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How It All Began
By Tracy Tomm 1/16/2010 It all started with an idea for weekly science feature ... Ted Connolly of 62644.com contacted me in December of 2009 about starting a weekly science show for my website, The Science Spot. Although I thought it was a great idea, I really wanted a way to get my students involved in the show instead of it just being me. After tossing around several ideas with Ted, my fellow teachers, and my students, the project began to go way beyond our little science project to blossom into a school news network! On January 14th, Ted visited with Mr. Roddis' 8th grade reading class. They came up with lots of ideas as well as the name "iDucks", which was used to create our offical project name. The students have brainstormed ideas for shows and are developing an after-school iDucks club to help coordinate the project. From an assortment of special features to a weekly newscast, the students have a ton of great ideas to help them share their school activities with the parents and community. Our teachers are also brainstorming ideas on how they can incorporate the broadcasting studio and equipment into projects that will allow students to apply what they are learning in their classes. In the next few weeks, Ted will be helping us create a broadcasting studio at the school complete with student-designed sets and professional lighting. He will also provide tips and tricks to help the students create quality news reports that are geared for web-based delivery. I will be working with the iDucks team to teach them how to create videos using Movie Maker that include video clips, digital images, voiceovers, and music. In addition to sponsoring the iDuck club, I will also be working with several of them to teach them the basics of website management so that they will be able to take over full control of the website. What does the future hold? With the interest I've seen from the students, I can predict that this project will continue to develop and become a great communication tool for our school district. My 8th grade students will be able to continue the program at the high school and become mentors for our younger students as they take over the project at the junior high. Check out our Photo Gallery from the first few years ... |
iDuck Mission
Provide opportunities for students to apply their technology and communication skills in a real world setting Provide students with opportunities to use a variety of technology tools and software to increase communication between the school and the community. Provide mentoring opportunities for older students to share their experiences with younger ones so they will be able to continue the program in future years. If you would like to support this project, send an e-mail to the iDuckNetwork Team or contact Mrs. Tracy Tomm at (309)543-6677 Watch the iDuck Network Promo Advertisement |