Category Archives: Learning Stories
P4b’s Super STEM Challenges!
This week, P4b have taken part in a range of exciting STEM activities that has developed our understanding and knowledge of our solar system. We worked together in our space teams to experiment with a range of materials and used a range maths skills.
We created galaxy jars, marshmallow constellations, balloon rockets and moon craters. On Thursday we were able to share what we had learned with our relatives and parents and the STEM Open Afternoon.
‘It was fun and exciting to teach our parents how to do different experiments’ Daisy
‘I really enjoyed seeing our parents around the classroom’ Megan
P2/3 STEM challenge – to design a bike accessory
P2/3 for their STEM challenge at open day on Wednesday 15th March had to design a bike seat for Mr Tickles or Snuggles.
We learned to:
consider a design brief
take part in a group discussion in our bike teams
draw a design sketch
make a seat from cardboard that had fastenings and would be of an appropriate size
evaluate their designs
Alfie said it was quite hard to make the seat. He thought the cutting and shaping to make it fit was tricky.
Nathan thought it was fun and a little bit hard. It was hard to decide on who had the best design in his group.
Jessica thought it was fun to have the parents and grandparents come into the class to help. She thought her design was fun to make but was not so sure how practical it was.
STEM Sharing the Learning Afternoon
This afternoon we opened our doors to parents, carers and friends to come and explore our STEM interdisciplinary learning. In the different areas we had:
- Nursery: STEM activities
- P1 and P2/1: Building our Nursery
- P3/2: Bike Challenge
- P3: Baby Gym
- P4: Project Planetarium
- P5: Kidnapped: CSI
- P6-7: Cool Chemistry
Visitors had an opportunity to take part in a range of science, technologies, engineering and mathematical activities with their children including chemistry experiments, designing the front of our new nursery, making parts of a bike, trying out toys for our baby gyms, making star constellations, fingerprint analysis and showcasing how we use digital learning.
The Nursery used this opportunity to try out their Go Pro, and Scarlet and Archie recorded the STEM afternoon through their eyes.
Our Technical Troopers also tried out using Microsoft Forms to collect information about out visitors’ experiences. This was a fantastic and instant way to gain feedback. You can complete the form by clicking here if you did not have time to do so during your visit.
Some of our feedback so far has included:
The most popular Science, Technologies or Mathematical skills evident during your visit:
- Creativity
- Observation
- Problem Solving
- Scientific inquiry and investigation
- Discussion
We use a range of ways to involve parents/carers in their children’s learning. The methods you prefer are:
- Newsletter
- Parents Night
- Sending jotters home
- Sharing the Learning Afternoon
At Mid Calder we use digital technologies in a range of ways to enhance learning and teaching experiences. How do you feel the use of digital technologies enhances your child/ children’s learning?
- To enhance learning for the future and modern living. Knowing what is safe and secure online. Learning new things that I may not be able to help with or understand.
- Excellent , as technology is the future and will be used more and more as my child gets older and becomes an adult. I would encourage more use of technology in school and support the use of all types of digital technologies.
- The use of digital learning will enhance their learning experiences and translate to real life.
- I think they find it more engaging and interesting. Technology is everywhere, in leisure and the world of work and it helps to learn about it now. In the case of Sumdog, learning can be continued at home.
- I feel that the digital technology used in the nursery is a great way to help the children’s understanding of how the things in the real world work. Everything is digital now and learning to use these technologies at a young age is beneficial as these can be used in a range of ways. We have a range of different devices in the household and although used more as a treat, I feel that my child knows how things work and can’t believe how quickly things can be picked up.
Thank you to everyone who came along to support the event.
Dress Down Day Friday 31st March
There will be a PSA Dress Down Day on Friday 31st March, please see details below.
Nursery Number Walks
I can recognise numbers in the environment around me and I can talk about why they are important.
The nursery boys and girls have been learning more about numbers in the environment. At home they worked with their mummy’s and daddy’s to take photos of the numbers they saw at home and why those numbers were important. The children could tell us that buses have different numbers because they go different ways, everyone needs a different phone number and the houses on their street all have different numbers so the postman knows where to go!
The children decided that they wanted to go on a number hunt around the school! They were amazed at how many numbers they found. The children took photos with the ipads and have been trying to recognise the numbers in the photos now they are back in the nursery. Thank you for all your help when we came over to visit your classrooms boys and girls. We really enjoyed it.
West Lothian Burns Competition
This evening Niamh, Cailin, Zach and their parents went along to St. Kentigern’s Academy to represent our school by reciting their Burns poems at the WL Burns Competition.
A big congratulations to all three pupils for being confident individuals.
Pupil Council Learning Walk … Take 2!
Today our Pupil Council went along to Addiewell Primary School, along with Woodmuir Primary to continue our Cluster Learning Walks. The Pupil Council gave us a presentation about their school and showed us a video.
We asked the Pupil Council some questions about their school:
- What IDL topics are you learning about?
- How do you use digital technologies in your school?
- What kind of outdoor learning do you have?
- What is your school motto and values?
- What type of whole school events does your school have?
We also asked Mrs MacMillan, their Principal Teacher some questions about her job:
- What is your favourite part of your job?
- What are you most proud of in your school?
- How do you deal with behaviour in your school?
- How do you plan your assemblies?
There were lots of things that we found interesting about Addiewell Primary:
- Together Time
- How they eat their snack together
- Wheelie Wednesdays
- Improvements they had made in their playground
- Their school motto
- Everyone was very friendly
- Cozy Corners in their classrooms
- Their movie models in P5/6/7
- That it was a combined school with St. Thomas Primary
Thank you to Charley, Jessica-Lee and Ryan for being our tour guides and answering our questions.
West Lothian SumDog Competition
P1-7 have been entered to take part in West Lothian’s latest Sumdog contest. This runs from 10-16th March and can be played at both home and at school using the SumDog website or app. All pupils should have their SumDog log in their homework diary/ book.
The children have to answer 1000 questions and their score is based on accuracy, not speed or winning games. There are also prizes to be won and certificates will be given out at Assembly for those children in the top 50 from across West Lothian.
Good luck everyone!
Leadership through Digital Technologies
Several of our classes have created a class Yammer page to share their learning journey throughout our STEM IDL contexts. Last week, Primary 5B supported Primary 3/2 and Primary 3 to help them to get logged on to and explore the features of Yammer. They helped them to access the tool through the Glow launchpad, join their class group, contribute to a poll, and to comment on pictures. Maya and Brooke also took the lead as administrators on each Yammer page, accepting new requests to join and keeping the teachers informed with progress.
To support the use of other Glow tools, P5B also shared their knowledge of Sway with Primary 4B to help them to create a fact file about the solar system. P5 gave them a tour of the key features of the Glow tool, then supported them when they began to explore it themselves while making their presentations. They also logged on to P4’s Project Planetarium Yammer page to view the completed Sways, giving them two stars and a wish feedback based on their success criteria.
This week, Primary 4B were then able to use this new knowledge and skills to support P4A when they were creating their Sways about the solar system. A fantastic example of our pupils becoming digital leaders!
