After many years of having separate social media accounts for the Educational Technology Department and Granite Media, today we’re updating and integrating our accounts! New content and library highlights from Granite Media will now be shared via the main Educational Technology social media accounts, and Granite Media social accounts on Facebook and Twitter will be retired.
[Read more…] about Granite Media x Granite EdTech Social Media Updates
The students in Julia Bossi’s art classes at Granite Park Junior High learn not only how to create beautiful pieces of art, they also learn research skills and use Cornell note-taking strategies to record and organize the information they learn. Ms. Bossi teaches the students that artists research new techniques to inform their art-making practice, and she has the students do the same. [Read more…] about Research on Chromebooks and Note-Taking in Art Class?
Breaking news! All Salt Lake City news reporters and anchors just may have their job security challenged due to some up and coming talent…hungry for reporting the news. That’s right! Truman News Network, or TNN, is currently taking up residence at Truman Elementary in Taylorsville. Student council members as well as guest reporters tell it like it is every week. Their well-received news cast is filled with information about the weather, sports, holidays, special events, book of the week, word of the day, staff and employee interviews, and the habit of the week. What is the habit of the week, you may ask? Well, on top of all the other awesome things going on at Truman Elementary, they are also a “Seven Habits of Happy Kids” school, wherein they review key ingredients of being successful in life!
TNN is organized by Tiffany Pontius, the School Technology Specialist for Truman Elementary. What could be an overwhelming and daunting task is smooth sailing due to Tiffany’s awesome organization and procedural planning. The best thing about this is that Tiffany prepares her students to be in charge of the news programs. This includes choosing the stories, writing the scripts, and deciding what props and backgrounds to use in place of the green screen when filming and editing. It is purely a situation of a student-led activity. No “sage on the stage” for Tiffany! 
She simply facilitates this well-oiled machine of news and information. She has used her skills as a top-notch educator to empower her 6th grade TNN members so that they gain confidence in running the news segments.
How do they do it? It all begins with a storyboard. Students choose what assignments they will have for the upcoming news cast during “staff meetings.” Reporters are then on the hunt for the news that will enlighten and inform the students. The student anchors create the script and film the leads. As soon as all of the elements are completed, one of the students edits the footage at home using WeVideo.
When asked the most challenging aspects of this project, the students replied, “…being able to film without laughing…getting everyone on the same page…and finding a time when all are able to meet.” What a terrific way to teach students how to collaborate in an authentic setting!
They also commented that the best thing about TNN is “…being on camera…writing the scripts…editing…hanging out with their friends…and working with Miss Pontius.” We would like to thank Tiffany for being a vital part of Granite School District. Her willingness to go the extra mile with her students and allow them to experience project-based learning, collaboration, problem solving, and creativity in the classroom should be celebrated.
Be sure to visit Truman TNN on YouTube!
Spotlight Created by Pam Moeai, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader.
Mrs. Cossa is a fantastic sixth grade teacher at West Valley Elementary. She incorporates technology into the classroom daily, creating lessons that are both meaningful and fun. In this video, students in Mrs. Cossa’s class are working on multimedia projects after studying figurative language. The students use the Chromebooks, YouTube, the WeVideo Chrome app and Google Presentations to complete their projects. Mrs. Cossa has created a creative and positive learning environment where students work collaboratively on a regular basis.
Spotlight Author: Teresa Bruin, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist
Attention Granite Educators:
Please share with us so that we can add these accounts to our lists of connected classrooms and educators in Granite School District.
Granite Educational Technology is looking to connect with and spotlight any and all Granite teachers using social media in their classrooms or for professional development.
You can find great accounts to connect with via these growing lists of Granite teachers using social media in the classroom. If you have or know of educator accounts that should be on these lists, you can submit them using this handy form, or follow us and let us know via one of our social media channels. We look forward to connecting and learning with you!
Granite Classrooms on Twitter
Granite Educators on Twitter
Granite EdTech Specialists on Twitter
Granite Schools on Twitter
Dennis Hummer teaches Chemistry at Cottonwood High School. Mr. Hummer works with his students using the Flipped Classroom method, also known as the “backwards classroom.” The Flipped Classroom involves a blended learning model where students access lectures, demonstrations and other information at home, then come prepared to do labs and homework in groups during class. The students act as student tutors and problem solvers and are able to seek guidance as needed from the instructor. This form of teaching compliments differentiated instruction and project-based learning.
In addition to the spotlight video above, check out all of Mr. Hummer’s Chemistry course videos on his YouTube channel. Here is one of his recent review videos:
You can also follow Mr. Hummer on Twitter: @Hummer_Chem. Here is one of his recent tweets, showing his students in action in the lab:
It's all about focus. #coltsaregreat #Flametests pic.twitter.com/8Y0wn1qm55
— Mr. Hummer (@Hummer_Chem) October 10, 2014
Spotlight Author: Celia Powell, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist
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