This post was originally created and posted on the TeacherCast Educational Network website. The only place to read this as original content is https://www.TeacherCast.net.
Have you ever thought about what you would do if you supervised your own elementary school? For Benita Granther dream came true six years ago when she became the director of Fickett Elementary Schoolan Atlanta Public School District K-5 elementary school located in southwest Atlanta.
According to USNews.com, Fickett Elementary School has a staff-to-student ratio of 12:1 and is ranked #25 in Atlanta Public Schools.
While participating in the Microsoft Education Exchange in October 2022, a group of Microsoft Innovative Education Experts had the opportunity to visit the school and work hand in hand with the staff of Fickett Elementary.
During our tour of the building, I had the opportunity to speak with Principal Grant about the programs that are offered, and I was absolutely blown away.
Since he took over as head of Fickett, the school has earned a reputation for academic excellence through the hard work of its students, teachers, staff, and community. When looking at the way the school is set up and the number of Fickett-focused programs, this is the gold standard in the Atlanta Public School District.
The welcoming and friendly environment for students
Throughout the day, no matter where we walked in the school, it was clear that I was not walking into a school, but into a positive culture of learning where everyone from staff to students and even his Outstanding PTA had a hand in imagining and building.
The walls were painted with positive images featuring student motivational murals.
The physical education space includes a large gymnasium with a digital projection screen that offers students the opportunity to focus not only on their physical skills, but also on their major subjects.
In the photo below, we see students throwing a ball at a virtual gamepad, which not only required them to access their physical thinking skills, but also their analytical skills. In another photo below, we see students trying to solve a math problem and answering it by throwing the ball at the correct answer.
Throughout the tour, Principal Grant told me that her school was specifically designed for all students and for all members of her community.
Inclusion and community around every corner
One of the technologies presented was called Active floor. It’s a ceiling-hanging projector-based system that looks like something you might find at Dave and Busters where students can interact with a variety of games by walking over images projected onto the floor.
According to Principal Grant, students can use the Active Floor as what she called “Brain Breaks.”
Brain breaks are when students need to take a quick break from the day and recharge. “Students need to be active, and this gives them the opportunity to do so,” she said.
Aside from game-based learning, the Active Floor activity isn’t just used when students are looking to step away from the classroom for a few minutes. The software is designed for students to not only play games but create games which they can then share with their peers to interact with.
The Fickett School offers not just one, but three active floors, one specifically designed with activities for special education (primarily autistic students) that offer a slightly different graphic set as well as an active floor designed for special education activities. social and emotional learning.
In addition to the technology found in the school, there is another special place found within the walls of Fickett that is designed to help students learn, care, and give back to their community.
The community garden
Set in an interior courtyard is a vegetable garden which is a true community experience. In the garden, students learn to plant seeds and grow their own food, then they share that food with those in need in the community.
The game room.
One of the most impressive learning spaces at Fickett Elementary School was the playroom. The game room is used as an incentive space for students who earn points throughout the week. (Think Hogwarts)
In the games room, students are immersed in a number of exciting activities including cooperative basketball, air hockey, a LEGO wall, GIANT Connect 4, virtual reality and more.
Connecting with students in the classroom.
Where it was extremely fun to interact with the school building itself and have the opportunity to test out basketball, video games and digital projection technology, the best part of the day was definitely was when the Microsoft Innovative Educators had the opportunity to help classroom teachers by reading a book to students in their classroom.
I had the opportunity to join a second class and read them the book Carmela full of wishes. The book is about a little girl who goes on a trip with her brother on her birthday.
Once the students and I finished the book, the magic happened in the classroom. With the help of the student’s homeroom teacher and their special education teacher, the students opened their Chromebooks and launched Nearpod where they were asked to recall their knowledge of what they remembered from the book by drawing a image of the beginning, middle and end with a very informative conversation about how everyone remembered the story.
Fickett Elementary School is a wonderful place to learn
From the moment I walked into Fickett Elementary School to the moment the bus pulled away, I couldn’t help but be part of the culture and positive energy that was pouring out of every student, every staff member and every hallway.
A tour of Fickett Elementary School by Jeffrey Bradbury
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Principal Grant, her staff, and the PTA, students at Fickett Elementary School enjoy a beautiful and engaging learning environment.
Thank you Fickette!
Once the session is over and all Microsoft Innovative Education Experts hopped on the bus, each of us beamed with excitement from our experiences. It was a fantastic opportunity to have the opportunity to meet incredible students supported by exceptional teachers, led by a dynamic and incomparable director at Benita Grant.
Thank you, Fickett, for allowing us into your school, and thank you Microsoft Education for putting together this amazing learning experience.
This post was originally created and posted on the TeacherCast Educational Network website. The only place to read this as original content is https://www.TeacherCast.net.