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Welcome Back!

Welcome back to another great school year! We are off to a fantastic start. As the Technology Specialist, I am excited about working with staff and students, integrating technology in and out of the classroom. We have more technology in our school than ever, and I am excited about the new learning experiences we will have. Our students have access to Chromebooks and iPads. This month, in addition to earning an iPad license, we are also learning about Digital Citizenship. Check out Common Sense Media's Digital Citizen resources for families. For more information about technology usage at our school, visit our school website, or my blog. Old Bonhomme is now on twitter AND Instagram. Follow us at  @OBEagles .  Please mark your calendar for OB Science and Innovation Night April 17th. 
Recent posts

OB Science and Innovation Night

 Old Bonhomme's 1st annual Science and Innovation Night was Friday, April 6th.  The focus was STEAM, and it included over 30 outside agencies, high school and elementary student showcases, food trucks, GooseChase scavenger hunt and the Science fair. Over 200 students & their families attended, and we gave away over 40 prizes from sponsor donations. What an amazing night! Flyer and banner designed by Patricia Brown Our event started with a Science Fair.  From 6pm-6:30, students had the opportunity to share their Science Fair projects in the library. Check out this little scientist At the registration table, families received a map, scavenger hunt info, and cool giveaways including stickers, pencils, bags, and buttons. Did I mention we had over 200 kids register? What a crowd! Between 6:30-7:30pm we had student & agency showcases.  The most exciting part for me was the student showcases.  STEM is for Girls is an after school club de

5 Ways to Use Video In The Classroom

Video in the classroom is powerful, because it has the ability to make the classroom come alive, and make meaningful learning experiences and connections. Video allows you to deliver long-lasting images, and reach children with various learning styles. But how do you make sure you’re keeping things fresh? Here are a few ways you can incorporate video projects in your classroom—on a daily basis. 1) Flip your classroom—but for real Flipped classrooms allows for a student to never again miss a lesson. Essentially, that style of teaching allows you to break down your classroom walls, and expand learning outside of the classroom. With a recorded lesson, students can watch an uninterrupted lesson as many times as they need to at their own pace. Students don't have to stop at just watching your lessons—they can view information from other teachers and experts to gain new perspectives. What Equipment Do You Need to Produce Videos? At The Minimum: A recording device (webcam,

OB Interactive Art Show

WHAT IS A QR CODE? A QR Code abbreviated Quick Response Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. iPads, iPods, etc.. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_codes HOW DOES IT WORK? After you download a FREE QR code reader app to your SMART device (iPad, smartphone, iPod touch, Kindle fire etc.), you can visit the art show, and wherever you see a barcode like this  scan the barcode to listen to a familiar voice share an audio of information about the art piece you are viewing.. ​ How to Bring Augmented Reality to Your School's Art Show ​ Note: There are many more!

7 Ways to Spark Collaboration & Innovation In The Classroom

Here’s a big question: how can educators create learning experiences that foster collaboration, and problem solving, but also nurture imagination and curiosity during the school day? It’s simple: try something new. An innovative teacher is a mentor, and allows his or her students to share their voices and become future innovators. Innovators make learning relevant, and they commit to sharing digital learning content and powerful ideas for improving teaching and learning. Last month, I was on my way to Mountain View, California to embark on an experience that is difficult to put into words. Well, I think I might have two words “Mind Blown” (*drops mic*). I had the opportunity to join 34 other educators, from all over the world, who possessed the same passions, dedication, and mindset that I do about technology and innovation, making meaningful connections along the way. This group of educators were selected as Google Certified Innovators , (formerly the Google Certified Educator pr

January STEM Challenge 2nd Grade: Coding with Ozobots

The STEM lesson for 2nd grade incorporated using Ozobot Robots to teach States of Matter & Mapping Skills. I first learned about Ozobots this past summer. I caught the Amazon Prime sale and purchased two for my kids as toys. Little did I know the impact it could have in the classroom! 2nd grade students had just completed their unit on States of Matter, and I was looking for a way to incorporate my new ozobots I won for my school, and I came across this great blog post by Kim Mattina  in which she used Ozobots with middle schoolers to program the States of Matter. I modified the lesson to address curriculum objectives for 2nd grade, and then along the way,  I found a way to connect it to their mapping unit too. 

January STEM Challenge 4th Grade- Breakout EDU Geometry Review

January STEM Challenge: 4th Grade Geometry Breakout EDU Breakout EDU games teach critical thinking, teamwork, complex problem solving, and can be used in all content areas. Players have a fixed amount of time to solve a series of challenges, riddles, and mysteries.  Watch a video about Breakout EDU  4th Grade students just completed a Geometry Unit. This game was used as a review for the formative assessment.  This game addresses the following objectives: Math-Geometry Relationships: Name and identify properties 1,2, 3-dimensional shapes; describe attributes of 3- dimensional shapes using appropriate geometric vocabulary (circle, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, triangle, square, oval, hexagon, cube, rectangular prism, cylinder, pyramid, sphere, cone, parallelism, perpendicularity). Select and use benchmarks to estimate measurements of 0, 45 (acute), 90 (right), and greater than 90 (obtuse) degree angles. Classify angles as acute, obtuse, or right. Using grap