The JOY of Learning!

Think back to your most powerful learning moment from elementary school.  Was there a struggle involved? Were you following someone's lead or did you discover something yourself? Who was there to share this experience with? 

I had the pleasure of watching some joyful learning moments in a kindergarten class. Students were reading stories together that they had created themselves, using the Story Buddy app. Some of them had also created a book through iBook Author, that was available online and in a hardback book that included orginal art work. The joy found within their expressive voices when sharing about their creating experiences, along with the facts about owls and other birds (the topic of the book), was rich and powerful. 

The teacher explained that the app was new, and some of the students had modeled how to use this with the whole group. Minutes later, the students huddled up into small groups, or with a partner of their choice to explore and work. Laughter and silliness along with productivity and facts created a contagious medley of learning within this class. There was a struggle and even some tears as a student or two communicated their opinions and expectations to their teammates. The teacher guided these moments with questions, and gave options for students. 

I found it difficult to leave this classroom, it was a fun and exciting place to learn. The kindergarten students have inspired me to try out Story Buddy, and I imagine that I'll pay more attention when I see or hear an owl.