Online Bulletin Board Helps Latin Students

Classrooms are changing. Pencils and blackboards have been replaced by iPads and Smart Boards. Throughout Regional School District 13, teachers and students have embraced the change. This week, Patch asks teachers in Durham and Middlefield to share their stories about the impact technology has had in the classroom.

Teacher: Katy Reddick

School: Strong Middle School (Grades 7-8)

Technology: Students are using LINO, an online bulletin board, to collect and share Latin phrases that they encounter outside of the classroom. Students have found phrases in independent reading books, TV shows, church, movies, t-shirts and flags. 

How have students benefited from the technology? Students have been surprised by how often they encounter Latin in daily life. It has definitely made their learning more relevant and meaningful. Students have been able to practice their online etiquette sharing the board with classmates. Students LOVE the social interaction of seeing what their classmates are doing.

Memorable moment: One student posted squid pro quo from Austin Powers, another found Et tu, Bro-te on How I Met Your Mother, another realized his priest was using some in a homily.

Mrs. Reddick’s Sententiae (Latin Phrases) project has undergone changes and she has always tried to bring a new technological edge to it. Last year, her students created wikis to show off their phrases and these sites are still active on Mrs. Reddick’s website as a resource. In its next iteration, before the end of the school year, Strong Latin students will probably use Tumblr.com as their showcase.

Check back Tuesday for more from Patch's Technology in the Classroom Series