When the fourth grade students participated in the Biome SRS project this year, they did not have access to computers.  Thus, they were unable to do the in-depth research they conducted the previous year.  As a result, this year’s students did not perform as well on the Final Lost Vertebrates Activity.  This activity requires the students to decide where an “unknown” animal belongs.  Prior knowledge of the animals’ physical adaptations and how they are used to help it survive in their biome is needed to complete this activity.

Having students use the computer to investigate and discover on their own, the connection between the world’s biomes and the animals that inhabit them is crucial to having this project be successful.

However, the “Think, Write, Pair, Share” addition to the Qwizdom unit this year, as well as the “I see…It means..” proved to be very successful.  It provided children with more social involvement and required them to actively write what they were observing and learning, compared to just listening.  Students working cooperatively in groups were able to provide reasonable information and could justify their answers even though their biome choice may have been incorrect.

What a difference a day and a Dell make. When Ferryway School first opened in 1999 we were designated as Malden’s “Technology” School: two fully stocked computer labs, a library computer center equal to the lab resources, and teacher and student computers in each classroom.  We prided ourselves on that “technology” moniker and as the K-4 computer teacher, I hoped that we would not be the technology school in name only, but that we would be able to utilize our new tech resources to make a measurable improvement in our students educational careers.

We have made important strides in that direction through motivated staff, school administration which has fostered technology use, and our school designated technology “guru”, Bob Simpson, who has helped us coordinate our resources, led tech related professional development for staff, guided us through public and corporate grant opportunities, and now is promoting what we hope will turn into a school wide WEB 2.0 mentality.

In recent years, however, we have been slowed by an aging computer population. As our computer skills and interest in digital media/communication have increased, our decade old “granddaddy” desktops, running Windows 98 (first edition), have not just made execution of our plans an issue, but have dampened staff and student motivation. Many student classroom computers sat encrusted in a layer of dust, used and unloved.

I prayed to the “Computer Gods” for years for deliverance from our sorry desktop state…and recently my prayers were answered. We all left for April vacation and returned to a school desktop wonderland. My lab, which was becoming a computer graveyard, was transformed into a stable of healthy young Dells, ready to run fast and free.  All classrooms underwent a similar transformation. We were back! We were once again “the technology school”. The excitement from staff and students was palpable.

I truly see 2009-2010 as Ferryway’s walk on the WEB 2.0 “wild side”: wikis, blogs, homework and assignments crisscrossing the network, drop boxes, and vastly enhanced cooperation in our digital universe. We now have the technology in place to more effectively make use of our award winning teacher created online educational units and to roll out a comprehensive digital school community. What a difference a day and a Dell make.

Two fourth grade classrooms at the Ferryway School had fun learning vocabulary in a new way. They were introduced to their new vocabulary words using an interactive program called Qwizdom. Students answered questions using individual remotes and then were able to watch their answers appear on the screen. The class loved it! The students quickly picked up on how to use the remote. They were enthusiastic, engaged and asked when they would be able to use it again. The next session will involve an activity called “think, pair, share.”

The Ferryway School held a movie premiere today, complete with red carpet, paparazzi, and even a few Oscars.  Grade four and five students from last year were honored by their teachers with class Oscars for best learning in a real life documentary.  This was the first time that students had the opportunity to watch Turning on Technology filmed by the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) earlier this spring.  The Lucas Foundation promotes excellence in teaching that demonstrates effective technology use on their public website, Edutopia.  A streaming version of the movie can be watched directly from the Edutopia website.

Principal Devito welcomed students and teachers to the premiere by emphasizing how unique it is that the Ferryway School had been recognized by the Lucas foundation.  Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Sullivan, congratulated students on their hard work, mentioning that she was very impressed with their knowledge during last year’s annual Ferryway School technology showcase.

The lights dimmed and students watched their learning projected onto the auditorium’s large screen.  Claps and cheers were heard throughout the premiere as students and their teachers appeared on screen.  After the movie, Mr. Simpson, showed a five minute photo slide show of pictures taken during the two day movie shoot.  Then, Mrs. Briatico stepped to the podium to award honorary Oscars to representatives of each of the classes.   Grade four teachers, Mrs. Urban and Ms. Shelton awarded fifth graders who completed the last year’s biome project as fourth graders, oscars for best wild life documentary.  Retired Malden teacher, Pat Fish, who was the guiding force for the Saugus Iron Works curriculum, was pleased to accept her Oscar for best web screen play for The Saugus Iron Works Great Adventure.

What movie premiere would be complete without media coverage?  A reporter from the Malden Evening News will write a feature story for next week’s paper.  Congratulations Ferryway!!!

To read more about the Lucas foundation movie, visit the Saugus Iron Works blog.