In an effort to infuse technology directly into classroom instruction and keep staff and students on the cutting edge of digital technology, the Middletown schools district initiated what was dubbed Digital eLearning Month in February. The culmination of the month’s efforts will be showcased and celebrated at 3 p.m. on March 8 in the Middletown High School South cafeteria.
The month-long endeavor was borne out of the Feb. 1 National Digital Learning Day. The month was dedicated to the use of electronic tools and resources for teaching and learning and their effects, a statement from Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Dr. Jill Takacs.
Middle and high school teachers learned about and used “a variety of new and existing 2.0 digital tools with their students,” Takacs’ statement added. The teachers who met the challenge and participated in the program and implemented the new technologies in classroom projects and daily learning will be eligible to win iPads and other digital tools in a raffle at the March 8 event. The tech tool raffle gifts were donated by Archipelago Learning (Study Island), TechSmith, and My Learning Plan.
Tackacs cited some of the highlights of the learning experience for the month.
Examples of some of the projects completed with the integration of the new technologies were: the presentation of a family tree in World Language Classes, in which students presented their final projects using Prezi, Gogster, and Animoto, along with the utilization of Word Press and Story Bird to communicate with each other in a foreign language; the conducting, in science class, of online research to better understand hurricanes and landforms and Brain Pop to help reinforce these concepts; the creation, in arts classes, digital online art galleries in order to display student creations; music study via the use of MP3 technology and YouTube clips; the writing of original scripts in language arts classes centered on the theme of bravery; the use of Animoto to create movie trailers in order to “sell” their original works to the movie going public; the preparation, in social studies classes, of prepared multi-media presentations on various topics related to the curriculum.
“Digital Learning Month has exuded excitement for both the teachers and students in the Middletown Township Public Schools at all educational levels,” the statement said. “The educators believe in the power of teachers and students learning together through digital resources.”
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