Extra Work for Extra Curricular? Leaders Make It Worth It

This school year, 7 Hills Elementary embarked on their journey as a  Leader in Me campus. The Leader in Me program cultivates leadership skills in students and encourages a culture of shared responsibility.  Students have taken their new title of “Leader” very seriously and often seek out ways to improve their own school.  Recently, leaders noticed that while there were several opportunities to be involved across campus, most parents were unaware of these options.  With the help of school librarian (Melissa Quisenberry) and student leaders (Kate, Cami, and Haylyn) the group was able to solve this problem.  

After careful consideration as to the ways parents seek out information about their child’s school, leaders decided the best option would be to design a website showcasing all the extra-curricular activities available at 7 Hills.  Leaders quickly got to work researching the different clubs and snapping pictures of each club in action.  Once they had gathered everything they needed, it was time to start designing a website.  Ms. Q was able to meet with the girls and discuss their options for website creation tools.  As a team, they decided Google Sites would serve their purpose well.  Student leader Kate was impressed with how easy it is to use Google Sites.  “I learned how to create websites.  Which is something I don’t do a lot.  I liked that it was simple and easy.”  

Students “Put First Things First” and chose to use their own lunchtime to complete the project.  Ms. Q allowed students to take the reigns on the website and provided only minimal support throughout the process.  The freedom Ms. Q granted her students allowed them to take ownership in the content.  Since Google Sites allows multiple users to work on a website simultaneously, students even worked on the project from home.  Haylyn and Kate both shared how much they enjoyed being able to “Synergize” on the project even when away from school.  Kate stated, “I liked that I could work on it with friends anywhere.”  One of the greatest benefits of utilizing Apps available in the Google Suite is the ability to collaborate on tasks remotely.  The dedication these leaders had paid off with a user friendly and informative website.  Ms. Q linked their website to the school’s main website so parents could easily access it.  Click here to take a look!

In the future, these leaders plan to update club information and add additional pictures.  They also hope to provide a way for other students to sign up for a club through a form on their Site.  With this student driven activity, Ms. Q inspired students to create a valuable tool that will serve their campus for years to come.  Throughout the process, students gained valuable skills in Communication and Collaboration as outlined in the ISTE standards 6 A, C, D.