Do You Know Your Brain?

Can you name all the parts of the brain and their functions? No worries, Mrs. Smith's 5th Grade GATES class at Schluter Elementary has you covered. Students embarked on a cerebral adventure in which they created original work to showcase their knowledge of the brain. Students could choose any digital tool, and their resulting products reflect each student's passion for learning.

"We made a song about the brain parts as a parody of the song Heathens. We went on YouTube and found background music. We kept on thinking of things that would fit in, if the words went with the song. We alternated between our lyrics and the rhythm of the music to make sure they matched. I don't think we would have been able to do this project without technology. We had fun and we learned more about the brain by making the song."
~Luke & Christian 

 

"We needed to find a way to teach people about the brain, in a more fun format. We chose to do a parody of YMCA. You have to find research, a lot of beforehand research. We used a notebook to write lyrics and multiple devices. It is easy to decide on the lyrics by finding the lyrics to the original song online and as you go along, you change out the words for what you want it to say. Then you get a device to record. We used a piano version of the music, which felt slower than the original version."
~Brandon & Trevor

Powtoon Link (Brylee)

Powtoon Link (KiKi)

"The purpose of this project was to explain what we've learned about the brain and our growth. Working with Powtoon was hard at first, but we liked it because you can express it in different ways, how you feel about it. We learned more about the brain from doing this project because you have to write it out and research and really have to think about it and plan it out a bunch. I shared it with my parents and they were amazed and proud of me because they liked how we expressed it different ways." ~Brylee & Kendall

"I've used Google Slides before; for each slide, I chose what went together. If we didn't have technology, I probably would have made a poster. I prefer Google Slides instead of a poster because it is neat and organized. If we didn't do the project, I wouldn't have wanted to learn more about the brain." ~Lucy 

"I did a Smore and I wanted to use it differently than I have before. When you share a Smore you can look and see where it went and who saw it, all over the world. For Smore, you can look more about what you're working on, which you can't do with a poster. We didn't go full-on in class about the brain, so this project let us go in more detail and learn more." ~McKenzi

These student products not only teach others about parts of the brain, they also showcase how these future-ready students are empowered learners, innovative designers, and creative communicators, standards described by the International Society for Technology in Education.

Authentic Audiences = Legit Learning

Is there a guideline currently in place on your campus that needs to be evaluated? What about rules… are there any that need to be updated? Or maybe there is an issue on campus that needs to be addressed. Are you passionate enough about that topic to compose a policy speech that can be delivered to an authentic audience? These were just some of the questions seventh graders at Chisholm Trail Middle School were asked as they were tasked with identifying and evaluating guidelines, rules, or issues currently in place on their campus.

After speech topics were decided, students began researching and gathering information that would support their stance on the chosen topic. Topics included: the district’s grading policy, school safety, homework, cafeteria portions, listening to music in class, recess for middle school, overcrowded buses and more! John, one of the students who chose to write about the buses said, “We had been having issues with the buses, especially my bus, so I felt compelled to address the issue”.

Many students chose to compose their speeches using Google Docs. This allowed their teacher, Ms. Brown, to give them feedback and suggestions as they worked. Students were also encouraged to share their speech with peers to receive feedback. Google Docs allowed collaborative conversations to take place throughout the entire speech writing process.

Once speeches were finished and ready to be delivered, Ms. Brown helped arrange an authentic audience for each student. For some students that meant they would be delivering their speech face to face with their campus principal, counselor, or other district officials. Other students connected with various people throughout the district via Zoom, a free video conferencing resource. Ava said, “The thing I enjoyed most about this project was the Zoom conferencing, because I had a real audience instead of just my class. I presented to Dr. Thornell and he gave me real feedback that can actually be effective”.

When asked how having an authentic audience changed the way they approached their project, Brendyn said it best. “It made it feel real or in other words more important. It made me strive for excellence rather than just get by”. Brendyn presented his policy speech regarding the student BYOD (bring your own device) Policy to the IT Department via Zoom. Zachary also presented to the district’s technology department and he commented on how the feedback he received from Mr. Smith changed his thinking. “I enjoyed getting the tech people's point of view, because it allowed me to find another view of how their job is”.

Students were engaged throughout this entire project. The real world experiences they were provided, especially through their connection with an authentic audience, will be something they remember forever. As Zachary said after this project was assigned, "This project is legit!"

The "E" in ePortfolio

When ePortfolios were introduced during the GT PLC last fall, Marcie Conrad (click on link to follow on Twitter) immediately saw the benefit it would have for her students.  Mrs. Conrad, GT Teacher at JCThompson Elementary, is a trailblazer when it comes to providing her students the most innovative and engaging learning environment.  When you observe her with her students their is a constant buzz of enthusiasm, excitement and energy.  Additionally, she constantly, through every opportunity, is coaching students with their personal choices, short term goals, long term plans and life-long passions.

When ePortfolios were launched on the secondary campuses and by choice at the elementary campuses, Mrs. Conrad saw this as the trifecta of learning. After some initial planning and consulting with her I.T. coach she was ready to launch. Like all great instruction, she introduced the “why” of portfolios.  It was not long before her students, who only see her a limited amount of time, were finding every reason to come down and work on their ePortfolios in her class. They eagerly worked on it at both home and at school.

Every aspect of the Google site involved student choice.  The students determined what work was “ePortfolio” worthy, understood that showcased work could go beyond the academic day, and reflected both on their own work and their peers’ work. Mrs. Conrad gently coaching and facilitating as they moved forward in the process.

Before too long they had ePortfolios they were not only proud of, but were becoming the talk of other GT teachers and educators taking the same journey.

Her enthusiasm, excitement and energy to facilitate the journey of ePortfolios was effective. Why? Because her students embraced the ePortfolios as their own and were equally enthusiastic, excited and energetic about the ePortfolio they had crafted and the products they had selected to showcase.

It was effective because in all parts it was reflective.  At every turn students were sharing their ideas and plans for their ePortfolios, then in the same motion would suddenly pause and ask themselves was their idea truly “ePortfolio worthy.”

How was this done?  It seems that the following quote best captures the practice in Mrs. Conrad’s class, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”-James Levin

Through this experience students met challenges, learned to embed pictures, upload files, create tabs, create links, etc.  Most was done with students helping students, with support from Mrs. Conrad and the I.T. coach.  What resulted was excellence and a futuristic mindset.  Now when ePortfolios are discussed there is always a mention of how what presently is done will impact the future. All of it student-led.

Mrs. Conrad and the I.T. coach knew there was potential and possibility with ePortfolios.  What has been realized is far beyond what they even imagined.  When possibility is wrapped in enthusiasm, excitement, and energy there is no other option than to be effective. How ePortfolios was embraced and executed by the Students on their own drive and force was far more effective because Mrs. Conrad and the I.T. coach shared the vision, but let the students determine the path to excellence.