Corbin Schools new EdTech program is bringing innovative technology resources, ideas, and opportunities to teachers and students in the district.Since the program’s start in August, classes have not only had the opportunity to take virtual field trips to a variety of places, but they’ve also had the chance to use digital tools to learn with classrooms across the globe and collaborate with their peers in new ways.
Corbin Schools Technology Integration Specialist Kristal Doolin is focused on providing leadership, training, modeling and support for teachers both in and out of the classroom. “Students benefit most when we shift our thinking from using technology to teach what we’ve always taught to creating new learning with 21st century tools and skills. Classroom teachers have far too much to do on a daily basis, so my goal is to make staying on top of the latest tech trends, tools, opportunities, and global learning initiatives easier.”
The program is providing top notch educational experiences for students throughout Corbin Schools, and teachers within the district are enjoying the new resource. According to Corbin Primary Kindergarten Teacher Erika Mchargue, “I have never had a chance to work with someone on expanding my technology skills. I have learned from each visit, and feel I am more aware of different ways to integrate technology into my classroom.” Corbin Middle School Math Teacher Michelle Anderson shared, “What was most useful to me was the one on one time I got with Kristal. It helped me become more confident.” Corbin Intermediate Social Studies Teacher Angela Whitus said, “Having Mrs. Doolin come into the room and show us that it is really not that huge of an undertaking is great!”
Co-teaching in classrooms along side fellow teachers who are integrating innovative practice is Doolin’s favorite part of this role. “Ultimately, great teachers make the difference - not tech, but as teachers our goal is to meet students where they are and their world includes technology. Teaching them to use that tool in the best way is modeled every time they see a teacher learning and using technology in the classroom.”
One of the top EdTech experiences teachers have been interested in learning more about during the Fall Semester has been virtual field trips. Below are a few highlights from some of those events.
Corbin High School Anatomy students took a virtual field trip via Zoom to the New Jersey Liberty Science Center for “Cardiac Classroom”. During the session, the students viewed a portion of a coronary bypass operation, reviewed information about the heart and circulatory system, and had the opportunity to answer and ask questions.
Extending their study of the geography of the original 13 colonies, Corbin Intermediate 5th grade social studies students participated in Mystery Skype with other classrooms from those states. Mystery Skype is a student-centered, engaging, critical thinking game between classrooms whose location is kept secret. Players must use their map reading abilities along with multiple other skills - collaborative, deductive, analytical to name a few - as they ask yes and no questions to figure out the location of the other class. After much planning Doolin paired the Corbin classes with classrooms in Georgia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, and North Carolina. After location is figured out, students have an opportunity to learn about the other school and their state.
Corbin Primary students expanded their Christmas Around the World Unit using EdTech. Mrs. Lawson’s Kindergarten class partnered with another primary school in the United Kingdom for a cultural exchange. Each class shared Christmas Traditions from their countries via Skype video messages.
EdTech allowed Corbin Middle and Intermediate students to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Wyoming via Skype. The Intermediate students focused on their study of Native Americans. They were able to view exhibits, listen to traditional storytelling, and participate in a question and answer session with a museum expert. The middle school students virtual field trip focused on animal adaptations. The students learned about the four habitats in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and viewed immersive museum exhibits that highlighted animals in each habitat.
Corbin Primary students extended their reading lesson with a virtual visit to Second Chance Ranch. The second grade students participated in a Skype call with Diane Gockel author and owner of Second Chance Ranch. Students were able to meet many animals from the popular Rescue series including Al the Alpaca. Students also had the opportunity to learn about the writing and illustration process.
Corbin Middle and High School classes took virtual field trips to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana to expand their understanding of events during WWII. Seventh grade language arts students spoke with a museum expert about the Holocaust. The students shared ideas, conversations, and even had debates about personal and collective responsibility during the Holocaust. Sarah Watkins US History classes at CHS viewed artifacts related to their unit of study on the different ways Americans helped with the war effort on the home front.
As part of Fire Safety Month, Corbin Primary students had a virtual lesson with Molly the Fire Safety Dog. The students met dalmatians Molly and Boden as part of a Skype call to Firefighter Dayna who shared her book full of fire safety lessons, learned a fire safety song, and participated in question and answer sessions.
Corbin Elementary third grade students visited with a classmate while he was visiting his family in France. The students held a live Skype call during the class Christmas party enabling him to “attend” virtually and allowing both sides to shared Christmas traditions.
Corbin Primary Kindergarten students attended Mrs. P’s storytime via Skype. TV star Kathy Kinney hosts Mrs. P’s storytime live for classrooms across the nation. The students used their listening skills as they followed along, asked questions, and used their imagination to help Mrs. P create an original story.
Students at Corbin Primary, Elementary, and Middle Schools participated in the Gingerbread Stem Community and Makerspace Global Project. The students built gingerbread models of the town of Corbin. Participating classes had the opportunity to be partnered with classes across the world to give and receive tours of their gingerbread communities via Skype.
Beyond virtual field trips, EdTech has also helped many teachers from Kindergarten to High School introduce and implement Seesaw and Google Classroom. Both tools offer a free, safe, easy to use environment for age appropriate digital learning and allow students to experience blended learning as they collaborate, evaluate, and share work with their peers and teacher online.
“Most of our students walk around with the world in their pocket, via cell phone, and all of our students PreK-12 are native digital learners. So, using online spaces like Seesaw and Google Classroom make it is easy for students to use those innate skills to benefit their learning in all content areas. Moreover, when they are given the chance to use technology to create new learning, a world of opportunity opens up, and they become empowered future-ready, global learners.” Doolin said.
While the Edtech program is hyper-focused on students and teachers in the classroom, Doolin is also available to assist administrative staff and provide professional development needs to expand educational technology use throughout the district. Since August she has led both face to face and online learning experiences in the district as well as keeping a professional development resource page on the Corbin EdTech website.
So, what’s next? Several plans are in motion including a virtual field trip for students at CIS involving the NFL, virtual reality projects in Social Studies classes at CHS that allow our students to work with students in Syria, Morocco, New York, Tunisia and Jordan, and who knows what else. Quoting one of her favorite books, Kids Deserve It, Doolin said, “We ‘don’t instigate great change or significantly impact others’ lives by choosing the familiar path,’ so I want us to shoot for the moon.”
Principals and Teachers can email Doolin to schedule EdTech planning or activities, as well as share, connect and find projects or ideas on Corbin EdTech’s social media outlets.
