Connecting students with nature

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Starting next week I am going to be working on my "magic spot" project with students.  I have been doing this without technology for a couple of years but I want to incorporate technology more meaningfully into the students work. 

So, starting next week I will be taking a couple of grade three students and some iPads outside.  They will take a photograph of their spot.  With hope we will get outside every school day and take a photo.  We will then put these photos together into a stop motion video. 

I hope to create deeper connections between people and places. Often at international schools I feel that students and teachers do not feel connected to their place.  When people feel more connected they will be more likely to take action for their space (check out my thesis if you're really more interested in this). 

Would love some ideas if anyone has them. 

Blogging and Students

Finally I've started with students and blogging and reactivated the class twitter account.  It's a totally different experience working as a single subject teacher rather than a classroom teacher.  Right now I'm trying to lay down the groundwork to bring the idea of blogging into classes.

The students loved it. Instead of reflecting just for themselves and spurring no action. The students had to think about what they as a class learned and then the one student scribe had to think about specifically what she learned. It was wonderful and easy really.

I feel like it's a good start, just need to keep it up by forming those good habits.