Kinder, First, and Second Get iStation

We have expanded the Texas Success Initiative called iStation to our students in kindergarten, first, and second grade. Students in grades K-5 are now using this interactive reading program to bolster their reading skills. Istation Reading is a computer-based adaptive learning system that provides research based reading instruction. Teachers are now accessing the reports to make data driven decisions about instruction and intervention. 

Media Savvy Students

What are the five questions every media savvy kid should ask? Voigt fifth graders are discovering that asking questions when they encounter various types of media will help them to understand the messages and content more clearly. Along with Mrs. Haney and Mrs. Jackson, students used their interactive polling devices to show what they already knew about media and then broke into groups to examine eight different types of media, including websites, documentaries, commercials, school newsletters, and newspapers.  At each station, students answered questions about the media, like who created this message, what was the point of view, and which creative techniques were used to get their attention. At the conclusion of their work, students created a word cloud in Wordle illustrating key words from their discoveries.

Our Interactive Classrooms

Whether it's making your lunch choice on the Promethean board or using the laptops as part of a literacy center, students are experiencing a technology-rich, interactive classroom due to the technology that's made available to them. Students in Mrs. Laredo's second grade class use the document camera throughout the day to work on math problem solving and point out features of a non-fiction text. Students in Mrs. Schalchlin's fourth grade classroom build bar graphs in math on word magnets using the Triptico app and play a matching concentration type game on light energy. To test their knowledge, students interact with websites such as the BBC Science Clips for Kids, where they can complete virtual science experiments, in this case circuits and conductors. Of course all of this is possible because each of our classrooms is equipped with a ceiling mounted projector, sound system and a computer. Students in Mrs. Sandoval's third grade classroom learn how to make bar graphs using Microsoft Excel and extend their learning by drawing conclusions and presenting their information in various graphing modes. Our teachers continue to harness the power of the web. By integrating it into their teaching, students are actively engaged in topics being studied!





Google Earth to Visualize A Paradise Called Texas

Have you ever found yourself reading a novel trying to visualize the setting in your mind? Wouldn't it be great if you could actually see how that place looks today? Mr. Williams' fourth grade students did just that---as they were reading their 4th grade novel, A Paradise Called Texas, they came upon a part in the story where the characters were travelling from the small town of Wehrstedt to Bremen and then on to Bremerhaven via boat across the Atlantic Ocean. The class was able to utilize Google Earth to virtually fly to Bremen and view actual photographs of  Bremen square and the statue described in the book. Then utilizing the measurement function in Google Earth, they also measured the distance of their journey across the Atlantic and discussed how long it would take the characters to travel 5000 miles by boat. Throughout the course travelled, students were able to view photographs of the places they encountered along their journey.

What a great example of technology integration with real world application! Mr. Williams' students experienced  (3-5.8.B) using interactive technology environments, such as simulations to manipulate information and (3-5.7.C) using a variety of data types including text and graphics.

Computer Group My Class

Nevermind the days of pulling popsicle sticks to call on students or having them count off by threes, Mrs. Schalchlin has found the 21st century tool to help with classroom management and excite the kids about being chosen. Triptico Desktop Resources is a free resource, available for download, that currently has twenty-two different tools to choose from. Teachers can utilize this application by displaying it on their Promethean boards in class to create student groups, choose names at random, or countdown to the end of independent work time. Two of Mrs. Schalchlin's favorites are the word magnets (pictured below) and the order resource (sequencing).