Leighton Kindergartners Practice Academic, Life Skills With Videoconference

by Submitted article | October 29, 2018 11:35 am

OSWEGO – Nothing was scary about a recent monster lesson for Jack Schirtz’s kindergarten class at Leighton Elementary School.

The young students were thrilled to participate in the 2018 Monster Match, a distance learning project facilitated by NYS Distance Learning Consortium members. Schirtz’s class was paired up with a class at DeRuyter Elementary School to create their own monster using a variety of crafting materials.

They also wrote directions, so their partner class could create an identical monster.

Library media specialist Beth McCrobie first had the students practice giving her specific directions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

After some trial and error, she said, the students learned they needed to be precise in both giving and following directions.

Library aide MacKenzie Verburg guided Schirtz’s kindergartners in constructing the green-painted, multi-shaped, creative monster with directions from the DeRuyter class.

The event afforded the students practice time for reading, writing, collaboration, speaking and listening skills.

Following both classroom’s monster creations, all the students and their teachers participated in a videoconference to see how closely they were able to recreate the other class’s monster.

“It was fun; people worked in groups and we helped,” said Audrina Algarin.

Monster Match was offered in each of Oswego City School District’s elementary schools, thanks project coordinator Kristin Edwards of the Center for Instruction, Technology and Innovation.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/community/leighton-kindergartners-practice-academic-life-skills-with-videoconference/

---