Monday, October 19, 2015

Geography Just Got Interesting: A Spotlight on Mrs. Tapia & Mrs. Nesbitt

                                      Geography Just Got Interesting   
                  A Spotlight on Mrs. Tapia & Mrs. Nesbitt

   Westmoore Elementary has definitely set the bar high when it comes to technology! Teachers have embraced the use of technology in their classrooms and have come up with new ways to tie in the curriculum. Last month, I had the privilege of working with two, outstanding educators at Westmoore. Mrs. Tapia and Mrs. Nesbitt are ready and willing to try new ideas in their classroom that gain student interest, while teaching to objectives.
   For this issue, I would like to discuss how they used Quiver to implement the study of geography in their classes. Geography to a third grader can sometimes be mundane and involve rote memorization of where continents are located on the globe. With the implementation of Quiver, the ordinary standard of geography turned into something extraordinary! Quiver allows students to color previously downloaded sheets in any way that they desire. Upon completion of the coloring, students are able to scan their image with the Quiver app and see it come to life! Words and phrases like, "Wow!", "It came to life in the colors I colored it!", "You can actually see the whole world!" were among a few of the comments from kids. 

   The basic components of geography are still taught and students still need to be able to identify continents. This app enriches the content and allows students to have a different perspective when viewing the world. "Students have a better understanding of the content, when they can relate to it in some way", said Carrie Nesbitt. Quiver gives children the opportunity to explore content in a big picture fashion, while eliciting student buy in.  
   Quiver is available on IOS and Android devices, but many kinks are still being worked out with Android. Quiver is a free app and most of the printables available for download, are free. Teachers can go to http://quivervision.com/ and download the printable pages for students. There are all sorts of activities for various content areas. I am pleased to spotlight Mrs. Tapia and Mrs. Nesbitt and their work in facilitating a rich learning environment, where children can learn in new ways!

~Deanna Boesch



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