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As we celebrate this year, we love seeing and hearing about the wonderful things going on in classrooms around Grant Wood Â鶹ԭ´´.

Here are a few of the awesome things we have seen:

1. Mr. Copp at Tipton Middle School used Pear Deck to share a phenomena and capture student thinking. Pear Deck offered a great way to hear from all students.
2. Iowa City 4th grade teachers Ms. Lienen, Ms. Chapman, Ms. Skay, Ms. Meeks, Mr. Hartman and Mr. Postman used micro:bits, LEDs, and motors to pilot integrating computer science into science. They modeled curiosity and persistence for their students by adding physical computing to their science curriculum.
3. Midland Elementary teachers took a dive into computer science led by two of their instructional leaders, Mrs. Doll and Mrs. Marshall. Teachers engaged in the new computer science standards and had some hands-on learning with robots. Over the next months, teachers will integrate these robots into their classroom with an objective of meeting the new standards. The primary grades will implement with , while the intermediate grades implement with lessons from .
4. Â鶹ԭ´´ Washington High School ELA teacher Em Thomson has been using the Universal Design for Learning framework this school year to engage her students with flexible ways to reach their learning goals. Activities include stations and playlists with students using visual representations and multiple ways to access text through Read & Write. Students are feeling empowered and reaching their learning goals.

Things your GWÂ鶹ԭ´´ Digital Learning Team can support you with:

1. Student engagement is a current and growing challenge in today’s classrooms. Research supports the idea that student engagement leads to students who are more invested in their learning. However, activating your learners can feel insurmountable. Transformative Classrooms address this need by providing tools and strategies to help build a more collaborative learning community through engaging instruction. 
2. Instructional design to support all students — The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines offer proactive considerations for teachers as they design a more accessible and equitable learning environment. 
3. Addressing computer science standards — Our Digital Learning team can help educators understand and unpack Iowa’s computer science standards before addressing them with instruction. Join us for the or contact a team member for in district support.
4. Staying up to date with new ideas and tools to integrate in your classroom — Follow our blog on the GWÂ鶹ԭ´´ site or listen to the . The EdTech Take Out is a podcast for teachers who are looking for innovative ways to integrate technology in their classrooms. It is hosted by Mindy Cairney and Gina Rogers from the Grant Wood Â鶹ԭ´´ Digital Learning Team.

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