Technology In the Classroom
LNV - Interactive Workshop with Denver Museum of Nature and Science
5th grade students interact with the presenter
In December, our Concord Fifth Grade students participated in an interactive workshop on puberty presented by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. This workshop was conducted over the Learning Network of Vermont (LNV). The LNV is the modern incarnation of what used to be called the Vermont Interactive Learning Network (VILN). The VILN was created in the late 1990's from a grant and the cooperation of AT&T (or maybe it was Verizon). The original program ran for a period of 5 years and was started off with a group of 7 "pilot" schools from around the state of Vermont. After competing with many other schools, Concord was chosen as one of the original 7 pilot schools. The technology has improved since those early days and because we were one of the original pilot schools, we were one of the first schools in the state to receive the upgraded equipment.
The upgraded version (LNV) is now available in most schools around the state and it lets schools connect with each other and with virtually any other interactive sites around the world. This is a very powerful and exciting use of technology in the classroom. It is currently under used but our LNV coordinator, Jane Price, is working very hard to change this situation and she is currently in the process of scheduling additional programs.
As was mentioned above, our Fifth Grade class participated in the interactive presentation on puberty that was presented by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It was a fantastic opportunity and the kids thought it was great. Students could speak to and ask questions of the instructor in real time and it was great to see them participate in an enthusiastic and intelligent manner. They were thoroughly involved throughout the presentation. [Directory]
- There are currently no scheduled upcoming events.
Technology in the Science Classroom
In these shots Mr Cloutier is using the new ceiling mounted projector. The ceiling mount has opened up the center of his classroom allowing room for three more students. It also allows the teacher to get closer to the presentation without blocking the projector. With the assistance of an inexpensive wireless remote he can spend more time in front of the class instead of behind a computer.
In the following images the students are using the Lego Mindstorms NXT Kits. These are the same kits that High School students are using all over the country to compete in robotics competitions. One kit was purchased for the class and one kit is on loan from Mr. Cloutier. This course is called Principles of Engineering and students will be using these kits and other technology to learn the science behind engineering concepts. This is a great course for any student planning to enter almost any form of engineering including; electrical, mechanical, computer, manufacturing, etc. At the end of the course they are required to build a robotic rover that they will then perform a mission to collect and analyze some form of a sample. This is designed to mimic a “Lunar” or “Martian” rover mission.
