One of the tools that I chose to explore in this module was called, "MissionUS." This site is developed for middle school and high school students, but I can see this site also being used in 5th grade classrooms to be better prepared for middle school standards. There are different missions for students to complete, and each mission is aligned to standards, has essential questions, and a set of curriculum materials included. This tool is a great way to use the 4C's in the classroom. Collaboration could be achieved by the students working on these missions in groups. They could make the decisions together instead of individually. Students could be creative with how they proceed with their missions. They could communicate with other groups or their own group to decide how they would like to proceed. Students will need to critically think about the decisions that they are making, and where they would like their mission to go. Students with disabilities can also have special accommodations set for read aloud. This may help those who struggle with reading skills.
The goals of Mission US are to help students:
• Learn how Americans struggled to realize the ideals of liberty and equality
• Understand the role of ordinary men and women, including young people, in history
• Develop historical empathy
• Build understanding and critical perception to think like an historian.
MISSIONS
“For Crown or Colony?” puts players in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a printer’s apprentice in 1770 Boston. They encounter both Patriots and Loyalists, and when rising tensions result in the Boston Massacre, they must choose where their loyalties lie. A brand-new version of this game is now available! Learn more.
In “Flight to Freedom,” players take on the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old girl enslaved in Kentucky who escapes to Ohio. As Lucy joins a community of abolitionists, players discover that life in the “free” North is dangerous and difficult. In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act threatens all African Americans in the North and brings new urgency to the anti-slavery movement.
In “A Cheyenne Odyssey,” players become Little Fox, a Northern Cheyenne boy whose life is changed by the encroachment of white settlers, railroads, and U.S. military expeditions. As buffalo diminish and the U.S. expands westward, players experience the Cheyenne's persistence through conflict and national transformation.
In “City of Immigrants,” players navigate New York’s Lower East Side as Lena, a young Jewish immigrant from Russia. Trying to save money to bring her parents to America, she works long hours in a factory for little money and gets caught up in the growing labor movement.
In “Up from the Dust,” players take on the roles of twins Frank and Ginny Dunn, whose family wheat farm is devastated by the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. As they experience the hardships of the 1930s, players learn about Americans’ strategies for survival – as individuals, communities, and a nation. “Up from the Dust” is available online and as free iPad and Windows 10 apps. ("What is Mission US?")
FYI- In the video below, I had not tried missions 2-5, so I was unaware that the characters would change. I just wanted to correct that information.
To view my Google Tour click here.
The “digital divide” is the concept of some students having access to the internet at home, and some students not having it. I was reading stories about the students who are standing outside of buildings that have wi-fi in order to complete their homework, and it makes my heart sad. Yes, the future is changing, and the use of technology is increasing. We have to do something as a school system to make sure that our students have opportunity to have this access at their homes. I know that a large number of our students do not have internet access at home, and that seems to be where the digital divide is occurring. Recently, I’m proud to say that our school has been able to send home a discount code for Comcast and Windstream internet. Basically, if the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch prices then they are eligible for a discounted rate on internet services. No, some students will not be able to afford the internet services, but some students might be able to if the discount is offered. In my own experience, students are currently using a parent’s phone if they have homework that involves using the internet. This is an option as well, but it is harder to complete these assignments on such a small device. At school, we are blessed with 1:1 technology in grades 3-5, and those students have access to our school internet throughout the day to complete their work. In the lower grades K-2, students are still provided technology devices, but they do not have enough to be able to have 1:1. Therefore, these students have certain "days" or "groups" when they are able to use the accessible devices.
As a county we have already been discussing the changes for the future in regards to digital equity and digital divides. These terms are not taken lightly, because we, as professionals, understand the demographics of our schools. We need to understand the struggles that people go through each day, and we need to be able to offer assistance when we can. For example, offering the lower cost for internet based on free and reduced lunch prices is a start. As a leader, I will try to continue to fight for digital equality for all of our students. Just like education, equal access is important. I would like to extend library hours inside the school at least one night per week. On that one night, teachers could offer their time, or make sure that they are only assigning technology assignments that one night per week. This will ensure that if parents did not have access to the internet, then they will have somewhere to go where they would have this access. As a school, we will continue to work towards getting all of our students the 1:1 technology devices that they can use. We currently have 1:1 devices in grades 3-5, but the lower grades are pretty close to having 1:1 as well. Not only do students need to have these devices, but teachers need to be trained on how to teach using these devices.
References:
Becker, J. (2006, February 13). Digital equity in education: A multilevel examination of differences in and relationships between computer access, computer use and state-level technology policies. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 15(3). Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v15n3/.
Cazares, J. I. (2018, April 12). ASU works to bridge the digital divide in tribal communities. Retrieved March 27, 2019, from https://www.statepress.com/article/2018/04/spscience-asu-is-at-the-center-of-conversations-about-digital-inequality
Google Tour Builder. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tourbuilder.withgoogle.com/
Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: SAGE Publications.
Kang, C. (2016, February 22). Bridging a Digital Divide That Leaves Schoolchildren Behind. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/technology/fcc-internet-access-school.html?_r=0
What is Mission US? (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2019, from https://www.mission-us.org/pages/about