Teacher Spotlight
Throughout the school year, we would like to take a moment to highlight the work of our colleagues who have made great strides in the area of instructional technology as it applies to their learning spaces.
Congratulations to Andrew Nikola for being named the recipent of NYSCATE's 2018 Lee Bryant Oustanding Teacher Award!
January 2019
Sixth Grade Students Study Ancient Egypt through Google Expeditions
Teachers across the district are using Google Expeditions to expose their students to life in Ancient Egypt as part of their River Valley Civilization exploration unit in social studies.
November 2018
Highlights from Turkey Disguise Video Conference
A few first and second grade classrooms participated in a Turkey Disguise Video Conference right before Thanksgiving break. Students voted on a community helper to disguise their class turkey and then dressed him/her in the appropriate disguise. They created three clues to share with their partnered class to try and guess the community helper.
Christina Hoff- Myers
Christine Noyes- Myers
Kathleen Spinella- Brinckerhoff
Jennifer Urciuoli- Fishkill
Jennifer Rabe- Vassar
October 2018
Highlights from Crazy Creature Video Conference
Select kindergarten, first, and second graders participated in a Crazy Creature Video Conference this month. Each participating classroom received a list of recycled materials for them to create a crazy creature model. They were partnered with another class within the district and sent them directions on how to create their creature. They each made the other's model and then connected remotely to share their creations. Students focused on different concepts like shapes, colors, differences, similarities, etc. Karen Neevel's kindergarten class got a special treat. They connected with Rebecca Burchin's kindergarten class at Mill Road Elementary School in Red Hook, NY! Students and teachers had a great time. I hope you will join us in November for the Turkey Disguise Video Conference.
Janeen Duncan- Fishkill
Cheryl Callaghan- Brinckerhoff
Jen Lindner- Sheafe
Kristian Bucknor- Brinckerhoff
Karen Neevel- Brinckerhoff
Deb Brennan- Brinckerhoff
Liz Daley- Vassar Rd
Jennifer Urciuoli- Fishkill
Brenda Maiolo- Vassar Rd
Betsy Zingaro- Myers
Christina Hoff- Myers
Michele Bresnahan- Fishkill
October 2018
VW Science Department Uses Virtual Reality to Teach Students about Organelles
The classroom was buzzing with energy as students used virtual reality to examine different organelles in types of cells. Students in Laura Ineson, Casey Felleman, Tracy Toufali, and Gina Kreso's class investigated the inside of Eukaryotic, Prokaryotic, and Plant cells to draw conclusions about the different organelles as well as their similarities and differences. Collaboration, critical, thinking, and communication are just some of the 21st century skills their students used on this expedition inside a cell.
September 2018
Angela Mills Implements a HyperDoc w/ her Students
Last year, as the year was coming to a close, I had the opportunity to take the Hyperdocs Class with Cassandra Horton. The class was very interesting and practical. I was able to see models, have time to create my own example, and look at examples created by others, while receiving direct support and assistance.
I created a Hyperdoc this year as a way to get my students in the mindset of AIS, specifically, the importance of daily reading. This introductory unit was designed to help the students see WHY they needed to read, and WHY we spend time teaching reading and writing skills. The Hyperdoc also served a number of important purposes:
-Assessing student comfort with Google Classroom and other Google Apps
-Giving students a social media type of posting experience, through Padlet, which generated a list of high interest texts they could use for Free Reading
-Teaching, and Assessing ACED writing
- Introducing students to practical reasons to read, while also exposing them to nonfiction text structures (another Hyperdoc Unit I plan to incorporate into AIS).
-Administered a reading interest inventory
The students were engaged and it allowed me not only to move with different students at a different pace and differentiate instruction, it also enabled me to stop a unit and come back to it later on.
September 2018
Teachers Get Right into the Swing of PD
Several teachers recently participated in the Creating a Fun and Exciting Mini Makerspace in service event. Teachers met at the Van Wyck Innovation Center to learn more about Makerspaces and get inspiration for how they could design a corner or learning experience that would allow students to create. In just a short week, Sandra Cardoso, Kristen Duffy, Lynn Harris, Andrea Humphreys, Katie Oliver, Cherylynn Said, and Lisa Tweeddale either created an activity or implemented a mini makerspace in their classrooms. Here you will find their ideas of what they would like to do with their students. Enjoy!
Andrea Humphreys, Fishkill Plains
Andrea Humphreys, Fishkill Plains
Andrea Humphreys, Fishkill Plains
Portable Home InquiryKatie Oliver, Kinry
John Jay and RCK Teachers Break Down Classroom Walls With Their Digital Learning Spaces
The Technology Integration Team has been busy offering Professional Development webinars focusing on increasing productivity and workflow. We'd like to take the time to recognize Margaret Loh, Elizabeth Kotlowski, Sonia Martire and Patricia D'Antono. These teachers have been working hard taking what they have learned in the webinars and putting it into practice. It is exciting to see how they are able to provide learning opportunities for their students in a digital space. Keep up the good work!!!