Enrichment activities are available for students to complete. There are several ongoing enrichment projects that are offered at this time.
We are doing some fun Enrichment Opportunites such as STICKTOGETHER, a virtual color by numbers, or letters that I link to my educational blog HERE. We will continue this particpation activity throughout the year.
All but one class period utilizes a Livescribe Pen to record notes from class. These notes are posted on the class wiki for students to access if they are absent or need extra notes. Students who take notes with the pen receive enrichment notes and an electronic copy of the notes they take in class for their notebooks. The requirements to participate with this is legible handwriting and good notetaking skills, because many students rely on these notes for assistance.
Students can also use the Livescribe Pen to create Pencasts for other students to review. Pencasts are a visual recording of the Livescribe Pen with accompanying audio. The video is uploaded to the class YouTube Channel for student access.
Podcasts, students may make audio recordings of the class notes, including a summary/review of class discussions. Students can create the audio file, upload and share the file via the school Google Drive, or Airdrop the file to me in class.
The students currently run an Internet Talk Show, “ What’s Up New Brighton,” that is posted on YouTube. They write, video, present, edit, and produce the show on their own. Students can ask to participate in this endeavor, but only students who will contribute positively to the experience can work on the show itself, there is limited time and students who cause issues or distractions cannot be on set during production. However, ANY STUDENT is welcome to work behind the scenes and off set with research of script writing. Students do not need to stay to work on this, we have Google Docs and other Internet tools so students can work outside of the classroom.
I have a continuing enrichment project that runs every Nine Weeks, students can create a Storycorps presentation with someone who was alive during the period we are studying. They may also interview anyone who can describe what New Brighton, Pennsylvania was like before 1975.
We have a class blog enrichment assignment that will run every nine weeks. Upon request students can use the class blog to post about topics we have discussed in class. Requirements will vary from extra research, to interviews with people who were alive during those topics/events. They are easily adaptable to fit many situations and enable the students to contribute positively to history.
There is also a general blogging enrichement assignment students can participate in. I was reminded of some blogging ideas for students while I was at PETE & C, the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference in February of 2014. Two of the Keynote speakers, Kevin Honeycutt and Dean Shareski, both discussed how to keep students interested in learning. They also stressed the need to make learning a life-long endeavor. With the enrichment assignments, I am asking the students to post stories and/or school appropriate images they find interesting, or just think are neat, to their blogs. The goal is to get students creating a positive digital footprint for others to view. The assignments will be updated weekly in the Edmodo classroom.
As always, student input towards assignments is appreciated and will be considered towards possible work.
They were encouraged to join the Enrichment Group in Edmodo and work with the posted optional activities. It is never too late to join this group. Interested students should contact me via Edmodo, during Hall Duty, or in class.
