Getting I.T. Right

Click image to view Sample Portfolio

Wouldn’t you like to look back on the school year to the first day you met your teacher? Or how about that cool science experiment you did? That’s exactly what third graders will be doing this year! They are creating digital portfolios using Photo Story. Throughout the year, they are taking pictures of their learning, whether it’s a fun field trip, cool science experiment, school musical, or classroom presentation. This is an on-going technology project; students log on every few weeks to upload and narrate their newest photos. Students have fun experimenting with transitions, motion, and creating their own soundtrack. By the end of the year, they will have a fabulous movie documenting their year as a third grader. I have a feeling they will be Photo Story experts as well!

At Bluebonnet Elementary, Mrs. Schoener’s 4th grade class shared information about their city and school with new friends in Poland. Connecting through ePals, Mrs. Schoener found an overseas class interested in conversing with ePals School Mail emails. This provides both classes an opportunity to write for a real-world audience and to learn more about other cultures.

Amanda Lanahan, Art teacher at Forest North, is merging art and technology through Techno-Art. While students are still using glue, paint, and scissors, they are now experiencing a learning environment which includes today’s digital media. Lessons are being introduced in a visual way using PowerPoint, online videos, and websites. Demonstrations are done under a document camera displayed in a large format for the whole class to see, no more crowding around the teacher’s tiny workspace. Programs like Kidpix, MS Paint, and even Photoshop Elements excite students into new understandings of what ART can be. Students are now learning about what graphic artists do in the real world with computers.

On Dec. 12, 2009 fifteen RRISD teams advanced to the final competition of the Central Texas First Lego League. The teams are:
Laurel Mountain Team Dr. Octogonapus, Laurel Mountain Lego Lions, Laurel Mountain Lunatics, Kathy Caraway Robotechs, Purple Sage Riders, Forest Creek, Bluebonnet Bulldogs, Cactus Ranch Longhorns, Gattis Robo-Crocs, Gattis Insta-Gators, Deerpark CPU’s, Deerpark Robanators, Canyon Vista Mustangs, Grisham Grizzlies, and Walsh Robotics.

Of these 15 teams 5 placed in the finals…
-Laurel Mountain Lego Lions won 3rd place in the Championship division.
-Three teams sweeped the Research Project presentation:
1st – Laurel Mountain Team Octogonapus, 2nd – Kathy Caraway Robotechs, and 3rd – Grisham Grizzlies.
-Forest Creek won 2nd place in Teamwork.

Round Rock ISD is very proud of these future engineers. They will one day be solving not only transportation problems like those they faced in the Smart Move challenges of FLL, but also many robotics and engineering challenges which will challenge these students in their lifetimes.

Students creating podcasts

Grisham Middle School eighth graders are creating promotional podcasts which recommend  books they have recently read. The audience for the podcasts includes other students, teachers, and parents who may be interested in learning more about the books. The podcasts are based on the students’ interests and opinions. The projects are graded based on their introduction, book information, overview, motivating questions, critique, rating of the book, closing, voice, music or sound effects, and work ethic.

5th Graders at Wells Branch and Old Town elementaries conducted a video conferencing session. A webcam and Skype were used to have a question/answer discussion over the book On Fighting Ground. The students are to be congratulated on their fantastic job, being prepared with questions ready, and for having professional behavior.

Cristal Misplay and her 1st Grade Students at Wells Branch Elementary are currently in the second year of a pilot using TeacherMate handheld computers from Innovations for Learning. To answer questions and demonstrate the use of the TeacherMates, Ms. Misplay and Round Rock ISD hosted a visit from Representative Mark Strama, Texas House of Representatives. On hand to answer questions about the TeacherMate pilot and the grants that funded the purchase of the devices was Susan Dawson of E3 Alliance.

NOTE: Image is linked to video file.

More Information:
- http://www.innovationsforlearning.org/
- http://www.e3alliance.org/
- http://rrisd-its.wikispaces.com/TeacherMate

Callison Elementary and Live Oak Elementary schools hosted the employees of Education Service Center Region XIII on November 17th, 2009 for a “field trip” in which they could interact with the students and faculty with whom they serve. The Region XIII visitors got to witness first-hand and hear directly from the students about the embedded and interactive technology that is enriching their learning environments.

On 11/14 and 11/21 twenty-nine Round Rock ISD teams from 16 campuses competed in the Central Texas First Lego League Qualifier Events. Congratulations to the middle schools teams at CD Fulkes, Canyon Vista, Cedar Valley, Deerpark, Grisham, Hopewell, and Walsh and to the elementary teams at Bluebonnet, Cactus Ranch, Callison, Caraway, Forest Creek, Gattis, Laurel Mountain, and Purple Sage. Round Rock is proud to celebrate the achievements of these teams. The * teams will go on to the competition on Dec. 12 at Rouse High School in Leander.
11/14 LBJ Qualifier Results
*Walsh1 – 4th – Research Project
*Cactus Ranch Longhorns 1- 3rd Research Project
Cactus Ranch Longhorns 3 – 3rd Teamwork
*Forest Creek – 1st Research Project
11/14 West Ridge Qualifer Results
*Laurel Mountain Team Dr. Octogonaus – 1st Champions
*Laurel Mountain LegoLions – 2nd Champions
*Laurel Mountain LegoLunatics – Wildcard
11/21 Anderson Qualifier Results
*Bluebonnet – 1st Teamwork, 3rd Research Project
11/21 Westwood Qualifier Results
*Deerpark CPU’s – 3rd Champions
*Deerpark Robanators – 3rd Research Project
*Gattis InstaGators – 2nd Robot Design
*Gattis Robo-Crocs – 2nd Teamwork
*Purple Sage Riders – 1st Research Project
*CarawayRobotechs – 2nd Research Project
*Canyon Vista Mustangs 2 – 3rd Robot Design
Canyon Vista Mustangs 4 – 3rd Teamwork
*Grisham Grizzlies – 1st Robot Design

Learn more about Central Texas FLL.

Deerpark Middle School’s robotics club engineers have video conference with UPS pilot and former F-16 fighter pilot, Jim Crowley, about their airplane engine cover design.  The engine cover was designed to prevent birds from dying when they encounter a plane engine during flight.  Mr. Crowley praised their design for being aerodynamic and environmentally conscious.  He asked them to think about the benefits vs costs of saving the birds compared to the weight and amount of fuel that extra weight would require.

Tags: Engineering, Robotics, video conferencing