Twitter in the Classroom?!

February 8, 2015July 15, 2015 / HSE_21

When my children were young, reading class newsletters was always a highlight. These newsletters were my window into the learning activities my children had been experiencing throughout a given week. Weekly newsletters prompted great interaction at home, because I then had ideas of questions to ask my children about their learning! But I had to wait until Friday.

Today’s digital tools, however, have changed the communication game. Through social media, communication happens simply and quickly–even ‘in the moment’. Some of HSE’s elementary teachers are making the most of new digital communication venues to give parents glimpses into their children’s learning in nearly real-time.

Twitter has become the preferred venue for real-time classroom communication. With a quick camera click, a short typed phrase, and an ‘upload’, a teacher can give his/her students’ families a window into learning that day. Instead of dinner conversation like this:

Mom: “What did you do in school today, Jimmy?”

Jimmy: “I dunno. Stuff. It was fun.”

Conversation suddenly becomes much richer:

Mom: Jimmy! I heard that your class Skyped with a third-grade class in Alaska today. Was that fun?”

Jimmy: “Yeah! Their class had 28 people and they get to wear snow shoes to school sometimes and once they had a moose on their playground and…”

You get the idea. Using digital tools to deepen the home-school connection. Another aspect of HSE21.

Twitter Glimpses, Part 2

January 25, 2015July 15, 2015 / HSE_21

Yesterday’s post highlighted the Twitter accounts of Hamilton Southeastern’s elementary buildings. As with elementary, HSE’s secondary schools make use of Twitter as a 21st century communication tool–these accounts highlight important announcements and happenings from specific buildings, and are one quick way to keep informed. Here are our intermediate, junior high, and high school building-specific Twitter accounts:

*As stated yesterday, don’t forget to also follow @HSESchools and @HSE_21 for a more complete picture of Hamilton Southeastern Schools!

Glimpse Into Classrooms with Twitter

January 25, 2015July 15, 2015 / HSE_21

If you attended school years ago, you may remember teachers typing up and copying newsletters to send home each week. These printed updates listed important announcements and shared class happenings. For HSE schools and some teachers today, though, classroom announcements and happenings are often shared in real-time through social media. In addition to the @HSESchools Twitter account (district announcements & highlights), and our @HSE_21 account (21st century teaching & learning focus), many of our school buildings have Twitter accounts of their own. If you haven’t connected with HSE school buildings on Twitter, here are some elementary school accounts to get you started! We’ll share secondary school accounts tomorrow!

Catapults, Collaboration and Creative Design

November 18, 2014July 15, 2015 / HSE_21

Young children are naturals when it comes to creation and design. Catapults, rockets, roller coasters…just mention these words, and creative constructions are not far behind! Sand Creek Elementary recently provided a wonderful opportunity for budding engineers and designers to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The event, known as Family Engineering Night, brought together over two-hundred-and-fifty members of the SCE community.

Family Engineering Night came about through the vision of SCE third-grade teacher Holly Miller, who was awarded a grant for the project from the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation. Attendees of the event witnessed a packed gymnasium where students and their families visited their choice of thirty hands-on engineering stations. Side-by-side, children and adults practiced creative design, critical thinking, and problem-solving. What type of boat will hold the most pennies? Can we design a roller coaster that will keep a marble moving for 5 seconds? Which materials make the most powerful catapult? Inquiry, design, and family interaction were highlights of the smashingly-successful evening…the photos shown here tell the story best.

Day 63 – The Reading Royals Partnership

November 17, 2014 / HSE_21

Being a large and growing school corporation may have its challenges (for instance, higher traffic volume at certain times of day!). But size also has its advantages. School buildings are popping up close to one another, which opens the doors–literally–to connected learning opportunities! HSE Freshman Campus Media Specialist Kristen Distler decided to take advantage of her advantage, in that her building sits right next door to Fall Creek Elementary. Knowing the impact that motivated older students can have on our youngest learners, Distler designed the Reading Royals partnership.

The new club is open to all freshman campus students with a desire to share their love of learning with their younger peers. As of this month forty freshman are involved in the partnership. Freshman Lauren Swenson sums up what motivates Reading Royals: “I joined because I thought it would be fun to help out kids. I like spending time with them. It’s fun because all of the freshman are together reading with the kids.”

Reading Royals walk next door twice monthly to read and learn with Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Blount’s classes. Says Distler, “The high school kids usually do a learning game for the first fifteen minutes and then read with the third graders for fifteen minutes. We hope we can foster the love of reading along with building some good mentoring relationships.” Learning together and sharing our learning. HSE21.

Day 57 – A Student’s Story, Then & Now

November 4, 2014 / HSE_21

As of yesterday, the HSE School Corporation student count stood at 20,701. That’s 20,701 unique young people, each who comes to school with his or her own personal story–of culture, of experiences, of family. Think of the thousands of families whose stories intersect here–in Fishers, Indiana–and the thousands of stories we represent.

Today, HSE21 Shorts offers you one such story. Thank you, Luka, for being brave enough to revisit your sixth grade self and for sharing your story with us. All the best as you finish your senior year and follow your dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEk0oSCKN4k

Day 52 – It May Be Cliche, But It Does Take a Village

October 29, 2014 / HSE_21

The videos linked in today’s post were created by Bryan Alig, Assistant Principal of Sand Creek Intermediate School, to showcase the essential contributions to learning made by HSE staff that work outside the classroom. These short films are reminders that each member of the HSE staff plays and vital role within the sphere of learning. We are truly a community–and the students are our inspiration. It may be cliche, but it does take a village. Please click on the images to be taken to the videos housed in YouTube.

Day 31 – Behind Every Great 21st Century Teacher…

September 27, 2014 / HSE_21

…is a smart and responsive technology department!

Document storage and access, communication tools, calendars — these are integral to most everyone’s 21st century work life. For teachers, though, technology integration doesn’t stop with email. Teachers use multiple digital applications and tools in their classrooms every day–to share content, integrate multimedia components, assess student comprehension. and solicit student feedback. None of this would be possible without computer systems experts, IT specialists and a dedicated support staff in place.

HSE Technology Department employees work tirelessly and creatively behind-the-scenes on behalf of teachers. Their overall goal is to support the curriculum and to enable responsive teaching and learning in HSE classrooms. HSE Technology…a vital part of the Hamilton Southeastern learning community!

Day 25 – Learning Through Listening

September 17, 2014 / HSE_21

photo 2[1] Hamilton Southeastern Schools is a wonderfully diverse learning community, and growing more so each year. HSE families represent over sixty different languages and a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and experiences. We believe that all members of our learning community have unique stories and histories; and that each of us are richer for the things we learn as we recognize and celebrate our uniquenesses.

Over the past several years, the District Diversity Team has been instrumental in fostering learning and celebrating diversity across and throughout our 22 schools. This Team is composed of interested parents, as well as several administrators and teachers. Last night was the Team’s first meeting of the year. As always, conversation was rich: histories were shared, new friendships were begun, and, in the process, learning happened. The Team will meet again in November to continue the conversation, looking for ways to help our children appreciate and learn from our diverse, ‘global’ local-community, and to prepare them for the wider global community they will enter in adulthood.

-Submitted by Susan Drumm, Instructional Technology Coach and District Diversity Team Member

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