Student Examples

Below are several examples of technology implementation within our school.  Many of these activities were developed during the Coaching Cycle through co-teaching sessions with classroom teachers. When selecting technology tools and activities, I encourage educators to utilize the SAMR model (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) to assess how these tools or activities will enhance or fundamentally improve their teaching and learning practices. 

Our district, DoDEA Southeast's, objective is to ensure that technology tools are integrated at the Augmentation level or above, which signifies a functional improvement over traditional pencil and paper methods. Consequently, teachers are frequently encouraged to provide students with diverse ways to demonstrate their learning, including the creation of models, videos, and audio recordings to further articulate their understanding across a wide range of topics.

5th Grade: Kahoot! Math Practice

To review and practice material, 5th Grade students participated in Kahoot! activities. The students were presented with math problems to solve on the SMART Board. Each student worked on the problems at their own seat and aimed to be the quickest to solve them accurately. Kahoot!'s game-based learning approach makes reviewing for tests fun, engaging, and competitive.

5th Grade: Dash Robot Mazes

During STEM Week, fifth-grade students engaged in a Dash Robot maze activity. They were provided with mazes to solve using their Dash robots. The students utilized Blockly to program their robots to navigate to the end of the maze. Working collaboratively in groups, they employed tools such as rulers and tape measures to accurately judge distances and program their robots. They executed their programs, troubleshooting errors and refining their code until their robots successfully reached the end of the maze. Additionally, students had the option to enhance their robots' performance by adding sound effects, lights, and Dash actions to celebrate completing the maze.

5th Grade: Board Games

As part of a comprehensive end-of-year review of Fifth Grade math standards, students were assigned the task of designing board games.  Each student developed a theme and created math problems for various spaces on the game board, encompassing a wide range of topics such as multiplying decimals, fractions, and place value. The students were required to ensure that their questions were fair and aligned with 5th Grade math standards.

Additionally, students devised game rules and an answer key. Upon completion, they shared their board games and played them in class as part of a review lesson.

4th Grade: Minecraft Transportation Expo

During an ELA unit focused on transportation, students were asked to identify various forms of transportation they had read about. They then worked individually or with a partner to invent, imagine, and design a new form of public transportation. This task required them to outline the system's requirements and detail important aspects such as the system's name, the daily capacity for transporting people or goods, the mileage of road or track the system would cover, and the spatial requirements. They also needed to decide on the type of fuel, resources, or materials required for the system's construction and operation. Students were permitted to use existing technologies, such as solar power, or to invent new ones.

Upon finalizing their plans, the students designed a mockup of their concept within the Minecraft "Transport Expo" world. They presented information about their exhibits using Slates, Posters, and Boards. Additionally, they documented their design choices utilizing the Book & Quill and Camera tools in Minecraft.

3rd Grade: Math Board Games

As part of a comprehensive review of multiplication and 3-digit addition, Third Grade students were tasked with designing board games. Each student developed a theme and created math problems for various spaces on the game board. They incorporated a combination of multiplication facts, addition problems, and word problems, ensuring all questions adhered to 3rd Grade math standards. Additionally, students devised game rules and an answer key. Upon completion, they utilized 3D Pens to create pawns for their games.

3rd Grade: Google Vids: Quest for the Quotient

During their introductory unit on division, Third Grade students were assigned the task of selecting a division problem to solve. They were required to model the solution using one of their chosen strategies and to explain the reasoning behind their answer. Following this, the students created videos in Google Vids to visually demonstrate their work.

3rd Grade: Minecraft Area and Perimeter Village

For this Third Grade Minecraft Education project, students collaborated within the "Area and Perimeter Village" Minecraft Education world, where they designed houses and gardens. Students were tasked with designing a house using materials of their choice, ensuring the area was no smaller than 4x5 and no larger than 10x10. Additionally, they created a garden capable of providing enough wheat per harvest to craft two loaves of bread for each family member.

To document their thought process and creativity, students used the in-game Camera item to capture photos of their work, which they then inserted into the Book & Quill. They utilized the Book & Quill to write about their projects, explaining their material choices and demonstrating their mathematical reasoning. Finally, students recorded a video tour of their completed houses and gardens.

2nd Grade: Minecraft Zoo

As part of their science unit on animal habitats, Second Grade students collaborated to design a zoo in Minecraft. They developed their research skills by investigating animals in the Media Center with the Information Specialist. When the research was completed, they worked together to build a virtual zoo in Minecraft. 

Each student selected a workspace and created a habitat for their researched animal, considering the animal's natural environment and addressing challenges such as ensuring the animal could not escape. They then typed and displayed their research on boards outside the habitat, mimicking a real zoo. Students showcased their creativity and thinking by taking photos of their work using the in-game Camera item and inserting the images into the Book & Quill. They used the Book & Quill to write about their work, explain the materials used, and demonstrate their reasoning. Finally, students recorded a video tour of their completed Minecraft project. The example below shows a finished student Book & Quill exported to PDF format, and the accompanying video has been uploaded to YouTube.

2nd Grade: Do You Agree?

In this Wixie project, Second Grade students were presented with a real-world math word problem scenario containing an error. They were tasked with evaluating whether they agreed or disagreed with the method used to solve the problem. Working in pairs, students utilized Wixie's tools to draw a model and solve the word problem. They then determined if they concurred with the initial solution provided in the scenario, justifying their reasoning with words and mathematical equations. Upon completion, students recorded a video with their partner, explaining their mathematical thinking. For ease of access and compatibility for non-Wixie users, a PDF of the project has been provided below, and the accompanying video has been uploaded to YouTube for viewing.

1st Grade: Wixie Character Traits

During a unit on character traits, First Grade students utilized a graphic organizer to create an "All About My Favorite Character" project. They were required to list characteristics of their favorite characters from a book of their choosing and used text, "stickers," drawings, and video to elaborate on their ideas. This activity was one of the options available on an English Language Arts (ELA) choice board. In the original online Wixie file, the student video was playable. For ease of access and compatibility for non-Wixie users, a PDF of the project has been provided below, and the accompanying video has been uploaded to YouTube for viewing.

1st Grade: Wixie Comics

At the beginning of the year, First Grade students participated in a Wixie activity where they created a four panel comic strip retelling a story about their family. They were encouraged to incorporate text, "stickers," and drawings to enhance their storytelling. Students then recorded themselves narrating the finished comic in Wixie. This activity was part of an English Language Arts (ELA) choice board focused on characters, storytelling, and recalling events from a story. 

Kindergarten: You Be the Teacher

In this English Language Arts (ELA) activity, Kindergarten students honed their reading skills by reading a book aloud to their teacher. They utilized Wixie to record their readings, which their teacher then used to assess their fluency and accuracy.

Kindergarten: Wixie Drawings

In these science activities, Kindergarten students were encouraged to utilize Wixie to demonstrate their understanding of topics in the FOSS (Full Option Science System) units "Animals Two By Two" and "Trees and Weather." As part of their live specimen observation, students were provided with fish. They were then tasked with recreating their fish's habitat in Wixie, ensuring it included all the necessary elements for the fish's survival. In the "Trees and Weather" unit, students reviewed the various parts of a tree and explored how each part is uniquely designed to support the tree's life.