Students at Dows Lane Elementary School are embracing innovation as they integrate cutting-edge technology into their daily learning, enhancing and extending their academic goals in meaningful ways.
Under the guidance of Dr. Stephanie Peborde Burke, the district’s instructional innovation coach, the students have been exploring a wide range of educational technologies, including Q-ball, Bee-Bots, 3Doodler, Strawbees, Squishy Circuits, green screen, Yeti microphones, LED kits, Makey Makey and Ozobot. The exciting work has been made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Irvington Education Foundation.
“Through these tools, students are developing confidence as speakers and effective communicators, strengthening their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and learning to be courageous learners,” Dr. Burke said. “Students are taking risks and making mistakes with these tools, and the plan for how they are using them makes it safe and is supportive in doing so.”
Students have used the 3Doodler to connect with English language arts and science units focused on animal defenses, while the Q-ball has given students a dynamic way to share their writing and express their ideas aloud.
In kindergarten and first grade, the students have programmed Bee-Bots to represent animals with various defenses, sparking thoughtful classroom discussions. Meanwhile, second and third graders have used Ozobots for both screen-free and block coding activities, allowing them to hone their skills in coding and creative problem-solving.
Other students have used Strawbees, a creative tool, to design animal defense mechanisms or bring their own imaginative ideas to life by building with straws and connectors.
“I love seeing creativity and collaboration between students,” Dr. Burke said. “My hope is that these tools will be able to integrate with the amazing work that is already happening in our classrooms and help students engage in, enhance and extend learning goals.”
