For our eighth-grade students, creating vision boards and integrating advanced technology skills have become central to their educational journey. Vision boards allow students to visualize and articulate their goals and aspirations in a creative and tangible way. This activity helps them set personal, academic, and career goals while fostering a sense of self-awareness and motivation. By using various materials and digital tools, students can create visually appealing boards that reflect their unique dreams and plans.

In our eighth-grade technology curriculum, we focus on equipping students with the skills needed to navigate the digital world effectively. This includes projects that involve coding, digital storytelling, multimedia presentations, and collaboration on cloud-based platforms. By integrating these technology skills with activities like vision board creation, we aim to provide a well-rounded education that prepares students for high school and beyond. The combination of creativity, goal-setting, and tech proficiency ensures that our students are ready to tackle future challenges with confidence and ingenuity.

Our fourth-grade students have been actively engaged in technology class, blending research, creativity, and digital literacy to create games inspired by "Are You Smarter Than a 4th Grader?" focused on all facts about all 50 states using Google Slides. Through teamwork, they designed interactive slides with music transitions that indicate correct or incorrect guesses, making learning enjoyable and memorable. Their efforts culminated in a game-show-style presentation for parents and classmates, showcasing their knowledge. Additionally, participating in the Spartan Shark Tank event allowed them to turn creative ideas into entrepreneurial ventures by building prototypes and presenting innovative solutions. These experiences enhance their technology skills while fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities, preparing them for future challenges.

The Spartan Shark Tank event was an immersive culmination of our innovative, hands-on project where our students turned creative ideas into real-world entrepreneurial ventures. It was truly inspiring to see our young innovators not only conceptualizing breakthrough ideas but also bringing them to life through prototypes—even if they weren’t fully functional—as a vivid showcase of their innovative thought processes. Each student went further by designing engaging websites, crafting professional business cards, and developing distinctive logos that perfectly captured the essence of their projects, while their thoughtfully arranged display boards narrated the entire journey with exceptional creativity and clarity. The event reached new heights with a distinguished panel of judges that included alumni, community members, entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders from the Texarkana ISD Information Technology Department, as well as representatives from Texas A&M-Texarkana, and even our very own Mayor of Texarkana. Their expert insights not only celebrated the diverse talents and skills on display but also reinforced the powerful connection between classroom learning and practical problem-solving. Overall, this dynamic showcase not only honored our students' entrepreneurial spirit but also prepared them to tackle future challenges with confidence, creativity, and a passion for innovation.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the incredible community members who helped make the Spartan Shark Tank event a resounding success by judging and providing invaluable feedback. I deeply appreciate Collin Carlile, an innovative entrepreneur behind Just Us Dumping, whose practical advice was instrumental throughout the event. A special shout-out goes to Adolpho Camacho, a former FIRST robotics student and current TISD IT Computer Technician, whose passion and technical expertise truly inspired our students. Elizabeth Formby, an accomplished SJDS alum now thriving as a student at UCA, brought invaluable perspective and energy that elevated our showcase. We are also profoundly grateful to Mayor Bruggeman, the Mayor of Texarkana, whose support and leadership helped make the event even more impactful. A sincere thank you goes to Jessica Palmer, an alum parent and business owner of Big Jakes BBQ, for her entrepreneurial insight and community spirit. We could not have achieved this success without the contributions of Sara Langford, a retired teacher from Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and Debra Kirkland, co-owner of JA Kirkland Construction Company, whose dedication and support reinforced the vital bridge between education and industry. Their combined efforts not only enriched the Spartan Shark Tank experience but also serve as a powerful reminder of how community collaboration can spark extraordinary learning and innovation.

Mandalas offer an excellent way to merge artistic expression with technology in early childhood education, fostering vital developmental skills. By integrating mandalas into digital tools, educators can enhance various abilities in young learners:

• Fine Motor and Muscular Skills: Coloring mandalas—whether on paper or digitally—helps refine hand and finger movements. Digital platforms especially encourage precision as children learn to control a stylus, trackpad, or mouse.

• Mouse and Attention Skills: Interactive mandala apps develop hand-eye coordination and introduce basic mouse-handling skills like clicking, dragging, and following patterns—all while holding their attention.

• Following Directions: Step-by-step instructions for creating or coloring mandalas guide children in processing and executing instructions effectively.

• Creativity and Self-Awareness: Mandalas promote self-expression and reflection, offering children a chance to explore their inner creativity and build personal awareness.

Beyond skill-building, mandalas serve as a calming and therapeutic activity, reducing stress and increasing focus. Integrating this into technology-based learning not only modernizes traditional art therapy but also provides equitable access for diverse learning styles and needs. These benefits align seamlessly with your mission to foster creativity, equity, and inclusivity in education!

In our fourth-grade technology class, students are using Google Slides to create presentations about all 50 states, aligning with the TEKS standards. Working in teams, they research and design their slides, which fosters collaboration and develops their technology skills. To enhance interactivity, we are incorporating music transitions to signal correct or incorrect answers, making learning both fun and memorable. This approach prepares students for future technological challenges while providing an engaging educational experience.

We will present our “Are You Smarter Than A Fourth-Grader?” games on February 27, 2025. After the presentations, the games will be available on our webpage for you to play and sharpen your skills.

Second graders are constructing wind turbines using WeDo 2.0. We are collaborating to assemble these turbines and learning about gear systems and how they work together with the motor to turn the blades. We have discovered that even when we follow the instructions, modifications may be necessary to ensure our robot functions properly. In the upcoming lessons, we will learn how to use the drag-and-drop coding application to program the robotic wind turbines, enabling them to perform functions, turn, and increase their speed.

“WeDo 2.0 is a LEGO Education robotics kit designed specifically for elementary school students. It allows students to build small robots using LEGO bricks, program them with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, and explore fundamental concepts of science and engineering through hands-on activities. This kit introduces students to coding and robotics in a fun and accessible way.”

Third-grade students are participating in an exciting project in which they build robotic windmills using Lego EV3 robotics parts. This activity helps them develop important skills such as planning, visual discrimination, and following directions. It also enhances their problem-solving abilities by applying concepts to real-world situations. Furthermore, students collaborate effectively as they work together on this hands-on project, fostering teamwork and communication skills.

5 Benefits of Using Cricut in the Classroom

For our Shark Tank projects, we're integrating the use of Cricut machines to elevate the creativity and visual appeal of our presentations. This fantastic hands-on learning experience allows students to tap into their critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and creativity all at once, making the process truly empowering. By utilizing Cricut, students can design and create personalized visuals that bring their ideas to life in a unique and professional way. Projects like these not only enhance their academic skills but also prepare them for real-world challenges. Incorporating Cricut into our Shark Tank presentations is an excellent way to blend creativity with practical application, inspiring students and fostering innovation and ingenuity in their educational journey.

Students are using codeSpark to begin their journey into learning the basics of coding.

CS Standards: 

• CSTA 1A-AP-08: Model daily processes by creating and following algorithms (sets of step-by-step instructions) to complete tasks.

• CSTA 1A-AP-10: Develop programs with sequences and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.

• CSTA 1A-AP-11: Decompose the steps needed to solve a problem into a precise sequence of instructions.

• CSTA 1A-AP-12: Develop plans that describe a program's sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.

Eighth graders practice their photography skills by attempting to capture the best picture of the office for the yearbook.

Students in Mrs. Tracy's class are developing their fine motor skills by practicing clicking on screen commands with their correct fingers.

PK4.X.A.1

Child opens and navigates through digital learning applications and programs.

PK4.X.A.2

Child uses a varoety of digital tools that support and enhance learning.

Effective use of computer technology, such as operating a mouse, requires good fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. These skills involve precise movements of small muscles in our hands and fingers, and coordinating our visual perception and hand movements. Early childhood is a critical period for developing these skills and providing opportunities for children to engage in activities promoting them. We use This is Sand to practice and improve these skills.

Pre-Kindergarten students are learning how to utilize their tablets as digital tools while learning. They are exploring the FREE application Khan Academy for Kids. Khan Academy for Kids is a subscription-free application that includes adaptive learning paths and independent learning. The bonus is that there are NO ADDS!

Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that provides free, world-class education through online tools. The organization was founded in 2006 by Sal Khan, who started by tutoring his family and posting videos on YouTube for others to watch at their own pace. Khan Academy's library of lessons covers a range of subjects, including history, math, science, and grammar, from kindergarten through early college. Students can use the website or app to access lessons, practice skills, and get immediate feedback.

Adaptive Learning Path

Our personalized learning path dynamically adapts, ensuring each child is presented with activities, books, educational videos, and creative lessons that allow them to learn at their own pace, creating an individualized experience for every learner.

Independent Learning

Kids can also learn independently in the Khan Academy Kids Library—a curated collection of activities, books, videos, and coloring pages. Our book reader allows kids to follow along with recorded audio narration or read on their own across our fiction, non-fiction, and fiction leveled books.

Our Shark Tank Presentations were amazing. Grades 4-8 participated. They created prototypes, business cards, websites, and pitches. There are definitely going to be some future entrepreneurs from SJDS.

The deadline for Shark Tank Projects has been extended to allow students to explore the subject matter more deeply. This opportunity aims to enable students to produce high-quality work that reflects their capabilities and contributes to their learning. We are currently prototyping with EV3 robotics parts, Lego, and other materials.

The learning objectives outlined below are subject to modification to suit different classes. Also, the objectives may be differentiated to meet the specific needs of the students.

Objective 1:  Website Design- Google Sites or Canva

Objective 2:  Form Design (Order Forms Created & Embedded in the Website) Google Forms

Objective 3:  QR Code 

Objective 4: Digital Images:  Taking Pictures, Airdropping, Uploading, Sharing, Embedding, & Editing.

Objective 5: Business Cards & Logos 

Objective 6: Prototype of Product

Objective 7: Display Boards (Digital information for presentation designed, printed, and  created in class)

Final Objective:  Presentation of Project

Prototyping is an experimental process that involves creating a mock-up of a product or process before creating a final design. It can include multiple stages or iterations and can be used to visualize how a product will look and feel.

Students have progressed to the next stage of development for their products by using their drafted versions of prototyping designs. This stage allows them to identify potential issues and opportunities in their work and find solutions, troubleshoot, or evaluate their progress. Through their prototypes, students can make appropriate refinements or alterations to their work in the right direction.

Hour of Code

December 4-10, 2023

The eighth-grade class recently learned about the significance of Public Service Announcements (PSAs). PSAs are a powerful tool to inform the public about critical issues, promote public health and safety, and raise awareness of social issues. They play a crucial role in creating positive change in society. As a class exercise, the students confidently developed and produced PSAs that included narration, text, transitions, facts, statistics, music, and credits. We are proud of the results they achieved.

Middle School Public Service Announcements