Day 45 – Need a New Workout Video? Students Can Help!

October 15, 2014 / HSE_21

How many of us have slowly stopped working out after following the same workout routine day after day…week after week? Well, the students in Mr. Simms’ and Mr. Bratton’s Physical Education classes at Fall Creek Intermediate School are out to change that! They are collaborating to design new fitness routine videos to excite and engage, spicing things up for the Physical Education classes. “We get to be a part of making exercise routines that are different and fun for our whole class!” was one group’s consensus today.

These videos provide more than just a means for students to get more exercise. Students work together to come up with and incorporate a variety of stretching and cardio activities to get them moving and active. They collaborate with their team members to lay out the routines, record video, and utilize iMovie to create their final polished version including videos, correct exercise form instructions, music, and more.

Creation has abounded as students have applied their physical education understanding to transform their own learning and real-world applications. Once students own the information and can apply it, it is theirs for a lifetime! They are on their way to owning the keys to a fit future!

-Submitted by Kim Day, Fall Creek Intermediate Assistant Principal

Day 42 – ‘We the [8th Grade] People’: A Portrait of Student-Driven Inquiry

October 10, 2014 / HSE_21

Fassold2 Walk into Mike Fassold’s sixth period social studies class at Fishers Junior High, and what you won’t hear is a standard lecture. What you won’t see are students silently completing worksheets. Instead, you’ll experience a student-centered learning lab, with groups of students working together as they research and evaluate key questions surrounding American history, law, and society.

This unique class is all part of We the People, a national competition sponsored by The Center for Civic Education. We the People student teams work in small groups (known as ‘units’) to prepare and present position statements on United States history questions in the areas of philosophy, law, civil liberties, and more. Following the national success of the 2014 Fishers High School We the People team*, history teacher Fassold explored what it would mean to teach eighth grade U.S. history standards through a We the People framework.

On a typical day in his pilot We the People class (pictured above), Fassold circulates among the units, coaching students as they search for reputable sources and asking timely questions to encourage deep, critical thinking. Though the learning is student-centered, Fassold is still teacher and guide. Fassold1 He worked closely with students to help them build their four-minute opening statements, which they presented today before an authentic audience of legal scholars from the community (pictured on right). HSE21 Shorts will revisit this innovative class later in the year to follow the students’ progress and get their perspective on this unique learning experience. Stay tuned!

*The 2014 FHS We the People team were state champions and finished an amazing 4th place in the national finals held in Washington, D.C.

Day 27 – Marble Moves

September 20, 2014 / HSE_21

DELIVER A MARBLE TO A TARGET.

zip2

These were the instructions given recently to Riverside Junior High 8th grade science students. Supplies were provided, but the method…wide open!

Science teachers Stephanie King, Ashley Heckly and Teri Folta developed this inquiry project to introduce their students to the scientific method and the process of design. As they accomplish this task, the students are learning how to write procedures, and to collect and analyze data. The next step in the activity will be to synthesize their learning by composing their first lab report; class discussion will focus on the process of inquiry as well as the difference between precision and accuracy in data.

zip3 This introductory science inquiry project gives a clear example of HSE21 learning in action. In dynamic 21^st century classrooms, students think critically and creatively to find solutions to problems. In this case, teams pooled their creative ideas and scientific knowledge to design a successful marble path. Along the way, they learned the concepts of precision and accuracy, and they gained experience in collecting/analyzing data, writing lab reports, and collaboration. Heckly, Folta, and King will spend the rest of the year helping their students build on these foundational skills as classes delve deeper into chemistry and physics through the school year.

–Submitted by Shawn Humphrey, RJH media specialist

Day 26 – #Dot Day: @TeamMurch4 Makes Their Mark

September 18, 2014 / HSE_21

After discovering the #Dot Day on Twitter, students from Mrs. Murch’s 4^th grade class decided to join the creating, celebrating and, most importantly, the connecting during this day! Students were challenged to think outside the box and create their own unique dots, math games that incorporated concepts using dots, writing activities and goals all around message of the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds. Students and teachers were challenged to think of ways they were “going the make their mark” on the world; they had time to self-reflect and set goals for this school year and for the future.

Dot Day also provided Mrs. Murch’s class with the opportunity to work toward another class goal for the year: 50 states in 180 days via Skype in the Classroom. 50 States in 180 Days challenges students to connect with all 50 states this school year through #Mystery Skype. @TeamMurch was able to add two more United States schools because of Dot Day! They also participated in their first international Skype with a school in Canada! Students read and discussed their perspective of The Dot with 2^nd graders in New York, and they shared and explained their “dots” creations with 5th & 6^th graders in Canada–they even learned a bit of French during the call! Finally, they shared their writing and ways of making their mark with students in TN. Dot Day was an amazing HSE_21 day for all learners!

-Submitted by Amy Murch, Brooks School Elementary, 4th Grade

Day 24 – Change the Play, Family Style

September 16, 2014 / HSE_21

image[1] The Riverside Intermediate Physical Education Department has just begun the 8-week Change the Play Challenge, sponsored by Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. Through Change the Play, Riley has partnered with Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts quarterback, to promote childhood nutrition and good health. The challenge includes professional advice and video tutorials about how students, teachers and families can “tackle” this very important topic both at school and at home.

Change the Play is another prime example of HSE21 collaboration throughout a learning community! In addition to completing daily challenges at school, P.E. teachers Jill Berry and Adam Vincent are encouraging families to complete the tasks together at home. Through this fun and motivating program, Berry and Vincent hope families will enjoy working together toward better health!

-Submitted by Jill Berry, Physical Education, Riverside Intermediate School

Day 23 – Living USA

September 16, 2014September 22, 2014 / HSE_21

The entire student body of Hoosier Road Elementary just culminated a very special collaborative endeavor. Together, students and faculty created and presented a “Living USA”, which was photographed by an arial photographer. The project was led by Renee Ross, HRE music teacher, along with Shannyn Miller (physical education) and Linda Hill (art). Ross, Miller, and Hill worked with students during Literacy Fridays to prepare the program and organize the ‘photo opp’. The student body learned and sang the national anthem and another patriotic song; a fourth grade class presented speaking parts for the program. HRE faculty agrees that “Living USA” has been a great tribute and community-builder at their school! And the picture is gorgeous!

DCIM101GOPRO -Submitted by Lauren Avery (media specialist) and Renee Ross (music), Hoosier Road Elementary

Day 15 – What’s in a Chair?

September 3, 2014September 22, 2014 / HSE_21

Learning environments matter. Lighting and sound, classroom space, and–yes–even the furniture can foster or constrain learning. Take this chair, for example. At first glance it might not look much different from school desks of 1980. But then again…

“Yes!” All day I had been hoping one of my teachers would have THE chairs. No luck, until 7th period when I walked into calculus. There they were! The swivels! Now, fifteen days into the school year, I still look forward to the swivel. It’s not just that these chairs are so much more comfortable (which they are). It’s that I can pull the desk part as far forward as I want. I can sit front ways or sideways and still get the desk part in just the right position for whatever we are doing every day. I can always get into a good position to see our teacher. The swivel chairs help me pay attention, and when math is 7th period, I need all the help I can get. -11th grade student, FHS

This desk chair is one of several that have been piloted recently in our high schools. Students love swivels for their comfort, but the educational benefits reach far beyond a comfy seat. In student-centered learning environments, the ability to reconfigure learning spaces in-the-moment is important to instruction. As a class rotates between partner work, group discussion, individual study and more, desks like those pictured here promote communication and collaboration. Flexible learning spaces are a key component of 21st century education.

-Submitted by Susan Drumm, Instructional Technology Coach

Day 11 – Student Leaders Connect and Collaborate

August 27, 2014September 22, 2014 / HSE_21

photo 1[1] An important 21st century skill is the ability to collaborate and share ideas among teams with similar goals. Fishers High School student government leaders did exactly that recently, when they traveled to the HCC Leadership Conference at Avon High school. For an entire day, student leaders from many Indianapolis-area locations connected on topics such as fundraising, community service, communication and school spirit. Each school’s student government shared experiences in these areas that other schools could adapt and use at home. Student-led discussions fostered brainstorming and the generation of new ideas and plans. Participants left with insight into student government AND into what it means to connect and collaborate with likeminded teams.

Submitted by Haley Englert, Fishers High School, English