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Transforming Teaching & Learning

Deer Canyon Elementary School 

Personalizing Learning for Every Child

 

Doing Business Differently 

 

To meet the present needs of our students, we must rethink teaching and learning. Children need hands on, challenge based learning opportunities to promote critical thinking skills and multiple opportunities to demonstrate knowledge. Educators must be creative, resourceful, and purposeful in our academic design. Students need frequent opportunities to collaborate with peers and build strength in critical thought and problem solving. Students need to take charge of their learning with support and guidance from their teachers.

 

For more information about the Common Core, please visit the California Department of Education (http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/) or the San Diego County Office of Education (http://www.sdcoe.net/commoncore/).

The Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics represent a set of expectations for student knowledge and skills that high school graduates need to master for success in college and careers. The standards are robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need to compete successfully in the global economy.

Common Core 

Millennial learners of today are social and collaborative, impatient and immediate,  experiential and exploratory by nature. All of these characteristics are leverage points in their educational journeys.

 

Technology is a critical resource in supporting this work by personalizing learning opportunities for students. Three years ago the Deer Canyon Foundation purchased 24 iPads with the goal of utilizing this tool to enhance student learning and increase student engagement. Excitement around this educational support grew fast and furiously both with the students and staff. Through Foundation and site funds, classroom sets of iPads expanded from one to three to five, and currently in the upper grades, eight to ten. The transformation has been incredible both in teaching and in learning.

This year, Deer Canyon became a Project RED school. This national movement (www.projectred.org)

is focused on enhancing the use of technology and creating innovative learning experiences for all students. Deer Canyon is one of thirteen elementary schools within PUSD to be selected for this project, and one of only four schools selected for training at the Apple Headquarters in Cupertino, CA. The experience was amazing and our team returned inspired, energized, and excited to share our learning with the rest of our staff. 

 

We have collectively learned a great deal over the past three years as we have worked to infuse technology with learning. We are looking forward to our next phase of our journey, implementing one to world iPad technology into grades TK - 5 where every child will utilize individual iPad technology throughout their learning day. We know it will benefit the personalized learning oppotunities we are able to share with our students as we connect them with the Common Core State Standards.

Deer Canyon Adopts One to World

 

The SAMR model assists us in better understanding and integrating technology into teaching and learning. This model, created by Dr. Robin Puentudura, illustrates ways in which digital media can be used to increase students’ overall academic achievements. While the model is drawn in a vertical alignment, the objective of technology within instruction is not to live at the top but rather to live within the model, fluctuating throughout the various levels.

 

 

While not confirmed, we anticipate being able to offer four options to families.

 

1.  Bring an iPad from home

2.  Purchase a device from school in one payment (August)

          a.  iPad with Retina, 16 GB

          b.  iPad Air, 16 GB

3.  Purchase a device from school in four payments (Aug, Oct, Jan, March)

          a.  iPad with Retina, 16 GB

          b.  iPad Air, 16 GB

4.  Borrow an iPad 2 from school

 

Four Options