As part of our school system’s goal to make students more globally competitive, our schools are finding creative ways to integrate technology into the classroom for students. Sycamore Creek Elementary is no exception! The school has a unique spin on blogging which helps to keep their students engaged and connected even during track-outs. The school’s technology coordinator, Matthew Clobridge, shares the news below:
Students at Sycamore Creek Elementary School have been learning 21st-century technology, critical thinking, and information literacy skills with the help of Kyle Crocodile, a small green stuffed animal, and his crocodile siblings, Kirby, Katie, and Carlyle.
The project takes advantage of the school’s year-round schedule by sending the stuffed animals on trips with students, staff, and friends when they are tracked-out. The crocodiles’ adventures are posted to a weblog (www.kylecrocodile.com ) where students ask questions and write comments.
Since the project’s kick-off in October 2008, the crocodiles have traveled to Europe and many places within in the United States. Currently, Kirby Crocodile is in Iraq with Captain Christopher Peterman of the Army Reserves National Guard. Katie Crocodile recently witnessed history first-hand while attending the presidential inauguration in Washington, DC. Other crocodiles will be visiting Asia and Central America in upcoming weeks.
Sycamore Creek’s technology specialist, Matthew Clobridge, is responsible for this project. Clobridge works with teachers to integrate the use of technology into the curriculum through projects such as the Kyle Crocodile blog. This project is one way to introduce students and teachers to blogging as well as serving as a means to expose students to people, places, and events they might not otherwise be able to experience themselves. For more information, please visit the web site at www.kylecrocodile.com or contact info@kylecrocodile.com.