It all “adds up” at the end of the day

Avon Middle School students were part of an observed lesson over videoconferencing with teachers from Columbiana County. As part of a collaboration with Columbiana County and Kent State University teachers from schools listed in academic emergency by the Ohio Department of Education observe schools that are scoring excellent rating on their report cards. Instead of pulling classroom teachers from their school to observe classes Columbiana County is using videoconferencing.

Avon Middle School moved their Polycom to a smaller cart that was placed at the back of the classroom while Mr. Cable ran his class as he would any other day. The teachers connected through an MCU in Columbus observed the lesson from start to finish. When the students left Mr. Cable stayed connected to answer questions about the Avon Math department and the structure of his classes.

This was the first time the Avon Schools have participated in an online observation. We found this to be a great way to demonstrate the efforts of our staff and hope to do more programs like this for schools in our state. As a Technology Coordinator is was fun to see a class in action. I was impressed with the lesson and the student’s responses during the class and felt that Ben represented the district well.

Are the cookies done yet??

Mr. Nortz fifth grade science classes discussed home made solar ovens with Roweena Gerber from Miami Country Day School in Miami Florida. As part of a iEARN project students learned about alternative energy and how to make a solar oven out objects found around their home. Mrs. Gerber used a Solar Oven kit to show the process of solar cooking to the Avon students as well as some of the solar ovens created by her students. Once the students understood the concept they were charged with the task of creating their own ovens.

The students created designs of their ovens in science class and once approved the students began construction. The designs will be sent to a school in Australia for replication. Through a generous donation of Pizza Boxes by Cici’s pizza, the students brought in objects that they wanted to the boxes to create their own ovens. The classes will test their ovens locally on a sunny day to see how hot the ovens can reach and will follow up with another videoconference with students from Miami Country Day. The Avon students will present their ovens before they send the plans to Australia.

We hope to add photos of our ovens to our next post! We currently have 35 ovens created and look forward to testing them as soon as the sun & wind cooperates.

North vs. South Virtual Spelling Bee

Miss Neushafer’s 5th grade class from Avon Heritage North took on the students from South Amherst Middle Schools in an exciting game on virtual spelling. The classes created were divided into teams of four. Each group gave the competing team a word from their spelling lists followed by the word in a sentence. Correct answers allowed the teams car to be moved on a game card created by the teams.

This fun activity was a unique activity was a fun review activity for both classes to enhance their curriculum. The students from both sites enjoyed the game and interacting with their partner site.

Students celebrate literacy with Michigan for Read Across The Planet

Mrs. Karasevic’s 3rd grade class met students from Mt. Morris Elementary School in Michigan. The students shared information about their state and community. The class from Mt Morris used the letters of Michigan to give us facts about their community and State. The students did a great job presenting over the system and had great facts.

Mrs. Karasevic’s class created a PowerPoint about the City of Avon that the students presented to class in Michigan. The students shared images of our city and how the city has changes over the years. Each student was assigned a slide to create and present to our partner class. This project provides the class the opportunity to meet social studies standards on communities and reading and presentation skills. The class followed the presentation with a Readers Theatre presentation on Appelemondo’s dream (a story from our reading book). The students did a great job reading the story to our partner class.

At the end the classes had the opportunity to ask questions our school and community. The classes enjoyed learning about each others schools and discovering how much the schools had in common.
This opportunity is part of the Read Across the Planet project managed by the TWICE Consortium in Michigan. To learn more about the Read Across the Planet project you can visit the project website at www.twice.cc/read/index.html

Avon Students “Conduct” great experiments with Greenbush ESC in Kansas

Mrs. Grabert and Masin’s second grade students took part in a great lesson on electricity with the Greenbush IDL program out of Girard, Kansas. The students did several experiments with batteries and light bulb to determine what items were the best conductors of electricity. Students were given a bag full of items ranging from yarn to paper clips. The students had to make a hypothesis as to the connectivity of the item then test with a battery and light bulb. Once the student experiments were completed the a diagram was created to show which items were conductors, were not conductors and which items were both depending on the parts used.

This lesson was a great activity that will help the students meet Ohio’s science standards and reinforce lessons that the classes will be completing this school year. The session was rewarding and fun for all of the students. We look forward to future lessons with the Greenbush IDL program.

To learn more about Greenbush and their program opportunities check them out of the web at http://www.greenbush.org/IDL/ENRICHMENTPROGRAMS.html

How was your day Forest Heights Elementary School?

Mrs. Cogar’s second grade class and students from Forest Heights Elementary School in Baton Rouge Louisiana met over the videoconferencing system to hear an interactive story read by Paul Hieronymus. The classes enjoyed seeing their locations on Google Earth and meeting each other on line. Once the introductions were complete the students enjoyed the story Today was a Terrible Day by Patricia Reilly Giff.

Using the document camera the students were shown the pictures in the book as the story was read to them. After each page the camera was switched back to the reader for comments as the page was turned. This was a crude copy of Reading Rainbow but it worked for the students.

After the story the students from both classes shared examples of things that lead to a terrible day and what events can make it a great day. The students had great things to share. This was a nice opportunity for the students to see each other and interact.

We hope to have other terrific days with Forest Heights in the future!

5th graders from Avon Heritage North Follow the North Star with Conner Prairie

Miss Rottman’s and Mrs. Eckers 5th grade students were transformed into run away slaves trying to make it to the “Free” states and become free man and women. The Conner Prairie Living Museum in Indiana serves as the classes guide as they travel from house to house on the Underground Railroad. The travel is difficult and consequences are high for the students but thanks to help from the Quakers the students have a chance to be free.

Conner Prairie uses video from a reenactment of the journey with students. As the students travel from house to house the presenter from Conner Prairie discussed the status of their journey and help the students understand what had occurred and what would happen next. This helped reinforce the information provided in the video.

This was a great opportunity for the students a unique view of the Underground Railroad.

To learn more about Conner Prairie and their Educational programs offered through videoconferencing vist them online at http://www.connerprairie.org/discover_learn/distancelearning.aspx

Dr. Dina Might visits Avon East Elementary School

Mrs. Hartwell and O’Hara’s second grade students learned more about Dinosaurs through a videoconference with the Cleveland Metro Parks Zoo. Dr. Dina Might help the students compare and contrast animals at the Zoo with Dinosaurs. The students enjoyed seeing images of dinosaurs and learning how Paleontologist discovered and what they have learned about their remains.

The presenter did a great job using local animals to point out many of the characteristics that are in common with these amazing creatures of our worlds past. Using the document camera the students took a closer look at the scales on a bearded dragon. This provided the students a better understanding of the animals.

This program was a great introduction to extinction and animals adaptations. To learn more about the programs offered by the Cleveland Zoo you can visit them on the web at http://www.clemetzoo.com/education/dstlrn/distlearn.asp

Hello Houston…we do NOT have a problem!

Mrs. Meikle’s fifth grade students at Avon Heritage North Elementary School presented their plans for a trip to Mars with the Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas. The students were divided into four groups that planned travel from Earth to Mars, landing on the planet and the exploration that would be done during their stay.

The students did a fantastic job planning their trip. The students created models drew pictures of their rockets and rovers. The students had to identify many of the characteristics of the atmosphere and the surface of planet to make sure their journey was a success. Each group determined how many astronauts they would send to Mars. The groups calculated the food, water and oxygen needed for all of the members to survive. Each of the groups had different theories on how they would grow food, find water and create energy for their shelters and equipment.

This project was a fantastic opportunity for the students to work in groups, meet many of their content standards as well as practice their presenting skills. All of the students were required to present a part of their project. This program is a two part program run by the NASA Johnson Center. While the project was a lot of work to complete the students and teachers enjoyed the activities. It was a great project that we look forward to doing it again.

To learn more about the NASA distance learning programs check them out on the web at http://nasadln.nmsu.edu/dln/

Peter and the Wolf visit Avon East Elementary School

Mrs. Hartwell and O’Hara’s second graders had a wonderful visit from Peter and the Wolf. The composition was narrated and performed by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Metropolitan Classical Ballet. The students enjoyed the lovely sounds of the Orchestra and the dancers were fantastic.

This introduction to the Orchestra was great experience for the students. The program was narrated in English and Spanish and each character was represented by an instrument in the Orchestra. This provided the students with an opportunity to learn more about the instruments and their sounds.

The Peter and the Wolf program was our districts first connection to the Bass Performance Hall. The call was scheduled through the Connect 2 Texas group in Fort Worth Texas. We were pleased with the programming and look forward to more connections.

If you want to check out the programming from Connect to Texas check them out on the web at http://www.connect2texas.net/

Avon Heritage South and Bamford share their communities

Mrs. Danielson’s 4th graders from Avon Heritage South connected this morning to their partner school in England. The students from Bamford Primary School brought in items that they felt best represents their local community and shared them with our students. The room was filled with sports equipment, fishing rods and games that the students use in their daily life. Our students were amazed with the similarities between our classes.

The classes followed up with an exchange of questions about their favorite celebrities, sporting events and school activities. The students enjoyed a fun discussion on the difference between the rugby and American football. This program was a great way for the students to learn first hand about the United Kingdom. We appreciate Mike Griffith’s efforts from Global Leap to bring our classes together, provide an MCU to connect our schools and technical support. Without his efforts we would still be making alls nationally.

If you have not had a chance to check out the Global Leap Project it is well worth your time. Mike Griffith and his family provide a friendly gateway to the UK and many parts of the world. The can be found on the web at www.global-leap.com/ .

Penguin-Polooza hits Avon, Ohio

Avon students enhanced their Penguin units with a connection to the Columbus Zoo. The students shared their knowledge of Penguins and their habits with Carrie from the Zoo. The lesson met many of Ohio’s curriculum standards of science, geography and math. The students enjoyed the video provided through the system of penguins in the Columbus Zoo habitat.

One of the most exciting parts of the session was the transformation of one of the students to a penguin. The students identified the body parts of a penguin as they were added to the student. The student demonstrated the way the penguins walk as the instructor explained the advantages the have in their environment. Two students then demonstrated the way penguins care for their eggs and how difficult it is for them to move with eggs and babies.

The Avon Schools will be connecting the Columbus Zoo all week with third grade classes as part of the grade level unit. This program is not listed on the Columbus Zoo programming list, but they will schedule classes upon request. The Columbus Zoo is one of many of the great content providers in Ohio.

You can check out the Columbus Zoo and their distance learning offerings online at http://www.colszoo.org/education/as-dist_learn.htm

Avon East and Manor Primary get the “Point” of meeting through IVC with an interactive story.

Mrs. Mason’s second grade students started the day and Mrs. Parker’s students ended the day with Lisa Wheeler’s story Porcupining read over the videoconferencing system. The classes connected at 9:30am Avon time and 2:30pm Manor time which was a surprise to both classes. After the classes had a chance to greet each other the students learned more about each others communities and locations with Google Earth. Using satellite images of each others schools the students were able to see a bird’s eye view of each others towns. The Avon students loved to see Manor’s swimming pool and the their beautiful campus.

Once the students had a better understanding of each others locations the classes were read the story Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story by Lisa Wheeler. Using a document camera the classes were able to see pictures from the story book while the story was read over the videoconferencing systems. This program served as a kickoff to a writing and comprehension project that will take place over the video systems and email.

The Avon Schools are thrilled to working with Manor Primary School and look forward to our next videoconference!

Avon and Firelands students enhance written expression through Mystery Box project

Miss Neushafer’s fifth grade students shared their imaginations writing skills through a collaborative project with Mrs. Barr’s class at South Amherst Middle School. The students sent a box of clues of a crime scene to each others schools. The students had to predict what happened based on the evidence, write a description of what occurred and identify the person guilty of the crime.

The classed connected in a videoconference with their partner school and took turns reading their accounts. The stories were well written, full of exciting events. The students really enjoyed reading their stories over the systems. This activity provided the students with a fun way to work on their written expression as well as problem solving.

Could this be the next spin off of CSI??

Avon Students kick off Black History Month with the Vanderbilt Virtual School

Students from Avon Heritage South and North had the opportunity to learn more about the fight for freedom for African American Slaves. Dr. Frank Dobson from the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center discussed the struggle for the Northern and Southern states to abolish slavery. The students were treated to a video about Franklyn Douglas and a brief history of the slave trade.

Dr. Dobson did a great job stressing that the battle to end slavery was not just an issue with the Southern states. Examples of events that occurred in both regions of the United States and how difficult it was for slaves to escape bondage were described to the students.

This session was a great introduction to our teachers units on the Underground Railroad. The students had the opportunity to ask questions to Dr. Dobson and to get a better perspective of events. We want to thank Vanderbilt College for this great opportunity.

If you would like to learn more about their programming you can visit them on the web at www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/

The Greenbush IDL sure sounds interesting

If a sound is made in a videoconference can the students hear it?

Mrs. Scaletta’s second grade science students took a
closer look at sound with the Greenbush science center in Kansas. The students were given tuning forks, plastic and string provided by Greenbush for experiments with sounds.

This session was a great activity for the Avon students to have better understanding of sound, the inner ear and how sound waves travel through the air to the human ear.

The students loved the activities and recorded great data involving volume and pitch. This session is aligned to Ohio’s science standards for second grade and provides a great introduction to Mrs. Scaletta’s science unit.

Cosi Toledo sounds like fun

Mrs. Hartwell and O’Hara’s second grade students get a better understanding of sound waves through experiments with Cosi Toledo. Andy Campbell led the class through several activities demonstrating sound and vibrations. The students really enjoyed the program and we look forward to doing more programs with Cosi Toledo.


This session with permission from Cosi was recorded from the Avon High School media students. The AHS media connected to eTech Ohio through their new Polycom EX that is connected to their editing equipment for recording. The class will edit the footage add a teacher intro and will play the session on our cable access channel provided by Time Warner Cable. Avon families will have the opportunity to see the video lesson on Channel 22 to see the great activities occurring through interactive videoconferencing.

Show me your WIKI??? I hardly know you….

The LCDLC Technology Toolbox Series of professional development had another successful session providing members and nonmember schools the opportunity to learn about wiki’s and how they can be used as an online collaboration tool. Teachers from Avon, Avon Lake, Marlington, South Amherst and Tiffin Calvert connected over the videoconferencing systems to take a closer look at Wikipedia and several of the free online wiki builders on the internet for them to use.

There was great dialog between the teachers on using Wikipedia and the group discussed the many different applications wiki’s can be used for in a K-12 environment. After the overview the groups walked through the process of creating their own wiki’s using wikispaces.com and the security features the program provides. We look forward to seeing the resources that will be created from this presentation.

Technology Toolbox sessions are offered once a month on a variety of topics ranging from Blogs to Podcasting. The sessions are free to LCDLC members and cost non member school districts only $50.00. Interested teachers can learn more about Technology Toolbox at www.lcdlc.org/professionaldevelopment.htm .

Avon Students blast off to Mars with NASA Johnson Space Center

Mrs. Meikle’s 5th grade science students enhanced their science curriculum through an interactive videoconference with the Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas. The students were treated to a multimedia rich lesson on Mars and NASA’s mission to the red planet. The videos and images shared to our classes were incredible and provided students a better understanding of our solar system.

The students were issued a challenge to plan a trip to Mars. Once the class was divided into two groups the class learned that the two groups had different tasks to complete, but the groups need to work with each other. Each group was issued three objectives to complete from planning the launch window to and from the planet and how to produce food and find water.

This session was the first of two programs offered by the Johnson Space Center. February 20th the classes will connect to Houston to present the plan to explore Mars. The students have some difficult tasks ahead of them. We look forward to sharing our plans and research collected.

Science “attracts” attention with the Greenbush ESC

Miss Giardini and Mrs. Scalletta’s first grade students participated in a great lesson on magnets with the Greenbush ESC in Girard Kansas. The students were given bar, horseshoe and circle magnets for experiments lead by the instructor. The students used metal shavings to view the magnetic fields created by the different shapes of magnets.

Once the students had a better understanding of how the magnets attracted mental the students hypothesized which magnet was the strongest. Using paper clips the students tested each of the magnets and compare their results.

One of the high lights of the conference for the students and teachers were an activity involving magnets and money. No one would have guessed it would be the dollar bill that would be moved by the magnet.

This was a great program provided by the Greenbush Educational Service Center in Kansas. Check out the IDL program online at www.greenbush.org/IDL/home.html.