From Dream to Reality...
My 5th grade magnet classes have done several collaborative projects with students in other schools prior to this one. From Mystery Skypes, to ePen Pals, and multiple in person collaborations, we are certainly familiar with small or large group learning experiences. This was however, the first time getting a chance to collaborate with some fellow 5th grade students who were also enrolled in a gifted and talented program.
Teacher Talk
Amy Chandler - 5th Grade GT Teacher, Encino Park Elementary
@EncinoGT
Emily Lunsford - 5th Grade GT Teacher, Tuscany Heights Elementary
Stefanie Schropp - 5th Grade GT Teacher, Concordia Lutheran School
@ConcordiaGTE
After a few phone calls and emails we began planning for a collaborative journey that would help students become better readers, writers, and listeners. The project turned out to do much more than that!
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Collaboration Begins
As the weeks passed the four classes continued to read the novel at their own pace and completed some of their own in class comprehension activities. In addition, the students engaged in various projects like this one and posted their final products to their group's SMART Amp workspace. Students responded to higher order questions about the text and shared their feelings on the concept of choosing kindness.
That's right! Multiple 5th grade gifted and talented students from different schools in different time zones discussing a story about empathy, perspective, kindness, bullying, and so much more! The whole operation could not have been more appropriately named; One Book: Many Stories.
Click below to see a Tweet I posted in October of students working together in real time on this project!
https://twitter.com/mrdulberger/status/918541168769667072
The Classrooms Collide!
An Extra Curricular Field Trip
Looking to the Future!
It is for that reason that the classes will be colliding once again in the spring to complete their One Book: Many Stories final project. A project that will require them to do something in their school, community, or town that will encourage others to choose kindness.
Stay tuned for a future blog post and feel free to check out all of the postings related to this project on social media by following our project's hashtag #KindnessRipplesOn !