It has been an exciting writing week in 3E. At the beginning of the week we learned who our partner schools were in the Primary Blogging Community and at the end of the week we learned how to comment and respond to other blogs. Writing for a wider audience has inspired more thought and attention to the words we choose and they way we say things. In addition to our blogging work we are excited because our first class collection of poetry is being put together and will likely be ready to bring home next week. That is exciting writing news too.
Primary Blogging Community
This week we learned that we have been grouped with classrooms from Windsor and Cottam, Ontario, Jenison, MI and Chicago, IL. When we looked at all the different blogs it is exciting – we are all so different and yet the same. Earlier in the week we read the book Same, Same, Different and that is what we are discovering. We are all third grade or second/third grade classrooms – that is the same part, but we are all learning about things in a different way.
Last week we posted our book commercials. This week during our blogging time we commented on each other’s blogs and many of us posted the poetry we’d written to share with the class. It was exciting to check out our cluster maps to know. The children could each see that their blogs had been visited and they could tell where the visitors were from.
Again if you need help knowing where to go to see your child’s blog, head to 3enews.edublogs.org. Scroll down until to see the class blog list. The second half of the list is our class. Click on a name and enjoy. Please leave a comment when you do. The children will be thrilled to know you seen what they have shared.
Multiplication Practice
This week we have been working for automaticity with our 1’s, 10’s, 5’s and 2’s tables. We know there are 100 different multiplication facts to learn. By knowing these first four tables we know at least half of the facts. That’s a pretty good feeling. Our next task is to work on the 3’s. We understand multiplication as repeated groupings and as arrays. We are learning more about the Commutative Property and our next task is to learn how to use multiplication to calculate area. We are also going to use what we know about fives to figure out how to tell time more easily.
How We Are Smart – Multiple Intelligence Theory
We are nearly complete with the “icons” we’ve develop to represent what we each feel are our top four intelligences. It has been interesting to see the children compare their first impressions to the results from the questionnaire to decide what their different strengths and interests are. Some of them have been surprised, but most of the children really know themselves well. Word, logic and self-smart are particularly challenging to understand because they are largely thought and felt. They are not seen as clearly as body, art or nature-smart. As we come to know our differences and understand how we approach learning we can better appreciate each other. This is another way we are Same, Same, Different.
Recording Lessons Learned While Reading
During our Shared Reading Sessions we have been considering the lessons we can learn from books if we stop, take note and the time to actually record our thinking. When we stop to notice, we have discovered we remember what we read better and we are able to connect to the reading later on. In class we compared to picture books: The Most Magnificent Thing and What To Do With an Idea. There are many lessons to be learned from these books like: calm down so you can think, keep trying, don’t worry about what other say, what you think matters more… and on and on. Talk to your child about these books and see what they can tell you. I am hoping it will be a lot once they get started.
Bits and Pieces

• We’ll be kicking off our first whole grade level project – Who Am I? – with a visit from the S.E.E. Science Mobile on October 17. This is a demonstration to help the children learn more about thinking scientifically. The project that will follow that kick-off event is designed to help the children explore, learn about and share of different types of science and the work of scientists. At the end of this month long exploration, we have also planned a field trip to the S.E.E. Science Center in November. Look for details in your child’s communication folder in the weeks to come.
• See what your child has to say about the Quirks and what is happening at Normal Night in our class chapter read-aloud, The Quirks – Welcome to Normal.
• Ask them about their independent research topic. We began that process this week too. They may be surprised to discover information and resources at home to.

3E is a busy place to be. We are doing a lot and the children seem to be feeling excited and interested in what they are doing each day.