Friendswood ISD Mustang Pride Unleashed! Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 12

Friendswood Junior High Lessons in Motion A group of students put their programming skills to the test as they drive the Sphero robot to navigate the maze. Once the Friendswood Junior High library was just a room with shelves of books, and a place where kids could come to quietly read books and do research. FJH reinvented the once traditional "library” into the Mustang Media Center (MMC). Though traditional research activities continue in the MMC, dynamic, interactive spaces have been added offering technology integration and opportunities for collaboration. “I really enjoy the MMC. We are able to use all the technology with our lessons and it is not only a library.” - Molly English Language Art classes are having a “book tasting” to read passages of different books and make a choice for the next book they will read. Science students are creating atoms with the interactive television. Students drag and drop parts of the atom into place based on the atomic structure. The MMC is an updated and relevant learning space conducive for promoting 21st Century skills needed for today's student. There are seven different areas that can be reserved by not only teachers but also by students. All areas can be adapted for any lesson. On a typical day, there may be a group of students working on a coding activity using Chromebooks, while another group of students uses the Tech Team Up area to play an interactive review FJH experiments with NASA Astronauts game. There are a variety of interactive tools available to students such as Spheros, Ozobots, Cubelets, Cosmo Robots, and Little Bits. Students also have access to two green screen areas for creating and producing their own original videos. “I like the organization in the MMC and I can find everything. I also like all the different activities.” - Leah This updated and dynamic space is full of creativity and authentic learning. The Integration Specialists work with teachers to transform lessons and teach new skills, as they endeavor to create a relevant and transformational space for the learners of today. 12 Thursday, February 1, students from Friendswood Junior High School participated live in a sugar crystal growth experiment on Earth while they watched astronauts on the International Space Station perform the same experiment.