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| Photo: Charles Honey |
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Photo: School News Network |
One class did an online math quiz on a site called BrainPOP.
Another wrote down decimal equations from a video lesson pre-recorded
by their teacher. Another created virtual tours abroad using Google
Earth. Yet another competed in a speed quiz about anatomy with an online
game from Kahoot!
All were using computers at Kenowa Hills Middle School, and all were demonstrating new ways of learning in a symposium led by the lords of high-tech: Google.
Kenowa Hills hosted the symposium for about 40 educators from West Michigan and beyond, who heard presentations by Google officials about how technology is transforming education.
Participants also observed classrooms where Kenowa teachers are using tech to provide competency-based learning geared toward individual student progress. It’s part of Kenowa’s new Journey to Excellence program, which goes hand-in-hand with the district’s commitment to pairing every student with a laptop.
Despite the glitches inherent in high-tech – and occasional abuses like cheating -- Kenowa teachers touted its plusses in everything from quicker feedback for students to traveling the world via the Internet.
“By using technology, I can bring other countries to them,” said high-school Spanish teacher Mary Hurt in a panel discussion. “It’s bringing them places they’ve never been before.”
High school English teacher Grace Bollman said she stubbornly persisted in printing out assignments until she learned the advantages of Google Classroom.
“It’s made me more efficient. It’s made my students more organized,” Bollman said. “I don’t have to dump out a backpack to find a crumpled piece of paper they call their homework anymore.”
Accessing School at Home
Google representatives came to Kenowa out of enthusiasm for the Journey to Excellence program, which is being implemented in all grades this year, said Russell Gerbers, Kenowa’s director of technology.
“They really like the fact that we’re going through standards-based learning and mastery learning,” Gerbers said. “That’s a big push in the country now.”
Drew Sidle, regional manager of Google for Education, said in working with Kenowa he “found their energy, vision and student-first perspective inspiring.”
Kenowa’s program was highlighted in a recent report on competency-based education for Michigan superintendents, and in a district presentation this week at the Michigan Department of Education School Improvement Conference.
Kenowa Hills’ students in grades 5-12 all have laptops, and officials intend to extend that to grades K-4. That’s a national trend: One of every two U.S. children uses Chromebooks, and 30,000 new devices are opened in schools every day, Google Senior Product Manager Cyrus Mistry told the symposium in a video chat.
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Source: School News Network
All were using computers at Kenowa Hills Middle School, and
all were demonstrating new ways of learning in a symposium led by the
lords of high-tech: Google.
Kenowa Hills hosted the symposium for about 40 educators
from West Michigan and beyond, who heard presentations by Google
officials about how technology is transforming education.
Participants also observed classrooms where Kenowa teachers
are using tech to provide competency-based learning geared toward
individual student progress. It’s part of Kenowa’s new Journey to
Excellence program, which goes hand-in-hand with the district’s
commitment to pairing every student with a laptop.
Despite the glitches inherent in high-tech – and occasional
abuses like cheating -- Kenowa teachers touted its plusses in
everything from quicker feedback for students to traveling the world via
the Internet.
“By using technology, I can bring other countries to them,”
said high-school Spanish teacher Mary Hurt in a panel discussion. “It’s
bringing them places they’ve never been before.”
High school English teacher Grace Bollman said she
stubbornly persisted in printing out assignments until she learned the
advantages of Google Classroom.
“It’s made me more efficient. It’s made my students more
organized,” Bollman said. “I don’t have to dump out a backpack to find a
crumpled piece of paper they call their homework anymore.”
