Mr Hammerlund

Integrating technology into teaching and learning makes up a large part of our program at OYIS. Students are required to use their devices in class and it is expected that they make good decisions when using the device. Getting your child their own device is a big step for both your family and for your child. For children, it is a powerful tool they can use to interact with friends, play games, and connect to the world in general. For parents, it can be stressful and, at times, challenging to navigate. But negotiating an agreement with your child doesn't have to be as complicated as you may think.  Already your child's homeroom teacher talks with students about how to responsibly use technology at school. At home, talking with your child about technology usage will alleviate many problems that will arise.  Ideally, we should allow children to have some agency in how they use their devices and help them to make good choices.  A good place to start is with the 5 W’s - Where...

I want to blame the janky writing on me using translation, but most of it is just me. There's more to research, but I am interested in just getting this started. Here is episode 1. Listen on Anchor === I grew up in Minnesota where three large rivers cut through the state: the Minnesota River, the St. Croix River, and of course, the Mississippi River. There may be more but it's been a long time since I went away and these are the three I had the most exposure with. I remember fishing in them, boating in them, biking along them, and looking across the shores where in many instances the shore slopes into the water at an almost flat incline. I now live near the Yodogawa in Osaka. Where I am, just north of Umeda, the Yodogawa is wide and usually flows pretty slow. The thing I noticed first was how straight the Yodogawa is in my area of the river. It kind of bends around the JR Kyoto Line bridge, but is pretty straight from there to Osaka Bay. Another thing I noticed was how the shor...

Draft Getting your child their own laptop (device) is a big step for your family. For your child, it is a powerful tool they can use to meet their friends, play games, and connect to the world in general. For parents, it can be a little stressful. The key is to start by talking with your child and keep an open dialog. This doesn't have to be a complicated conversation. A good rule of thumb is to use the 5 W's (Where, When, What, Who, Why, and How) to guide the conversation. WHERE Where is a good place to use devices? Think about the locations in your home where you might use the device and talk about where a good place might be.  For example: Is it OK to use it at the dining room table, or is that not a good place because of food? Is it OK to use it on the floor, or is that not a good place because it might be stepped on?  One rule of thumb is to keep screens visible. Children should not go into their rooms to "do homework". Establish a norm at your home to always use...

Last week I was outside with the early years students and saw an awesome example of Loose Parts Play unfold. While I saw it unfold, it is not surprising it did unfold for the teacher has made loose parts play a part of his curriculum so it has been set up to happen. In the beginning ... Parts were gathered and brought into school. The parts were set out for the students to play with. They included: blocks, nails and screws, tents, and wood pallets. The students were able to gravitate to the things they wanted to play with and who they wanted to play with.  One student started building with the pallets. Another student joined in. More students joined in. The teacher saw the interest of the students and stepped in to help make the structure more safe. In the end ... They had created a new flexible playspace. They had already started adding new parts to it when my time with them was finished.