Spotlight on Willis Techy Teachers!
Volume II - May 3, 2013
It Just Keeps Getting Better!
Each week the iCoaches are seeing more and more technology in the classroom. We continue to be super excited about all of the wonderful technology opportunities our teachers are giving our students in Willis ISD! Keep checking back to see what is going on with our Techy Teachers!
Research! Featuring: Mrs. Alisha Finley
This week at Brabham, 8th grade students researched ecosystems. Mrs. Finley's science classes conducted research to find the biotic and abiotic factors and examples of conditions. After researching the ecosystem, the students created an energy pyramid and drew an illustration of the ecosystem.
QR Codes! Featuring: Mrs. Tracy Wheat
The 4th grade students in Mrs. Wheat's class at A.R. Turner used QR codes in a fun and different way. Students scanned the QR codes and they were taken to a link with their vocabulary word. Then they matched the QR code with the definition (which was on a separate paper) and also listed the location of the QR code.
Edmodo! Featuring: Mrs. Kathy McManus
Over the last couple of years Edmodo has become a very popular tool for teachers and students in the classroom. Edmodo is equivalent to Facebook, but it's for students. Teachers can give lessons, assessments, grades and more all through Edmodo. Parents are also able to access their student's work as well. Mrs. McManus, a special education teacher at Parmley says it best: " I love it! I can individualize students’ lessons and assessments to meet their needs and IEP goals. Best of all everything is graded and the grades can be exported. My students always ask, “can we go on Edmodo, now?”
Calculators and QR Codes! Featuring: Mrs. Ashley Soose
Students at Lynn Lucas used devices and graphing calculators to help complete a math assignment. Mrs. Soose's 8th grade math students scanned QR codes that provided them with a math problem. After reading the problem, they used calculators to solve it and recorded the answers.
Google Nexus Tablets! Featuring: Mrs. Kahla Larson
Mrs. Larson, a 1st grade teacher at C.C. Hardy, was one of the teachers chosen to participate in our Technology for Digital Teachers (TDT) program. She uses her tablets to work on language, reading and math skills. According to Mrs. Larson, "Our 1st grade class will be more than ready for 2nd grade thanks to our tablets! . The great thing is we can practice independently by racing the clock or we can race against a friend. Learning is so much fun!!"
Think Through Math! Featuring: Mrs. Brandi Newberg
This year through Texas SUCCESS, students in 3rd - 8th grade have been able to use interactive math (Think Through Math) and reading (Istation) programs through state funding. Think Through Math individualizes instruction on math concepts for each student. Mrs. Newberg, a 5th grade teacher at Meador, says "I love the program because I can have more scholars in my tutorials class because each scholar is receiving specialized instruction."
Brought to you by:
Tink Jones, Josh Cole, Jean Eaton and Courtney Brown
Website: http://goo.gl/nvico