World of Research

Second grade students at Beck elementary recently explored the world! This cross curricular unit allowed students to learn about other cultures, as well as expository writing and communicating their ideas. Mrs. Moses and Mrs. Jeffcoat opened student's eyes to global communication by contacting families around the world and having them post videos about their Christmas traditions on a padlet wall. The project consisted of four parts: Learning about other cultures, writing an expository essay over research, creating a poster of facts to present to the class, and making a video using Shadow puppets to highlighted a chosen country. 

When asked what they learned about other cultures, Morgan commented, "I learned that in Italy they

eat eel for Christmas and they call cake figgy pudding, it looks really good!" Colbie and Reed added, "I wish that we opened Christmas crackers like they do in England."  

One of Mrs. Moses' students (Ben) lived in Italy for three years. Ben and his family made a video about Italian Christmas traditions and put it in the padlet wall to share with the class. They used Shadow Puppets for this video. Ben comments, "I choose Shadow Puppets because my sister used Shadow Puppets for a 5th grade report and I liked it."

While this project was fun, it was also challenging at times. "The hardest part was presenting the information and working with our table," said Sam. "We had to try to spell everything correct and everyone wanted to draw at one time without talking about their idea first," expressed Reed. They added, "We did rock paper scissors to decide who got to write first." Colbie and Morgan pointed out, "It was kind of hard working in a team. We were both managers for our team, so we had to give everyone something important to do." The essay was also challenging. Reed commented, "The first draft was challenging because we had to have a hook and write about all of the things that we learned."

All of the students enjoyed using Shadow Puppets to make their video. "I like picking out the photos for the shadow puppet video and working with the special effects," said Sam. "We used smiley faces, snowflakes, stars, and other emojis to make the video more fun for others."

Morgan and Colbie summed it up well, "We loved this project because we got to learn facts about what other cultures do." They both agreed that next year's class should do this project. "I think they’ll have fun," said Morgan. "They will have to learn to be friends with others. I think every class should do it."

Come check these projects out at Techno Expo 2016. You can also view these student's videos in the padlet, or by clicking on the links below:

Created with Padlet

Morgan's Video Exploring Italy

Colbie's Video Exploring England

Sam's Video - Exploring Mexico

Reed's Video - Exploring 

Ben's famliy video about Italian traditions 

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!"

Educating the World, One Ted Talk at a Time

In Mrs. Flores's 7th grade ELA class at Medlin, students captivate a global audience with "Idea's Worth Spreading". Having studied and evaluated exemplar TED Talks from www.ted.com, students created original TED talk videos sharing their own unique discoveries, new ways of thinking, solutions to problems, and profound observations. Students used technology to enhance their informative and persuasive messages, increase audience engagement, and take their projects to the next level.


Students prepared for their Ted Talk by reviewing Phil Waknell's article "How to Make a Great TED Talk". From there, students had the opportunity to chose and research a topic that was original, relevant, and enjoyable for an audience. 

In "Social Media Today", Hannah uses rhetorical devices, such as humor, to effectively communicate her message. According to a classmate, "Hannah uses excellent examples that show the viewers instead of just tell them. The humorous example puts a picture in the mind of the viewer and makes them laugh at the same time."

Isabella's message focuses on "The Hidden Truth About Technology". She explains that the brain of an internet addict contains the same hormones as a drug addict. An example of this is when Isabella states, "The blue-enriched light emitted from technological screens suppressed your body's release of melatonin at night." After viewing Isabella's TED Talk, a fellow student commented that "she used compelling language and diction. Her delivery was unique and engaging as she used various students acting out small skits to enhance her own speech."