Grain Valley Technology Tidbits
May 2019
Spotlight on EdTech: Kayla Mertz, Matthews Elementary
Kayla Mertz teaches music at Matthews Elementary, and she is always finding ways to incorporate technology into her K-5 classroom! Make sure you follow Kayla on Twitter (@musicwithmertz) to see all of the amazing things she does with her students!
We asked Kayla how technology has changed student engagement in her classroom. She explained, "Technology has been a huge asset to my curriculum, and it is an excellent way to get students engaged in a new and exciting way. I especially find it useful to students when they are reviewing concepts they already know. They are able to use their prior knowledge in ways that are unexpected. For example, I have used an online music theory program for students to drill the names of their pitches on the staff. They are able to review in a game format which creates friendly competition, and they are setting their own goals."
Kayla is always up for learning about new tech tools so we asked her to share some of her (and her students') favorites. "I have loved adding Flipgrid to my repertoire of technology resources. The kids have a great time perfecting their videos and then watching videos their peers have made. Another technology resource I have used with my music curriculum is Pear Deck. The students love actively participating in their learning."
EdTech Tip of the Month
Update from the Technology Coaches
We are looking forward to next year and already have a bunch of new ideas to try to reach teachers with technology tips and tricks. Enjoy your summer!
Audrey, Emily, and Katie Wight (High School Librarian) at an Apple for Education event learning more about iPads in the classroom.
SMS students participating in a Google Hangout with GVHS students to learn about life at the high school.
Jessica Rowland, 6th-grade science teacher at NMS, modeling jet streams for a student during a PBL unit.
Fourth graders in Jenna King's class at Sni-A-Bar Elementary creating historical fiction book trailers using WeVideo.
High school students exploring WWI artifacts in Annette Rovello's history class.
Students in Mindy Stokes' fifth-grade class creating book trailers using Adobe Spark.