There are amazing things happening at the Russell Street School. From blogging to creating i-videos, any visitor will notice that these students are taking technological skills and applying them to their learning. As you view different classes, you notice the pride that the students and teachers hold. In numerous classrooms, you find blog posts containing pictures and videos of students learning. In some classrooms, you find teacher updates with material the students are working on. In the upper grades, the side of the blog contain individual student blogs - this is the best part of the site, in my opinion.
The student blogs are individualized, each with a different theme. As you go through the blogs, you notice that the same assignments appear, but each student is taking ownership of their blog by filling in rubrics, creating reflections, uploading i-movies, and individual pictures. This is what education should look like when you merge traditional teaching with technology. The technology becomes a mode to help demonstrate understanding of the material - i.e. the kinetic energy and integrity videos. I personally liked the seeing the different subjects intertwined - science, physical education, and writing.
I found that they encourage children to bring their own device (laptop or Apple iPad) or they have parents pay for the devices. They explain that this helps the school achieve the expectations and vision they see for their school. In many public schools here in the States, that is difficult to attain. It does, however, create the expectation that children will be using their technology in meaningful and purposeful ways - which is evident in the work that is displayed.
As I viewed the site, I thought of all the possibilities that I could accomplish in my classroom. It is exciting to have a school who understands how to use tools in the "right" ways instead of just using it haphazardly. I can see why this school is a model for how blogging should look and feel.
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