Thursday, December 18, 2014

Charger Story Corps Project

Mr. Jensen's US Government senior students want to share the story of our local veterans by interviewing them and sharing their stories. The Story Corps Project has been around since 2003 and has over 50,000 conversations recorded and preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Story Corps works in conjunction with NPR's Morning Edition where many of these interview can be heard.
While contributing to history the senior class is getting the opportunity to learn first-hand about various wars these veterans have served in, making a friend along the way. This is the perfect assignment, one that really doesn't feel like an assignment at all, it is real life!  The students are doing a community service by telling the veterans' story.
Only two interviews have been done but we will continue to share some of the stories as we get them and with the permission of the veterans we will possibly post the podcast created by the students.   Stay tuned for some great stories from our local heroes!

Mr. Mel Fast and senior student Breanna Dick


Mr. Mel Fast veteran of WWII






Mrs. Shearon using KAHOOT! With Her Guided Reading Group


Mrs. Shearon used Kahoot! to review the book Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins with the Junior High Novel Study Group. 

KAHOOT! Is a game-based classroom response system.

Mrs. Shearon said it only took her 30 minutes to create !


Each student has an iPad, as they read the question they input their answer


The answers are immediately calculated and the correct answer  is given. Great to have instant feedback and very exciting!

The suspense!
What a fun way to review with any subject!



Wednesday, December 3, 2014

You Have To Try Educreations

Teachers,
I have heard quite a bit about Educreations but today Mrs. Lang and I had the students use it to show what they know about the systems of the body and I'm realizing how wonderful it is. I found a skeletal picture on Google Images and put it on Educreations (easy). We then are having the students summarize what they have learned about their different systems they were assigned. The kids illustrate what they know and it records their voice as well as the illustrations as they make motions.  Look on the blog in a couple of days to see their work, it is pretty fascinating what they know!!
Please take a look at this link, you have to see it in action. There is a short tutorial, a student sharing work and a video of a teacher teaching the branches of the government. This is an app that can be used at all levels. I could go on and on but this website I've attached does a much better job of talking about its benefits.  Let me know if you have a project in mind!  High School teachers if you need the app loaded to student iPads let me know and I will help with that process (it is free). I have it on the iPad cart so they are ready and waiting for a project.


This is a screen shot of a student project.  
You can get lessons other teachers have created and use them. You can also share your lessons if you want. 
A screen shot of student created project. 




http://www.appsinclass.com/educreations.html
Educreations