STEAM Teacher

I have accepted a new job for next year at the Singapore American School and I am really excited about the possibilities.  I will shift to being a Science teacher for grades K-2 with an emphasis on developing a STEAM program.

Technology in the classroom: digital learning at schools in Singapore

Technology in the classroom: digital learning at schools in Singapore

http://honeykidsasia.com/technology-in-the-classroom-digital-learning-at-schools-in-singapore/

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL (SAS) – Kelli Rae Buxton, Elementary School Educational Technology Coach
What are the school procedures that teach students how to stay internet safe while using technology in the classroom?Today our students are using the immense power of digital media to explore, connect, create, and learn in ways never before imagined. With this power, young people have extraordinary responsibilities. At Singapore American School we build key skills and mindsets around digital resilience, online safety, and online security through a variety of ways.

Students are explicitly taught about going online safely, protecting passwords, and maintaining a positive digital footprint. We also observe digital citizenship week. Teachers facilitate the viewing of relevant digital citizenship videos and guide discussions on the key points. Additionally, teachers model good digital citizenship related to current school and internet communities topics throughout courses of study. Parent engagement and support is also crucial. We strongly encourage parents to use Common Sense Media and other resources to support their child(ren) in developing appropriate online behaviour.

Our primary mission is to ensure that students, teachers, and parents all feel empowered to have continuous, open, and honest conversations about online activities that reinforce positive character, morals and values. By providing opportunities for these conversations, SAS students can learn how to engage online in safe, respectful, and responsible ways; therefore, building digital resilience.

An Earth Inquiry

Mr. Lewis's KG class inquired into the Earth.  We had great fun learning about why the Earth is so colorful, which led us to investigate Biomes!
  

A Robust Educational Technology Program

As an educational technology coach, I am responsible for exposing students and teachers to a wide variety of ways to integrate and embed technology into the curriculum.  

At the Singapore American School, I am able to provide opportunities in the strands of integration, coding, robotics, virtual reality, Creation Stations: An Innovative Learning Space, and makerspaces.

For integrating ipads into the curriculum, we use the ISTE Standards which we converted into student-friendly 'I Can' statements.  

With respect to coding, my students use apps such as Kodable, Daisy the Dinosaur, and Osmo Coding.  We celebrate Hour of Code and engage in a Coding Reboot learning activity.

For robotics, Beebots are embedded in the math curriculum.  We also expose students to Dash robots in a more discovery and inquiry style approach.

Virtual Reality comes in the form of Google Expeditions and YouTube 360 videos aligned to grade level NGSS units.

Students experience open-ended learning at the Creation Stations; a center focused on art building, coding, engineering, and filmmaking.

The Makerspace is a student-centered learning environment that provides opportunities for children to explore a design cycle (Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve, Share). 

    

Makerspace Magic

Grade 1 students always amaze me at how engaged and energized they are in the Makerspace.  For this session, they arrived with knowledge of expectations of how to use the space along with a labeled plan/sketch in order to use the space purposefully.

I loved seeing the wide variety of creations; cardboard castles, dog on a leash, shark wall art; sewn pillows, a beaded necklace, and a mosaic bunny rabbit.  Individual passions and creativity were clearly evident.

      

Connect Making to the Curriculum

Grade 1 students made connections with their writing and making.  What an excellent example of authentic integration!

Digital Citizenship Week 2017

Today our students are using the immense power of digital media to explore, connect, create, and learn in ways never before imagined. With this power, young people have extraordinary responsibilities.

As one way to build key skills and mindsets around digital resilience, online safety, and online security, the SAS ES will observe Digital Citizenship Week from Oct 23-27. Linked below please find a youtube playlist of helpful videos and discussion points for teachers to use with their class. If able, please take approximately 5-10 minutes a day this week to show one video per day and then facilitate a brief discussion on the key points.

K-2

K-2 Video List and Discussions
Monday: What is the Internet?
-Ask your students the questions from the video
-What is the internet?
-How does it work?
-What can you do with the internet?

Reiterate that the internet is a way to connect people and their ideas no matter where they live and this week students are going to find out how to use the internet responsibly.

Tuesday: My Online Neighborhood
-Review the Going Online Safely Rules
-Ask permission to go online first
-Stick to people you know
-Stick to just right places

Wednesday: Follow the Digital Trail
-Information (words, photos, blog posts) you put online leaves a trail
-This trail is called a digital footprint, information about you on the internet
-Only share information (words, photos, and blog posts) that you are ok with everyone seeing

OK to Share (interests, hobbies, first name)
NOT OK to Share (address, full name, information that would hurt others)

Thursday: Pause and Think Online
-Only share information (words, photos, and blog posts) that you are ok with everyone seeing
-Show respect, be fair, and be nice online
-Lead a balanced online and offline life (screen time is a sometimes activity)
-Let an adult know when something online is not OK or makes you feel uncomfortable

Friday: Super Digital Citizen
-Ask students, “What does it mean to be a super citizen?”
-It is important to act safely, responsibly, and respectfully both online and offline
-Always follow the SAS core values

3-5

3-5 Video List and Discussions 
MONDAY 
- What's in Your Digital Footprint?​ (1:08)
- Follow the Digital Trail (2:29)

​Discuss with students:
-​Personal Histories: 
-What information about you recorded? (names, birth certificate, passport, medical information, school records...)
-Who keeps information about you? How do they get this information? (teachers/school; parents and those parents give permission to)
-How are histories of people recorded? How has this changed?
​-What information about yourself do you share? 

TUESDAY - Mindful Messaging (1:47)

​Discuss with students:
-What are some differences between saying something aloud to someone and writing it in an email?
-What are some ways to be respectful when sending an email, text, or IM?
-What should you do before you send an email, text, or IM?

WEDNESDAY - The Power of Words (2:55)

​Discuss with students:
-Why is it a bad idea to send mean or scary messages online?
-What can kids do when they get cyberbullying messages?

THURSDAY - Pause and Think Online (3:15)
​
Discuss with students:
-Why should you think before you go online?

FRIDAY - Super Digital Citizen (2:09)
​
Discuss with students:
-What kind of power does the Internet give us?
-How can we help others to be good digital citizens?

Suggested handout to email parents.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/classroom_curriculum/2015_digcit_week_onepager.pdf

Videos and resources from https://www.commonsensemedia.org