Ballroom B – Segment B

Ballroom B – Segment B

Presenter 1: Raina May

Finding Your Voice

During the regular school day, students frequently need instructions repeated or show limited involvement during the initial release of student activity. The Quantum II, a wireless microphone system, will be used throughout daily instruction to ensure all students receive instruction/feedback that includes adequate volume and optimal vocal clarity. The question is, “Can controlled volume levels through technology improve student success in both communication and comprehension skills?” Resources needed to address the question include implementing The Quantum II is an all-in-one sound system, utilizing Digital Hybrid circuitry, with two infrared microphone receivers, a powerful 30 watt Class D amplifier, digital equalization, digital limiting and a full range dynamic speaker. The chosen system comes with a choice of two transmitter microphones (one for teacher and student).

Presenter 2: Andrea Rowland

Teaching Isn’t Just for Teachers

“It takes a village to raise a child”, is a common old adage that often rings with a whisper of truth to it. In this world, it is hard to accomplish things when one is doing it completely alone. With the accompaniment of others comes encouragement, support, external motivation, and at times accountability. Students need encouragement, support, external motivation, and accountability when it comes to learning. In most cases providing these factors is falling to teachers. However, if it takes a village to raise a child, then should it not take a community to teach a child? When it comes to providing an education to a child, the mindset has become that it is the schools or teachers responsibility to do the work. Many times parent involvement is limited to simply showing up to conferences to discuss scores and complying with homework completion. Community involvement, in turn, is often seen through attendance to school events.

Presenter 3: Elisha Lewis

Reading Soars with Rocketbooks

Remember the many hours you used to spend preparing and printing documents each week, only to watch them make their way from students’ desks to the floor, the trash bin or the bottom of their backpacks? So do I, which is why I want to revolutionize my classroom for the 21st century and stop living in the paper era. Today, the concept of a paperless classroom is more than just a trend. Classrooms across the country are now opting for apps and other software as a replacement for traditional pen and paper. And as technology improves, so do the benefits for teachers, schools and, most importantly, students. There are plenty of articles out there that explain the advantages to a paperless classroom, usually focusing on increased student happiness and productivity. One thing that gets overlooked, however, is the positive impact that going paperless has on teachers, which leads me to my area of focus: How can I make my classroom more efficient, organized and engaging for not only my students, but myself and parents alike?

Presenter 4: Tomika Goble

Pen Point Reading

When struggling readers are in a regular education classroom of 20+ students they are frequently embarrassed about their inability to read as well as others and typically will not ask for help due to embarrassment. These students need methods and technological devices that will allow access to the general curriculum so that the deficits they face are not as noticeable by other students. Special Needs Students are a diverse group of learners who need access to a variety of different resources to accommodate their individual needs. The well-established literacy strategies that are used in schools today only suit the needs of most of the students. For the remainder, an individual approach is required to meet their individual needs. Students with a reading disability require the right support and tools to enable them to ‘live’ and access their education.

Presenter 5: Victoria Howard

Get Moving! Engaging Kinesthetic Learners with the Walking Classroom

The purpose of this action research project is to explore the impact of blending learning with physical activity will have on student performance over the course of a school year although this project Is sustainable and can be researched for several years after its first implementation. This study will particularly focus on the effect of students listening to content-based podcasts while walking outside or in an open space. This is an area of interest as according to the National Assessment for Educational Progress, nearly 63% of fourth-graders (now Sth graders) tested at or below basic reading levels In 2017 (NAEP, 2017). It is an ongoing task of educators to research and explore more strategies to increase the number of students testing proficient in reading. However, one often-overlooked tool for improving students’ reading, as well as their learning from text, is through listening. Listening can improve reading achievement, as evidenced by several studies.

Presenter 6: Nikki Farley, Heather Sharp, Liza Hylton & Julie Ussery

Real-World Skills One Cup at a Time

Real World: Robinson Elementary will impact our students that struggle with functional skills by giving them situations that will encourage them to transfer social skills learned in the resource and therapeutic settings. Through the implementation of life skills groups across the school coupled with the mentorship of regular education students, our students will be given greater opportunities to gain confidence in the ability to function in the community. Therefore increasing their likelihood of success in transitioning beyond our school. From caring for a class pet, exploring our community and participating in the coffee business our students will be entrepreneurs, active community citizens and caretakers. All of which could not be accomplished without the innovations that will be made possible without this grant.

Presenter 7: South Floyd Elementary ACT Team

Schoolwide RTI in a K-8 School

Presenter 8: Anna Burton

Appalachian Studies for Tomcats

The course develops students’ perceptual, creative, technical and problem-solving skills in a ceramic arts context. Elements and principles of design are identified and employed. Aesthetic judgement and good studio practice are cultivated.