Advertisement
Online program makes learning fun for elementary kids
By By Jill Meier
Challenger editor
Challenger editor
Comment
Print
EmailNovember 27. 2009 6:00AM
An online educational program, disguised as fun and games, has Robert Bennis and Fred Assam elementary students excited about learning – both at school and at home.
Brenda Waterbury, computer teacher at RBE and FAE, used the iknowthat.com learning program in her gifted ed classes last year. This year, Waterbury has introduced the online program to students in grades 1-5 at the two elementary schools. The program offers learning activities for Pre-K through sixth grade students.
“I was looking for something that would be accessible for the kids both at school and at home,” Waterbury said. “And I like this program because it’s user-friendly, too.”
Julie Reid, who teaches computer classes at Brandon and Valley Springs elementaries is piloting the program in Valley Springs this year. Brandon Elementary kids will gain access in the 2010-11 school year.
To utilize Iknowthat.com, each student has been assigned a user name and password. The site is secure, as only the student’s gender, age and state are identified.
“There’s no live chatting, but they can send messages to each other that are canned,” Waterbury said. “They can’t be mean to each other or bully each other, because every message is positive.”
The Iknowthat.com program covers every subject, from math to social studies and offers different levels of activities.
“I have kids doing geometry in these programs they wouldn’t normally get until the 10th grade,” she said.
The user-friendly program allows students to earn IPoints when they complete challenges, which they can spend in the Bee Hive virtual learning community. The students can only access the Beehive at home, which in turn extends the learning process long after the school day has ended.
Waterbury said she is hearing rave reviews about the program from the kids.
“I’m finding the kids are telling me they’re going there all the time,” she said.
FAE fifth grader Kaitlyn Hanna hasn’t logged on to the site at home yet, but said the educational games are among her favorites. “We had Typing Adventure last year, which was just typing, no games, and I like the games,” she said.
Classmate Mason Blue said he logs on at home everyday that he’s able, and said he likes most everything about the learning program. “I like the games and all the quiz shows, the buzz board, the IPoints, getting to buy things, making widgets and doing other games on it,” he said.
The program also offers perks for the teaching staff, Waterbury said.
“The cool part of it for the teachers is that he or she has the ability to assign activities to the students because they have a message center. It’s a huge tool for the teachers.” Teachers also have the ability to monitor each student account to see what activities they have done and the scores they received.
Sandra Westcott, a second grade teacher at Robert Bennis Elementary, is sold on the Iknowthat.com program as both a teacher and as a mom.
Her two children, Amanda, a third grader, and Tyler, a first grader, access the learning program at school and at home.
“Amanda will ask to get on it as soon as we arrive home some days,” Westcott said. “She calls it her ‘homework’ and thoroughly enjoys it.”
In the classroom, Westcott said the program applies to the curriculum in so many areas. “It is a well-made program with learning and fun in mind,” she said. “My students have also commented on using it at home and they have great conversations with each other about what they played.”
Waterbury said the program is very affordable at $2 per student for the entire school year.
“This is such a rich little site for hardly any money,” she said.
Adds Westcott, “I’m happy Mrs. Waterbury has found this site. It is a nice addition to our curriculum and gets the students excited about learning.”
Brenda Waterbury, computer teacher at RBE and FAE, used the iknowthat.com learning program in her gifted ed classes last year. This year, Waterbury has introduced the online program to students in grades 1-5 at the two elementary schools. The program offers learning activities for Pre-K through sixth grade students.
“I was looking for something that would be accessible for the kids both at school and at home,” Waterbury said. “And I like this program because it’s user-friendly, too.”
Julie Reid, who teaches computer classes at Brandon and Valley Springs elementaries is piloting the program in Valley Springs this year. Brandon Elementary kids will gain access in the 2010-11 school year.
To utilize Iknowthat.com, each student has been assigned a user name and password. The site is secure, as only the student’s gender, age and state are identified.
“There’s no live chatting, but they can send messages to each other that are canned,” Waterbury said. “They can’t be mean to each other or bully each other, because every message is positive.”
The Iknowthat.com program covers every subject, from math to social studies and offers different levels of activities.
“I have kids doing geometry in these programs they wouldn’t normally get until the 10th grade,” she said.
The user-friendly program allows students to earn IPoints when they complete challenges, which they can spend in the Bee Hive virtual learning community. The students can only access the Beehive at home, which in turn extends the learning process long after the school day has ended.
Waterbury said she is hearing rave reviews about the program from the kids.
“I’m finding the kids are telling me they’re going there all the time,” she said.
FAE fifth grader Kaitlyn Hanna hasn’t logged on to the site at home yet, but said the educational games are among her favorites. “We had Typing Adventure last year, which was just typing, no games, and I like the games,” she said.
Classmate Mason Blue said he logs on at home everyday that he’s able, and said he likes most everything about the learning program. “I like the games and all the quiz shows, the buzz board, the IPoints, getting to buy things, making widgets and doing other games on it,” he said.
The program also offers perks for the teaching staff, Waterbury said.
“The cool part of it for the teachers is that he or she has the ability to assign activities to the students because they have a message center. It’s a huge tool for the teachers.” Teachers also have the ability to monitor each student account to see what activities they have done and the scores they received.
Sandra Westcott, a second grade teacher at Robert Bennis Elementary, is sold on the Iknowthat.com program as both a teacher and as a mom.
Her two children, Amanda, a third grader, and Tyler, a first grader, access the learning program at school and at home.
“Amanda will ask to get on it as soon as we arrive home some days,” Westcott said. “She calls it her ‘homework’ and thoroughly enjoys it.”
In the classroom, Westcott said the program applies to the curriculum in so many areas. “It is a well-made program with learning and fun in mind,” she said. “My students have also commented on using it at home and they have great conversations with each other about what they played.”
Waterbury said the program is very affordable at $2 per student for the entire school year.
“This is such a rich little site for hardly any money,” she said.
Adds Westcott, “I’m happy Mrs. Waterbury has found this site. It is a nice addition to our curriculum and gets the students excited about learning.”
|
Brenda Waterbury, computer teacher for Fred Assam and Robert Bennis elementaries, has incorporated iknowthat.com, an online educational program, into her classroom curriculum. Students are also able to access iknowthat.com on their home computers. Photo by Jill Meier |  |
Recent Stories
