Staff writer
With new technology, Marion Elementary School students can experience the culture of another country without ever leaving the class room.
Last year, Sarah Waddell had her sixth-grade class write a newsletter and shoot videos about their everyday lives.
Waddell then mailed the materials to a high school student in Germany. Through the video-calling software, Skype, the class talked to a German student, learning about daily life in Germany.
“They really enjoyed it,” Waddell said.
Marion Elementary School is trying to incorporate more technology in the classroom and fifth-grade teachers Waddell and Jona Neufeld are leading the pack.
Waddell and Neufeld are requiring each student to have a flash drive as part of a curriculum involving more computer projects. Flash drives allow students to transfer their work from various computers available at MES. MES has two mobile computer labs and other computers are used by the entire school.
One of their prospective projects is a cyber portfolio. Last year, Waddell had her students complete a portfolio in a web page format that included all of their projects for the year.
Although the fifth-grade teachers are going to use more computer projects, Waddell said they will not assign a computer-specific project for homework. Waddell emphasized that they are not trying to penalize students without access to a computer at home — although she believes the percentage of students without access to a computer and Internet is small.
“We never require that kids have to do anything like that,” Waddell said. “We always give them class time to do it.”
Waddell said she teaches students how to use a variety of programs.
“It can be as simple as teaching a kid how to enlarge a photo or copy and paste it somewhere,” Waddell said. “In the past, we’ve taught kids how to do a website. You have to know different things to know how to do it, and the product is so awesome to them.”
Students in Waddell’s class often help classmates with programs and learn quickly.
“It’s the way the kids enjoy learning,” she said. “I guess we’re hoping to encourage kids to share what they’ve learned with their families, each other, and the world like never before.”