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Kinect-ing with students | LoudounTimes.com

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Kinectingwithstudents
Thursday,Mar.29,2012byLauraPeters|1comments|Emailthisstory

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SohailMohantytakes aturnusinga Promethean ActivSlatewhiledoing agroupvocabulary lessonwith classmates,fromleft, SamChawla,Faith CherpesandSophia WanginRyanJeffers 5thgradeclassat SteuartWeller ElementarySchoolin AshburnMarch22. Theschoolispartof apilotprogramwith Microsoftto incorporateXbox Kinectgamesinto lessonplans.Times MirrorStaff Photo/BeverlyDenny

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Studentsstandbehindaline,puttheirarmata90degreeangleandthrowanimaginarydart atatelevisionscreen.ItmayseemlikeadartcompetitioninPatSpauldings5thgradeclass atSteuartWellerElementarySchool,butitsjustmathclass. No,Igotthis,astudentsaysbattingawaytheteachersarm. Tablesaresetupintoteams,with5thgradestudentsfranticallyscribblingonpiecesofpaper thensendingtheiranswerstothePrometheanBoardatthefrontoftheclass.Theschoolis usingXboxKinectintheclassroomformathandreading.Inthisparticularclassroom, theyreusingtheSportsKinect2dartgametofindfractionsanddecimals. Astudenthasthreetofourtrieswiththedarts,thePrometheanBoarddisplaysthequestions, andtherestoftheclasssendsintheanswersviapersonalvotingdevicestotheboard, AdrinaPopa,technologyresourceteacheratSteuartWellersaid.Throughthisauthentic activitystudentsarefullyimmersedintheirlearningastheycollaborate,solveproblemsand play. PartofapilotprogramwithMicrosoft,SteuartWellerwasgivenfourXboxconsolesand membershipsfor50accountstobeusedthroughouttheschool.TheXboxconsolescamewith Kinects,whichuseasensorandthebodyworksasacontroller. Wesaidlook,thisisthetechnology.Youaretheeducators.Telluswhetheryouseeanyreal benefitsinusingthistechnologyinaneducationalsetting,saidRaduBurducea,directorof XboxKinectEducationforMicrosoft. Theconsoleswerefirstsetupingymnasiums,andaccordingtoBurduceaworkedoutwell becauseschoolscouldusethesensorontheKinectwithoutbuyingextragymequipment. Thenteacherscameupwiththesereallycreativeusesintheclassroom.Kidsaresometimes, whentheygotoschool,notasengagedbecausetheyaresuperstimulatedathome.Theyre stimulatedthroughallthesedevicesthattheyhaveintheireverydaylife.So,whentheygoto schooltheyexpecttobeengagedinaveryhighinteractivefashion,Burduceasaid.So,often timeswhenyoudopenandpaperitsnotenoughanymore.Alotoftheteachersarevery smartnow,usingthedevicestogetthekidsengagedandinterested.Andtheyrebeingtaught
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Kinect-ing with students | LoudounTimes.com

withoutrealizingtheyreactuallylearning. RyanJeffers5thgradeclassusestheKinectforreadingactivities.Studentslearnfroma gamecalledKinectFunLabsGooglyEyestocreateanobjectavatarthatpresentsalivebook reporttheyusetheirownvoicetocreate,Popasaid. ThesestudentcreatedavatarsarethenturnedintoQuickResponseCode,orQRcode,and printedoutandplacedinlibrarybookssootherstudentscanusemobiledevicestoreadthe codeandseepriorstudentsreports.

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ItsReadingRainbowbutmodern.Ihaveamixpopulationofadvancedkidsandspecialed kids.Itstakingsomethingfun,butwithreading.Idonthavetobewiththem,Icantravel aroundtodifferentgroups,Jefferssaid. Shesayswhenthestudentsaredone,theavatarvideogoesonlinewheretheywatchitand loveit. Itsbecomealearningdevice.Theyreexcitedtobringoutyoungernovelsandnotbe embarrassed.Theyhavetoreadinordertodothis.Itspromotingliteracy.Iwantthemtofeel comfortablewithallreadinglevels.Ittakesthestigmaawayfromit,shecontinued. Mostoftheactivitylessonshavecomefromthestudentsideas. Wesatdownasateamandwestartedbrainstorming.Thisisthistool,itsjustlikeputting scissorsinfrontofsomebody.Oraboxofcrayons.Whatcanyoudowiththistool?Youcan obviouslydrawwithit,butwhatelsecanyoudowithanytechnologyoranytool,Popa explained.Itsthenuptotheindividualclassroom.Weactuallyhadbrainstormingwith childrenintheclass.Itreallywasagroupeffort.Itwassorewarding.Now,wearestill workingonfurtheractivities. TheKinectsareprimarilybeingusedwith4thand5thgradeclassesrightnow,butPopasaid theyregettingalotoffeedbackfromthelowergradestousethedevice. The4thgradersusetheKinectforactivitieslikevideoconferencingwithpeersinRomaniavia AvatarKinect.StudentsarealsoconnectingwiththeChallengerLearningCenter,whichisa NASAsponsoredorganizationwheretheysavelostspaceshipsviaVideoKinect.Through thisactivity,studentslearnandpracticescienceandmathskills. Werepreparingthemforjobsthathaventevenbeencreatedyet.Theyareactiveparticipants intheirownlearning,MonicaKissel,assistantprincipalofSteuartWellersaid.Whenyou talkaboutputtinganXboxintheclassroomthefirstthing[youthink]isyoureputtinga videogameintheclassroom?But,whattheteachershavedonewithitIthinkwevelooked totheteachersalotinthisbecausetheyaretheyretheleadersineducationintheir classroom.Theyknowtheobjectives,theyknowthecontentandtheyusetheXboxto enhancewhattheyarepresentingintheclassroom. TheXboxKinectareonacartthatcanbetransportedtoanyclassroomthatneedsit.They alsocanbepluggedintoatelevision,aPrometheanBoard,acomputerorprojectedontoa wall. Oneofthemostpositiveeffectsthisprogramiswithspecialeducation,Burduceasaid. Wedividespecialedintotwocategories.Basicallykidswithphysicaldisabilitiesandthey haveweakmusclesorweakcoreandtheyneedacreativewaytogetthemtomoveand coordinatetheleftsideandtherightsideofthebody,Burdeuceasaid.Thesecondoneis socialandemotionalwheretheyhavetofollowdirections.Anditcouldbereallysimple thingslikeyouhavetotaketurnsandshare.Teachersinspecialedhavebeenstruggling
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Kinect-ing with students | LoudounTimes.com

foralongtimewithtraditionaltechnologiestoteachchildrenthosesimpleskillsthatwetake forgranted. MicrosoftchoseLoudounCountyfromageographicalspread.Othertestareasrangefrom LosAngelestoFairfaxCounty.BelmontStationElementary,SmartsMillMiddle,StoneHill MiddleandLoudounCountyHighschoolsarealsousingtheXboxKinectinclassrooms. BurduceasaidthatSteuartWellerstandsoutthemost. Wereveryinterestedintrulymakingadifferenceinkidsperformanceandgradesand improvingoutcomes.Thatsourbiggoalhereistoinfluenceeducationpositively,hesaid. Thepilotprogramisexpectedtolastthroughtheschoolyear,withalltheequipmentonloan fromMicrosoft.
SabrinaKhanenters afractionona Promethean ActiveExpression devicetosubmitto thewhiteboardwith classmateLukeDillon inPatSpaulding's 5thgradeclassat SteuartWeller ElementarySchoolin AshburnMarch22. Theday'slesson incorporatesaKinect gametomakeit moreinteractiveand fun.TimesMirror StaffPhoto/Beverly Denny

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Wed,Apr04at07:19AMbyKathyZukowski|Reportthiscomment

TheseteachersaretheBestoftheBest!!KUDOS!

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