Concourse B – Segment A
Presenter 1: Alonzo Fugate
Alexa, Can You Hear Me Now?
Each day, students are coming to school from homes where they have instant access to information that is constantly being updated in real time. They are used to using technology to meet their needs and to find answers to their questions. They deserve to have access to this type of information in the classroom. Using the Alexa Skills Blueprint, teachers can create custom questions for students using online information, fresh and new material, or material that has already been covered in class. These skills can be in the form of quizzes, flashcards, and even games. With the Echo Show, students can view material and questions. In addition, Alexa allows students to answer questions orally in order to quiz them and review material with them. Plus, with the addition of Echo Buttons, this process can take on the form of a fun and educational game. Through this technology, students will have access to a learning resource that is on-demand, current, and more like the types of technology that they are used to using at home.
Presenter 2: Anji Davidson
Student Engagement in the 21st Century Classroom
Student engagement on one of the most important aspects of 21st century learning environments. When students are more engaged, curiosity, passion, and levels of motivation can increase exponentially. For students to be truly engaged, functionality of the classroom is key. All students need to be able to hear not only what the teacher is saying, but also what students are contributing. When having class discussions students often miss key details of not only what the teacher is saying but class discussions as well. In my classroom we build on student questions and when the classroom is large its hard for students to hear what classmates are saying and to contribute to class discussions. For this reason I will add auditory enhancements to my classroom to enhance auditory learning and student success.
Presenter 3: LaTonya Taylor-Rowe
Thinkers of the Future
As I stand in front of my classroom each day looking at my students I can’t even conceive the future for them. I wonder what unthinkable gadgets will unfold. I question if schools are progressing quickly enough to make significant contributions in the preparation of our students for what is yet to be. Will they have the problem-solving skills necessary to contribute to the future? Will they become thinkers and inventors? Will they see the impossible and make it possible? My area of focus will be to create a hands-on learning environment, with a space theme, within my STEAM Lab that will afford students the opportunity to engage, design, engineer, utilize tools, and create gadgets. Also, the space will give students the opportunity to collaborate, problem-solve, fail, and succeed in their endeavors.
Presenter 4: Jeffery A. Coots
Hooked on Learning
Growing up my family would always go to my grandparents down in Big Creek and we would go behind their house and fish. This was an activity that I loved and enjoyed, and it was something that I grew up with and will always have as a cherished memory. Little did I know that although I was doing a fun activity, there was a lot of math integrated that I didn’t even recognize. It is unique to think about, but mathematics and fishing go hand in hand with one another. There are a copious amount of concepts that we begin with that can work directly with fishing, such as slope, equations of lines, graphing, data collection, distance formula, force, and so much more. The only difference, is that a majority of my students love to fish! We see a different connection when we learn by using things that we enjoy, not only do we have fun learning the content but we also retain the information better. Mathematics is more of a background concept. What this means is that although it is highly important, as we progress through our lives we no longer see the math involved in our lives as something that we want to grow in, we just rely on our basic understanding of content that we have already learned. My goal is to incorporate fishing into my curriculum to allow a more exciting way to learn mathematics but a way for students to better retain the information that we talk about through the school year.
Presenter 5: Brysen Honeycutt & Emma Thornsberry
KVEC Student Senate
Presenter 6: Helen Williams
Gardening the Bulldog Way
Re-energizing our school garden by growing sustainable plants and fall plantings, providing produce that can be used in our cooking and nutrition classes. We will plant blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb,asparagus as perennial produce. The other space will be planted with fall crops: lettuce, kale, onions, carrots, spinach, peas and beans. The idea is to have a school garden that can be maintained by students and self sufficient during the summer months when school is not in session. Students in our nutrition and cooking classes will be provided with produce from the garden.
Presenter 7: Blake Mason & Michael Melton
The Scotia Mine Disaster
Oh, How the Memories Linger This project is a documentary project examining the impact that the Scotia Mine Disaster of March 9th and 11th, 1976 had on the community and the generations that followed. The project will include interview with survivors, family members, and the use of other digital resources and media to evaluate the impact that this disaster had on the community. This project is part of the ongoing focus of Letcher County Central High School and place-based learning and education to enrich our students understanding and appreciation of their region.