Digital Citizenship Lessons in Middleton Public Schools

Students in Middleton Public Schools learn digital citizenship skills starting in Kindergarten and continue through sixth grade. We embed these topics in our day-to-day lessons as well as full lessons in library classes. Our Digital Learning Specialist Dierdre Baker works closely with librarians Eileen Mulligan and Rachel Grodman. Teaching digital citizenship to students in grades K-6 is essential as they start using digital devices and the internet for learning and personal use. Our digital citizenship programs include topics such as:

Respectful and responsible behavior using the devices and taking care of them.

Online Safety: Understanding safe online behaviors, like not sharing personal information (name, address, phone number), recognizing suspicious links or messages, and knowing to inform an adult if something feels off.

Privacy and Security: Learning basic privacy rules, understanding passwords, and respecting personal boundaries online.

Digital Footprint: Teaching that what they post online can stay online forever, including how their actions online can affect their reputation.

Respectful Communication: Fostering positive interactions, understanding kindness and empathy in digital communication, and avoiding cyberbullying.

Research and Information Literacy: Encouraging kids to question and verify information they find online, recognizing trustworthy sources, and identifying misinformation.

Screen Time Balance: Understanding the importance of balancing online activities with offline life, including healthy screen time habits and taking breaks.

Early exposure to these concepts helps students develop good habits, critical thinking, and responsible behaviors for when they are older and their online activities become more independent.

October 2024 EdTech at Fuller Meadow by Dierdre Baker

Digital Citizenship by Dierdre Baker

We had Katie Greer, a nationally recognized expert in internet safety. speak to our 5th and 6th grade students as well as our parents to teach about safe digital practices.

Learn more about Katie Greer.

Starting the 2024-2025 School Year with Seesaw Learning Portfolio

A Seesaw Learning Portfolio is a digital platform where students can document and showcase their learning process, progress, and achievements over time. At Fuller Meadow, we use Seesaw with Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade. Here’s how it works:

Student-Centered Portfolio: Each student has their own portfolio where they can upload work, photos, videos, voice recordings, and other media to document their learning journey.

Interactive Features: Students can create content in multiple formats like drawings, text, or videos, making it highly interactive. Teachers often assign tasks directly through the app, which students can complete and submit within Seesaw.

Parent and Teacher Engagement: Teachers and parents can view students’ portfolios to see their progress and provide feedback. Teachers can leave comments, and parents can "like" or comment on their children's work, fostering a home-school connection.

Reflection and Growth: The platform encourages students to reflect on their learning by creating posts that show how they solve problems, their thought process, and what they’ve learned. This helps with self-assessment and growth over time.

Tracking Progress: Teachers can use Seesaw to track students' progress across subjects and over time, which can help in identifying areas where students may need additional support.

Seesaw supports different teaching styles, including project-based learning and flipped classrooms, and aims to make learning more visible and engaging.

I had the opportunity to introduce Seesaw to our newest Kindergarten learners. The first activity that we worked on uses the "Drag tool" where the students dragged each letter in their name to one box then the rest of the letters to the other box.

Students in first grade explored most of the tools in Seesaw. They typed their name using the text tool, drew a picture with the pen and marker tools, used the shapes tools to create a picture of a house, and took a photo and video. In this lesson, students are creating a picture using shapes.

By second grade, students are fluent in using the digital tools in the program. Students are using Seesaw to record their goals for this school year.

End of the School Year Resources for teachers and student

Reflecting on the 2023-2024 school year for elementary students is a great way to wrap up the school year. Here are several digital resources that students can use to share their experiences.

Second Grade Poetry Books Using Book Creator

In a 2nd grade poetry unit aligned with Massachusetts standards, incorporating Book Creator can enhance students' engagement and creativity. Students use Book Creator to write and illustrate their own poems, integrating text, images, and audio. This digital tool allows them to experiment with poetic devices like rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration in a multimedia format. They can record themselves reading their poems, adding an auditory element that reinforces their understanding of rhythm and expression. By creating a digital poetry book, students collaborate, share their work with peers and parents, and develop both their literacy and technological skills in an enjoyable, interactive way.

Blogging in the Tri-Town

Sixth graders in Boxford and Middleton are working together in their ELA classes to make their writing authentic. When Digital Learning Specialist, Samantha Kosakowski, at Spofford Pond School asked me to work with her on this project, I was beyond excited. I know how important it is to make our students feel connected to others and to make their work meaningful by sharing it outside of their school. The students in Boxford created a Google Site as the platform to display their work as a blog. "A blog is an online journal where one can represent a record of activities, thoughts and beliefs." (Brittanica.com) They added different writing projects that they created and created a Google Form to collect comments from their readers. Because Google for Schools is secure, we paired students together at both schools and allowed them to view the work. I worked with the Howe Manning students on the etiquette of writing blog comments.

Teacher Grants thanks to our MPTO - Howe Manning

This Spring, our Middleton PTO offered teacher grants for our elementary schools to enrich classroom experiences. These grants aim to support innovative projects and educational resources that enhance student learning. We are very appreciative of their support for our students and staff.

Art

This April, Ms. Nasser had the opportunity to attend the National Art Education Association's (NAEA) Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The NAEA Conference is the largest gathering of visual arts education professionals in the world. Ms. Nasser attended sessions, workshops, events, and exhibits designed by and for art educators. She also had the opportunity to share and present the unique ways that she is bringing robotics into the art room. Thank you to the MPTO for partially funding this grant so Ms. Nasser could attend this conference. She can't wait to bring back what she learned to her Middleton students!

Library

The title of our grant for the Library is: Empowering Young Minds: Enhancing STEM and Coding Literacy in Our Howe Manning Elementary School Library. The MPTO funded a collection of books that will enhance our library's collection of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), and Coding books to inspire and empower our students to become future innovators and problem solvers. By enriching our elementary school library's collection with STEM and Coding books, we aim to ignite a passion for exploration, discovery, and innovation among our students. Through hands-on learning experiences and exposure to diverse role models in STEM fields, we will empower our young learners to become critical thinkers and problem solvers equipped to tackle the challenges of the future. With this grant, we can create a library environment that cultivates a lifelong love for learning and prepares our students for success in a rapidly changing world. Mrs. Mulligan, our librarian, will create and implement pre and post tests for students’ attitudes and interest in STEM and coding. She will create book displays and themed reading challenges to promote engagement and excitement around STEM and coding literacy.

Ms. Klipfel's 4th Grade Class

Waste Warrior Grant: Thank you so much for funding the Waste Warrior project through your Think Big Grants and allowing these 4th graders to tour the Waste Management recycling facility. Students were truly fascinated to see the process of how recycling goes from our recycling bins to bales of recycling. Students arrived back at school as true waste warriors ready to help tackle proper recycling at Howe-Manning.

HM Garden: Thank you so much for helping to fund the HM Graden project through your Think Big Grants. Through your support, we were able to get compost delivered for the garden. In conjunction students from Howe-Manning and Essex Tech worked together to redo beds, weed, and get the compost in. We will be planting lettuce seeds next week to host our first-ever Howe-Manning Salad Day.

Teacher Grants thanks to our MPTO - Fuller Meadow

This Spring, our Middleton PTO offered teacher grants for our elementary schools to enrich classroom experiences. These grants aim to support innovative projects and educational resources that enhance student learning. We are very appreciative of their support for our students and staff.

1st Grade

The first grade team was able to use the grant money to give students an enriching educational experience! We purchased nonfiction books for students to read and explore as they chose an animal to learn about! Every student became an expert on their animal and we are currently creating our own research-based book to share with the school and our parents! At the end of this project, we will also tie in art standards to create a clay figure of our animal and a habitat diorama. Thank you so much for your support in creating meaningful experiences for our students!

2nd Grade

Project Description: In the spring at Fuller Meadow, 2nd grade students participate in a unit titled “Global Geography: Places and Peoples, Cultures." In studying these topics, students apply grade 2 standards for reading informational text, writing, and speaking and listening, and learn vocabulary and concepts related to history and social science. Students build on their Pre-K to grade 1 learning by concentrating on global geography, looking at reasons why people move or settle in particular places, how they keep cultural traditions alive, and how they use resources. They study these topics by exploring questions such as “What can people and cultures of other parts of the world teach us?” and “What do people do with the money they earn?” The MPTO purchased mentor texts that students used as a teaching tool for this unit.
Student Impact This grant enhanced our 2nd grade students' understanding of US and World Geography through an innovative approach utilizing mentor texts aligned with Massachusetts Social Studies Standards. Through this project, students engaged with diverse literary works that intertwine storytelling with geographical exploration, fostering a deeper understanding of cultural diversity and global interconnectedness. By integrating mentor texts into the curriculum, students will not only develop essential literacy skills but also gain geographic knowledge crucial for navigating an increasingly interconnected world. Through hands-on activities, discussions, and collaborative projects, students will actively explore geographical concepts such as continents, countries, oceans, and landmarks, while also developing critical thinking and analytical skills. This project aligns closely with Massachusetts Social Studies Standards, ensuring that students not only meet academic benchmarks but also develop a broader understanding of the world around them.

After researching their chosen country, students wrote reports, created hands-on models, and presented their country report to others in our school community. Thank you to our MPTO for making this happen.

Online Digital Resources for Animal Research

LINK to Resources