Long Beach Public Schools Media Specialist Lorie Hartfield was excited to share an overview of the elementary Specialized Program Integrating Research, International-Mindedness, and Technology (SPIRIT) program with members of the Board of Education at the March 28 meeting.
All Long Beach students in third, fourth and fifth grade attend SPIRIT. The SPIRIT program incorporates library research skills, IB (International Baccalaureate) principles from the PYP (Primary Years Program) in IB, 21st century technology, specifically utilizing Google Apps for Education and creative problemsolving and team building activities.
Hartfield started her presentation sharing, “Although the program has been in place for over 10 years, we’ve had the opportunity to incorporate some new and enhanced components this year, such as the district-created Profile of a Graduate (POG) Traits and the recently completed Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards.” Team challenges, a favorite of many students, research skills include lessons on information source reliability, avoiding plagiarism, paraphrasing and citing sources, the virtual field trips to other countries and the ePortfolios all provide students with a conscious awareness of themselves and the graduate trait skills they will need to be successful.
As for the technology part of SPIRIT, the district follows NYS standards to guide and focus digital literacy. Students understand that coding requires logical thinking, with or without a computer. SPIRIT’s Adventures in Coding unit has students gaining foundational coding skills through unplugged experiences as well as in-depth coding processes online that both allow for plenty of creativity.
New this year are the Google ePortfolios, a place where students can post reflections on their work in SPIRIT, as well as their interests and pursuits both inside and outside of school. The ePortfolio will carry forward through their time in Long Beach Schools and allows them to look back by reading posts and viewing pictures of work they are proud of, their thoughts, strengths, goals and achievements at each grade.
Students are beginning to be prepared for a future with unknown job titles, but they will have the intellectual, technical and social skill sets we already know work in a rapidly changing world.
See highlights of SPIRIT, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqdzzSKMB74
Date Added: 4/6/2023