Teacher spotlight, Hayley Elliott

By Anonymous -
It is time for another technology integration teacher spotlight!  If you missed our last spotlight, please head over to the post and read about Ridge View High School’s math teacher, Alesha Love.  Today, however, we’ll be moving down a few grade levels and share a spotlight use of technology from Hayley Elliott, 5th grade teacher at Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary.

Teacher: Hayley Elliott
School: Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary School

Showcase of technology integration use:
Students in the ACE (Academy for Civic Engagement) Magnet Program complete a “Where in the World” activity each Wednesday.  In this activity students read articles about current events and answer 3 questions plus ask a question of their own regarding the article to stretch their thinking. 

In the past, Ms. Elliott had been using email as a method to distribute the articles to her students.  Students would read the articles to her and then email her back with their responses.  This process felt inefficient for Ms. Elliott and it lacked the opportunity for students to collaborate so Ms. Elliott transitioned to using Google Classroom as her method for distributing the assignment.



Ms. Elliott sent two articles to students via her Google Classroom and then used the “Add a Question” feature to create a discussion-board like experience.  Students read the media online and answered questions in the public discussion board.  This allowed students to see each other’s interpretations of the articles as well as the questions they all generated.  They even answered each other’s questions when they had completed their assignment. 

While students were working, I saw kids using the internet as a resource to help define words and add context to their learning.  Students even researched answers to their peers’ questions and responded in the discussion in Google Classroom.  This student to student interaction is so powerful and allows for students to practice and implement digital citizenship skills of public commenting and research embedded in their routine academic activities.



Meaningful technology use often doesn’t require a teacher to learn a new app or revolutionize an assignment.  In this case, using Google Classroom instead of emailing the articles to the students allowed for collaboration among students, research skills, and digital citizenship all in one simple package.

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