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The Far Hills students' journey from Preschool through Grade 8 involves helping students find their voice. The Brain Space–Learning & Design (K-4) classes and the Digital Design Space–Digital Learning & Design (5-8) classes here at Far Hills Country Day School are proving to be successful tools for setting students on the path to creative communication.
Author John Spencer says, "The best way to prepare our students for tomorrow is to empower them today."
We agree! We strive to help students focus on the best tools in the real and digital worlds to enhance and share their learning with others. Tech skills will come and go—but, being an effective communicator will be a critical skill forever.
The Brain Space–Learning & Design classes are shaping our Lower School students into creative communicators. Here are some ways
Grade 1 took a trip to Antarctica...thanks to our Virtual Reality Goggles! The students enjoyed looking at glaciers, penguins, and leopard seals.
Grade 1 also learned that the Internet is a great place for education, shopping, communication, and fun! Then they learned about the four "Webville Outlaws" (Look-At-Dis Louie, Meet-Me Mack, Wanta-Know Wally, and Potty-Mouth Pete) and that their response to these outlaws is to always tell an adult! Finally, students enjoyed a Memory card game that reinforced these concepts.
Grade 2 students merged coding knowledge, robotics, and tutorials to design a program to allow the robot to teach what each student has learned to others.
Grade 3 students were introduced to an exciting feature in BrainPOP called "Creative Coding." It is an engaging way for students to communicate what they've learned! After watching the video on Geography Themes they used block coding to code a "Museum" of their facts.
Grade 4 students recently did some coding work through the Scratch website. Using block coding, students worked their way through several tutorials to learn to add, change, and move things in their project.
As the students grow and move through these learning experiences, they experience the joy of telling their own stories. As they progress, the projects become more student-directed, and the option of how to connect to others rests with our empowered creative communicators.