Thursday, December 21, 2023
Digital Learning in Howe Manning - December Edition
We packed a lot into a shorter month this December. We started the month off with "Hour of Code". The Hour of Code is an initiative designed to introduce elementary students to the world of computer programming in a fun and accessible way. The Hour of Code aims to equip elementary students with the skills and confidence to navigate an increasingly digital world and consider future pathways in STEM-related fields.
Students at Howe Manning are participating in Hour of Code using a choice board with many options ranging from beginners to advanced users. In Mrs. Deeley's 4th grade enrichment group, students coded a dance party in code.org and had a lot of fun. "Dance Party: AI Edition Learn about artificial intelligence (AI) concepts to create your own virtual dance party showcasing today's top artists. With dozens of songs to choose from, reach every student no matter their music taste. It's time to strut your stuff!" (Source)
Students in 5th grade art classes are using Green Screen technology to bring their drawings to life. Check out some of their work.
In Ms. Cheverie's 4th grade classes, we used the amazing green screen technology by Do Ink to bring our "Stuck in a Snow Globe" writing assignment to life. The students stood in front of the green screen, and with the magic of technology, they appeared inside a snowy wonderland, setting the stage for their creative narratives.
ISTE Standards for coding and using technology for projects
4th Graders at Howe Manning are "Stuck in a Snow Globe"
In Ms. Cheverie's 4th grade classes, we used the amazing green screen technology by Do Ink to bring our "Stuck in a Snow Globe" writing assignment to life. The students stood in front of the green screen, and with the magic of technology, they appeared inside a snowy wonderland, setting the stage for their creative narratives.
As the young authors shared part of their imaginative stories, the green screen allowed them to visually showcase the problem their characters faced—being stuck in a snow globe. The technology added an exciting and interactive element to their presentations, capturing the attention of both the students and their peers.
With the help of Do Ink's green screen, our 4th graders not only highlighted the challenges their characters encountered but also ingeniously presented solutions. Whether it was finding a way to escape the snow globe or embracing the magical world within, the technology enhanced their storytelling experience and made the writing assignment a memorable and engaging activity.
ISTE Standards for using technology for projects
Digital Learning in Fuller Meadow - December Edition
We packed a lot into a shorter month this December. We started the month off with "Hour of Code". The Hour of Code is an initiative designed to introduce elementary students to the world of computer programming in a fun and accessible way. The Hour of Code aims to equip elementary students with the skills and confidence to navigate an increasingly digital world and consider future pathways in STEM-related fields.
Students in Mrs. Thiel's Innovation classes had the opportunity to use the app "Rodo Codo" to engage in coding during Hour of Code." (Source)
Students in Kindergarten classes used the app Chatterpix on "Teddy Bear Day" to bring their friends to life. Chatterpix is an engaging and innovative digital app that can add a delightful twist to any classroom activity.
In Ms. St. Pierre's 2nd-grade classroom, we used the amazing green screen technology by Do Ink to bring our "Stuck in a Snow Globe" writing assignment to life. The students stood in front of the green screen, and with the magic of technology, they appeared inside a snowy wonderland, setting the stage for their creative narratives.
ISTE Standards for coding and using technology for projects
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
2nd Graders at Fuller Meadow are "Stuck in a Snow Globe"
In Ms. St. Pierre's 2nd-grade classroom, we used the amazing green screen technology by Do Ink to bring our "Stuck in a Snow Globe" writing assignment to life. The students stood in front of the green screen, and with the magic of technology, they appeared inside a snowy wonderland, setting the stage for their creative narratives.
As the young authors shared part of their imaginative stories, the green screen allowed them to visually showcase the problem their characters faced—being stuck in a snow globe. The technology added an exciting and interactive element to their presentations, capturing the attention of both the students and their peers.
With the help of Do Ink's green screen, our 2nd graders not only highlighted the challenges their characters encountered but also presented solutions. This technology enhanced their storytelling experience and made the writing assignment a memorable and engaging activity.
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Green Screen Technology Brings Artwork to Life
In the exciting realm of fifth-grade art projects, students will elevate their creativity to new heights by incorporating the innovative Green Screen by Do Ink technology into their holiday-themed masterpieces. This cutting-edge tool allows students to transport themselves seamlessly into their own artwork, offering a dynamic and immersive experience. As they dive into the festive spirit of the holiday season, students can use the Green Screen to virtually step into their meticulously crafted winter wonderlands or holiday scenes, adding a personal touch and an extra layer of magic to their artistic expressions. This hands-on integration of technology not only fosters a deeper connection to their artwork but also empowers students to explore the intersection of art and digital tools, paving the way for a memorable and technologically enriched holiday celebration in the fifth-grade art classroom.
Friday, December 8, 2023
Chatterpix for Teddy Bear Day in Kindergarten
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Hour of Code
The Hour of Code is an initiative designed to introduce elementary students to the world of computer programming in a fun and accessible way. Typically held during Computer Science Education Week, this global movement encourages students to spend at least one hour engaging in coding activities, fostering a foundational understanding of computational thinking and problem-solving skills. The activities are designed to be age-appropriate and engaging, utilizing games, puzzles, and interactive platforms to make coding accessible even to those with no prior experience. The goal is to demystify coding and inspire an early interest in technology, encouraging students to see the creative and problem-solving aspects of programming. The Hour of Code aims to equip elementary students with the skills and confidence to navigate an increasingly digital world and consider future pathways in STEM-related fields.
Rodocodo’s unique puzzle based format helps children of any ability develop problem solving skills and improves resilience. "Rodo Codo provides children with instant feedback, so they are constantly learning and improving. Plus it automatically tracks and records their progress. This saves teachers valuable time, and ensures they can focus on the children that most need their help.
Students in Mrs. Thiel's Innovation classes had the opportunity to use the app "Rodo Codo" to engage in coding during Hour of Code." (Source)
Students at Howe Manning are participating in Hour of Code using a choice board with many options ranging from beginners to advanced users. In Mrs. Deeley's 4th grade enrichment group, students coded a dance party in code.org and had a lot of fun. "Dance Party: AI Edition Learn about artificial intelligence (AI) concepts to create your own virtual dance party showcasing today's top artists. With dozens of songs to choose from, reach every student no matter their music taste. It's time to strut your stuff!" (Source)
ISTE Standard 5
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Digital Learning in Fuller Meadow - November Edition
We are transforming the learning experience at Fuller Meadow School with technology! Why embrace technology in elementary education? To prepare your child for the future. Our carefully curated tech tools are designed to enhance critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. From interactive learning apps to hands-on digital exercises, we're fostering a dynamic environment that sparks curiosity and imagination. This month at Fuller Meadow we discussed "Digital Citizenship", BrainPOP, Jr. Make-a-Map, and Math Fact Lab program to foster math fact fluency.
Students in K, 1st and 2nd grade participated in a lesson on "Digital Citizenship". Teachers are continuously reinforcing Digital Citizenship and Digital Safety skills to make sure it's always on the top of our students' minds.
Check out our presentation.
Our 2nd graders had the opportunity to use "BrainPOP Make-a-Map" to show their understanding of Continents and Oceans.
Students have been studying continents and oceans in their Social Studies class and learning about the land features in each continent. BrainPOP, Jr. offers great resources on this topic. After their classroom studies, students watch the BrainPOP, Jr. video "Continents and Oceans" and complete a brainstorming map for one of the continents. They had to include the name and video clip of the continent, at least one term and one photo that relates to the continent. Students had so much fun exploring the features of the program.
Our 1st and 2nd graders are using a new edtech program titled "Math Fact Lab" to practice math facts. "Math Fact Lab" is an engaging and interactive learning program designed specifically for elementary students to strengthen their foundational math skills. Through a combination of games, activities, and hands-on exercises, the program focuses on mastering essential mathematical facts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The goal is to make learning math enjoyable and effective, helping students build confidence and fluency in solving basic math problems. The Math Fact Lab encourages a positive attitude towards math, fostering a love for learning and a solid understanding of fundamental math concepts.
Click HERE for digital resources for November for students and teachers.
Digital Learning in Howe Manning - November Edition
We are transforming the learning experience at Howe Manning School with technology! Why embrace technology in elementary education? To prepare your child for the future. Our carefully curated tech tools are designed to enhance critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. From interactive learning apps to hands-on digital exercises, we're fostering a dynamic environment that sparks curiosity and imagination. This month at Howe Manning School we were introduced to "Math Fact Lab", a program to foster math fact fluency, used our engineering design skills to create balloons for the our class parade, created theme parks with Minecraft EDU, and used Google Slides used in Google Classroom to show student learning for Chemical and Physical Changes.
Howe Manning students are using a new edtech program titled "Math Fact Lab" to practice math facts. "Math Fact Lab" is an engaging and interactive learning program designed specifically for elementary students to strengthen their foundational math skills. Through a combination of games, activities, and hands-on exercises, the program focuses on mastering essential mathematical facts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The goal is to make learning math enjoyable and effective, helping students build confidence and fluency in solving basic math problems. The Math Fact Lab encourages a positive attitude towards math, fostering a love for learning and a solid understanding of fundamental math concepts.
4th graders in Mrs. Cheverie's ELA classes participated in a STEM project for the book "Balloons Over Broadway" about the origins of the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade. The task was to design an apparatus to hold up a balloon in 3 places. The balloon was also crafted for their personal design. We then used green screen technology with the app by "Green Screen" by Do Ink to create a video. What a great way to take personalize their learning for a global audience. Check out their videos.
Click HERE for digital resources for November for students and teachers.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Balloons Over Broadway - A Journey in 4th Grade
Students in Ms. Cheverie's 4th grade classes explored the exciting world of STEM with the book "Balloons over Broadway". In this awesome activity, they got to be little engineers and designers by creating a special contraption to hold up their very own balloons. It was a hands-on adventure where they used their creativity and problem-solving skills to build something super cool. But the fun didn't stop there! They also explored the magic of technology by using a green screen. Just like the behind-the-scenes wizards in movies, they brought their creations to life on screen. What an amazing journey into the world of science, technology, engineering, and math – where their imaginations soared as high as the balloons themselves! Hey future scientists and inventors, keep on exploring and discovering.
Engineering standards for fourth grade typically focus on introducing students to fundamental concepts related to engineering, problem-solving, and design thinking. Here are the themes and topics that are covered in fourth-grade engineering education:
Engineering Design Process:
Understand and apply the steps of the engineering design process, which often include steps such as defining the problem, researching, generating ideas, building and testing prototypes, and communicating results.
Problem Solving:
Develop problem-solving skills by identifying problems, proposing solutions, and evaluating the effectiveness of those solutions.
Design and Build:
Use basic materials to design and build simple structures, devices, or models that meet specific criteria and constraints.
Scientific and Engineering Practices:
Engage in practices that scientists and engineers use, such as making observations, asking questions, and gathering information to solve problems.
Technology
Use green screen technology to share our designs.
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Math Fact Lab in Middleton Schools
Students in 1st grade - 6th grade are using a new edtech program titled "Math Fact Lab" to practice math facts. "Math Fact Lab" is an engaging and interactive learning program designed specifically for elementary students to strengthen their foundational math skills. Through a combination of games, activities, and hands-on exercises, the program focuses on mastering essential mathematical facts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The goal is to make learning math enjoyable and effective, helping students build confidence and fluency in solving basic math problems. The Math Fact Lab encourages a positive attitude towards math, fostering a love for learning and a solid understanding of fundamental math concepts.
Monday, November 13, 2023
BrainPOP, Jr. Make-a-Map
Students in Middleton Public Schools have access to the digital program BrainPOP. Fuller Meadow 2nd graders had the opportunity to use "BrainPOP Make-a-Map" to show their understanding of Continents and Oceans. Click HERE to check out the details on how to use this activity.
Students have been studying continents and oceans in their Social Studies class and learning about the land features in each continent. BrainPOP, Jr. offers great resources on this topic. After their classroom studies, students watch the BrainPOP, Jr. video "Continents and Oceans" and completed a brainstorming map for one of the continents. They had to include the name and video clip of the continent, at least one term and one photo that relates to the continent. Students had so much fun exploring the features of the program.
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Digital Resources for November
Check out these amazing digital resources for students and teachers to use during the month of November.
Click HERE for a Veteran's Day Digital Library
Click HERE for a digital library for Thanksgiving
Click HERE for a Thanksgiving activity in Google Slides
Digital Citizenship at Fuller Meadow
Students in Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade at Fuller Meadow school met with me, Middleton's Digital Learning Specialist, for a lesson on "Digital Citizenship". Teachers are continuously reinforcing Digital Citizenship and Digital Safety skills to make sure it's always on the top of our students' minds. In Middleton Public Schools we focus on "The 4 Bees" for all activity in our schools. In this class, we used these "Bees" in relation to handling our devices and working online.
Check out our presentation.
ISTE Standards for Students - Digtial Citizenship
Technology is anything that helps us solve a problem or do a task. by Dierdre Baker
Monday, October 30, 2023
Digital Learning in Howe Manning- October Edition
Students at Howe Manning School are in full swing with their digital devices and educational technology. We have mastered logging into our Google accounts, accessing our digital programs in Clever, and used these programs to enhance our lessons.
All Howe Manning students were introduced to the typing program "Typetastic." We are finding a need for our students to have typing skills. "What's TypeTastic? TypeTastic is an easy and flexible online typing tutor which gives the students the tools to learn fluent touch-typing technique through a variety of games and activities." (Source) Learning to type correlates with the Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards.
Students have access to several different online programs to access books for reading. At Howe Manning, we offer "Sora", "Raz Kids" and "Epic Books".
Each school in the Tri-Town (and Masconomet) are a "Google For Education" school. We use the apps Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Classroom to share our learning and explain our thinking. "Google Workspace for Education overview: Google Workspace for Education is a set of Google tools and services that are tailored for schools and homeschools to collaborate, streamline instruction, and keep learning safe." (Source)
Friday, October 27, 2023
Digital Learning in Fuller Meadow - October Edition
Students in Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade utilize "Seesaw" for activities and lessons and to show what they know. Seesaw portfolio connects students, teachers and families to help develop a lifelong love of learning.
In Mrs. Newton's Kindergarten class, students are practicing their reading and writing with activities from Seesaw as well as a Bitmoji Digital Reading Library for October. Utilizing educational devices and edtech programs expands the students' book choice and gives the students a chance to show their learning while practicing their reading and writing skills.
Kindergarten Reading and Writing Standards: RF.1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. RF.4.Read early-emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding. W.1 Text Types and Purposes.
Students in 1st grade utilize iPads to access their digital programs. Students in Mrs. Provencher's room, students love practicing their math fluency and concepts with IXL Math digital program. They get immediate feedback on their answers and are able to watch a video that explains the mathematical process for each question. This builds independence while performing math tasks. The wonderful component of IXL practice is that it includes all of the Massachusetts Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Second grade students (as well as Howe Manning students) were introduced to the typing program Typetastic. We are finding a need for our students to have typing skills. "What's TypeTastic? TypeTastic is an easy and flexible online typing tutor which gives the students the tools to learn fluent touch-typing technique through a variety of games and activities." (Source) Learning to type correlates with the Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards.
Thursday, October 26, 2023
MassCUE 2023
Teachers and staff attended the MassCUE conference this year.
The Tri-Town was well represented by the Digital Learning team as well as librarians and teachers. Middleton's Innovation and Artovation teachers presented on several projects that they have worked on in their classrooms. They even brought some of their students. Oh What Fun!
"This two-day event features workshops, demonstrations and presentations by thought leaders and preeminent educators on how to enhance teaching and learning with technology focusing on digital equity. Hundreds of education technology companies and nonprofit organizations participate in this event, sharing the latest in education technology advances with educators and administrators from across the region. For educators who want to connect with their peers and learn the latest in edtech, the Fall Conference has it all!" (Source)
Friday, October 13, 2023
Quizlet - Using Tech to Reinforce Vocabulary
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Starting the year with educational technology at Fuller Meadow
Digital Learning Specialist Dierdre Baker has been extremely busy getting all of the staff and students in Middleton Public Schools up and running with their technology. Students at Fuller Meadow have been given their login credentials for their edtech programs and devices.
Students have been taught how to be responsible with their device.
At Middleton Public Schools, we use Clever to access all of our district programs. Students can login using a badge or signing in with their Google account.
Students and staff have access to many wonderful digital programs to enhance the curriculum. Online practice in math skills, reading and writing help us to move ahead quickly.
Teachers use our Interactive Smartboard to share information, support learning, and project lessons.
During WIN (What I need), students are given a list of activities they can work on to support their learning.
Our Interventionists and Curriculum Coordinators use programs mClass and Aimsweb to progress monitor students, analyze data, and provide support.
Our IT department has been extremely busy getting our devices and digital equipment up and running for our staff and students. Pictured here is Gab Mooers.
Check out all of the wonderful uses of Technology at Fuller Meadow School.
Educational Apps by Dierdre Baker
Digital Learning and Computer Science Standards (DLCS) Grades Kindergarten - 2nd
Digital Tools and Collaboration (DTC)
Develop basic use of digital tools and research skills to create simple artifacts.
Develop basic use of digital tools to communicate or exchange information.
Computing Systems (CS)
Understand that computing devices take many forms and have different components.
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Digital Citizenship at Howe Manning School
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