Plate Tectonics in Google Earth

What better way to learn about convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries than by looking at images in Google Earth?  Mrs. DeLaGarza's classes explored how to navigate Google Earth, how to measure and how to create their very own placemark in Google Earth.  When they were finished they started looking at a Google Earth file that showed the various types of plate boundaries and answered some questions about land features that were near all of the different types of plate boundaries.  To quote Ms. DeLaGarza, "I could use Google Earth to teach this entire unit on Plate Tectonics!"

DMS Robotics Takes Home Teamwork Trophy

This weekend, Westlake High School hosted the Central Texas Invitational First Lego League Tournament where Deerpark's robotics team, The Epic Rainbow Bosses competed among sixty other teams in robot design and programming, presenting a research project, core values, and a point value on how well their robot autonomously completed various missions that had to do with the theme, Senior Solutions.  

This video is a celebration of our entire season.  

Students created the song "I'm Epic and I know It" 

as a parody and all other music is used with permission from BMI

The Epic Rainbow Bosses researched Macular Degeneration and through interviews with Optometrists, community members, grandparents, research in books, videos and the web, came up with a solution to prevent seniors from getting age related Macular Degeneration.  
The robotics team shined and were considered for an overall award, innovation, programming, gracious professionalism, teamwork, inspiration, research, and presentation award.   There were only two awards that they were not considered for in each of their judging rooms!  In the end, they brought home the Teamwork trophy that we will proudly display in a trophy case on campus.  

The day before the tournament  DMS teachers showcased their Epic Rainbow Team Spirit by wearing tie dye and rainbow shirts!

Townsend's Class Goes SMART

Ms. Townsend's class recently received a Smart Interactive board, and she did not waste any time getting her kids out of their seats and interacting with this new technology.  Ms. Townsend had her students play a game where they threw a ball at the Smart Interactive Board.  When the ball hit the board, a random word would pop up and the students would have to decide if that word was a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.  They are working on their sentence structure and improving their writing and applied the skills from the game into their own writing. 

Digital Creativity in Texas History

Students in Ms. Forbes, Mr. Richardson, and Mr. Waddell's classes were asked to do an Early Statehood Jigsaw Project.  They had to create a presentation that explains the cause and effect of various events that occured in Texas in it's infancy.  Students were given options to create their presentation digitally, in any form that they would like.  The teachers suggested, Prezi, Videos, and paper slideshows, but were open to creative ideas from the kids.  These teachers celebrated the 21st century skill of creativity.  

Avoiding Germs with Google Hangouts

The Deerpark Robotics team has been working extremely hard practicing 10 hours a week for the up coming Central Texas Invitational Tournament.  When one of our lead programmers came down sick and had to miss a major meeting, the team used Google Hangouts to video conference with him during the meeting.  Other team members worked with him on his program by showing him the screen and discussing changes that needed to be made, and then showing him the test runs with the robot. 

 

The team even had a little fun by putting "extra's" on their faces as they were talking!

Remind 101

DMS teachers have been using an amazing tool called Remind 101 to communicate with students in a safe and secure matter.  

First a teacher sets up an account and creates a class.  She then gives a code to students and parents that they can text to a specific number to be enrolled in the class.  Teachers can schedule reminders about upcoming assignments, last minute schedule changes, and anything else she might need to remind students about.  The teacher's phone number is kept private, and the students are listed by their name in her class list and not their phone number.  This help keeps both teacher and student information private between the two parties.  

Ms. Evans uses Remind 101 with volleyball and basketball teams.  She plans on using it with her track and soccer students as well.  She loves that she can send out reminders and her parents and students love that they get information in a way that digital learners are use to receiving information, via text!   

Ms. Asha uses Remind 101 to remind students of materials that they need to bring to their art classes, or when assignments are due.  She loves having this type of communication with students.  

I use Remind 101 with the DMS Robotics team and parents.  I can easily send out a quick reminder about our practices without students/parents ever knowing my phone number.  We also use Remind 101 with our staff.  For instance, if the network is down at school, and e-mail would note be an effective way to communicate, I can send out a Remind 101 to our staff letting them know what is going on.  It is a great resource.  

7 Principles of Government

Ms. Huffman's classes made animotos on the 7 principles of government.  Check out some of the examples below