Students and teachers have been doing an incredible job of exploring beyond the traditional worksheet and pencil in their classrooms. Thinking outside of the box has lead them to some amazing 21st Century Learning opportunities. Google Voice Typing was recently launched. To show first graders that writing is more than just a pencil & paper and ink & feather, they used Google Voice Typing to narrate their writing. The students loved speaking into the Chromebook and seeing their stories come alive right in front of their very own eyes.
Along the same lines of thinking aloud, Screencasting has taken over the classrooms of D13. Our students are using the Chrome Extension, Screencastify, to record their thinking. It's one thing to write down an answer to a math problem, but it is taken to a whole new level when students are encouraged to explain their thinking as they demonstrate their work. This can be done in first grade and in fifth grade and the results are the same: POWERFUL. Defending ideas, representing in different ways, and stopping to carefully think and reason are skills that our students need. Check out two student screencasts below!
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Well, it's been just about a month since the school year started. Every student has been issued a Chromebook in Bloomingdale School District 13. The things the students and staff are doing already are MIND BLOWING... by the end of the year, just imagine the magic that will be taking place. Check out the following images and updates from classrooms and beyond! Just because our students now have devices, doesn't mean that learning automatically transforms. With it, comes a shift in teaching and learning that requires lots of specific skills and changes to be made. The ANSWER GARDEN above is a brainstorm and representation of what the staff of D13 believes is 21st Century Learning. This staff is incredible! Ready or not, here we come! Check out an AMAZING first grade Podcast-- completely written, directed, and produced by the kids themselves!
http://vocaroo.com/i/s1mWezldINxU Change comes from taking risks. Stepping outside of the box to try something new isn't easy... for kids or adults. In the first month of school in District 13, the staff and students have truly taken risks that have already proved to be powerful game changers.
Fourth grade students are creating their own Tourist websites as they learn about the regions of the USA. Their kickoff began with talking about appealing website design and criteria. They will craft their sites based on their brainstormed ideas!
Honestly, there's so much to share! Stay tuned for more risk taking!
There's no better way to hear updates about all of the great things happening in the classroom than from the kids themselves! Check out the first podcast of the year from a second grade classroom by clicking the link below. http://vocaroo.com/i/s1zzsthjGnEg After creating their podcast, two AWESOME second grade friends reflected on their experience together. SO PROUD! Innovation continued. Today, fifth graders had to vote for Student Council Representatives in class. The students interested in the positions created their own Google slide as a "campaign." It was important for the students to view the campaigns and vote at the same time, on the same screen. Instead of switching between tabs to remember information and make their decision, the students learned how to SPLIT SCREEN! Using the "Tab Resize" extension, they were able to view both! As a class, they brainstormed ideas of other ways they could use split screen in their learning. Taking notes and researching at the same time has forever changed! Click the link below to watch awesome fifth grader, Nick's, screencast! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By_P0D_0RiVbYWxjUy1Felg1eWc/view?usp=sharing |
Author(s)Jennifer Eggert Archives
August 2019
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