Kentucky Academy of Technology Education

Exploring Autumn Changes with Young Learners

Core Connections

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcbeth

By:  Deborah Summers, McCracken County Schools

The air crackles with cold, the wind howls around the eaves and swirls of colorful leaves crunch under our sneakers. Autumn is here and with it come changes that preschoolers need to learn about. When working each day with young children we cover the calendar, months, years, seasons and weather. These things become much more meaningful when we can make hands on connections by exploring the world around us. Grownups already know that if you jump into a pile of crisp fall leaves with a wet sucker you're in for a disappointment. Alas, children have to find this out for themselves.

Helping children realize that during the Autumn season trees go dormant and leaves change color is an important building block in developing higher level thinking. Giving them the knowledge that there is a sequence or a cycle to life that will always be repeated helps build a platform for their understanding of science in the future.

Read More...

KET EncycloMedia in Kentucky Schools

Instructional Illuminations

© Copyright 2009, KET

Calloway County Schools are implementing KET EncycloMedia districtwide in Pre-K - Grade 12 and alternative education programs. KET EncycloMedia incorporates Discovery Education's Video Streaming services free-of-charge to all Kentucky educators. This resource was made available during the 2006-2007 school year. Teachers are ecstatic that the current contract runs through the 2009-2010 school year. Teachers and students are praising KET EncycloMedia.

KET EncycloMedia brings life to static lessons. The rich visual and audio content meets the needs of diverse learners. Technology has changed society and must be embraced in education. A variety of education research is available regarding the use of technology in education and on modes of communication to reach students. Twenty-first Century students have been noted to avoid and discredit conventional lesson delivery mediums. They are unimpressed by black and white text that education has traditionally used to communicate information. Research even supports that black and white text is the last item on screen or hardcopy that this generation views. They scan the outer edges and hone in on color use to grab their attention. Today's students may only venture to explore black and white text if they have been captured by the topic, and KET EncycloMedia is an avenue teachers can use to bring excitement to content and bridge the communication gap with their students.

Read More...