Mrs. Jennifer Dean and Mrs. Lisa Windjue are the Fifth grade teachers in our District. Mrs. Dean has been teaching for 17 years, and Mrs. Windjue has been teaching for 12. Both are able to have fun with their students’ daily, and enjoy seeing the “light bulb” going off in the students’ eyes. They agree that every day is a new day, which brings to them entertaining, unexpected experiences all of the time!

In each of their classrooms, they have been working on division skills in mathematics, human body systems in health, and finishing the novel Maniac Magee in reading. In social studies, the students have been taught about the 13 colonies, and the trait of voice in language class.

Both Mrs. Windjue and Mrs. Dean were initially apprehensive about the Digital Learning Initiative, a little nervous of the chance that their students would know more about the technology than they would, but overall excited to explore new teaching opportunities that would enable them to present more invigorating lessons to the students.

Students use their devices as individual white boards on an almost daily basis, and have been using them as a research apparatus as well. Other ways that they have used them so far have been using them on projects, for educational games, and also for writing reports and stories on various topics.

Whatever the subject or project is, Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Windjue say that the students are enthusiastic about being able to use their devices to learn new things every day!

Written by Ali Lorenz

This spotlight is about Mrs. Julie Knobloch and Mr. Ryan Lowe, who are the Fourth grade teachers in our District. Both are excited about how school has been going this year and are looking forward to what kinds of things are yet to come during the remainder of the school year at the Eleva Intermediate School.

Mrs. Knobloch has been a teacher in the Eleva-Strum School District for 23 years. Her favorite subject to teach her students is science because it, like the rest of the world, is an ever-changing topic and there is always something to discuss during lessons that relates to what happens everyday. For example, her class discussed Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump from outer space in mid-October and the different levels of the atmosphere he traveled through on his way back to earth.

Mr. Lowe is teaching his 13^th year in the Eleva-Strum School District and enjoys being able to teach students things that excite and relate to the students. When asked about his classroom environment he said, “It’s always diverse and there’s something different every day.” Mr. Lowe’s favorite subject to teach the students is Wisconsin history, which is yet to come, as the fourth grade will be taking a trip to Madison towards the end of the school year.

Mrs. Knobloch and Mr. Lowe help to build important foundations for the fourth grade students (who are new to the building in Eleva) by having them work together in groups so that they may be able to realize different potentials they can use to become more responsible in their learning and to further their education. Both teachers agree that their students rapidly adapted to using the iPads for conducting quick research on the Internet and creating different types of projects and presentations. Having them in the classrooms has saved time, paper, and has made certain topics more efficient for students to learn.

The iPads provide a great way for students to work on drill and practice activities in different subjects. Special applications made especially for improving multiplication facts or how to tell time make learning readily available at the students’ fingertips. Mrs. Knobloch explained how Educreations (a program on the iPad) allows her and Mr. Lowe to provide pictures and voice recordings on lessons that students might have missed if they were absent from school so they can catch up at home and come prepared to class when they come back. Mr. Lowe has used Keynote to present to his students comparisons and contrasts at distinctive clothing styles, homes, and ways of gathering food that the different Native American used.

Mrs. Knobloch and Mr. Lowe are looking forward to the future in their classrooms and the ways the Digital Learning Initiative will have impacts on their students. They appreciate the support of the community with everything new that has been happening within our District!

Written by Ali Lorenz