Mrs. McKillop's 4th Grade Classroom

Yes, I got a new bike.  Not just any bike, but a cool. Hip, fun new bike.  As I was talking about my new bike, I could not help but draw some similarities between bike riding and technology.  We often tell people, “You never forget, it’s like riding a bike.”  And I find the same is true with technology… once we have done something a few times, we always remember how to do it.  While the act of learning to ride was somewhat daunting almost everyone has learned.  The same can be said for technology.  Learning something new may not be comfortable or easy, but usually the benefits far outweigh the costs.  So for those of you who are not feeling so comfortable with technology, I encourage you to stick with it because it will get easier and the benefits are rewarding, just like riding a bike…

What do computer techs do when thay are not fixing our computers? We wanted to know so we asked…..

Do you believe one person can have a positve impact on the world? Do you have some stories to share? Check out our video!

Each spring we take the STAR Test.  This test can be difficult, so we created movies with helpful tips to ensure that students do their best on the test.  Please look at the movie below and leave us a comment.

We are currently reading The Diary of Anne Frank.  One item   we were initally confused about was the fact that our reading series had placed this selection in the unit entitled “Survival.”  We knew that Anne and her mother and sister had all perished in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, so why place the portion of her diary in the “Survival” Unit? After much discussion we came to the conclusion that Anne had indeed survived, maybe not Anne herself, but her story.  Her diary has been translated into something like thirty two different languages….her story is told across numerous countries and in many languages and it stands as a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Our discussion so far has blossomed into many different areas.  We created a list noting how the Jews were segregated….they couldn’t ride the bus, go to the same school as German children, participate in public sports including swimming, they could only shop at markets which would accept Jewish customers……so many ways.  We then searched our minds and were able to see that many of these same discrimination happened to African Americans and Japanese Americans.

 Without Anne’s diary we probably would not understand fully the deep personal impact the segregation and hiding had on one little girl and ultimately a nation.  Anne is a fine example of how one person really can make a difference even if they do not think they ever will.  So remember everyone has the potential to positively impact the world, even through activities that may seem ordinary or mundane.

Our blog reconstruction is almost complete!! As I was considering what to add to our blog I visited many other blogs and noticed what I liked about them.  One item which really caught my eye, thanks to my friend Kristen’s blog, were the flags.  When people around the world visit our blog they can leave a message and tell us which country they are from.  At first I thought it was a cute novelty item, but as time progressed, and I did not have them on our blog, the flags became almost an obsession.  I looked for them constantly and when I found them on other people’s blogs I had to know how many flags they had and from which countries they received the flags. So now we have them on our blog. So please, please, please:gimme some flag.