Submitted by  Lindsay Montanye
5th Grade Teacher, Fort Garrison Elementary School

​As a first year teacher, working in a county that has been so technologically advanced has truly been a blessing. I just recently graduated from Salisbury University, and I was actually required to take a class about how to use technology in the classroom. I also took many classes through Salisbury’s Education Program that enabled me and showed me how to make the most of the technology in my classroom. Going from the college experience to actually being a classroom teacher means that I get to apply everything I learned in college to my classroom, teaching, and students.

I am very happy and thrilled to be teaching 5th grade at Fort Garrison Elementary School, a Lighthouse School. Working in a Lighthouse School gives me endless opportunities and possibilities in the sense of how I teach the material given to me in Baltimore County’s curriculum.  Each one of my students has had and used their own device on a daily basis for three years now. This means they are well versed in how to use their device properly and effectively. My students are so great at using their devices that they even run to my side if I am ever having trouble working my technology. Also, in the case that we have a student who is new to our Lighthouse School and new to devices in general my students are so remarkable at teaching the new student how to work a device that it brings me a sense of peace.

My 5th grade students use their devices in a countless number of ways daily. For example, they go on Dreambox to practice their math skills, they use Discovery Education and BrainPop for research projects, and more. Since I teach 5th grade, my students are very independent learners and love to have opportunities to explore their own learning. I make the most of this independence by assigning them lesson tiles with links, files, directions, and more that students will need throughout a lesson. I also make a chart each day with each reading group’s rotations and post it to a lesson tile so students can work at their own pace and be informed as to what they have to get done for the day. Another efficient way that I use my device is by creating turn-ins on BCPS One. Students turn in their work to the turn-in in the form of Microsoft Word documents or PowerPoints to decrease the amount of paper we use.

Overall, being a first year teacher in a Lighthouse School has been an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to continue to use technology on a daily basis in my classroom! I am happy that I’m able to use the knowledge and skills I gained in my college career in my classroom. I also feel that being a teacher in a Lighthouse School has supplied me with endless opportunities to engage and captivate my students in our everyday lessons. I am especially thankful that our county is so focused on preparing its students for life in a digital age. 

Teaching social studies is an ever-changing adventure and requires a classroom that is flexible.  At the beginning of the year I was struggling with making the room cohesive with responsive lessons.   There were many times when students needed to work together in small or large groups.  Other times required more direct instruction.  The solution for me was to create a more fluid room arrangement.  In this type of classroom, the students create the type of arrangements that fit the lesson.  Sometimes the students work independently or with a partner.  Other times they need to work in small, or even large groups of 6-8.  By making a few quick and easy transitions, the desks can be moved and partners can now join up with other to create groups.  In this, lessons can flow from group instruction, to research with a partner for reinforcement to group projects and then back again to accommodate the next class.  

Submitted by Kerry Flanigan
Assistant Principal, Joppa View Elementary

Teachers at Joppa View Elementary have transformed their classrooms into learner-centered environments. Several teachers took a moment to reflect on how these changes have affected their teaching style and students' learning. 

Submitted by Katie Cox
S.T.A.T. Teacher, Mays Chapel Elementary 

Back on September 11, this blog showcased some early teacher reflections on learner-centered environments from Mays Chapel Elementary. That brief video has been updated with more insights from teachers, clips of students working in their flexible spaces, and student voices. Check it out:

Submitted by: Katie Cox - S.T.A.T Teacher, Mays Chapel Elementary,
Katie Schmidt - 5th Grade Teacher, Rodgers Forge Elementary & 
David Robb - Supervisor, Dept. of Innovative Learning

After reflecting on training about learner-centered environments from the Lighthouse Summer Institute, many teachers are being very thoughtful about how to set up their classrooms this year. 

This first video reflection featuring Bethany Banks and Shantell Breen at Mays Chapel was taken during the week before students arrived as teachers were setting up their classrooms. 

The second video reflection from Rodgers Forge 5th grade teacher Katie Schmidt was recorded after just two weeks with students. As you'll hear, making the classroom more student-centered takes some adjustment, but Katie is already noticing more student engagement.

Submitted by Yvonne Barhight
Principal, Hawthorne Elementary 

Hawthorne Elementary teachers have been hard at work setting up learner-centered environments. Check out the creative spaces teachers have been preparing for opening day . . .