Lessons via Skype

This morning saw the beginning of our collaboration with New Zealand. The children were very excited about being taught by David Kinane via Skype from New Zealand. With a twelve hour difference, David had already had a long day but with everything in working order (Skype) was ready to teach the children some of the basics of using Gamemaker. Very quickly the children were discussing sprites, objects, backgrounds and rooms (levels) with David and thinking about how to make balls move in a room with walls. Thinking skills extended to problem solving when the children had to think about why the balls weren’t moving, how they could make them move and then how to stop them disappearing. Now we were into the programming of the game creating balls that moved, bounced and collided. With the basics covered the children were free to experiment on their own! Unsurprisingly they were confident enough to move through these basics, asking David to help them solve issues as they arose.


With the basics in place, we plan to move forward into the collaboration with the children at Wakaaranga. The children will work in pairs with a pair from NZ. They will begin to discuss ideas and build games, sharing their ideas using Talkwheel, Audioboo, Camstudio and through our Kupapa wiki. Over the next few weeks the children will also learn how to use Camstudio, and Audioboo to enable them to share and discuss their ideas.


Although the New Zealand school year ends in December, the project will continue when the children here will lead the way with the new class in New Zealand in February.




What did you think of the lesson from New Zealand this morning? What do you feel about using GameMaker and the project with New Zealand?

Roald Dahl Day

Miss Trunchbull tackles some of the characters from Jasmine class!

Watch out Matilda - she's behind you!

New Zealand Collaboration

We begin our collaboration next week, starting with a teaching session from New Zealand to familiarise the children with the software and tools they will be using. David Kinane will be teaching the class via Skype on Wednesday morning. His latest post about the project can be read here.

Numeracy Resources

Check out the Numeracy resource page for a rap to help you learn your 8 x table.

Meet the teacher

There will be opportunities to 'Meet the Teacher' on Monday 26th and Thursday 29th September. Please sign up for an appointment, the timetable is attached to the classroom door. I look forward to meeting you then.

Touching History

Plymouth City Museum visited today and gave the children of Year 4 the opportunity to handle Roman artefacts which were over 1700 years old!

Roman Soldiers take over Woodford

Claudius Maximus of the Roman Army at Isca (Exeter) came to drill his new Roman Army at Woodford Primary School. Discipline was fierce. The soldiers were drilled in their conturburniums under the strict command of Claudius. They were drilled in their kit and working together as a unit. A battle between the soldiers and the Celts was a foregone conclusion! Despite the Romans being outnunbered by the Celts, they were no match for the might of the Roman army and their superior battle tactics. Stimulli and javelins held back the celtic charge and in the end the battlefield was a mass of Celtic bodies!

The Romans are coming!

Fantastic shields made by the children over the summer!

It's a mystery!

Plymouth City Museum arrived on Monday with a collection of artefacts from the Roman and Tudor periods. Roland left a challenge for the children, which was to identify some mystery objects by thinking about their 'story'.
Can you work out what each of the objects was used for? Leave your ideas as comments. Good Luck!
Roland will be back on Friday to explore some Roman artefacts with the children.

Gamemaker Collaboration

This is the collaboration that we hope to begin in the next few weeks.


Gamemaker software

Jing for screen recording

This is the wiki where we will collaborate. The wiki is called Kupapa which is maori for collaboration.

Roman Shield Project

We are very impressed by those of you who have already completed your Roman Shield project. They make a really impression in the Year 4 area! Well done!
For those of you who have not yet completed a shield here is a copy of the instructions. You can download and print this document.

Don't forget it's Roman Day with Claudius Maximus next Wednesday.

Hello to New Zealand

Hello - we are Year 4 Jasmine at Woodford Primary School.

I am looking forward to Roman day next week and making a game on the computer - Maisie.

I am looking forward to Roman day and I am looking forward to making a game on the computer with you - Ethan.

I am looking forward to seeing the man come in and talk to us about the romans, Ithink it will be fun to make a game on the computer - Sophie

I am looking forward to world war 2 day and roman day-Joe

How was your day today? - Jacob

How is the weather where you are? Its raning down here, like always! - Olivia

I am going to enjoy making a game on the computer - Shaun

How are you doing in shcool how is the weather - Zoe

Hello i can not wait to here from you what it is like in New Zealand - Chloe

hi im hannah i am looking forwerd to make a new game whith you say hello to new zealand - bye for now

Is it nice at new zelend by - Theo

Collaboration with New Zealand

In the next few weeks we are going to begin some work with a school in New Zealand. This is an exciting opportunity to develop our International links and explore how children can use a range of ICT tools to work collaboratively.

We will be working with class 5c at Wakaaranga School in Aukland. Their class teacher is Mrs Clotworthy. This is their class wiki. Have a look and see what they've been up to this year.

Welcome to Year 4 Jasmine

We would like to take this opportunity to Welcome you and your child to Year 4. We hope they look to an exciting year.

The main focus for the Autumn term is The Romans.
“Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand.”
We have invited ‘Claudius Maximus’ to drill the children in Roman Army Life . This will be on Wednesday 14th September, preceded on 13th September with a session of handling artefacts from Plymouth City Museum. The focus for the Roman day with Claudius Maximus will be learning about life in the Roman Army, the weaponry and discipline. The children will take part in drill, marching to Latin commands, become part of the Isca Conturburnium and touch and feel the armour and weaponry.