This being my 28th year in the education profession, I would have to say this was one of my most successful, favorite, and truly student-led conferences. By this time of year, parents have a clear understanding of how their child is doing academical as well as socially! Students need the opportunity to show their parents what they are learning and what they know! Each child needs the opportunity to take a leadership role and teach his/her parent! I have never seen a prouder group of third graders and their parents in awe of what their child is accomplishing and learning on a daily basis in school!
One of the most important goals I had, was to have student presentations tie in with district curriculum and expectations. I also knew I had to keep it manageable for my students and myself.
As a class we brainstormed what we would include in each student-led presentation. After the guidelines were established, students were on their own.
Helping, sharing, creating, and learning as a team!
Students decided to use Keynote for their presentations. As students worked in Keynote, there was a lot of higher level thinking taking place, as well as some frustration! The Friday prior to conferences we were struggling with some of the components of Keynote. On Friday night, I received an email that made my week! Natalie, solved the problem we were having on Keynote! I am learning so much from my third graders!
Goal setting for any student is of utmost importance. As a team we knew
it was important to share with parents, successes, as well as
fourth quarter goals each student will strive to achieve. They created their goals in Explain Everything. After they created this they used iMovie on their iPad to edit, publish, and add to their Keynote. They are becoming expert "app smashers"!
My students and I learned how to App Smash from our district tech coaches +Ann Feldmann, +Brent Catlett, and +Jennifer Krzystowczyk! Here is a link to Tech Tools for Teachers and app smashing.
Third graders also used Explain Everything to create a math problem they are
currently working on in the curriculum and explain it to their parents.
They app smashed once again and edited in iMovie.
Tellagami was the next app they used to share their favorite app with their parents and how it tied in with district curriculum. In Tellagami, they exported it to iMovie to edit and then they sent it to YouTube. Two or our favorite apps in third grade are +Adam Bellow's eduClipper app and +Tony Vincent's Stick Around app. Parents shared how their child loved the Google Hangouts with Mr. Bellow and Mr. Vincent! Parents also shared that they had no idea what a hangout was until their child explained it to them! Love how parents are learning from their children!
Students shared their science journals on Skitch and Notability, their individual reading bookcase on RAZ Kid's, and their blog posts on Kidblog! They also shared how they are participating in a Global Blog Challenge set up by +Janine Crain! Check out the link of all the classrooms who are participating around the world! Global Blog Challenge!
Science-Essential Objective 3
Blogging Away
Presentations Finished...Next Up...Time to Share with Parents!
We had some teary-eyed parents at the end of their conference, after each child thanked his/her parent for their help, support, and encouragement as they iPaddle through third grade in preparation of becoming a fourth grader! I have to admit I was teary-eyed too, as I watched how proud each parent was of his/her child!
Who would ever imagine parents learning so much from their third grader! I am in awe of my students on a daily basis!
21st Century Student-Led Conferences at its BEST!
