N OR TH HI L LS SC HO OL DI STRI C T N E WS
or th Hills School District
Project Connect!
Opening a World of Education Opportunities for NHSD Students
A
s part of the district’s wide-ranging and multi-year
Innovations in Education Plan, Project Connect put iPads
into the hands of all sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade
students across all district elementary schools and at North Hills
Middle School this school year.
Project Connect embeds project-based learning throughout
the curriculum and utilizes technology as a tool for personalizing
instruction for every student. Through Project Connect, we are
striving to present our students with a world of possibilities
by cultivating an innovative and problem-solving learning
environment that incorporates vital skills for college and career
readiness such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking
and creativity.
We’ll be sharing photos and stories throughout the year about
the activities and lessons made possible for our students by
Project Connect on the Project Connect website at www.nhsd.
net/projectconnect.aspx.
Here are just a few examples of how our teachers are
incorporating this learning tool into their classrooms to prepare
students for successful futures. Students are using their iPads to:
• Create stop-motion animation videos and an accompanying
script to answer the question “Why did Jamestown struggle to
survive?” or “What caused the hysteria in Salem in 1692?” Within
the video, students provided evidence to support their story
depending on their area of focus. Stop Motion is a technique
of taking still images or drawings of objects and then moving
38 Ross Township
them slightly to produce an illusion that these objects have
come to life. Students used materials such as Legos, characters
and modeling clay among other items.
• Complete assignments in the new, fully digital English language
arts curriculum, Study Sync. During English language arts
lessons, students are reading texts, annotating and answering
questions related to texts they have read on their iPads.
• Research a country from around the globe using multiple
sources and videos to create an iBook detailing the nation’s
geography, history, culture, economics and government using
the Book Creator app. Some students added their own voices
reading their project or their nation’s anthem.