3rd Grade Google Slide: The Year Long Reflection

The Project:

Using Google Slides 3rd grade students will create a 13 slide presentation, one month at a time, over the entire school year.

The Why?

It is never too early to start building a digital portfolio and not every portfolio will look the same. But one great way to show true growth and progress is not to publish the best of the best, as most portfolios tend to be, but rather show real, individual progress and growth though the eyes, and words, of the students themselves. It's important for students to think about, and voice, the things that stand out to them the most, their "a-ha" moments of clarity, their personal triumphs. It is also important for students to keep a record of such things and look back on them. It's one thing for us as teachers to say "you've come so far" but it's far more powerful for the student to look at a body of work and say "this is how I've grown."

The How?

Parent Coffee - Twitter!

Once again Mr. Casal will be talking Twitter during a Parent Coffee session. Last year was his first year at Heathcote and the first annual "Twitter @HeathcoteSchool Parent Coffee" was held. As a school community Heathcote has made amazing strides in using social media, Twitter in particular, to create a vibrant, transparent learning community that puts the awesome work of our students at the forefront.

It is now time time for the 2nd annual "Twitter @HeathcoteSchool Parent Coffee!"

This is the agenda, with associated links to resources, for the event...

Addressing Twitter concerns...

I am often asked about social media’s role in education, Twitter in particular. These questions are often brought about by parent concerns, which often mirror the initial concerns of teachers.

When addressing parent concerns I approach it just as I do with teachers:

1. concerns are normal
2. I’m happy we are discussing concerns as opposed to flat out rejecting the concept
3. concerns are a learning process for me as much as for those bringing them to me, as they help me reflect on my practice as well as see what I do through an external lens

I have written many things in the past about social media in schools but there are always new questions that aren’t addressed by old posts.

This post looks at the two most recent concerns I’ve received:

1. There is a time stamp if you follow it. One can piece together a class schedule.
2. Why are teachers stopping instruction to take photos?

Let me address each of these one at a time…

Tweeters @HeathcoteSchool!

I think it is important to promote, and celebrate colleagues. Especially when they step out of their comfort zone and embrace new challenges.

When I joined the staff at Heathcote Elementary School last year only a handful of teachers had Twitter accounts. And those that had accounts used them mostly for tweeting a picture of the whiteboard with the homework written on it.

When I interviewed for the job I expressed my passion for Twitter in schools and I was given full support by our principal, Ms. Stile, to push it as a school-wide initiative.

And my new colleagues were awesome. They jumped in full force.

Student portfolio sites - Site Maps

All 4th and 5th graders are given web spaces to create, and curate, their own digital portfolios.

These sites are built, and maintained, by the students using Google Sites. These sites are initially only visible to the student and their teacher.

The goal of student portfolio sites is to give students a space to develop on their own, creating their own digital presence and self-directed portfolio, that they can then use throughout their years in Scarsdale. This website stays with them as long as they are students in Scarsdale, and can eventually be transferred to a personal account so students can keep, forever, a catalog of all the work they are proud of.

The first step in building anything is the blueprint...

Open House 2015

Welcome parents!

Tonight is Open House, feel free to stop by the Computer Lab and say hello.

If we don't get the chance to meet face-to-face, here is a quick over view of what we do with technology here at Heathcote...

And a short introduction video you may remember from last year, but is still relevant...

Welcome to HeathcoteTech

Looking forward to another great year.

Thanks!

A reflection & look ahead

As the 2015-2016 school year rapidly approaches I realize I neglected to post a few things at the end of the year. The first being a Capstone recap, which I am working on. The second, a reflection.

This is a quick look back on 2014-2015 as the sun sets on summer and dawn of a new school year approaches...