Highland Elementary second grade teacher Kate Wailgum, tech teacher Kristen Koziol and principal Mary Claire Manning with third-grade presenters Tanner Calhoun, Amiyah Smith, Samuel Yurovsky and Aksinya Katinova. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – At Monday’s School Committee meeting, Highland Elementary third graders shared research and writing projects they had done in second grade using IPads. The project, co-taught by Highland technology teacher Kristen Koziol and second grade teacher Kate Wailgum, allowed students to use their IPads for research and writing projects on U.S. presidents, videotaping their oral reports and integrating them on green screens into backgrounds of their choice.
Student Amiyah Smith said when the writing and research project was first assigned, she was not excited. “Boring,” she thought. But then she was told she would be using an IPad, choosing the president to research (“I love having a choice”), and working with a green screen app to make the writing and research come alive. She said the project was not boring.
Koziol said the students also had the opportunity to present their projects at the MassCUE Fall technology conference in Foxboro in October, where they were the youngest group presenting.
After this introduction, the students spread out among the School Committee members to show them their projects on their IPads.
Highland Principal Mary Claire Manning said there was 100% engagement in the project. “Everyone was involved,” she said, noting that the students highlighted in their presentation their ability to make choices for the project.
