This past school year five elementary school teachers throughout the district were selected to have Innovation Classrooms after going through an application process.
Innovation Classrooms provide the selected teachers with an opportunity to develop out-of- the box instruction. This opportunity encourages the teachers to research best practices in design,
Innovation Classrooms provide the selected teachers with an opportunity to develop out-of- the box instruction. This opportunity encourages the teachers to research best practices in design,
curriculum, instruction, technology, and assessment to build a model that can be implemented, studied and
potentially grow.
“For the past three years the Grandview C4 Curriculum and Instruction Team has been discussing ways to
work with teachers who would like to structure their classrooms differently to incorporate more engaging
practices and student learning opportunities to drive the students’ motivation and curiosity," said Prissy Lemay,Director of Curriculum and Instruction.
The success of the Innovation Classroom will be measured using the following objectives:
1.Measurable increase in the use of professional development opportunities.
2. Increased use of a wider range of research-based instructional practices within the classroom.
3. Annual increase in standardized and district assessments.
4. Systemic demonstration and sharing of implemented practices.
The success of the Innovation Classroom will be measured using the following objectives:
1.Measurable increase in the use of professional development opportunities.
2. Increased use of a wider range of research-based instructional practices within the classroom.
3. Annual increase in standardized and district assessments.
4. Systemic demonstration and sharing of implemented practices.
Butcher-Greene fifth grade teacher Samantha Dane and Belvidere fifth grade teacher Tyler Stolberg will team up to create a problem-based, virtual learning innovation classroom. They will run the classroom based off a competitive business theme where students will be tasked with presenting solutions to each other. They will also work together to solve problems and create products needed by various clients.
“Doing this will ensure that students realize there are multiple ways to solve any given problem. There will be a big focus on collaboration, whether it is within the student's own classrooms, with other grade levels, with mentors in the community or virtually across schools,” said Ms. Dane.
Dane says students will be asked to complete research and writing activities, read various texts, create presentations, and incorporate science and math knowledge to solve these problems and complete the projects.
They will integrate and use all the skills typical for a fifth grader (and beyond) in a real world setting.
“We hope that this model will allow us to make learning more organic and help more students thrive and learn,” said Dane
Other Innovation Classrooms will include a Balanced Literacy Classroom taught by second grade teachers Dan Huffman and Stephanie Griggs of Martin City K-8, and Conceptual Math which will be taught by DeLaina Ellis, a fifth grade teacher at Martin City K-8.
“Doing this will ensure that students realize there are multiple ways to solve any given problem. There will be a big focus on collaboration, whether it is within the student's own classrooms, with other grade levels, with mentors in the community or virtually across schools,” said Ms. Dane.
Dane says students will be asked to complete research and writing activities, read various texts, create presentations, and incorporate science and math knowledge to solve these problems and complete the projects.
They will integrate and use all the skills typical for a fifth grader (and beyond) in a real world setting.
“We hope that this model will allow us to make learning more organic and help more students thrive and learn,” said Dane
Other Innovation Classrooms will include a Balanced Literacy Classroom taught by second grade teachers Dan Huffman and Stephanie Griggs of Martin City K-8, and Conceptual Math which will be taught by DeLaina Ellis, a fifth grade teacher at Martin City K-8.