When I first came to this school six years ago, I encountered several teachers who were scared of instructional technology and avoided using it with their students. One of our 6th grade science teachers, Mrs. D, was part of this group and has made amazing progress by getting over her fear of technology and realizing the amazing benefits it offers in the classroom. As I type this, her class is in the media center on a "rescue mission" in outer space. Using The Great Solar System Rescue interactive cd-rom, students gather clues about the location of a lost probe on one of our planets in the Solar System. Students are assigned different roles - - astronomer, geologist, histrorian, and meteorologist - - and use the clues they've gathered by comparing them to notes about each planet in their purple report booklets. This exercise showcases great group-working relationships and allows students to analyze and interpret information to solve a problem. Once students determine which planet their lost probe is on, they venture to that planet to recover the probe, thus "saving the day."
This day was possible because of Mrs. D's courage to step out of her comfort zone and realize that instructional technologies are valuable tools for her students. I'm so proud of her and our other teachers who are venturing into this new territory. This has been a great day for learning!
-Ms. Z
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Author visit!
Author Frances O'Roark Dowell visited DRMS on April 6 to talk to our 8th grade students and book club members about what inspired her to become a writer and details about the writing process. We cleared a large space for students to sit on the floor as Ms. Dowell spoke to two separate groups of students.
She detailed her journey through various jobs she has held to her ultimate decision to become a writer full time. Afterwards, students asked some wonderful questions about specific books and her life. Students purchased signed personalized copies of her books and the media center will be adding several new copies and titles to the collection by next week. These autographed copies can be enjoyed by all DRMS students.
She detailed her journey through various jobs she has held to her ultimate decision to become a writer full time. Afterwards, students asked some wonderful questions about specific books and her life. Students purchased signed personalized copies of her books and the media center will be adding several new copies and titles to the collection by next week. These autographed copies can be enjoyed by all DRMS students.-Ms. Z
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