Green Screen Rooms are Popping Up Across the District
Our first green screen room in the district appeared back in 2014 at Lewis and Clark Middle School where retired Media Specialist, Pat Smith, had a vision for a creation space in the media center.
Since that time, hundreds of kids have been through what was fondly named Studio 3B to create projects using the green screen.
Now we have two more buildings with dedicated green screen spaces, Leonard Lawrence Elementary and Bellevue East High School.
What can students do with a green screen? A green screen allows students to take creation to new levels by putting different backgrounds, both video and image, behind them as they speak. Students plan, write, create and edit the video projects. Video creation provides an opportunity for students to collaborate, create and problem-solve while trying to effectively communicate their message.
Getting started in simple. Here is what you need to get started?
iPad with the Green Screen by Doink App
Collapsible Green Screen Background, painted wall, or green sheet/paper
Mini microphone and Cable
Would be nice to have:
Once students create, they need a place to share their work. A slick and easy way is to share their projects with the app Seesaw. It is simple to set up and even easier for students to use. Once they share their video, their classmates can view and leave comments, both as text or audio. It is a powerful way to let students share their creations with their classmates, teachers and parents.
Interested? Contact us and we will help you get the green screen creations rolling with your students.
To learn more about how to use green screen in the classroom, check out Lisa Pack’s (@ilisapack) resoures on her website at https://sites.google.com/site/doanetechmaster/green-screen.
Tools for Connecting with Parents
Communication plays such an important role in giving parents/guardians a look inside the classroom. Technology provides us with a variety of ways that teachers, administrators, coaches and sponsors can connect with family members and the community. Here are four of our favorite communication tools.
Remind is a free text messaging app that allows you to send messages to students and parents without having to share your actual phone number. You can schedule reminders ahead of time and it will allow you to see who has read your messages. Another feature of Remind is that it will translate into over 70 languages.
Facebook Page
Did you know that 75% of parents are on Facebook? What a great place to reach out and share what is happening in your classroom, on your team, or in your club. Creating a FB page gives parents, grandparents and the community the chance to “like” your page in order to get updates when you share a post. You can post pictures, videos, reminders and important dates to your page.
Class Dojo is an online behavior management system used to encourage positive student behavior and create a positive classroom culture. Students are given Dojo points for positive behavior and can connect parents by sharing photos and videos of classroom moments.
Hashtags Telling Our Story
One of the most powerful parts of Twitter is the hashtag! It connects people, ideas, and creates communities within Twitter. It is a unique way for our teachers and administrators to share the amazing things happening in our schools, classrooms, clubs, teams and organizations. Our district hashtag, #bpsne, continues to grow and is becoming a powerful tool that we can leverage as a district to connect all of our teachers, students, parents, and community members. We encourage you to continue sharing the great things happening in your classrooms. Let's create the 2016-2017 Bellevue Public Schools story together!
Appy Time
Want to turn your words and images into beautiful visual story? Try Adobe Spark Page to take your newsletter, announcement, or invitation to another level. You don't have to have any design experience to choose from the already curated designs and gorgeous fonts. Share your creations on social media, webpages and more.
