Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
1.6.a Choose Platforms or Tools
Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
1.6.b Original and Remixed Works
Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
1.6.c Models and Visualizations
Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
1.7.d Customize the Message
Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
Book Week is one of the highlights of the school calendar. Each day brings not only enjoyable activities but also serves as a wonderful reminder of the joy we derive from books. It stirs excitement in the entire school and brings a smile to everyone’s face. Dress Up Day is a well-loved event among students, providing an opportunity for them to attend school dressed as their favorite book characters. Nevertheless, some children opt not to participate in dressing up for various reasons and prefer to express their love for a favorite book in alternative ways. It is important that we offer these students options.
Figure 1: A student shares their favorite book using the green screen
The green screen is an alternative way that students can share their favorite book or book character without dressing up (1.6.a). It has become popular among our students for several reasons: it is user-friendly; one can easily do it with their friends; it encourages creativity and collaboration. Students use the green screen for book projects, skits, assembly presentations, among other tasks. It also provides an opportunity for students to use their imagination in fun and engaging ways.
In mathematics, students use a lot of models to communicate complex ideas and represent problems and solutions (1.6.c). When tackling word problems, students make use of manipulatives to demonstrate what operation is needed. They draw tape diagrams and area models to visually convey their mathematical understanding. Students log on to Zearn, a web-based math resource, to help them solidify their skills.
As creative communicators, our students have the opportunity in our last reading unit for the year to choose a social issue that piques their passion or curiosity. Reading books is a great way to connect with these social issues and build understanding in profound ways. When we read select books that focus on social issues, we analyze the characters – their perspectives, their needs and wants, how they deal with social issues. We also consider the theme of the book, which might not be evident at first, but as the story progresses, the theme becomes more identifiable. Students create original works, called reading responses (1.6.b) as they attend to comprehension questions that deepen their understanding, confront their misperceptions, and inspire them to action. They record their responses on their notebooks, or in Seesaw, as well as share them with each other.
Figure 2: Sample reading response question
In the final quarter of the school year, we hold our last conference with parents, which happens to be student-led conferences. These conferences empower students to take the lead in discussions with their parents, sharing their work, reflecting on their progress, and pinpointing areas of growth. This approach fosters student agency, personal responsibility and self-awareness, while strengthening the school-home collaboration. Students play a pivotal role in shaping the conference agenda. With their parents as the audience, they meticulously plan and select the work they wish to share, the games to play and projects to showcase to show their efforts and the growth that has taken place (1.6.d).
Effective communication is essential in every learning experience. As educators, we acknowledge the diverse ways individuals communicate and express their ideas. Our school places great value on these differences, and as a result, we endeavor to establish and maintain an educational environment that respects learner distinctions and varying capabilities.
