This months Teacher spotlight is on Tiffany Summersett, a social worker at The Washington Community School in the Plainfield Public School District. Tiffany is one of many outstanding Social Workers and Practitioners in the district and we are excited to share her story.
Tiffany used SILAS for a general education 4th grade presentation for Ms. Tiffany Wingate’s classroom. She had the 4th graders learn about the topic of Conflict Resolution and then create social animations.
What brought you to use SILAS/What problems does SILAS help you solve? 4th grade series on Conflict Resolution
How do your students/clients feel about SILAS? The students love using SILAS
What component of the curriculum is your favorite? Allowing the students to make their social animations.
What has been your favorite SILAS story or experience? Watching the students show their creativity through their demonstrations.
What advice might you share with a teacher considering using SILAS in their classroom or with clients? Everything is outlined in the program, and allow your students to be themselves.
As an EdTech company one of our favorite things to hear about is when practitioners partner up to use SILAS. Cross curricular collaboration helps teachers brainstorm new ideas in the classroom and develops higher level thinking skills for students. So when Stacy Gray, the District Technology Coach and ELL Service Provider for East Greenwich School District, asked us how she could use SILAS to support her colleagues’ SEL efforts we knew great things would come from it. Stacy has partnered Mrs. Kristen Lombardo the School Counselor for the East Greenwich 3-6 building. We are excited to share their story below.
Five students from East Greenwich School District make an animated SEL Skit using a student written script.
SILAS: How do you integrate SILAS into your schedule?
Mrs. Gray & Mrs. Lombardo: Our 5th and 6th grade classes have been working with Mrs. Lombardo ( our school counselor) on various conflict resolution scenarios and how to find positive resolutions. After working in groups on a selected topic, students created a script, rehearsed, and then used our new avatar video creation software (Silas) to create a short movie. Our students had a blast creating and producing by choosing characters and scenes and then bringing their scripts to life by acting it out on screen. I also used Silas to encourage confident speaking skills with my ELL students in preparation for ACCESS testing. They did an interview, comparable to a news interview about a book they read. They spoke with clarity, emotion, and confidence. I feel using Silas has helped them to feel more prepared and confident to speak in front of others. Our special education and social skills students used Silas during our summer program and it was a huge success. Finally, our LIFT Club is an afterschool activity that plan schoolwide and community outreach events. They had a fundraiser for local animal shelters and used Silas to create commercials promoting the collections they needed. The commercials were played during homeroom in every class. It was awesome!
SILAS: What brought you to use SILAS/What problems does SILAS help you solve?
Mrs. Gray & Mrs. Lombardo: Techspo/ It has been helpful for social skills, ELL, and SEL
SILAS: How do your students/clients feel about SILAS?
Mrs. Gray & Mrs. Lombardo: The students really enjoy using Silas.
SILAS: What component of the curriculum is your favorite?
Mrs. Gray & Mrs. Lombardo: The software!
SILAS: What has been your favorite SILAS story or experience?
Mrs. Gray & Mrs. Lombardo: We really enjoy watching our shyest students shine and come out of their shell when speaking through Silas.
SILAS: What advice might you share with a teacher considering using SILAS in their classroom or with clients?
Mrs. Gray & Mrs. Lombardo: I would tell them to think outside of the box! Silas can be used in so many ways with and without the SEL lessons. The students really love creating and acting. You will most likely see a whole other side of your students!
We met Veronica Svoboda towards the end of last November. You could tell immediately that she was an innovative teacher with really amazing students. She was looking to engage her students and teach them valuable social skills. Ms. Svoboda is a Special Education Teacher from the Toms River School District. She runs a self-contained Autism High School Classroom for 9th and 10th graders.
SILAS knows that every classroom is different but that teachers like hearing the success stories of other teachers. So we asked Ms. Svoboda if she would be our SILAS spotlight for January. We then asked her what she does and how she does it. We hope sharing her SILAS story can give you ideas for yours.
Students in Ms. Svoboda class creating a SILAS movie.
SILAS: How do you integrate SILAS into your schedule?
Ms. Svoboda: Any time I want to teach a social skill my students need, I often will integrate it into my reading time. I can also work with the speech teacher during our speech groups to use Silas.
SILAS: What brought you to use SILAS/What problems does SILAS help you solve?
Ms. Svoboda: My supervisor was sharing the jumpstarts on our google classroom. I did one lesson with my students and realized how much of an impact it had on my students. During a PLC with my supervisor, I inquired about the program and asked if I could have access to Silas to use in my classroom. Now that I am using it, I have access to unbelievable amounts of supportive lessons. Each lesson provides that opportunity to differentiate the instruction based on my students’ needs. My students often struggle with social skills, so Silas has provided me with an interactive approach through the use of avatars to make a movie. While making the movies, they are highly engaged since video games are very familiar to my students.
SILAS: How do your students/clients feel about SILAS?
Ms. Svoboda: My students enjoy the lessons and really seem to be able to connect with the lesson. They also enjoy and love creating the movies with the avatars. It gives them the opportunity to have a voice.
SILAS: What component of the curriculum is your favorite?
Ms. Svoboda: I like how organized and detailed each lesson is. It provides objectives, materials, activities, and questions to even ask your students. I love that there’s not much pre-planning I need to do before a lesson. It gives me the flexibility to use whatever I need for my students.
SILAS: What has been your favorite SILAS story or experience?
Ms. Svoboda: Watching my students being able to create their own movie for the first time with a partner. Some guidance was needed, but seeing them being able to connect with the lesson through the movie really helped them understand. They all wanted to share their movies with their friends after they were created.
SILAS: What advice might you share with a teacher considering using SILAS in their classroom or with clients?
Ms. Svoboda: I believe that it’s a program any classroom can really benefit from. Social skills are very important and these lessons provide all the materials. I encourage any teacher to just try it one time. I feel they will really see the benefits it provides.
