How do arctic animals stay warm? What crops did people living in the Thirteen Colonies grow on their farms? Who are some of the famous people born in New Jersey? What is a negative integer? ACS students are finding answers to these and other questions in their history, science, and math classes by using various types of technology that are being integrated into classroom learning.
Volunteer Greg Louderback, a retired teacher and educational technology trainer, is providing valuable in-classroom support to ACS teachers and students to help them find new ways to use technology and various educational websites to supplement and enhance learning.
“Education in the 21st century must include using technology to enhance a student’s learning experience,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We are very pleased to be able to provide training for our teachers and students so they can make the best use of their Chromebooks and the many online resources that are available for interactive and hands-on learning.”
In December, Mrs. Jackson’s 4th grade class accessed the Nearpod program on their Chromebooks to study thermal energy. The first lesson consisted of learning the three types of energy transfer. The next lesson was a lab in which students applied the scientific method as they explored the use of insulators by making blubber mittens. Their final project was to design a house that would withstand the subzero weather of the arctic.
In Mrs. Murphy’s 5th grade class, students worked in pairs in February to research the thirteen colonies and report their findings to their classmates. The students researched such topics as colonial clothing, the Jamestown settlement, the Plymouth colony, colonial jobs and trades, cooking, life on a colonial farm, and life in a colonial town. The students were given quality digital resources from which they gathered their information. Each team created a report using Google slides and gave a oral presentation in class.
Both sixth grade math classes are using Desmos, Quizizz, and Nearpod websites for learning. According to Mr. Louderback, Mrs. Coates and Mrs. Lee were excited to find hands-on ways for their students to learn and review various abstract math concepts, such as the coordinate grid, transformations and negative integers. Upper school math teachers George Dickson and Gina Wilson are also using Desmos, ExploreLearning Gizmos, Schoolyourself, Edpuzzle, and Nearpod video for their Algebra 1 and Geometry classes.