved us for the rest of the weekend because they thought the story was so sweet since Mazen contacted them beforehand. Brownie points!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch a dolphin cruise. It was a lovely way to spend the morning with gorgeous views of the Bay of Islands! We made a stop-off at a nice, little island to relax. We also paused on the water to view the "Hole in the Rock," a famous landmark where Maori canoes were believed to have passed through. Plus, we spotted a ton of dolphins on the cruise and at one point were standing at the tip of the boat as they swam in front of us!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Breathtaking cruise views!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The Hole in the Rock!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Yara and Eric on the island stop-over. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Cruising with dolphins!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">My dolphin video!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The cruise ended at Russell, a quaint town directly across the water from Paihia, where we were staying. Russell was the first permanent European settlement and sea port in NZ. The town had many historical homes and museums. We enjoyed walking around and grabbing a tasty lunch. We then discovered Long Beach, or what we have deemed "the best beach ever." It was a far cry from Long Beach Island in NJ where I spent my summers growing up (although I do love LBI in its own way!). NZ Long Beach had smooth sand, clear and warm water, and there were beautiful sights of other islands and mountains in the background. We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and relaxing on the beach with drinks and snacks. And luckily this time I had appropriate sun lotion!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The dock at Russell.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Russell's beach and boardwalk with shops and restaurants behind.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbRHszwsF6eP5Bxpdore2JbLan5nbwXlUcEv5Ft_9Emldvu4qPDPCuh47yoRiehiIRtrPT7zikZMkpYLTs5qJ6BzAnlbjMYaoMoNUZ6s1PVjcyssd1jZ8PYyyIUI5OtBywORsicUcU6M5/s1600/IMG_2921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbRHszwsF6eP5Bxpdore2JbLan5nbwXlUcEv5Ft_9Emldvu4qPDPCuh47yoRiehiIRtrPT7zikZMkpYLTs5qJ6BzAnlbjMYaoMoNUZ6s1PVjcyssd1jZ8PYyyIUI5OtBywORsicUcU6M5/s1600/IMG_2921.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Spending an amazing afternoon at the best beach ever!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWY5ck0WvhV_HiEFAaS_RZDAOrwotixtmQH1dFN8Q962rwBGoJZBwyP7OjldXNFOoD7hJG1hrzoAn1i9LgidzXocnpoj7sH7TVlwVJ6M1PcxlgFNXjhhRgTK31PMYttVwHs77qVB0Kizk/s1600/IMG_2922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWY5ck0WvhV_HiEFAaS_RZDAOrwotixtmQH1dFN8Q962rwBGoJZBwyP7OjldXNFOoD7hJG1hrzoAn1i9LgidzXocnpoj7sH7TVlwVJ6M1PcxlgFNXjhhRgTK31PMYttVwHs77qVB0Kizk/s1600/IMG_2922.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Every view was spectacular. We had to force ourselves to finally leave!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next day we decided to take advantage of Mazen's rental car and we drove a few hours to the northernmost point of NZ, Cape Reigna! It is very sacred ground in Maori culture and it felt very serene. It was also had spectacular views and it was neat to see where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean met!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaNyXjTDy6DIynDdr6is2bBmul6Z9MNPktuxwmDQgHGnqUwqDVtXJfSh7tVrxttY9IaAcG71hPFQ2bgbNE7yB1JTLijKM5Q1EuE_UlD7WIMx-vJ2vtjPhg_kipZLjQwJOZFU6uvVarAw1/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaNyXjTDy6DIynDdr6is2bBmul6Z9MNPktuxwmDQgHGnqUwqDVtXJfSh7tVrxttY9IaAcG71hPFQ2bgbNE7yB1JTLijKM5Q1EuE_UlD7WIMx-vJ2vtjPhg_kipZLjQwJOZFU6uvVarAw1/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Views from Cape Reigna!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyM4tIewW3-gyZs3O1BOKGam1WnvBuSOIyYb0jD9O16DxSHacRGsJiufJ20guAfF85biXMl5fEN9PWrMUuNfEWnZ0KfMQAPXNBWjEOVSJjDPtTIalJWDIttGJv3htsMPfVoLAiwtZyP1j/s1600/IMG_2946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyM4tIewW3-gyZs3O1BOKGam1WnvBuSOIyYb0jD9O16DxSHacRGsJiufJ20guAfF85biXMl5fEN9PWrMUuNfEWnZ0KfMQAPXNBWjEOVSJjDPtTIalJWDIttGJv3htsMPfVoLAiwtZyP1j/s1600/IMG_2946.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">We hiked a very scenic route along Cape Reigna.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHP04m5jGSkvsr5Mmg8tTFOPvy7pAZ3Bw0zQMY20XNgFBRjWI2INF2qPAHbkrhJOhh0YRkadNSJBxmjbsgbGBhR3-z38xbM_Q22LSg8A1ahvdH-i5xOY8A0Hujk2c3Ytx3aShIpYr4XNi/s1600/IMG_2953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHP04m5jGSkvsr5Mmg8tTFOPvy7pAZ3Bw0zQMY20XNgFBRjWI2INF2qPAHbkrhJOhh0YRkadNSJBxmjbsgbGBhR3-z38xbM_Q22LSg8A1ahvdH-i5xOY8A0Hujk2c3Ytx3aShIpYr4XNi/s1600/IMG_2953.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Our views!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkCew3qXHbMFOsV3uuKmx5CNK9rPGbgspn2A4ZIVLTdIsymYylad6pkfchsFArRdPCtuHDhxsimIIu99C4fnh8KCOekVxUZfZUktw1PWpv85v4is0XS7-CF5WCmYI7KHA9trc2wvjWEx7/s1600/IMG_2969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkCew3qXHbMFOsV3uuKmx5CNK9rPGbgspn2A4ZIVLTdIsymYylad6pkfchsFArRdPCtuHDhxsimIIu99C4fnh8KCOekVxUZfZUktw1PWpv85v4is0XS7-CF5WCmYI7KHA9trc2wvjWEx7/s1600/IMG_2969.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The meeting point of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean! You can spot where the currents clash (the white waves in the water).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyVCAPhfq4eB6LP4We_70l3Fu_4dTVZHvRTI5MBWN3fWxg2CJAvWVRUZdKs66peUDc3Sx-XytZIBe4iNPDT6S4ahLc8pXtt-vYokN-V3yfm1SHzRS-w8wmeX-yZjSylaO2NG3_x00iCFZ/s1600/IMG_2974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyVCAPhfq4eB6LP4We_70l3Fu_4dTVZHvRTI5MBWN3fWxg2CJAvWVRUZdKs66peUDc3Sx-XytZIBe4iNPDT6S4ahLc8pXtt-vYokN-V3yfm1SHzRS-w8wmeX-yZjSylaO2NG3_x00iCFZ/s1600/IMG_2974.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">The Cape Reigna lighthouse!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija2WE7aXHffsbI-amWSR344nPbXwl5bb3cWsx1BqnGNoK4hzBp516Njh55vHJugH9EidxMqysrlshIfnZTWunF5Aaq7ZyCeidbFiyRezqiZx_BLdNzMpjWQeifuE4wi1UfJvgKpUI5Hqo/s1600/IMG_2975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija2WE7aXHffsbI-amWSR344nPbXwl5bb3cWsx1BqnGNoK4hzBp516Njh55vHJugH9EidxMqysrlshIfnZTWunF5Aaq7ZyCeidbFiyRezqiZx_BLdNzMpjWQeifuE4wi1UfJvgKpUI5Hqo/s1600/IMG_2975.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">The northernmost tip of NZ!!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7s-NJkI4Qoe8LGk7qHfmEt2jDUU0maslsmtsBhfwhKty8_YL3YgqRnHOFkit2o5VFAE2IyGBWsq3AG1_zS7DpW8Jd8PTJnydrMWdVkocZTJe3ii4Ha5495mOzlLyX5WDCAdVy1HYMuys/s1600/IMG_2978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7s-NJkI4Qoe8LGk7qHfmEt2jDUU0maslsmtsBhfwhKty8_YL3YgqRnHOFkit2o5VFAE2IyGBWsq3AG1_zS7DpW8Jd8PTJnydrMWdVkocZTJe3ii4Ha5495mOzlLyX5WDCAdVy1HYMuys/s1600/IMG_2978.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">A neat sign showing where we were in relation to other major cities around the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a peaceful walk around Cape Reigna, we decided to be daring and go sand boarding at the Giant Te Paki sand dunes. Boogie boarding down sand...sounds like fun, right? Well I was not expecting the dunes to be quite so large and steep! After bombarding the surfer dude manning the station with a ton of questions, watching the others go down smoothly several times, and freaking out with Yara, I finally pushed myself to slide down the dune. All went well until I got nervous and put one foot into the sand. This was a huge mistake as it caused me to spin out of control, flip over, and disappear into a dramatic cloud into the dune! When I finally reappeared every inch of me was covered in sand; I was literally blowing sand out of my nose. Only me! While everyone at the bottom was laughing uncontrollably, poor Yara was still at the top watching my accident in horror. She luckily still managed to go down, but went at a snail's pace. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuEmnWH1qRBgDPAjQCycn2pi_TVu8Gdy5V_54LLJ0AQXidz5dT7bYK_TisgEj1hfQlQ4vxzcj_evYV2YHIwvuesMSaGymDY9Jh8I1uWhKJsr7XLiW_sPwmFZIX4Brv6x5Oyz_DuASFYYa/s1600/IMG_2983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuEmnWH1qRBgDPAjQCycn2pi_TVu8Gdy5V_54LLJ0AQXidz5dT7bYK_TisgEj1hfQlQ4vxzcj_evYV2YHIwvuesMSaGymDY9Jh8I1uWhKJsr7XLiW_sPwmFZIX4Brv6x5Oyz_DuASFYYa/s1600/IMG_2983.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Look at how steep those dunes are! Walking up them was no picnic either. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZjp_oIGUWS49pN34n5Sv-4HObTi9d-9QxwwlvvUaHv8RmyshhuQblN4CUlsUITZu79Ttj1J_5rJhH0kTMKH-h1f31r_pbhldt6HQUR41DnhHg_655IZ3P0tFOy3ppd4xe4aANOeGF2wq/s1600/IMG_2985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZjp_oIGUWS49pN34n5Sv-4HObTi9d-9QxwwlvvUaHv8RmyshhuQblN4CUlsUITZu79Ttj1J_5rJhH0kTMKH-h1f31r_pbhldt6HQUR41DnhHg_655IZ3P0tFOy3ppd4xe4aANOeGF2wq/s1600/IMG_2985.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">I felt like I was in the middle of a dessert!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUJd9ytUsTYlCta3gTWXP-Nx0ccuc3Ov3yjkEWllYEQ4AAEeemKk3KCq26K1EYDLo19vqeUkl9yL0mwdBl0MLYtSbhoqqjdzfUj6t87ylJO7VelYcjNVM-Qe-DXKLPj20_NkqqJ5xC17n/s1600/sand+boarding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUJd9ytUsTYlCta3gTWXP-Nx0ccuc3Ov3yjkEWllYEQ4AAEeemKk3KCq26K1EYDLo19vqeUkl9yL0mwdBl0MLYtSbhoqqjdzfUj6t87ylJO7VelYcjNVM-Qe-DXKLPj20_NkqqJ5xC17n/s1600/sand+boarding.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">When I started spinning out of control! (Photo credit: Brianna)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCIqAjUtRq9OkypKwzbzqCJwYkyEkIKInClOp8qEjmKXpz00HI7sWCsaEmpDO1vSJ2xytb8zdSP_4IrARUNysWz_KQ10MiGMMI5fMwuhu8mFIBjsKX1T2fxGPtCqfprZtboeGRmCC_mPK/s1600/sand+monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCIqAjUtRq9OkypKwzbzqCJwYkyEkIKInClOp8qEjmKXpz00HI7sWCsaEmpDO1vSJ2xytb8zdSP_4IrARUNysWz_KQ10MiGMMI5fMwuhu8mFIBjsKX1T2fxGPtCqfprZtboeGRmCC_mPK/s1600/sand+monster.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">My mysterious disappearance into a sand dune! Or "Sand Monster!" (Photo credit: Brianna)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As we left the sand dune area we encountered another surprise, and one that we had all been waiting for since arriving to NZ: a herd of sheep! They were all over the place and blocked the road in front of us completely. Unfortunately, I was not quick enough to get a good shot to portray the magnitude of the sheep, but I did get a video as they dispersed to make way for us (I felt the need to tell them that they had "good manners" for doing this...always in teacher mode!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyahkRcOXt_CV79kvGzYKHwBnPnjZFzGjg-4oCsRLHtQ-V2iHXRwAkitnxuRulKb1DoYywxhzzGw8XBN8470g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Sheep video!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Afterwards we decided to end our adventurous streak with a visit to Ninety Mile Beach on the western coast of the North Island! What is neat about this beach, apart from its length, is that you can drive your car right up onto the sand. Mazen took full advantage of this and we had lots of fun; it was thrilling to be right against the water in a car as the sun was setting!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6B4UzWLXxqJx1a4-Ks8p8WdUmIxEYvjfiAw3DwL1wzPbTsrVg0NDONKF9NNenIZMrlRePaueUO4osybAPnfPxBw_S_LyM_h7e9UDx_fCiBgIRAdff9FIMQFAB7nxes5_eeXRN9q1AG2cU/s1600/IMG_2997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6B4UzWLXxqJx1a4-Ks8p8WdUmIxEYvjfiAw3DwL1wzPbTsrVg0NDONKF9NNenIZMrlRePaueUO4osybAPnfPxBw_S_LyM_h7e9UDx_fCiBgIRAdff9FIMQFAB7nxes5_eeXRN9q1AG2cU/s1600/IMG_2997.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">The car right up to the water; it was like a commercial!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzkYDHVkyVDGNmXe_HvfkyEPNSW_UyhDPhYg07f4nZOdxsG3BJypUUxjz09EcGtkvyijqmR7ozrH81E8zG3MM2C98Wvp0mOymM7tH11rP9PWIKNNB33IfG3MCzZzcvMZpZm5z1PWiPR_4/s1600/IMG_3003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzkYDHVkyVDGNmXe_HvfkyEPNSW_UyhDPhYg07f4nZOdxsG3BJypUUxjz09EcGtkvyijqmR7ozrH81E8zG3MM2C98Wvp0mOymM7tH11rP9PWIKNNB33IfG3MCzZzcvMZpZm5z1PWiPR_4/s1600/IMG_3003.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Yara posing in front of the car!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope that everyone back in the U.S. is excellent and managing to stay warm! Sending you all sunshine through my computer screen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>In Maori culture, Cape Reigna is believed to be the place where the spirits of the deceased leave NZ and begin their final journey to their homeland of Hawaiki. I have to admit, it did feel a bit eerie up there! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-54757864853093539012015-02-24T23:23:00.001-08:002015-02-24T23:24:39.272-08:00Modern Learning Environment<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello everyone,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can't believe that I am already at the beginning of my fourth week at school! It simultaneously feels as though it is flying by and as if I have known these students for quite some time. It is going to be so hard to leave them in less than 4 weeks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While the first two weeks I spent mostly observing, building relationships with students, and providing roaming help, last week I officially began teaching lessons. I started by delivering a lesson on how to ask "higher order thinking questions" while researching. This type of thinking is important as the students work on independent research projects during our weekly "Genius Hour." Over the course of the term students have the freedom to research and present on any topic of interest. We have been encouraging them to go beyond what they already know and think deeply about their subjects.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIS6pLz61OeaaWGhhRPEfzTp-yMwwQTMQm_5aCN7zlJ2AvyH4g8oYospwgWx-8pB0CrR2DJfXi19XLwaE-S09j7tdPkbIBHtDR4vkrT87-VLwfNVuGdSbF-bWPVQuHFLC1SjtroxCwK8q4/s1600/hot+questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIS6pLz61OeaaWGhhRPEfzTp-yMwwQTMQm_5aCN7zlJ2AvyH4g8oYospwgWx-8pB0CrR2DJfXi19XLwaE-S09j7tdPkbIBHtDR4vkrT87-VLwfNVuGdSbF-bWPVQuHFLC1SjtroxCwK8q4/s1600/hot+questions.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">A guide for higher order thinking questions (red and blue boxes are the highest!). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I also lead one guided lesson reading per day. During guided reading I work with one group of about 7 students (they are grouped according to their reading level). We read parts of an appropriately leveled text together and I teach them reading strategies such as recognizing features of a non-fiction text, creating a story map, and identifying cause and effect. While I am working with the group the other students choose a task from the "Independent Task Board" for reading. Most students are able to self-manage fairly well since the teacher spent a great deal of time in the first 2 weeks of school making sure that they understood their options and how to self-manage. However, I will still occasionally be interrupted during group work to answer a question or to remind the other students to keep the noise level low and to make sure they are staying focused.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Group work is very common in NZ with the theory that it creates a more individualized learning experience. This is central to our maths teaching which is structured in a modern learning environment (MLE). Our class combines with two other classes (year 6, a year older than us) to form a whanau (Maori for family). The students from all 3 classes (about 80 students) are placed in groups based on a maths assessment from the first week of school. Each group has about 6-10 students with similar needs and strengths. Teachers run 2 workshops a day based on the group's needs, so 6 groups are being seen per day. While students are not in a workshop they are working on follow-up activities from previous workshops or choosing a task from the independent task board. With this set-up students are very aware of their strengths and what they need to work on, they are having those needs met in workshops, and they are learning to be independent learners. I have been working with two groups and I like instructing in this manner. My main challenge has been getting use to the lesson format as it is only a 20-30 minute session and is very different to how we do things in the U.S. in terms of planning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Maths independent task board (sorry it came out a bit blurry!). The gray boxes are done first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had my first teaching observation last week and was pleased to get positive feedback (phew!). I was not as nervous as I expected to be since I just focused on the students. What makes me feel even more confident and happy is that I've had multiple students tell me they think that I'm a good teacher and that they want me to stay the whole year...a tempting thought! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>In New Zealand there are no teachers for "specials" (art, P.E., music, etc.); classroom teachers do it all! This has been interesting for me as I am neither an artist or an athlete. Luckily, I don't think the kids have noticed my deficiencies, even as I teach them touch rugby! </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-54048878180204025132015-02-12T05:27:00.000-08:002015-02-12T05:27:05.624-08:00A Weekend in Whangamata<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi, all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As explained in my previous "fun fact," last weekend was a 3-day weekend. Yara (my fellow MU grad friend) and I made the most of the extra day by traveling to the beautiful beach of Whangamata on the Coromandel Coast. Yara's host mother, Trish, was gracious enough to host us at her beach house, or "bach" for the weekend. Trish picked us up directly from school on Thursday to drive to the beach. The ride was very scenic and we made several stops so that we could take pictures!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOgKi9yaq8xE_xvMiWLbWdBvcDIuPfirOEpQQf3nVEJIBuPUsCazhmRhkadDoHg7AtfPZPImQvuexpew1ra2YQBTZNpcO6rz5Vgyds1MzFVbTFe9cktf2zWVFYMRhjPsmheWJKvIj9a2E/s1600/ride+gorg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOgKi9yaq8xE_xvMiWLbWdBvcDIuPfirOEpQQf3nVEJIBuPUsCazhmRhkadDoHg7AtfPZPImQvuexpew1ra2YQBTZNpcO6rz5Vgyds1MzFVbTFe9cktf2zWVFYMRhjPsmheWJKvIj9a2E/s1600/ride+gorg.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Our scenic, albeit very windy, drive!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oEkv5HLvjQKmPO4SCyDdJywehFUbdJaJgOPr8Xz_02atGHk0atd65jFaCmzw7EqEBrK3jPNUbLDCyVeY3-bAEGGqKMdYfwyBGRxwBd361JmMYvdFQo4hQNSxOWw7B-pmIwaIcFsO70VJ/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oEkv5HLvjQKmPO4SCyDdJywehFUbdJaJgOPr8Xz_02atGHk0atd65jFaCmzw7EqEBrK3jPNUbLDCyVeY3-bAEGGqKMdYfwyBGRxwBd361JmMYvdFQo4hQNSxOWw7B-pmIwaIcFsO70VJ/s1600/sheep.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">We were very excited to spot our first NZ sheep! Trish was laughing at us.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOF8uFPSPpUJ15IHCJY5MoeW1ijhPx292hSlM2gjXDe00YkNiFaPmbc1jl4q5AE8NNUfKTMvY_l_DWFX05mvEwTyVRDKqCBRG2ulstkovKJQ7JDlXwf3F_GDGQiiUVxpTliswceCCkKFl/s1600/yara+car+ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOF8uFPSPpUJ15IHCJY5MoeW1ijhPx292hSlM2gjXDe00YkNiFaPmbc1jl4q5AE8NNUfKTMvY_l_DWFX05mvEwTyVRDKqCBRG2ulstkovKJQ7JDlXwf3F_GDGQiiUVxpTliswceCCkKFl/s1600/yara+car+ride.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Lovely mountains (and Yara taking pictures!). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once we arrived at the bach we had a great time with Trish's two daughters and grandchildren who were already there. The kids, ages 4 and 2, were adorable and we had fun playing with them over the weekend! Since it was super windy and a little rainy on Friday we had fun walking around the cute town and going to the boat club for dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Spectacular view of Whangamata from a high point of the land.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi99lM7AXoJK6PLSZ1hEHfCuSvbtZkzyKM_fz8GTyLbJ_CUrhqP_X1Yn0WYVOsVVjxOKC33r_qHRs1ZURQsXmB5dOZNzY6WfT90bnxX4IqcP_5YZYbIULiEJdQ1aAJPERT01Kr0yJNLCOp/s1600/mocha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi99lM7AXoJK6PLSZ1hEHfCuSvbtZkzyKM_fz8GTyLbJ_CUrhqP_X1Yn0WYVOsVVjxOKC33r_qHRs1ZURQsXmB5dOZNzY6WfT90bnxX4IqcP_5YZYbIULiEJdQ1aAJPERT01Kr0yJNLCOp/s1600/mocha.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">We ordered iced mochas expecting flimsy plastic cups with ice and coffee. Instead we got this...yum!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Saturday was much better weather and we spent most of the day lounging on the beach! It was super relaxing and we had a breathtaking view of the water and mountains. I also enjoyed splashing in the water which was clear and calm. My only fatal flaw was thinking that my SPF 30 banana boat sun lotion from the U.S. would be acceptable...not! New Zealand sun is in a league of it's own. The burn time is 10 minutes and I was lying in the sun with insufficient lotion for about 4 hours....Let's just say I was in a lot of pain the next day and am still a little sore in some areas and majorly peeling as I write this 5 days later. Lesson learned and SPF 50 NZ brand sun lotion purchased and hat fashioned!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Our magnificent view!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Another angle with hills in the background.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After our daytime beach-bumming we did not let our sunburns slow us down and we had a great time that afternoon and night! First off, I jumped off a wharf that I saw when we drove in and was determined to do. I was nervous but it was such a thrill and the water was warm once I landed. Plus, I got some pointers from a group of kids who encouraged me :). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">My wharf jump!! Luckily nothing was broken and no bathing suit top lost. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Later that night we also had a blast when we joined Trish and her friends for a celebration of their "Naughty Girls Fishing Competition" that they took part in during the day. Over 600 women participated in the competition (men were not allowed)! That night they had a tent celebration with prizes, drinks, and a live band. We had SO much fun with the ladies who declared themselves "cool Nanas" (all had grandchildren which shocked us with how young they seemed). We danced, laughed, and got pizza at 1 am! Then the next morning we all managed to get up in time to meet for a coffee by the beach.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbqK4nKyLM9n2b179ZzQXBQFg1d8gILFcuqNllCD6uPqPHnQKhZ2U63SHHsRapLf3QKQM4_WHDAeSDvH-rF8_dgDdolO3gZdC5XxhWEszxo_N12cNybBdQbrrn_CK73BgaevK6B3cvB3D/s1600/beach+morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbqK4nKyLM9n2b179ZzQXBQFg1d8gILFcuqNllCD6uPqPHnQKhZ2U63SHHsRapLf3QKQM4_WHDAeSDvH-rF8_dgDdolO3gZdC5XxhWEszxo_N12cNybBdQbrrn_CK73BgaevK6B3cvB3D/s1600/beach+morning.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Nothing like being by the beach first thing in the morning!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We spent our final day hiking to Wentworth Falls. The views were gorgeous and we enjoyed putting our feet in the river and resting on the rocks! Plus, it felt good to be active after the previous day of napping on the beach and eating pizza at crazy hours. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPyrePAnrFI5KIGPRiAI5U_SWtyXeyg6XLZR0t-FXebK4j2hp-D2smc5IV8unU9v6dx50fSZFK0lfVHvwJ1sg3X0zyrXd13ABHaRplbbugH34KvvTAMG78Ey1_CQ0SwSxPjvyv0nXULRK/s1600/waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPyrePAnrFI5KIGPRiAI5U_SWtyXeyg6XLZR0t-FXebK4j2hp-D2smc5IV8unU9v6dx50fSZFK0lfVHvwJ1sg3X0zyrXd13ABHaRplbbugH34KvvTAMG78Ey1_CQ0SwSxPjvyv0nXULRK/s1600/waterfall.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The waterfall!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8hxPBsHwp-g2rNtVkE21_2zUZZZ90LzJIW19pA2qcK6quONCqdIW5CPOVgiwQ1DUF63JYqphux6EeZXjtA-vFKvFR-Pp7yBcV-rglBTAtGlOsCR4RXW2DMtu8z397JMjbtCKNAc9KVdC/s1600/bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8hxPBsHwp-g2rNtVkE21_2zUZZZ90LzJIW19pA2qcK6quONCqdIW5CPOVgiwQ1DUF63JYqphux6EeZXjtA-vFKvFR-Pp7yBcV-rglBTAtGlOsCR4RXW2DMtu8z397JMjbtCKNAc9KVdC/s1600/bridge.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">On a bridge with my explorer hat aka sun shield!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0FfJaqbgKfvPU2cI-Gds_4UDYlpPwCN45sZD7VfrPifKFPjQCD3kY9PJsDAIgWNuXwPJUhxJrVuKelptX8Q444ZxWP8sb57YTC2n1ZR1Nfsf9hrxxFVOEe4eBSnoQbs55tppojjSPAAl/s1600/hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0FfJaqbgKfvPU2cI-Gds_4UDYlpPwCN45sZD7VfrPifKFPjQCD3kY9PJsDAIgWNuXwPJUhxJrVuKelptX8Q444ZxWP8sb57YTC2n1ZR1Nfsf9hrxxFVOEe4eBSnoQbs55tppojjSPAAl/s1600/hike.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The hiking path.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnVwvLktWT8fdv96Mh_EOQcvCZjYVSfComqTVPAgYJEXikIe9V9eCPaf93PlSw24cXfHirUR4f0IdEgkGLQo_AWtbQSmNQ5MVAsBZT1nWcDQBW6CPiYX1DEsSvwY2icR1xEvDHVThoEso/s1600/river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnVwvLktWT8fdv96Mh_EOQcvCZjYVSfComqTVPAgYJEXikIe9V9eCPaf93PlSw24cXfHirUR4f0IdEgkGLQo_AWtbQSmNQ5MVAsBZT1nWcDQBW6CPiYX1DEsSvwY2icR1xEvDHVThoEso/s1600/river.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">We hiked right alongside the river and spent some time relaxing there and skipping rocks.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSMktmkkBcZDWkt9RpZ2GtbreybYavxrgh_O6wm9Z1wDYTBgj2S4piRJkR2b02Baj5PTj9l5Zvmat-aviTwnByhXUy7qmTV49byHbTMCajd6Ey26u-_tL70tHwRh5jmGAdDIfJSaQ7wH7/s1600/shade+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSMktmkkBcZDWkt9RpZ2GtbreybYavxrgh_O6wm9Z1wDYTBgj2S4piRJkR2b02Baj5PTj9l5Zvmat-aviTwnByhXUy7qmTV49byHbTMCajd6Ey26u-_tL70tHwRh5jmGAdDIfJSaQ7wH7/s1600/shade+water.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Found shady spot out of necessity! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTBYlSgLCaTIxBHlgA_bdyqoO33ye0OyFKJtJjAxhxRJO-dGs3x9nwFnVEqG75L_spIB50kIwDxf_I8cdG0ryl4n3ywS0106QZX6QLcTH6KCrKC9uqnOtlB_gzoEK-hS53kCA4RNffQOv/s1600/toes+in+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTBYlSgLCaTIxBHlgA_bdyqoO33ye0OyFKJtJjAxhxRJO-dGs3x9nwFnVEqG75L_spIB50kIwDxf_I8cdG0ryl4n3ywS0106QZX6QLcTH6KCrKC9uqnOtlB_gzoEK-hS53kCA4RNffQOv/s1600/toes+in+water.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The water was cool and soothing on my sunburnt toes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Other random updates:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My cooperating teacher and I have been planning this week for my gradual takeover! Next week I will take over all of the reading lessons.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am having an amazing experience with my host family! They are so kind and generous to me, making sure that I am comfortable and well fed (they are continuing to introduce me to lots of NZ sweets such as pineapple lumps, lamington bars, and hokey pokey ice cream!). I love playing with the kids; between bouncing on the trampoline, collecting animal cards, playing make believe (Hulk is the latest favorite), and conquering an "I Spy" book, we have fun!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I finally got to meet my program coordinators, Mary and Judy, last Monday night! They took myself and the other student teachers out to dinner. We had many laughs, exchanged teaching ideas, and made travel plans with the other student teachers. Plus, the food was delicious!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFUzufcya58Kf0f4E2gp1iw3z0VpSXMFVIlHhATEOkfW4MpokzEmzQ_FMj5t7t_8CUhtx14rCPqRYpAH6FhyP2fdnEABUuthK461ks7dbgtwB1ljV9fGj43vQoXoTvFaf3MHG0L6rLp7R/s1600/waffles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFUzufcya58Kf0f4E2gp1iw3z0VpSXMFVIlHhATEOkfW4MpokzEmzQ_FMj5t7t_8CUhtx14rCPqRYpAH6FhyP2fdnEABUuthK461ks7dbgtwB1ljV9fGj43vQoXoTvFaf3MHG0L6rLp7R/s1600/waffles.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: center;"> Scrumptious waffle dessert shared by all 3 female student teachers! My sweet tooth self was in heaven. </span></span><div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, that's it for now, thanks for reading this long post! Tomorrow we are off to explore the Bay of Islands!</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love, </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fun Facts:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">New Zealand to U.S. Slang Translation 101:</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jandals = Flip-Flops</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Boot (of car) = Trunk</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Togs = Swimsuit</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bach = Beach House </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Candy Floss = Cotton Candy</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dairy = Corner Store</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fizzy Drink = Soda</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fringe = Bangs</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ice Block = Popsicle</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rubber = Eraser</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-60618715539406389122015-02-09T21:24:00.004-08:002015-02-10T00:01:45.147-08:00School Beginnings!<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi, everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first week of school at school was excellent and I am learning lots! I work at a nearby primary school that includes years 1-6. I am in a year 5 class (equivalent to 4th grade in the US). The class (and entire school) is extremely diverse. In my class alone there are many ethnicities represented including NZ Maori (the native population), NZ European, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Samoan, and Korean. It is wonderful to learn about everyone's cultures and the students made very neat welcome signs for our room with greetings in different languages!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtuPIA6SFRr99osRgPIMI3Q0X7W27Jql496F0U4xD8hHs7KTorpG-_fh0F-uXi7q2Ee1vZk1pZ6aSivI-5WaOUOOpbRf9sKfNoCaa_EFYldDY17zkf0qyzS2dRk514HylhgPugCfzBT4V/s1600/signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtuPIA6SFRr99osRgPIMI3Q0X7W27Jql496F0U4xD8hHs7KTorpG-_fh0F-uXi7q2Ee1vZk1pZ6aSivI-5WaOUOOpbRf9sKfNoCaa_EFYldDY17zkf0qyzS2dRk514HylhgPugCfzBT4V/s1600/signs.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Fantastic multi-lingual welcome signs made by children in my class.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aside from the diversity, there are many striking aspects of the school. First off, is the positive atmosphere. The campus is very open with a center outdoor area where all students mingle before school, during morning tea break at 11 am, and at lunchtime. Morning tea is a great mid-morning break for both students and teachers! The students spend a lot of time outdoors and even when they are not outside the windows and doors are open so that it is light and airy. I'm also getting used to the fact that many students walk around barefoot inside and outside (and some teachers!). Everyone is very comfortable and treats school as a second home. There are also central areas between 3 classrooms called "awhina spaces." Awhina is a Maori word that translates to support or help. There is no assigned seating and students have the option of sitting wherever they are most comfortable to work (at a table in the classroom, on the floor, or in the awhina space).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq0z0Nat3UNNja9S01AJpcRJA4SwJy1Pd10W8Xz_TJKeph67b336SD9XOYE3o0nn0sh9rg0XxbaqY6dla42JrVYn8xzMzCz3iuQWa0L459QMzGg5j2TcUuwd_aiUtoNNrZ5s4-cspQCDb/s1600/outside+area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq0z0Nat3UNNja9S01AJpcRJA4SwJy1Pd10W8Xz_TJKeph67b336SD9XOYE3o0nn0sh9rg0XxbaqY6dla42JrVYn8xzMzCz3iuQWa0L459QMzGg5j2TcUuwd_aiUtoNNrZ5s4-cspQCDb/s1600/outside+area.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Central outdoor space (although it feels much different when students are bustling about).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JhZnMv5OnGdtcl2KCaIVwRbNqSuY00YSgCanxNONXNfbA5j4wUxqw9qppPIu2MReC959EqzhqZN4elij082mJdiv5q_8Ne8uUhbPFx09xQGooEBK9gymg3CgpkeF9KV20XUyS7vaVakD/s1600/classroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JhZnMv5OnGdtcl2KCaIVwRbNqSuY00YSgCanxNONXNfbA5j4wUxqw9qppPIu2MReC959EqzhqZN4elij082mJdiv5q_8Ne8uUhbPFx09xQGooEBK9gymg3CgpkeF9KV20XUyS7vaVakD/s1600/classroom.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Our classroom (again it usually feels different with students inside...and chairs--I took this after hours when our chairs were being used for parent night).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The school also does a fantastic job of building community. At the end of the first week there was a Powhiri, a Maori ceremony, to welcome new students and staff (they included us student teachers which was very thoughtful). Parents are also openly welcomed onto campus and you will see them in the center outdoor area dropping students off or picking them up. They will often pop in just to say a friendly hello to the teachers! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love my class so far! I have never taught this age before (8 and 9-year-olds), so it is great experience. At this age the children are very sweet (they've made me cute drawings and sneak hugs), but are also getting into deeper content and literature which is interesting. My cooperating teacher is also fantastic and a great example for me. It has been really useful to see how she set the classroom rules, structure, and tone at the beginning of the year (the school year started on February 2nd, my first day!). The first week was spent doing activities with getting to know each other and getting back into the groove of school. She also modeled and explained different types of lessons and projects. There has also been a lot of assessing in order to place students into appropriate small groups for instruction (more information on this to come in a future post!). Students are encouraged to self-assess as well and reflect about their academic performances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So far, I have been observing, working with small groups of students, and helping individual students who need extra assistance. I also led a small lesson on the U.S. (they expressed a lot of curiosity about the U.S. to me, so my teacher encouraged me to make a presentation). They were struck by many facts including the time difference, snow (most have never seen it before!), and landmarks (they had lots of questions about the Statue of Liberty). They also thought that the U.S. money I showed them looked sooo cool (I told them that I thought the same thing when I saw their currency...the grass is always greener!). They also loved seeing pictures of my family, friends, and my dog, Luna, who is now famous both in my class and with my homestay family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will slowly begin to plan and lead lessons over the next 2 weeks and then during weeks 4 and 5 I will be the full classroom teacher. I will report back with updates as my role increases!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>We had last Friday off of school to celebrate "Waitangi Day." This national holiday commemorates the 1840 signing of the Waitangi Treaty between the Maori natives and the British settlers. The treaty is considered NZ's founding document. We celebrated by having a fun weekend at the beach...more on that to come! :)</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-88909959535398342742015-02-01T01:37:00.002-08:002015-02-01T01:47:52.828-08:00A Very Kiwi Welcome<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greetings from Auckland, NZ! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite over 18 hours in the air, my flights were a breeze! The biggest setback was when my right ear popped during the descent of my first flight and I looked like a crazy person in the San Francisco airport, chomping loudly on gum and shaking my head around trying to solve the problem. Eventually I closed my mouth, pinched my nose, and blew which did the trick (FYI in case anyone is ever in a similar situation!). Once my ear was un-popped I settled into flight #2, watched the first LOTR movie, and woke up when we were almost to Auckland- awesome! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My plane landed around 5:15 am on Saturday (NZ time) and then I went through a passport check, baggage claim, and security which took over an hour (although I encountered very cute security puppies being trained along the way!). Through the arrival gate I was met with the most lovely welcome from Erin (her and her husband, Scott, are hosting me) and their children, Paige (7) and Lachlan (4). They greeted me with wide smiles, despite the early hour, and a wonderful homemade welcome sign with NZ images!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The beautiful sign made by Paige and Lachlan! It includes pictures of a kiwi, a monarch butterfly, sheep, a hobbit hole, a pavlova, jandals (NZ word for flip flops), and Rangitoto (a volcanic island). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have been having a great time with my host family so far! They have made me feel extremely welcome and comfortable as I get used to my new surroundings. I have lots of fun playing with the children, sharing American games and songs with them while they teach me some of their own! And my host family is teaching me lots about New Zealand culture. On my first night we had a traditional kiwi barbecue with sausages and steak, NZ sauvignon blanc wine, and pavlova, a delicious dessert! Erin is a wonderful cook and I already plan to try out some of her recipes when I am back in the US!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Delicious pavlova made by Erin! It is meringue-based with cream and fruit on top. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today we did some sight-seeing around Auckland. First we went to the Auckland Museum which was huge and had some neat exhibits. I was excited to see some Maori history and architecture, local wildlife in the natural history section (including a kiwi!), and we participated in a volcano simulation. There was also a very cool exhibition called the "World of Wearable Art" which featured outrageous fashion pieces!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The Auckland Museum</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">World of Wearable Art exhibit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The highlight of the day for me was when we went to the top of Mount Eden which is one of the many volcanoes in the area! I was flipping out since it was my first time up a volcano, while it was a normal sight for my host family. There was a huge crater in the center with lots of volcanic ash and rock spread over the area. From the top there were great views of Auckland including the other volcanoes in the area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Panoramic view of Mt. Eden (photo credit: Erin)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Zoomed out panoramic shot of the crater (photo credit: Erin)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Other nearby volcanoes and Auckland sights</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My new buddies, Paige and Lachlan posing in front of Rangitoto and showing off volcanic rock. Everything is fun with them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I cannot wait to explore more of this beautiful country. I am also very excited for my first day of student teaching tomorrow! I'll report back soon!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>The pavlova dessert is named after Russian dancer Anna Pavlova when she toured New Zealand and Australia in the 1920s. There is some debate over which country created the dessert, but research generally credits NZ. What is indisputable: it is delicious! </span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10140913495549172126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579709122167805367.post-71497452360736229962015-01-29T05:16:00.000-08:002015-01-29T05:17:20.760-08:00Up, Up, and Away!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greetings to all reading this! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I cannot believe that I'm embarking on my adventure to New Zealand in just a few hours! It seems like it has been so distant for so long and now it's actually here...it's a bit surreal to be honest. After a week of running around trying to get ready (with a few comical setbacks along the way), I'm so exhausted that I should hopefully sleep well on the plane rides :). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before I go, I want to take the time to say a big THANK YOU to all of my family and friends! In the weeks leading up to my departure, I've received an outpouring of wonderful messages and send-offs that have made me feel very loved. Between lunch/brunch dates, a homemade sushi dinner, drinks on a cold Sunday night, a crazy Monday night (during which I had to crash a friend's shower due to a plumbing issue and then made her do errands with me), it has been so much fun! And for all those who aren't nearby, thank you for all of the lovely phone calls, texts, emails, skype sessions, etc.! Also, I'm pretty much the luckiest person ever because my wonderful Mom and Nonna made a special trip down to Arlington from snowy NJ to see me off; they are the best and it is exactly the kind of TLC I needed before embarking!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am set to arrive in NZ on Saturday at 6 am, which is noon on Friday eastern time (I'm going to be so confused with being 18 hours ahead!). Hopefully my body will be able to adjust to the time difference quickly so that I can explore a bit and also be ready to begin student teaching on Monday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks for reading my first post and will post again as soon as I can! Farewell, USA!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lots of Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Fun Fact: </b>Auckland, NZ is the first major city in the world to experience a new day and a new year! So basically, I will be able to tell you the future...;)</span></div>
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