Second Grade Skypers

When some start confusing Australians with Austrians, or (as with the more recent and unfortunate circumstance) confusing Chechens with Czechs, we can start to understand on the simplest of levels, the importance of folding a global education and awareness into our curriculum.  Knowing where countries are on a map, in geographic relation to each other, is valuable knowledge for children growing up in a global society.  But, the greater priority may be gaining an understanding of people, perspectives and cultures different than their own.  This is the focus for the second grade's culture exchange, which exhibits just one of Elisabeth Morrow's grade-level efforts to use conferencing and collaborative technology to engage and connect our young students with the larger world in which they live.

This year, Mrs. Keller and Mrs. Holden's class established a culture exchange with the second grade students of Ms. Guzman and Ms. Mena from the Academia Británica Cuscatleca in Santa Tecla, El Salvador.  The students initiated the project by writing letters about themselves and exchanging stuffed class mascots (ABC sent us a stuffed bulldog, while EMS sent them a stuffed teddy bear - pictures here, here and here).  The culture exchange continues throughout the year, with sessions over Skype, where children ask questions, learning about similarities and differences, as well as a Voicethread project, where multi-media information can be shared.  It is important to note that the project is also really fun and engaging for children.  You can follow the project on this EMS Culture Exchange page.

Engineering Cars in Prekindergarten

by Beth Brennan
Director of Early Childhood Programs


Wood was cut and holes were drilled, all in preparation for a very special design project last week in our Pre-K class.  The children were challenged by their teachers to come up with designs for wooden vehicles that move.  Once the designs were in place, the students set out to sand, stack, build and glue pieces of wood together to make their cars.  Vocabulary like axles, wheels, and hub caps were incorporated in the building portion of the lesson. In projects like these, the process is as important as the end results; the children start with imagination, followed by the development of a plan, then trial and error. Once assembled, as you will see in this video, they had the opportunity to talk about their ideas and, best of all, test their vehicles. 

EMS Teachers Present at Annual New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative Conference

Sandy Malko, Laurie Lester and Kristi Evans at NJECC Conference

by Dr. Allison Egert
Director or Special Learning Services


EMS teachers Kristi Evans, Laurie Lester and Sandy Malko recently presented Captivating the Young Using 21st Century Skills  which highlighted the use of iPADS and other mobile devices for teaching and differentiating instruction for students who may find reading and writing a bit more challenging.  With the help of Sarah Rolle, EMS Director of Technology, the teachers developed a website for their attendees that offered a few iPad references and a list of top 10 apps that are effective and engaging for students in first through fourth grades.  

Kristi Evans

For me, the presentation was a reminder that it's a dynamic time to be a teacher.  We are finding, both here at EMS and elsewhere, that digital engagement and literacy is promoting independent discovery and sparking an interest in students for acquiring the background knowledge necessary for understanding texts. iPad's are also further encouraging peer relationships and collaborative learning.  Mostly, however, they are just plain fun to use as part of the learning process–for students as well as teachers.

John Hunter and World Peace Game

by Aaron Cooper

Assistant Head of School

Click Here to see TED talk

I had the opportunity to attend a talk by John Hunter, 4th grade teacher and TED speaker, while at the National Association of Independent Schools Conference in Seattle.  Mr. Hunter spoke about his World Peace Game, developed over the course of his 30 year career. From his website, the game is described as a "hands-on political simulation that gives players the opportunity to explore the connectedness of the global community through the lens of the economic, social, and environmental crises and the imminent threat of war (1)." From my perspective, this wonderful game establishes high expectations while giving students an opportunity to collaborate, create and solve "real-world" problems, as they work toward "winning."  

Good teachers think alike it seems.  Mr. Hunter's talk made me reflect upon the game-like initiatives we already have in place at EMS.  Ms. Malmstrom's tech curriculum involving MMOG's like Minecraft or Quest Atlantis, and Mr. Penny's City Game come to mind as similar, middle-school examples.  But "immersive" games like these happen across each grade level at our School. Mr. Hunter's World Peace Game (as well as our own games), when you see them in action, are refreshing reminders of what children can achieve when given an engaging and dynamic framework to think critically and collectively.

You don't have to take my word for it though; you can watch Mr. Hunter's TED talk or review his World Peace Game Foundation website if you would like more information.  As well, the game serves as the backdrop for a new movie debuting on PBS this Spring, called World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements.  To watch a trailer of the film, click here.

(1)  http://www.worldpeacegame.org/world-peacegame-foundation/about-the-game