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Youth Art Month Exhibit
Update Hopkins Public Schools
The community’s guide to the District. Hopkins Education Foundation announces grants
March/April 2016
2016 Community Book Read
Empty Bowls Fundraiser
March is National Youth Art Month. Celebrate by visiting an exhibit featuring K-12 student art work from all schools in the Hopkins District. Exhibit runs through March 27 Hopkins Center for the Arts 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins
Celebrate community and support the ICA Food Shelf and ResourceWest. Firing up for a million dollar year! #milliondollaryear March 15, 11:00 a.m.-7 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins
Read the book iRules by Janell Burley Hofmann, what every tech-healthy family should know. Share your thoughts at #HopkinsiRules. Then, attend a free panel discussion in April: April 9, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Eisenhower Community Center
HopkinsSchools.org/emptybowls
Details: HopkinsSchools.org/book
Screens Up, Students Engaged The 1:1 Digital Initiative is transforming learning at the high school
The Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF) has awarded 11 grants that support and complement Hopkins Public Schools’ rigorous core curriculum. Reflecting an exciting mix of creativity and ingenuity, the grants have a combined dollar value of $32,224. Topics include scientific inquiry in robotics and meteorology, interactive history, extracurricular academic teams, microfinance lessons, curricular enhancements at both the preschool and secondary levels, and creative healthy eating initiatives.
Hopkins sophomore sets school record at regional quiz bowl tournament John Vaaler set a school record for his scholastic achievements on the quiz bowl team. Vaaler was the eighth-highest point scorer out of 250 competitors during the recent regional quiz bowl tournament, Run for the Roses, on Feb. 13. With an individual score of 70 points per game, his is the highest-ever score for a sophomore in the history of the Hopkins’ quiz bowl team. The Hopkins quiz bowl team as a whole performed well, however, the most impressive feat of Vaaler’s appearance at the tournament was his top 10 finish, beating out many upperclassmen.
If you spend any time in a Hopkins High School classroom, you’re bound to hear these two words: screens up. It’s the term teachers use when they want students to use their Chromebooks as part of the learning experience. A student works on his Chromebook as part of a Spanish assignment.
This is the first year of the 1:1 Digital Initiative at the high school. Thanks to a voter-supported Capital Projects Levy, all students have been assigned a digital device — Chromebook — that they will keep for the duration of their high school experience. The technology has allowed for deeper student engagement, a more flexible learning environment, and exciting possibilities for teachers. “It’s never been about the device,” said Ivar Nelson, director of technology, media, and information systems. “When we decided on Chromebooks, it was because that Student device best met our instructional needs.” The importance of ownership Both teachers and students benefit from the 24/7 access the 1:1 Digital Initiative provides. Classroom time is no longer spent troubleshooting, charging, and logging into shared devices. The technology operates seamlessly in the background, while students have all their assignments, notes, and papers at their fingertips. “The students treat the devices differently when they have ownership over them,” said April Felt, a math teacher. “When they are done with an assignment, instead of putting away the technology, I have noticed that they move on to other homework.”
Efficiencies in the classroom lead to deeper learning experiences The 1:1 Digital Initiative has allowed teachers to become more efficient. They can use a variety of resources and applications that simplify tasks like grading homework and communicating with students. Google Classroom is a one-stop shop for all things learning. Teachers can provide students with virtual access to syllabuses, quizzes, lecture notes, resources, and pretty much anything else.
achievement will go up, not because of Chromebooks, but because students are more deeply engaged. The more engaged you are,
“In the past I would frantically try to take notes,” said high school junior Ruby Krietzman. “I am now able to access them all in one place, versus sheets of paper everywhere.” Math classes are using the app Pear Deck to increase class collaboration. Students can work out a math equation with the touch screen feature on their device and project their work to an interactive white board for the rest of the class to see. WebWorks, another commonly used app, can grade a student’s homework in real time, allowing them to try a problem again if they did not get the answer right the first time.
the better you are going to
Students can take advantage of a flexible learning environment that is available beyond the bells of high school. Kate Glover, a junior at Hopkins High School, was skeptical of the Chromebooks at first, but she was won over when she realized she could keep all her assignments in one place and have constant access to her learning. “It’s different now that it’s mine to use,” she said. “Everything I need is on this one device. I play hockey, and during an away game I was able to complete my assignments and even study for a test, right there at the game.”
“The ability for students to be able to grade their own work is important,” said Felt. “I do. can take a lot more time with students and customize my instruction. For me, if the tool is not increasing student learning, it is not worth it. The way we are using the technology, we are increasing student learning.” In government class, students have a reliable connection to the Internet, giving new depth to current event conversations. In the past, teachers have had to ask students about news that happened yesterday. The Chromebooks enable them to access the world and experience what is happening right now. “Current events are much more relevant when the students can see them happening in real time,” said John UnruhFriesen, who teaches government. “Using YouTube, for example, I am able to clone myself, and as a result, I can see Digital Initiative inside