Tuesday, November 5, 2013

My Classroom Walls Are CRASHING Down!

In the last year, my classroom has begun to change dramatically.  In December of last year, I was given a classroom set of iPads.  I have been extremely impressed with the amount of creativity and collaboration that these devices have brought to my classroom.  As we all know, each class is different and I am discovering that many of the things that worked for my class last year aren’t working as well this year and things that are working this year, didn’t necessarily work the best last year. My classroom this year consists of a room full of high-energy boys.  This energy can be a blessing or a burden depending on how you handle it.  I decided to take this energy by full force and filter it into learning.  My class wants to learn, and they want their learning to be immediate and meaningful. Who doesn't? Right! 
With the help of my colleague, Brent Catlett, this is starting to happen. Brent is the creator of http://eduhangout.org (#eduhangout)  which encourages teachers to make connections with other teachers across the globe.  Through this connection my class, as well as 3 other classrooms in the U.S. were given the opportunity to participate in virtual field trips through Google Hangouts. This event was the beginning of Google’s new community Connected Classrooms (#connectedclassrooms).  As an educator, joining these communities is a MUST!  
Our morning started with a visit to the Seattle Aquarium.  My students in Nebraska were able to meet with marine biologists and learn about the changing seasons in the ocean.  A scuba diver used an underwater camera to show them some of the marine life such as kelp, rock fish, and salmon.  While doing this, the scuba diver would explain to them what she was showing them.  I was amazed.  I never thought my classroom in Nebraska would be echoing the sound of scuba equipment as we discovered that salmon use their noses to navigate home.  The students learning was immediate and at their fingertips.  Throughout the presentation, my students were able to share about the seasons changing in Nebraska and how it was similar to the life in the ocean.  I couldn’t believe how much my students were learning in that short amount of time.  
Seattle Aquarium
Once our visit to the Seattle Aquarium was over, we ventured to the Minnesota Zoo.  The students met with a zoologist, Adam,  who shared with them interesting facts about the black bear and it’s preparation for hibernation.  The students loved interacting with Adam and asking him questions.  This Australian, in Minnesota was able to get their wheels turning.  After the hangout, my students were still talking about all of the facts that they learned.  Hibernation and black bears became a sparked interest as well as how this guy from Australia ended up in Minnesota.  They were anxious to explore and find answers.
Touring the NASA warehouse.
Our final visit for the day was to NASA to learn about the Solar Impulse!  The what?! You might be asking (me too!).  Prior to the hangout, my students were asking me where is the NASA we were going to visit and what is Solar Impulse?  My response...."I don’t know, I guess we’ll find out."  As the hangout was starting to begin all we heard was French being spoken between the gentlemen from NASA.  I’m pretty sure this is when the goosebumps started.  I thought to myself, this is big! The kids were confused and in awe.  When everything was in order and the presentation began, the gentlemen shared with us that they were in Sweden and Switzerland working on an airplane called the Solar Impulse.  In the next few years, this airplane will be able to fly around the world without stopping.  It will be completely powered by solar energy.  My students were taken to the warehouse to see the making of the plane.  They were able to see the massive wing and small cockpit.  They were enthralled with the idea that a toilet was built into the seat and that the pilot would only sleep for about 20 minutes at a time during this almost week long flight.  I on the other hand, couldn’t believe that the co-founders of this project were talking to MY CLASS!  It was amazing to hear them share their knowledge and to listen to their words of encouragement and inspiration.  I hope that in a few years when they hear of the Solar Impulse flying across the U.S. they will remember the advice that was shared with them.  "When you have dreams, you have passion and when you have passion, you can do anything!"
This opportunity was amazing and brought so much learning into my classroom.  The walls of my classroom are “falling down” as I speak.  My students are anxious to explore the world and I’m anxious to guide them.  Thank you Brent and Google for sparking the fire in my students and myself.  Connections like these are what keep my students motivated to learn and I’m looking forward to making more connections across the world in the near future!



18 comments:

  1. WOW! What an exciting day of inquiry, learning, and global collaboration. Thanks for writing this post and inspiring me! I can see the impact this experience had on you and your students. Your students are lucky to have you and Brent crafting educational experiences like this that are engaging and push your students to new levels of thinking. Bringing experts right into your classroom had to be such a thrill for all of you. I can't wait to hear about your next adventures and read your students' blog posts about this one. Keep up the great work, Sharae!

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  2. WOW Sharae! I am not sure I could write this up any better! You nailed so many things right on the head! Awesome post! Great reflection and thank you for the kind words and for being willing to stretch the boundaries of your classroom with me and trusting in me to help make that happen!
    Also, those walls have been coming down since you started on your 1:1 iPad classroom last year! It is so cool, fun, engaging, and inspiring to be a part of. You absolutely rock!
    Keep up the great work!
    Proud to know you and have you as a colleague and friend!
    CAT

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  3. This is what real learning is all about, isn't it? Your story makes me want to try out Connected Classrooms. The Solar Impulse sounds like something I would really like to investigate. Well done.

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  4. WOW! Lucky kids to have you! Keep sharing Sharae! We need to get the word out!
    Kerry

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  5. My daughter came home from school so excited after an amazing and creative day of learning! She was so eager to share the 'field trip' experience with the whole family! Thanks Sharae for the innovative way of reaching our kids!

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  6. Sharae - This is so exciting! I heard Brent talk about this during a class I took from him, but was not sure how I could incorporate Connected Classrooms into my library curriculum (read that, scared to try). You made it look very easy! I can't wait to try this with my kiddos. Thanks for your inspiration.

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  7. What a great way to bring experts from around the world into the classroom. Having these field trips accessible to our students without the struggles of busses, lunches, kids forgetting their permission slips is awesome!!!

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  8. I cannot wait to try Google Hangouts with my class! I am thinking of all the possibilities to explore with my students and their research projects!

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  9. How encouraging! I very exciting to read about someone within our district having success with this wonderful tool. I'm big on giving students the opportunities to do and experience things they wouldn't otherwise get to. What a great opportunity!

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  10. Love the title of this post! You are providing your students with so many amazing learning opportunities! Bringing the world into the classroom is what learning is all about! Helping students make connections with learning and the real world is so important! Great post!

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  11. Incredible! What a fabulous opportunity for you and your students to have real world learning experiences without ever having to leave the classroom. It is amazing where technolgy has been able to take us & to discover where it is going to take us in the future.

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  12. Outstanding. What a great opportunity for your students to get an "out of the classroom" experience without ever having to leave. Obviously schools don't have the money to make a field trip to NASA so you being able to bring someone in will really help expand their learning.

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  13. Google Hangouts have really opened up the world to your students!!! When learning information becomes relevant that is when the real power of education emerges. Your students are not just learning random facts out of a textbook, they are seeing science in action. These experiences may spark curiosity and interest in your students as they choose their future paths. I am a high school science teacher and I am embarrassed to say that I had not heard of the Solar Impulse. I am interested to find out more...a week to fly around the world? How fast are they going? How are we planning on using this technology? I would be interested also to hear how you found out about these opportunities and how this would work in a high school where I have different students every hour.

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  14. Wow! Your students were able to learn about so many different things thanks to the technology in your classroom! It's amazing that we are able to connect with so many different places that we weren't able to years ago. I'm sure your students have learned so much thanks to Google hangouts. Great job of being on the forefront of technology and using it to its full extent in your classroom!

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  15. Google Hangouts have really opened up education and allow the students to visit other parts of the world, through a form other than textbooks. Having students experience Google Hangouts my spark their interest as to what they may want to pursue when they get older because of the accessibility to information. They can get first hand research of topics. I like the way you use technology in the classroom!

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  16. What a wonderful opportunity for your students. I am in awe of all the neat and exciting things your students got to see and learn about. You are bringing so much to your students and their knowledge and experiences will be with them always. Keep up the amazing things you do!

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  17. How amazing to have connections with various states and countries right from your classroom! Not only are the students learning about these topics right now, but these will be memories and moments they will take with them forever! I'm sure some of them will say, "Remember when we were in fourth grade, and we got to see that airplane being constructed?" You're making an impact!

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  18. I can't believe how much technology your students are able to use. How fortunate your class is! It's great to see how many connections you have been able to make outside your classroom walls.

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