The Power of a Hashtag
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Fall 2015, Volume 1 EACHING WI ™ T WISCONSIN’S K–12 EDUCATION CONNECTIONTODAY The Power of a Hashtag IDEAS Students Travel to thinking about telling our story through the Nicaragua to Learn, Serve use of social media Kimberly Johnson the vehicle to push Creative Writing & Lead our message was Technology abundantly clear. Go IDEAS Academy & The Crickets turned into Mosaic School #gocrickets. It was a concept that every- IDEAS Academy one already knew Spanish students spent nine and could identify days in Granada, Nicaragua with in our space. It as part of a language immer- was unique, which is sion and service-learning incredibly important experience. From June 15 to Joe Sanfelippo when choosing a hashtag to represent your June 23, fifteen students and two teachers lived with host Superintendent Fall Creek School District space. The IDEAS Academy students and teachers with students at families, attended Spanish Hashtags are a fantastic way to tell the Juan Pablo II outside of Granada, Nicaragua language classes at Ave story of your school. They allow anyone to get Grow your circles of influence Nicaraguita Spanish School, children in her host family, “It was usually involved with the narrative through multiple The movement to get the word out was and volunteered to help local students with difficult to understand what she was saying, social media accounts. Utilizing the hashtag easy. We just started putting it on everything. their studies in Spanish and English. because she was saying it so fast, but she was has been a great way to amplify student and Hats, t-shirts, umbrellas, stress balls, window The trip was planned collaboratively by so animated — almost acting out what she staff voices on their terms. They can still clings . everything. Everyone loves stuff . IDEAS students meant as she was have their own accounts and filter any school . when we give stuff away we make sure it has and staff, Ave Nica- saying it.” thoughts to our cumulative narrative with a our hashtag on it. We connected with a local raguita staff, and a The more time students spent with The more time few more characters. We stream our #gocrick- sporting goods store to develop new designs, travel agency over their families, the more they were students spent with ets hashtag directly to our main school all with #gocrickets affixed somewhere, and the course of two able to communicate. Many stu- their families, the website. We also have it scrolling on large we have committed to giving away those years. In the same more they were screens throughout our K–12 building daily so dents reflected on how valuable items to help push the message. When we two years, students able to communi- everyone in school can see the amazing things the experience was, showing them give stuff away we literally have one require- participating in cate. Many students happening in our building. how they could use the academic ment . you have to take a picture with your the trip studied the reflected on how When I arrived in Fall Creek 5 years ago Spanish they already knew to adjust #gocrickets gear and send it to us via social Spanish language valuable the experi- one of our grade levels was taking a field trip to local dialects, patterns, vocabu- media (or email it). We have currently reached as a catalyst for ence was, showing to our Village Museum. Obviously, this was a lary, and contexts. 40 states and 5 countries outside the United understanding the them how they could place that housed a number of relics from the States. A “Where in the World is Fall Creek c o m m u n i c a t i o n , use the academic community, and specifically the school. I was Pride” board greets people when they enter our culture, and environment specific to the region Spanish they already knew to adjust to local looking through the display cases and I came building and we have even utilized augmented they visited. dialects, patterns, vocabulary, and contexts. across a Go Crickets clicker from the 1970s. reality to make those pictures come to life so Students chose to stay with host families Moreover, students valued the cultural aspects As I looked at other cases I saw Go Crickets everyone can tell us where they were and what for the opportunity to listen closely and prac- of the homestay. Miranda Kelm (grade 10) and pins, buttons, and t-shirts from prior decades. they were doing. tice Spanish in an immersive environment. Monica Heppard (grade 12) , learned to make This was our identity . and the beginning of a Sophomore, Hannah Staats, shared a story story that made Fall Creek so special. So, when Continued on Page 8 about communicating with one of the young Continued on Page 9 THANK YOU TO OUR ADVERTISERS FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT! Meemic Foundation • Penfield Children’s Center • Wisconsin Technical College System • UW River Falls Economics Wisconsin • Bellin College • Bemidji State University • Lesley University Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants • WEA Credit Union • Milwaukee School of Engineering Kohl’s Wild Theater • Chippewa Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine • Social School 4EDU Dairyland Power Cooperative • Wisconsin Energy Consortium • WEA Member Benefits Page 2 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaywi.com Join Our Growing Meemic Family A loyal partner to the educational community for more than six decades. For 65 years, Meemic has offered exclusive benefits, exceptional service and great auto and home insurance rates exclusively to the educational community. With Meemic, you’re not “the insured,” but rather a family member who deserves timely and attentive customer service. It’s not surprising that 71% of new members are referred by current highly satisfied members.* Contact Your Local Agent for a Free Insurance Quote and Grant Opportunities As a member of the educational community, you give your all, every day. For 65 years, Meemic has made sure you got something back. For a free auto quote, contact your local agent below: Appleton: ZulegerAgency.com Pewaukee: ZLindowInsurance.com Fox Valley: StevenHillAgency.com Wausau: StainbrookAgency.com Green Bay: SchoolhouseAgency.com Milwaukee: MilwaukeeEducatorsInsurance.com Madison: StainbrookAgency.com North-Shore-Agency.com Oshkosh: ZulegerAgency.com StefanovichInsurance.com WindingInsurance.com *Based on YTD 2015 Member referral rate. Teaching Today Wisconsin | Fall 2015 Volume 1 Page 3 From the Teaching Today WI™ Educational Blog In this Issue TEACHING ™ TODAY WI teachingtodaywi.wordpress.com Beloit Memorial Lady Tide . Page 5 Choosing Nursing as a PUBLISHER/EditoR: Renee Feight Career . Page 7 EditoR: Andria Reinke Certain type of cyberattack on Why it’s time for new teachers to Racine Unified School District: PAGE COMPOSITION: Andrew Clausen the rise in schools get social Share Your Good News . Page 8 WEBMASTER: Scott Bayerl The number of reported Distributed Social media can help teachers grow Colby Elementary is a 2015 SPECIAL PROJECTS: Allie Zacharias Denial-of-Service cyberattacks is increas- during their first years in the classroom, Green Ribbon School . Page 10 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Shaw Liljeqvist ing, and according to this article, schools Brad Currie, K–8 supervisor of instruc- Please direct articles, advertising, questions or are a primary target. Officials say the attacks tion and dean of students in a New Jersey Columbus Elementary— comments to: can affect testing. In this article, Gary school district, writes in this blog post. He Discovery Charter School is a Teaching Today WI™ Bryant, technology coordinator at Augusta highlights how new teachers can use Insta- 2015 Green Ribbon School . Page 11 PO Box 1704 County Public Schools in Virginia, shares gram, LinkedIn, Facebook and other sites to Teaching Today WI Dream Eau Claire,WI 54702 his own experience with a DDoS. engage in professional development. Career Essay Contest . Page 12 Phone/Fax 715-839-7074 www.teachingtodaywi.com La Crosse Middle School Meemic Foundation Grants Recycle-Bowl: K–12 School Student Win Youth Business Please direct all inquiries to: [email protected] The Meemic Foundation is offering Recycling Competition Plan Contest . Page 15 grants up to $500 for field trips, books, Registration is now open for the Recy- MPS Kicks Off ‘No Kid Hungry’ Teaching Today WI™ is an independent classroom projects, equipment, educator publication for educators. cle-Bowl competition for all elementary, Campaign . Page 16 professional development, etc. Applications middle and high schools. The competition The opinions expressed in Teaching Today WI™ Middleton Families Learn are accepted all year but are reviewed quar- will be held October 19 to November 15, are not necessarily the opinions of Teaching Today From Luxembourg Students . Page 17 terly. The online fill-in-the-blank form takes 2015. The school in each state that collects WI™. We reserve the right to edit any and all about 25 minutes to complete. The process Middle School Teacher of materials submitted due to grammar, content and the most recyclable material per capita will is simple and convenient; you don’t have to win $1,000. the Year and Special Services space allowances. Articles, photos and artwork be a grant writer to navigate the application. Teacher of the Year . Page 18 submitted to Teaching Today WI™ are assumed to Deadline: Register by October 13, 2015. Deadline: Fourth-quarter grant round ends be released by the submitter for publication. Southview News Show Heading Dec. 31. to Internet . Page 20 Teaching Today MN™ Transportation Today WI™ Counselor’s Corner - Problem Manufacturing Today WI™ Behaviors Should be Discussed . Page 22 We travel from the Zoo to You! The Zoological Society and Kohl’s Cares are on the road with Kohl’s Wild Theater. A new line-up of fun, conservation- themed theater performances using drama, songs and puppetry is now available. Programs are free of charge within a one-hour radius of the Milwaukee County Zoo.