Field Based Learning & Digital Media Expand Our Networked Learning Ecosystem

Students love to use social media to share their opinions... They also use smartphone apps to make the most creative digital media mash-ups. So, how might we leverage these powerful tools to get our kids to tell the story of their learning when the scope of their learning takes them well beyond the four walls of the classroom? 

Let's take a closer look at a recent Holy Family Academy Field Experience - Our day at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, PA. We toured four floors of exhibits, including:

We Can Do It! - WWII Exhibit

Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation

The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum

From Slavery to Freedom

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

The diversity of topics and sheer size of the exhibits at the History Center made it a fast-paced day of student inquiry and exploration.  On each floor, students stepped back in time and came face-to-face with artifacts from our collective past.Students were encouraged to "live-tweet" their adventures in learning. Students focused on topics that they found particularly intriguing. For instance, in the photo above, Frank is taking a snapshot in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum's Trophy Room. The medals, trophies, pictures, and awards are an impressive display of the fruits of hard work, dedication, and the age old edict, "practice makes perfect"!Another approach to telling the story of our learning is the option to use Google Slides, Google Drawings, or smart phone apps like Pic Collage to capture the awesome artifacts and exhibits that captured our attention. Students snapped photos in each of the exhibits to make postcards to digitally send to friends, family members, and teachers.  How to create a postcard using Google Slides:- Create a new Google Slide Deck

- Insert an image as the background of the title slide 

  - Images can be uploaded from students' phones or students may select images from Google: In our case, I asked the students to use photos from the History Center's expansive digital archives.

- Format the text on the title slide in any creative manner:

  - The student objective is to become a "graphic designer" working for the Heinz History Center & to create a postcard that is both beautiful and informative

- Create a second slide and format the text so that it appears as the "letter" that one would write when sending a postcard to friends, family, or colleagues.

  - Have students write a thoughtful letter to friends, family, HFA teachers or administrators, or their Corporate Work Study supervisor.

- Send the postcard to its intended recipient by clicking "share" and entering that person's email address.

  - Be sure to check the share-settings: For something like this, I recommend that you give the recipient permission to "view" or "comment".

Behind The Scenes Videos - Women in WWII: 

When I went to the Heinz History Center to "scout-out" the exhibits and coordinate this field experience, I was fortunate to hear museum curator Leslie Przybylek talk about how J. Howard Miller's iconic "Rosie the Riveter" poster was designed to boost morale among the female employees of Westinghouse. The Westinghouse Corporation was a major employer in the Pittsburgh area during WWII. In fact, the architectural marvel, the Westinghouse bridge was a known target for proposed Nazi airstrikes and explosives. The bridge spans Turtle Creek, separating the two powerhouses of the Mon Valley--Westinghouse & US Steel's Edgar Thomson Works.

On a personal note--in my family, three generations of immigrants and their children lived by the edict "You work hard and get yourself a good job working for Westinghouse or in the mill." That edict held true for many families before Pittsburgh's economy diversified to include "eds & meds" and a tech-centric culture of innovation.

Curtiss-Wright was another employer hiring thousands man and women in the Pittsburgh area during WWII. Individuals made aviation equipment in Curtiss-Wright's Beaver Valley facility. Integral to the US winning the war, their manufacturing operation would not have been accomplished without enlisting a robust and diverse workforce. It should be noted that this exhibit featured commercials showing husbands and wives working at the Curtiss-Wright factory. These shorts aired in movie theaters, just as newsreels would inform the theatergoers. My favorite commercial starred a spry grandmother who picked up a shift on the factory floor.

In the YouTube video above, curator Leslie Przybylek discusses how Curtiss-Wright needed to devise a strategy to empower women to take-on these wartime factory jobs. Housewives needed to be reassured that they could develop the skills necessary to be contributors to the war machine.

For more information about this part of the "We Can Do It!" WWII exhibit at the Heinz History Center, check out Liz Simpson's blog post "A History of Curtiss-Wright During WWII" below. 

Field Based Learning: Pittsburgh Writing Marathon

As the Coordinator of Educational & Cultural Affairs at Holy Family Academy, I am honored to facilitate field based learning activities that expand our students' learning ecosystem. I'm like a network orchestrator--my role is partly to organize these events, often to create the instructional resources, and also to bring our partners on board. I love when the learning experiences are organic, moments when the city is our classroom and the students create meaningful experiences by immersing themselves in their community and reflecting upon their world. My favorite field experience from the first semester happened on a picturesque day in early November.

On this day, we embarked upon the North Shore Riverfront Writing Marathon. 

Writing Marathon Google Map - Click the link to access our interactive Google Map

Its easy to create and share interactive adventures for your students to navigate new experiences. Many of our HFA students live within a short distance of these five points of interest. However, how often do we pause to "take in the sights"? Everything that you see was designed using Google Apps for Education, including the interactive map and writing marathon journal. I especially liked the feature that allows you to customize the icons on the map: notice the pencils marking writing marathon waypoints. Dreaming about and designing this trip was almost as much fun as actually taking part in the actual writing marathon.

Adarian reflects upon finding the extraordinary in ordinary "everyday-any day" experiences. The Water Steps, adjacent to PNC Park, are one of the more popular attractions on the North Shore Riverwalk. With the water shut-off on this autumn morning, the steps themselves have become our standing desks in our outdoor classroom.

Point State Park - Pittsburgh, PA

It is a well known fact that I have a natural bias toward all things Pittsburgh... Yet, it's hard to argue that we have one of the most picturesque entrances to any major city in the country. The Point and Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle inspires amateur photographers and provides our HFA students a sanctuary in which to think, write, and dream.

The North Shore Riverwalk between PNC Park and Heinz Field provides our HFA students with ample opportunities to chat with teachers. Moments like this embody our innovative approach to field-based learning. The city is a living, breathing part of our learning ecosystem.

The Mr Rogers statue, overlooking the fountain at Point State Park, sets the backdrop for tranquil moments such as our writing marathon... Mr Rogers also stands vigil over raucous events like Steeler home games: We bleed black and gold in the Steel City!

Henry takes pause and contemplates "The Point: Where three rivers meet the eternal dream of creation." Our HFA students are encouraged to think deeply and write passionately about matters of great importance. It's a personalized approach that helps students to discover who they are in our interconnected world.

I want to thank Mrs. Kristin Alvarez, for she introduced me to the concept of a writing marathon. As you can see, it was a wonderful way to expand the learning ecosystem well beyond the four walls of the classroom. On this day, the City of Pittsburgh was our classroom and muse. As an educator, it was a day that I will never forget. #HFAinnovates

If you would like to take your students on this reflective tour to see experience and write about the Steel City from a unique perspective, download the following guides:

- Interactive Google Map: Pittsburgh Writing Marathon

- Field Study Journal: Pittsburgh Writing Marathon