What an awesome year!! The students at Powers Ferry did an amazing job of using technology tools to solve problems, represent their thinking, and create new things. Here's a look back at some of the fun things we did this year! All third, fourth, and 5th grade students completed the Hour of Code along with 2 online courses in coding. By the end of our coding unit, all students had developed their own virtual game. We had several students that decided they wanted to learn more about jobs in the coding field. These students researched coding jobs and shared their findings. Early in the year, students learned more about how boats float and how they are designed for different purposes. Through online research, use of digital design tools, and lots of trial and error, students designed digital boats to accomplish various tasks. This year, we did a camping technology based thematic unit. During this unit, students explored various camping locations (related to their grade level standards), took virtual field trips to various camping destinations, designed an ideal campsite using geometry, prepared for and budgeted for a virtual camping trip, composed scary stories for the campfire, and created digital presentations of their camping experience. A student favorite this year was the paper airplane flight contest. Students were given time to use digital resources to learn more about how paper airplanes fly. Then, students virtually designed their airplanes using 3D design tools. After constructing their designs with paper, students participated in a flight contest. After many tweaks, improvements, and modifications, all students crafted paper planes that could fly at least 20 feet or stay in the air for at least 3 seconds. Data was collected on the flight contest and students constructed digital graphs to represent the flight times/distances. Students also used a variety of digital tools to mix music, compose songs, create pieces of graphic art to represent learning, construct memes to summarize learning, design avatars to share their ideas, and used many different tools to refine their technology skills.
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It's been a busy few weeks! Third, fourth, and fifth grade students have been working on their airplane projects! For this projects, students...
The students did an amazing job taking their airplanes from concept to reality! The flight contest yielded winners in each classroom as well as overall grade level winners. It's amazing to see how students used technology to become paper airplane experts and to build incredibly intricate paper planes! It's a new year... a new school... a new position! I'm so excited to be working at Powers Ferry Elementary this year! It's been a powerful learning experience already and I'm looking forward to continuing to use technology to work with students and teachers. Here's a glimpse into some of the awesome things that are happening this year! Robotics Club: This year, I have the unique... and awesome opportunity to facilitate the Lego Robotics Club each Friday. The students in this club are working together to build and program robots that can complete various tasks. It's been amazing to see what these students can do... I'm learning so much from them!! Boat Problem Solving: Students in third, fourth, and fifth grade have been learning how to use technology to solve a variety of problems and have used several different digital tools to share their learning. Over the last two weeks, students have completed a variety of boat-themed, digital math problem solving tasks. I've been so impressed with their strategies and products! Of course, no learning experience is complete without props and costumes!! Coming Up Next... Camping Problem Solving...
Over the last couple of weeks, we have embarked on a study of boats. We've learned about all different kinds of boats, how boats float, and how technology is used in boating. The students have been reading about and researching boats, writing about boats, solving math problems related to boats, and collaborating about how most effectively design a boat. To make the learning process more relevant, we mixed up the boat theme with the third grade Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. Students were able to apply their learning and take their knowledge to a deeper level. The project for this unit was building a boat to compete in a boat race. The students worked in teams to design and build their boat. The students took the boat project in many different directions and developed a diverse array of vessels. Several of the groups studied how sails work and built sails to enhance their boats. Other groups researched angles and and shapes to create streamline boats for the race. The end result was awesome and the students had SO much fun! 2014 Boat RacesAgain this year, the third graders at Hollydale had the opportunity to visit the Vulcan Rock Quarry in Kennesaw, Georgia. The students got to learn about the rocks and minerals in Georgia and about the many ways rocks and minerals are used. It was a fabulous learning experience and the kids had a great time!
In third grade, we spend a LOT of time learning about Georgia. We learn about the regions, the plants, the animals, and the geography. To take that learning and understanding to the next level, we took a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains! On this trip, students deepened their understanding and experienced what makes this region so unique. Our trip began with a stop at Mountain Valley Farms in Ellijay, Georgia. At the farm, students got to see and hear about the productive resources used in the farming industry. They got an up-close experience with a dairy cow, pigs, and baby goats. We enjoyed a picnic lunch with the goats, cows, pigs, and horses. The awesome people at Mountain Valley Farms then gave the students ice cream that was made from milk produced on the farm. The unique ice cream flavors were delicious! It was a great opportunity to learn about the productive resources we have been learning about in Social Studies and to see how these resources relate to the real world. The next stop was R & A Apple Orchards in Ellijay. Students got to browse the store, learning about the endless number of "apple" products. They also learned about supply and demand and how pricing of products depends on this concept. This was another chance for students to see the different types of productive resources in use. The students enjoyed apple cider slushies and fried apple pies. After these stops, we arrived at the cabin. After quickly exploring the area, we embarked on a hike to the Cartecay River. At the river, students explored the smooth rocks and minerals in and around the river. They found evidence of weathering and erosion in the area, both concepts we have studied this year. The students even got a lesson in kayaking and how forces in the water influence things. It was an awesome experience! Once we arrived back at the cabin, there were many evening activities. We had competitive games of kickball, soccer, air hockey, and ping pong. Then, we went for a nature walk, in hopes of observing the plants and animals in the region. Students used their iPads to document the hike. Upon completion of the hike, students worked independently to create digital presentations of their hike using various apps. You'll soon be able to find these presentations on the Student Blog tab! No trip is complete without scary stories by the campfire and S'mores! The kids composed AMAZING campfire stories and shared in a very dramatic fashion. Amicalola Falls was our Saturday adventure! We started at the bottom of the falls, taking in the greatness of the waterfall. Then, we took a short hike up part of the mountain. The students found many great plants and animals from this region. After our hike, we enjoyed a picnic lunch followed by some play time on the playground. Our final stop at Amicalola was the Nature Center. Students got to see a cool exhibit about the Appalachian Mountains and got to see a variety of snakes native to this region. It was quite exciting! All in all, it was an amazing trip! It was so much fun to see all the "Aha!" moments as students got to experience all the things we've been learning about in the classroom! Be sure to check out the Student Blog tab over the next few weeks as students share their highlights of the trip! packed and ready to go!mountain valley farmsr & A Apple orchardscartecay rivernature walk, soccer game, scavenger huntcampfire stories and s'moreswatching deeramicalola falls state parkother fun stuff!We're back and off to a great start! In science, we are learning about the different Georgia regions. This week, we spent time learning all about the Okefenokee Swamp. The students created swamp snow globes, enjoyed a "Swamp Punch" drink, and have used a variety of digital resources to explore this region. Through virtual field trips and hands-on exploration of Swamp plants, the students have developed a strong understanding of this unique region. Here are some pictures of our Swamp Punch and digital exploration of the region. Over the last several weeks, we have been digging deeply into Science! It has been so much FUN!! This quarter, we are learning about the different types of soil and about weathering and erosion. We have spent time looking very closely at the types of soil (using MICROSCOPES), conducting experiments with the soil types, and exploring weathering and erosion all around us! And, we can't forget… we made dirt cups to learn more about how soil is formed. It was disgustingly delicious! Check out the student blog to see some informational videos made by our third grade super scientists! As usual, here are some pictures of our learning in action!
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AuthorMaggie Phillips Archives
June 2015
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