Help My Postal Workers Create (Part 2)

My Students

CMS promotes the hands-on arts infused approach to learning. We have limited budgets for tools that foster creativity while maximizing learning. Technology is one tool where creativity can be expressed. An iPad mini will allow students to explore and experience learning while promoting creativity.

Our Social Studies curriculum encompasses the study of community helpers.

The children learn that the interdependence of our community helpers-firefighters, police officers and postal workers are critical to the functioning of a community. As a culminating activity, my students open their own school-wide, student-run Post Office. Students in other grades and all teachers write letters to each other. The cost of stamps is non-perishable food items that are donated to a local food bank, thus teaching students the importance of giving back to their community. My students brainstorm and vote on names/logos to be used on t-shirts and advertising/signage for the Post Office. My students apply and interview for postal positions. Job assignments are based on the strengths of a child's learning style, i.e., visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The students then work cooperatively with their job teams to perform the roles/jobs of postal workers to ensure the mail is delivered in a timely manner.

My Project

The iPad mini apps will unleash unlimited opportunities for students to engage in the creative process while strengthening their digital skills and graphic ability. It allows the students to create real life pictures/videos of the jobs being performed at our local Post Office. Through this, they will learn the details and responsibilities of their jobs in our Post Office. While the videos will be used during training within each of the job teams, the pictures will be downloaded and printed to become a part of a class big book. This book will capture students' learning, including observations, reflections and drawings of the Post Office but also our community study as a whole. Some students have the ability to learn through reading and studying, but all students will be able to relate and learn from their own documentation and pictures. This is a grade-wide unit of study in which an iPad is needed for each classroom. The other classroom was funded by Project #1109952.

It is important to students to learn how to create digitally using 21st century technology in order to succeed in the future.

They are always excited to learn through technology. The interactive features and a plethora of apps on the mini iPad will inspire the second graders to create, design and capture their Post Office logo, stamps and school advertisement. Your donation will allow for a stimulating and exciting hands-on arts rich learning experience for all students.