Pioneers III : Educating Students for the Future

1
Pioneers III Educating Students for the Future

• Lindy Beckman Flushing
• Christy Davis Flushing
• Eureka McCormick Swartz Creek
• Kelly Swales Swartz Creek

2
Our Project

• Literature circle activity studying the book, The
  Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963
• Students read assigned portions of the book and
  responded via discussion threads on Blackboard
• Comprehension activities were diversified for
  classroom learning levels (two different grade
  levels)
• Inclusion of podcasting to introduce students to
  other classrooms

3
Impact on GLCEs

• Our group activity addresses many of the ELA
  GLCEs, mainly those of
• Narrative Text
• Comprehension
• Metacognition
• Writing (namely, responding to others)
• Spoken Discourse (via written speech)

Not only does the activity reach out to several
ELA GLCEs, but it provides students with
technology skills, communication skills, and an
authentic audience in which to have constructive
discourse. This opens students up to many
21st-Century learning skills not specified in the
GLCEs.
4
Our Instruction Has Changed

• Due to our participation in the Pioneers III
  program, we have
• changed some aspects of our instruction
  including
• Incorporating more technology and use of
  computers
• Seeing the whole picture of what learning needs
  to be for students in this day and age and the
  future
• Sharing technology-related lessons with
  colleagues
• Using technology as a mode of delivery and a
  medium for students to complete assignments (less
  paper and pencil activities)
• Encouraging more collaboration amongst students
  in their work
• Networking with other educators on 21st-Century
  learning