The DLD website has some outstanding resources to support teachers in their efforts: toolkits, lesson plans, and a list of free web tools.
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is celebrating all week long! We are celebrating Digital Learning Week from Feb. 3 - 7, 2014.
Teachers were encouraged to communicate their plans for Digital Learning Day/Week by filling out a short Google form. I've been tweeting our activities using the hashtag #WLDLD. Here are some of the examples; there are too many to list them all!
- World language teacher Barbie Green at Walled Lake Central uses Google Voice as a tool for students to submit assignments that require speaking. She is also completely on board with Google Apps to provide quick feedback to students using the comment features.
- Amy Goward's 6th graders at Sarah Banks Middle School are working on informational text structures. They are doing research on matters associated to the Titanic, and are choosing a way to present a project using a tool of their choice. Amy states that the students love having the freedom to explore their interest areas and present in their own way. She has been amazed at their creativity and effort.
- Several teachers are having BYOD days. Students are bringing their own technology to review concepts, explore passions, and deepen understanding of a wide variety of topics.
- Many teachers are using sets of Chromebooks for writing, simulations, and other learning activities.
- 4th graders in Mrs. Eiland's class at Glengary Elementary will be reflecting about what they learned about circuits using Edmodo on their Chromebooks.
- Mrs. Bond's 3rd graders at Glengary Elementary will be broadcasting a Geometry Fashion Show using Google Hangouts On-air.
- Mrs. Locke's 1st graders at Glengary Elementary are creating How-to books using iPads. As part of the process, they videotape each other teaching others how to do/make/draw something.
- Mrs. Harmsworth's 5th graders at Keith Elementary are collaborating with a class from Arizona as they collaboratively read and do projects about the book The City of Ember. They meet using Google Hangout and continue to connect afterwords using Edmodo.
- 5th graders across the district are learning how to create graphs and charts (and know which type to make based on what is being communicated) using Google Sheets under the guidance of their school's Media Specialist.
- Mr. Shaw's 3rd graders at Walled Lake Elementary and Wixom Elementary are working in groups to create "All About Us" presentations using a software program called Pixie.
- Mrs. Chumney's physics students at Walled Lake Central connect with her after hours using an online collaborative whiteboard.
- Mrs. Klettke's students at Walled Lake Northern are creating electronic resumes as part of a transition from school to work unit.
- Mrs. Woolworth's 3rd graders at Wixom Elementary are creating videos of their Rocks and Minerals research using Animoto.
- Mrs. Kattoula's Spanish students at Walled Lake Central meet with her on Facebook on Tuesday evenings for review. She also challenges them to beat her in a Ruzzle competion and she tweets the results of her students efforts. I think she wins most of the time, but I did see that a student beat her last night. Fun!
- Mrs. Sparks 4th graders are participating in "Genius Hour" on Friday. Student are building websites, creating cookbooks, online presentations, and more. They also are using Chromebooks to blog; this week about the food web.
- Mr. Stearns' kindergarteners at Oakley Park Elementary School are learning about the four seasons and creating a multimedia presentation as part of the process.
There are no doubt countless other digital learning experiences going on across the district. Every day is a digital learning day! However, it is nice to have a unified day to celebrate our efforts with others across the nation and share some ways that technology supports learning.
