Nov 3, 2011

Reflecting: Technology Journey of Billings Public Schools

There are so many projects going on in Billings, it is mind-blowing! But, I wanted to highlight a little of how technology is impacting our schools. I ran out of time and out of room to mention all of the great projects you are doing in your classrooms. Could you please comment on this post and share - even just one project that you are doing involving technology? It will be so interesting to see what everyone is doing.


14 comments:

Mrs. Olson said...

Each day our first graders use ipods to listen to good reading. Our low reading group listens to 5 beginning reader stories each day for five days for one of their centers. Other readers love watching Animal Planet podcasts that align with our science cirriculum. We also utilize the Sesame Street~ Word on the Street podcast to promote vocabulary development. This week's words are frustrated, persistence, and pollinate. They LOVE watching them and using an ipod, but best of all they are learning.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Our high school seniors are preparing for their future by creating digital portfolio's using Google sites. They show what their interests are and what they are capable of academically and technically. Here are links to 2 students sites who received college scholarships because of their digital portfolios. https://sites.google.com/a/billingsstudents.org/emily-conway/ and https://sites.google.com/a/billingsstudents.org/tressacareercenterportfolio/

What a joy to work in a supporting district!

Unknown said...

My high school students in Early Childhood Education are required to keep a portfolio of all of the projects the do with the preschoolers during the semester. This year they are doing digital portfolios using weebly.com. They are much more excited about it, and it can be used more easily in job interviews and scholarship applications.

Dorie said...

My third graders use assorted digital tools for creative storytelling, from Storybird to VoiceThread to iPad apps, such as Puppet Pals. They create, illustrate, and narrate their own creations, bringing writing and reading skills together in such a complementary fashion. Last week my students hosted a technology open house to demonstrate tools already learned. Parents and other visitors showered my students with praise and encouragement, making them believe they really are "Tech Wizards!"

Rubick said...

Billings West High has two Tandberg video conference units to connect to virtual tours. We have this year connected with Mt. Vernon Musuem and watched a period dress performance by an actor taking the part of Geroge Washington's doctor. Students were able to interact with the actor during his presentation and ask questions about Mr. Washington. We have also watched a full autopsy and a heart dissection. While I am typing this, I have a class of Spanish 3/4 students participating in a program from Vanderbuilt University who has Mr. David Toledo speak to schools on his exodus from Cuba. He is giving information about culture, politics and music.

Mrs. Grewell said...

My 4th graders are driving me CRAZY asking for the water cycle youtube song we found on the internet. They ask to sing it every single day. It is simple technology, but they have learned more from it then anything I have taught. We also watch Rusty every morning to reinforce our character/social skills in class at schooltoolstv.com. Wordles were done over Halloween showing nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs that we hear, see, touch, and smell on this holiday!

leflerk said...

I have been a science teacher since 1984 but absolutely revitalized my delivery format by using technology. This has helped me motivate my 21st century learners-- and motivation has everything to do with learning!! I have tried to use the research-based strategies that promote learnning and memory retention (think Marzano and others) in my content area, but using technology. For example, we made animated clips of how atoms are made, used Inspiration software for concept mapping, and many, many more web-based resources I would not have known about except through the TILT program. Thank you to the state officers who fund continuing education programs like TILT!

Unknown said...

Just a few of the recent technology projects at Lewis & Clark Middle School include:

Students are using the MimioVote system for everything from English class to history to Battle of the Books.

Nooks are checked out with popular titles just like books are from the library. iPod shuffles are used to record mp3's of magazine articles for Language and Reading class students to listen along as they read from pdf's of the articles.

Edmodo and ClassPress websites allow classroom assignments and feedback.

Unknown said...

Our 5th grade class just completed a biography lesson where they had to research someone who made an impact on our country. The impact could be political, historical, sports, entertainment, or another way that changed how we view the world around us. They did internet research and followed it with creating a word cloud to describe their person. The students presented their project in class and gave three clues about the person they researched. The other 5th grade class will use the clues to figure out who those clues pertain to and vice versa.

Alissa Gray said...

Every day I am able to share the use of my InterWrite board with my classroom. The students love using the technologies we are able to access with the board. All of the students are more engaged in the lessons when we use the board. We are able to review continents, math facts, and language with simulated games. I am also able to incorporate many Web 2.0 tools with the InterWrite board as well. It has been amazing to see the growth students make with the implementation of an InterWrite board.

Mrs. Bishop said...

My students use the two IPads I have for my classroom during center time. Furthermore, each time I introduce a new letter, every student gets to explore that letter using the Starfall app on the IPad. We also use a flip video to make "movies" about the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and other skills. My projector is used daily to show videos. Currently we watch and sing the letters of the alphabet and two videos that count to 100. Counting in particular has always gotten monotonous and boring, but now if we do not watch the counting to 100 videos EVERY day, my kids are disappointed.

Ms. Sarah Lord said...

The use of FLIP video cameras and vernier probeware have changed the way my high school science students are able to gather, record, and analyze real-world data. The data is more thorough and precise than previously possible and they are engaging with essential technological tools they will encounter again and again as they pursue scientific studies in the future.

emerging technology news said...

Just need to congratulate the school for growing that fluently in technologies. Those innovative technologies would certainly help students achieve better understandings. I came across one such website being emerging technology news, which offers cutting edge technologies of Science.