Summer school should be an exciting experience, not a punishment. Tips for using technology to plan curriculum are examined.
Every year, many students do not pass their classes that they took during the regular school calendar year. This leaves them few options: repeating the grade, getting private tutors or home schooling, or, the most popular administrative option-- summer school. Summer school is not popular with kids, for many reasons: it is hot, it ruins the summer, and, most of all, it is boring. Teachers should strive to make their lessons as interesting as possible. Using available technology can help students pass these classes while also taking their minds off of the heat, the wasted time, and the boredom.
Long term projects that incorporate several concepts and content areas can keep students engaged and on task for long periods of time.
Using MS Publisher to create brochures about a selected nation can satisfy many requirements. Students can research information about the country, such as:
- Population
- Land area
- Flag
- Government
- Language or languages spoken
- Customs and traditions
- History
- Climate
- Economy
- Natural resources
Each of these items has a place in the curriculum. For example, government, history, customs and traditions, and economy cover a social studies component. An examination of the flag can lead to a discussion of art and political artifacts.
Languages can be studied in a world languages class and also in a language arts or an English class in order to identify grammatical similarities and word derivations. Students can find books in the library that are representative of the literature of the nation.
A writing component can include writing a persuasive essay convincing the reader of the merits of one nation's form of government versus another.
Climate is a topic that can be studied in science, as well as natural resources and the country's space program. Land area and population statistics are useful in illustrating how graphing works, along with word problems from an elementary to an advanced level (How does the population of Afghanistan compare to that of Lichtenstein? What is the ratio of population to land area of these two countries? What statement can you make about the density of the population within these two countries?).
The opportunities to differentiate instruction are endless, especially needed in a diverse summer school classroom. Lessons can be easily centered around the brochure and nation themes, and tailored to the individual as well, by posting them for the student on his or her own webpage. It only takes a bit of imagination and creativity to develop an entire summer curriculum that will make students successful in summer school.
