Oh the Places You Can Go…

February 7, 2008

The next session with some of our VC Buddies from Birdville ISD Teresa Lawson, Denise Pinder, and Kelly Montgomery who are sharing their projects and passions for our favorite technology. Birdville is one of our larger districts in Texas in ESC XI’s service area.

Elementary Ideas (Teresa Lawson)

1. Persuade Santa--Students write persuasive letter to Santa telling him how they have behaved this year and explaining why they should get the toys they want for Christmas. This year, they only accepted letters electronically submitted. This helped the teachers have a project so that they can integrate the writing and word processing in the curriculum. All first grade throughout the district. Takes two weeks in December.
2. American Soldiers in Iraq at Camp Taji-students presented patriotic and singing. This was coordinated by Gerri Maglia who scheduled and coordinated.
3. Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere-Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History
4. Monster Mash Writing (can be done with individual monsters, draw a mini-monster to replicate during the connection)
5. Solar Max-Send out a teacher packet with information that the classes have to research. Students have to research the different planets. The classes connect on the day to meet Solar Max. NASA sent a HUGE .jpg file of inside the space shuttle to make the background behind Solar Max who takes them on the mission. Use a video that Denise created. A lot of coordination to get packets to all third grade classes.
6. New York PenPals-
7. TAKS Competition (Grades 3, 4, and 5)–Each class has a CPS system with individual white boards. Also used document camera to show the work and have the students explain their work. On CPS, it shows the answer choices of the children and then you can have students explain why they chose the answer they did. This is powerful when students can begin to explain how they chose the incorrect answer. Plus, teachers teach teachers during the sessions.

Secondary Ideas (Denise Pinder)

1. World Adventures-(Grades 6-8) 6th grade teacher used to teach in Russia and when she taught it to her class, she would show her artifacts. Then they would connect all the other middle schools so they could benefit from her experiences and her artifacts. Now it has grown to include other staff who have lived or visited other countries.
2. Pit and the Pendulum (English, History, and Science classes)
3. The Jazz Age (Began with English class and hooked them up with the drama class.)
4. The Kaleidoscope Within (Connecting teachers who were preparing students for AP test. Competition with questions and used Classroom Performance System at different sites. Students studied so much more because the wanted to win!)
5. NASA Desert RATS-Extreme environments as the astronauts are developing the rover technologies in the New Mexico desert.
6. Heart of the Matter–AP Biology and connect on Wednesdays (live open heart surgeries)
7. Autopsy (COSI-taped autopsy with the forensic pathologist)
8. Rwanda (Global Nomads Group–Amazing!) Students were at school at 4:00 AM for the final connection to see gorillas.

Next steps for their program:

• More units for the schools that don’t have units. Testing portable unit with project and other unit in a suitcase.

Posted in TCEA07, VC Community