The list of reasons that kindergartners are thankful is plentiful, but they had to narrow it down to six during a digital activity at Birch Lane Elementary School. Fortunately, the youngsters had some help.
Students in Tara Mathers’ class were visited by their fifth grade tech buddies from Lauren Marocchi’s class. The older students, who have become experts on many of the district’s digital learning tools in recent year, were eager to help their younger counterparts with the Thanksgiving-themed project on Google Slides.
The finished product would be a digital turkey with the kindergartner’s face in the middle and six feathers each listing a reason he or she is thankful. Fifth graders helped the buddies use the camera to take a picture and add text to the document, as well as choosing a background.
Ms. Mathers said that she will print out two copies of the projects – one for a class bulletin board and another for each child’s kindergarten portfolio. The tech buddies get together once a week for seasonal projects, with the fifth graders serving as both digital support and positive role models. Some previous work this year includes “All About Me” slides, digital trick-or-treat bags and Padlet videos.
Tech buddies launched six years ago, with each kindergarten class paired with a fifth grade class. It has continued because of its popularity with both older and younger students, as well as the teachers. The program provides the fifth graders with a valuable leadership opportunity and fosters meaningful connections.