Travels through Vermont

Third & Fourth Graders are learning all about what makes Vermont such a great state. Over the past few weeks we have been integrating the use of Google Docs into this social studies unit to practice some basic but fundamental skills. Additionally students needed to flex their Digital Citizenship muscle by using strong keywords and knowing how to navigate sources on the Internet in a safe and savvy way.

After such focused work, we decided to have a little fun with the activity. We hung a Green Screen and began to travel around Vermont. Using a greenscreen app on the iPads students took photos of each other and then picked various places around the state to "travel" to. This activity was not only a fun way to extend their previous work but also unleashed their creativity.

Finding Media Balance

Recently students in 5th & 6th grade have be talking about finding a balance in their digital habits. Technology is pervasive and there are a number of ways that technology can be amplified to foster comprehension, creativity, and connection. But it is essential to recognize when it is time to unplug from our devices and reconnect with our environment, be it the great outdoors or the people we share a home with. Of course this will look different for everyone and will certainly change with time, but by encouraging our students to find those moments of screen or digital-free time now, I hope helps them value those kinds of moments in their future.

Common Sense Media offers great family resources to help parents be informed while giving room for kids to navigate their digital lives. They suggest 5 tips to helping kids find balance: Create screen-free times and zones, use parent controls, have a clear set of family expectations, identify healthy behaviors, and engage together in watching, creating, and sharing.

Reading Red Clover Books

Every year a group of dedicated and passionate Vermont literacy experts such as public librarians, school librarians, and teachers compile a list of ten picture books that every student in Vermont from  Kindergarten through 4th grade are given an opportunity to read, listen to, and explore. It is kind of like having a giant book club throughout the year!

Reading Red Clover books is a big part of our school year in grades Kindergarten through 4th Grade and we are off to a great start. Our first Red Clover book that we read this year was "The Day You Begin" by Jacqueline Woodson. This is a wonderful story about that celebrates that we are each unique, but that by sharing the uniqueness of our stories we can connect to the world.  This year we are reflecting on our thoughts and reactions to the book by using mind maps to help us connect our reflections with others. Some reflections that students had on this book were recognizing the "beautiful illustrations" while others paid particular attention to the acts of "kindness" throughout the story.