Technology Integration in the Primary Grades

The students and teachers at the RSD6 elementary schools have been doing some exciting things with technology. Over the past few months of the 2012-2013 school year, teachers have been upgrading their classroom websites to improve school/home communication and utilizing Google Docs to collaborate with colleagues.

The students have been engaging in a variety of digital-age learning experiences. Here are a few examples of how the primary teachers are promoting creativity, communication, and collaboration in the classroom.

Mrs. Maiolo's second graders have been using the Fotobabble app to publish poetry and practice reading fluency.



 Each of the kindergartners in Miss Gleason's class created a Voki to publish their writing pieces about their favorite season.


First graders in Mrs. Williamson's class have been working with the Puppet Pals app on the ipad to demonstrate their learning in Reader's and Writer's Workshop.


Students in Mrs. Carpenter's second grade class illustrated their understanding of 'doubling' using the free online tool, Kerpoof.

After each student designed his or her human self, Kindergardeners in Mrs. Brady's class went wild using BuiLD YouR WiLD SeLF.  

Kindergarden and First Grade students read the book, Little Cloud by Eric Carle in Art Class from a YouTube video. They dialogued about seeing various shapes in clouds and painted their own clouds with white paint on blue paper.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGrGjkPiCmc

Studucate

STUDUCATE...A night when students educate parents by sharing how they use technology to enhance their own learning.

Students taking ownership for their own learning is one of the most important aspects of 21st Century Learning. When that occurs pride, leadership, self-confidence and true understanding swell to the surface. In this technological age of learning those who truly grasp the benefits of these times realizes that it really isn’t about the technology at all. What really matters is how and why it is utilized. Providing students with opportunities to communicate, collaborate, use creativity and critical thinking not only engage students on a higher level of learning, but will help to build a strong foundation for their future. On March 1, 2012, the students of Warren School participated in a very special event that held them to a highly unique standard. We called this event Studucate. Studucate was a night when students educated parents by sharing how they use technology to enhance their own learning. Students were highly motivated to take on this challenge. 70 of our 89 students of Warren School, K-6, presented at Studucate. Students owned the night. Throughout the evening, parents and friends rotated from class to class as groups of students in each grade presented 10-minute lessons to those in attendance. Those not in attendance for each presentation--the classroom teacher. Teachers let the students truly embrace the experience. It would be difficult for teachers not to intervene when their students came across technical difficulties or lesson mishaps in the midst of presenting to a room full of adults.

Each presentation was equipped with a support system. This support came in the form of the senior students in the school, the sixth grade. As hosts, the sixth graders introduced the presenters and provided guidance as necessary. These eleven and twelve year olds were wonderful at providing the assurance that help was there if needed, but allowed time for groups to take the initiative to problem solve issues that arose. Student presenters were placed in the position to trust in themselves and their partners to work through the lesson together. The outcome....mission accomplished.

The following day students were given time to explain what they felt about Studucate. Their reactions were priceless, not to mention extremely insightful. They expressed the importance of teamwork, communicating thoughts clearly, and being able to work through problems that presented themselves during their lessons. For many, the experience made them realize that they have the ability to take on challenges, step out of their comfort zone, and accomplish something that leaves a feeling of pride difficult to match. These expressions were informally captured on an iPad and merged with footage of Studucate to create a 13 minute iMovie video that was e-blasted out to parents and friends. The VoiceThread created the night of Studucate was included as well.The following day students were given time to explain what they felt about Studucate. Their reactions were priceless, not to mention extremely insightful. They expressed the importance of teamwork, communicating thoughts clearly, and being able to work through problems that presented themselves during their lessons. For many, the experience made them realize that they have the ability to take on challenges, step out of their comfort zone, and accomplish something that leaves a feeling of pride difficult to match. These expressions were informally captured on an iPad and merged with footage of Studucate to create a 13 minute iMovie video that was e-blasted out to parents and friends. The VoiceThread created the night ofStuducate was included as well.

"It felt like you were in charge and your teachers didn't help. It wasn't the teachers telling you how to use a program, it was you teaching the parents."

"If you work together, you can get things done. We were a great team together."

Forever Grateful Veteran Interview Project

Each year, the 5th grade at Warren School, CT, hosts a Veteran’s Luncheon.
Each year, connecting students with our veterans makes the event special.
This year, however...it was extra special. We are very proud of this project.

Forever Grateful...Veteran Interview Project

Grade: 5th (15 students)
Teachers: 5th grade teacher, Beth Ulrichsen and Educational Technologist, Alisa Wright
Time Span: Began in early October--Completed Mid November (*including an unexpected week off due to power outages)
Time Requirements: ½ hour/day....*1 week prior to luncheon required more time

• Met in computer lab
• Student Collaboration (teams of 3)
1. Created interview questions to be included in class question list
2. Completed tasks--addressing envelopes, writing invitations, researching history of wars/military
3. Conducted interview
• Project: Interviewed 11 community veterans to create a digital story full of history, reflections and words of wisdom.

• Members of each team
1. Digital camera photographer for still photos
2. Flip camera photographer for video
3. Interviewer (used Audacity to record audio)
• Individually
1. Created a full version video about a veteran using video, stills, audio in Windows Movie Maker
• 
• 
  
  
  b.created a short 2 minute video using stills and portion of audio using PhotoStory

• Culmination: Created a combined video in Windows Movie Maker using the PhotoStory videos of each veteran. This combined video was 16.5 minutes long and was shown during the annual Veteran’s Luncheon. Extremely well received.
  
  
  
  Technology/Programs Used:
  • Flip Camera
  • Digital Camera
  • Audacity
  • Windows Movie Maker

  *Be sure to save all pictures and videos to computer prior to creating video.

  • PhotoStory3
  
  Helpful Hints:
  • Save all photos, videos, audio to same folder
  • Make a copy of original audio prior to editing to ensure safe keeping
  • Upload final project to youtube to easily share
  
  
  

Taking Technology Into the Garden

How Ya Peelin’?
Taking Technology Into the Garden at Warren


Kindergarten, First and Second Graders have a special flair for demonstrating feelings. After being introduced to a specific color of our garden, pairs of students chose a vegetable to portray a facial expression of emotion. After discussing with their partner a particular emotion they wanted to work with, happy, sad, frustrated, surprised, and scared were some of the emotions they created on their vegetable using black-eyed peas and toothpicks. Students then wrote a list poem explaining how one feels when expressing that emotion.

Once faces and poems were completed, Blabberize, a free online program, turned those veggie faces and poems into an animated, talking, feeling video. Mrs. Powell, our music teacher, helped each class prepare a song about feelings. Students enjoyed choosing the transitions to use between Blabberized videos and digital photos to complete this project using Windows Movie Maker.

While the movie was being processed, Mrs. Brown read, How Are You Peeling?, by Saxton Freymann to eager listeners and viewers. They were surprised to see that the veggie faces they created were as ‘emotionally charged’ as what the book portrayed. After viewing the movie, teachers were already expressing other ways they were ready to use Blabberize and Windows Movie Maker with their classes. So….I guess we’re peelin’ pretty good about how technology was integrated into our academic day!

If you’re happy and you know it, click this link…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqsyHfLXoKQ

Our Hopes and Dreams

Many students and teachers in our elementary schools participate in an assignment where they have to share a hope or dream they have for the new school year. This year, we created a Voicethread so that we could share these hopes and dreams across the district. It is not too late to participate and we hope that we can collect some comments from other schools across the country as well. Let's work together and see how many hopes and dreams we can collect! If you already have a Voicethread account, you can leave a comment right from this blog post. Teachers, staff, students, and family members (from around the world) are welcome to participate!

Welcome Back!

This is going to be a fantastic school year filled with 21st century learning! Our first 2 professional development days were a great success. It is amazing that we have such a talented staff that is willing to share, collaborate and learn from one another. This blog will continue to showcase all of the hard work of our teachers and students.

The best way to learn from each other is to share what we know. So please use the comment tool on this blog to communicate with your fellow teachers.

Please be sure to check out our SlideRocket presentation from our PD days and don't forget to check out our RSD6EdTech Wiki for any resources and information from those PD days. If you have not already done so, here is a link to the evaluation sheet. Your feedback is very important to us!

Radio Frequency Meets Digital Technology

Students at Warren School experienced how communication is not just through the Internet and that Ham Radio can come through when all else fails. With a simple wire mounted in the school's courtyard, Mr. Fegley, technology teacher at Region 6, introduced students to his lifelong hobby.

W0WD connects with WA1MOG: On June 16, 2011, 20m SSB QSO (...for those of us who are newbies to this oldie, that's Ham radio lingo!) , Fourth Graders from Mrs. Woodington's class at Warren School, Warren, CT, connected with Joe Dolinsky (W0WD) from Minnetonka, Minnesota. Each student using club call sign, WA1MOG asked questions to Joe who offered wonderful words of wisdom with his responses. Joe played back recordings of students so they could understand how short wave amateur radio signals are sent and received using a simple wire dipole antenna. WA1MOG is the club call sign for the Wamogo Amateur Radio Club. Mr. Dan Fegley, W1QK, is the club advisor. Mr. Fegley turned Warren School's library into a launchpad for radio signals. Students were amazed and eager to know more. They were directed to the website for the American Radio Relay League (http://www.arrl.org/) which is the national association for amateur radio located in nearby Newington, CT. Prior to connecting with W0WD, a Morse code contact was made with CO8LY, located in Cuba, with a quick "hello" and "goodbye". Follow links to view videos: http://youtu.be/qZyugO3B-Sc http://youtu.be/VFYHoydAcWs