The school year may be coming to a close but staff and students aren’t slowing down in the learning department! It’s full steam ahead in classes and we would like to share a few of the classroom activities and field trips in these next website posts!
It was interesting to visit Mrs. Rizzo’s classroom last week to take photos and observe her students working diligently on this project. Here’s the detail, from Mrs. Rizzo herself, on the project they are completing as the school year draws to a close. We are so fortunate to have so many great teachers at St. Peter’s School!
From Mrs. Sarah Rizzo: In June of 2016, I applied for a grant to include LEGO Education’s Storystarter building into my fifth grade language arts classroom from the Richland County Foundation. When I applied for the grant, my goal was to integrate technology with reading, writing, listening, and speaking. We spent the first three quarters of the 2016-2017 school year learning the software included in the LEGO Education Storystarter once a week in computer class called StoryVisualizer. It combines storytelling with a graphic novel format. Along with computer and ipad skills, the students and I have worked on planning, revising, and editing a variety of genres in reading and writing. I created this tiered assignment with input from my students on how to culminate our year-long study. The tiered assignment provides ownership, self monitoring, inquiry, UDL principles, and, most importantly, focused student engagement. Their building, stories, and products have fueled our classroom and created a rich environment for learning.