The Stadium Drive Star Where academics shine through the arts
January 2016
CODING
SEE STUDENTS MAKE ROBOTS MOVE
SEEING THE WORLD FROM SCHOOL
EXTREME MAKEOVER SDE EDITION ENROLLMENT FOR NEXT YEAR
The Power of Periscope In order to prepare students for effective learning in an increasingly global and digital society, educators are seeking innovative communication tools that inspire student curiosity through investigation and reflection. Periscope is a powerful new tool that is inspiring teachers and students to create content together and share their worlds in impactful ways. As a free smartphone app, Periscope allows users to broadcast a live video stream to public or private audiences. Throughout broadcasts, followers join in and view the video in real time from anywhere in the world. The chatbox feature allows viewers to interact by adding comments or questions, and viewers can "like" content by clicking the symbolic Periscope heart. Following broadcasts, sessions can be viewed for up to 24 hours or saved to a phone's camera roll. Many Periscope users also utilize Katch.me, a separate app that connects to a Periscope account and allows for automatic archiving of broadcasts that can be saved and shared through email or social media. By offering this easy-to-use interface, the possibilities for Periscope in schools can be purposeful and transformational. As a digital collaboration tool, Periscope affords the opportunity for students to see the world through the perspectives of others. Many educators are finding innovative ways to use this tool during instruction not only to provide a platform for expanding students' communication skills, but also to allow for meaningful connection and exchange of ideas with diverse populations and audiences. The multiple viewpoints explored through Periscope sessions can prepare students for interactions of the future while expanding their critical thinking and digital literacy skills. As participants in these powerful conversations and practices of sharing, students then become co-constructors of knowledge and creators of content while involved in learning that can be relevant and impactful. Practical examples of Periscope in instruction include: In world language classes, students can take virtual field trips alongside teacher-guides from target language countries (e.g. in restaurants or at festivals). Museum tours could be experienced through the lens of a Periscope interaction, opening up opportunities to visit destinations, such as the Louvre or MoMA. With Periscope, classrooms can connect with field experts or observe scientific lab experiments. Throughout the session, students can actively engage in investigative questioning by recording information and collecting data.
Students can take a snapshot of history by participating in live broadcasts as elders or veterans tell their life stories from historically significant locations. Teachers can gain insight on depth of student understanding through analysis of such interviews and activities. Student-to-student interactions allow for engaging experiences and shared perspectives. During projects sponsored by organizations such as iEARN, book shares such as The Global Read Aloud, or withinschool scavenger hunts such as Edventure Quests, students can express their voices and take ownership of work through networked collaboration and building relationships with a broader global audience. For the working parent, involvement in school activities is a priority with challenges. With the aid of the Periscope app, parents can take advantage of modern technology to assume a more active role in their child's learning environment. Periscope increases transparency for parental involvement in children's education and assists in establishing connections with teachers.
1|Page
Parents can be part of inschool and out-of-school events by using Periscope. Through live broadcasts of school performances, sporting events, PTA meetings, and parentteacher conferences, parents that may be unable to attend events can be included as participants. With controls set to private, students can share individual presentations with their parents. Oral reports, student-led conferences, or debates can be privately televised, and parents can contribute with comments or questions by using the chatbox feature. Throughout the year, schools can offer parent education via Periscope to share about topics such as digital citizenship, new programs, and content-area presentations. Broadcasts can be archived and shared in an online library for later viewing. As with any virtual forum, it's important for educators to be mindful of privacy issues and diligent in understanding the social collaboration space in which students are working. For student broadcasting, the viewing audience can be defined by simply switching the settings to "private." As a powerful education tool, the Periscope app inherently allows students to be active
learners and content producers within each new session. With diverse audiences and distinctive interactions, social learning and maximum engagement between contributors has the potential to spark inquiry and open dialogue in education. By allowing for investigation and presentation, Periscope empowers students and teachers to make connections with authentic content as established citizens of the world. At Stadium Drive, we are going to work this New Year at finding some opportunities to include Periscope into what we do. For more information on how educators are using Periscope in the classroom, you can visit #PeriscopeEDU and #periscopeteachers on social media. Siracusa, Fran. "Periscope: Connecting Classrooms to the World." Edutopia. N.p., 28 Dec. 2015. Web. 2 Jan. 2016.
Thank You! The staff at Stadium Drive would like to thank the SDE community for supporting our Adopt-a-Family initiative. The generosity that we received allowed us to help many, many families during this holiday season.
Enrollment for 2016-2017 It may seem early, but it is necessary to begin planning for the 2016-2017 school year. Before we open our enrollment up to the Lake Orion community, we want to give our current Stadium families the first opportunity. We need to know if your current K-4 student(s) will not return to Stadium next year. We also need to know if you have an incoming kindergarten student for the 2016-2017 school year. Hard copy information was sent home to your family today.
No School January 18 and January 25 school will not be in session. Teachers will be receiving professional development and preparing report cards. Please be sure to mark your calendars to reflect these days.
End of the Semester and Report Cards The end of the first semester will be on January 25. Report cards will come home on February 3. Please be sure to review your child’s report card and send the jacket back to school signed.
2|Page
Winter Enrichment
to follow lines and color coded sequences.
Enrichment classes will begin on January 26 and conclude on March 9. Enrollment forms will come home next week.
Recently, a program called OzoBlockly was also introduced. In this program, students use block coding to build a sequence of commands for the Ozobot to follow. Using an iPad or computer, these programs are loaded into the Ozobot through flashing lights. So far, fourth and fifth grade classrooms have begun to explore the wide variety of programming the Ozobots offer. In the coming months, students will continue to collaborate with their classmates to develop an even better understanding of the concept of computer programming.
This winter we will be offering classes in:
Board games Cooking Technology Legos
A one day magic workshop will also be offered. Please contact Mary Gonda at mgonda@lakeorion.k12.mi.us
with any questions.
Student Engineers "It's working!" "What will happen if we do this?” "Woah, did you see that!" These are all phrases that have been overheard coming from the Stadium Drive library since November. The Stadium Drive library recently purchased Ozobots for students to explore the concepts of programming and coding. Even though the robots are only the size of a golf ball, they are leading to much larger collaborative thinking and sharing of ideas. Ozobots are robots that are fully programmable
Exploring with Ozobots is just one of the many new features of the Technology and Library program at Stadium Drive. Click here to see Stadium Drive students using the Ozobots. Also, feel free to explore the site http://ozobot.com/ to learn more about these tiny robots.
News from the PTO The PTO would like to thank everyone who participated in our "Elf Gram" event. We assembled and sold close to 200 "Elf Grams" and the kids were delighted to receive a special surprise at school! Our Candy Cane Lane Holiday Shop was a huge success. We would like to thank all of our hard working volunteers that helped us with this event. The kids had a great time shopping and were so excited with all of their purchases! Thanks to the generosity of parents and teachers alike, every student was allowed to purchase at least one gift to give at the holidays. Look for details soon about our Valentine Grams coming in February!
Little Caesars Pizza Kits Who eats pizza??? Who loves pizza??? Stadium Drive Elementary is selling Little Caesars Pizza Kits to raise funds for the fifth grade field trip. You are going to eat pizza anyway, so buy it from us and help our great students have the best experience possible. Plus you'll have your Super Bowl party covered! Watch for ordering information coming home soon. Please contact Lisa Drumm at 248-891-4218 or drumm5@yahoo.com with any questions.
3|Page
Extreme Makeover – SDE Edition
Upcoming Events
Stop in to see the work that was completed in our gym over the holiday break. Working with the District Department Chair Committee and DM Burr we were able to transform this space with six new, adjustable basketball hoops and fresh paint. Click here and here to see before and after pictures.
1/13 – School Store
Dragon News
1/25 – End of the First Semester, No School
The winter 2016 edition of Dragon News, the Lake Orion school district newsletter, is now available. The latest issue includes stories on the new SAT test for high school juniors, growing Advanced Placement (AP) program at LOHS, STEM and robotics fun at various schools, Lake Orion’s blended class program, band and choir news, fall sports recaps and more. To read, click here.
1/18 – No School 1/21 – Student Banking
1/27 – Fourth Grade Performance – AbrahamWhited – 6:30 PM 1/28 – Fourth Grade Performance – Ratkowiak– 6:30 PM 1/29 – Fourth Grade Performance – Perazza – 6:30 PM 2/3 – Report Cards Come Home 2/4 - Student Banking, PTO Meeting 4:05 PM 2/9 – Second Grade Performance – 3:00 PM 2/10 – Student Count Day, Second Grade Performance – 6:30 PM 2/11 – Student Banking 2/12 – Valentine’s Day Parties – 2:30 PM 2/15-2/16 – Mid-Winter Break 4|Page