News

When you bring together educators and staff that are collaborative, creative, and committed to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) education, the results can be described as innovative, authentic, and awe-inspiring. And thanks to the dedication of Kirk Benson (STEAM Specialist), Naomi Smith (6th Grade Teacher), Chad Rail (PE Teacher), and Chris Sorley (Head Custodian), that’s exactly the kind of learning experience the 6th grade students had at Cherrelyn Elementary this year! 

In collaboration with Trout Unlimited Colorado, the Carson Nature Center and Platte Park, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, students had the unique opportunity to learn about Colorado's ecology and the importance of sustaining our natural environments through a STEAM-aligned project focused on raising trout in preparation for release into the wild. Thanks to the tremendous support from Trout Unlimited Colorado, students were able to raise trout from egg to juvenile over a period of months, frequently testing the water to ensure it was a healthy environment, documenting fish growth and development in detailed logs, and learning more about trout life cycles and biology. 

When asked about the impact of having a fish tank full of trout for all to see and the additional responsibility of caring for over 100 trout, Kirk Benson said, “the impact on the school in general was noticeable, and our younger students were engaged and frequently wanting to help out with the trout to feed, add water, and so on.” He adds, “Kindergarten and first graders drew artworks to decorate our tank while the eggs were hatching, and there were so many connections all around! The impact on my older students who work more closely with the trout was immense. They were able to not only raise living things, but learned in a real and authentic way and connected the learning to local waterways.”

Perhaps the most exciting event throughout this whole experience arrived on April 24th, 2023, when the 6th grade students, who for months cared for and raised all the trout, had the opportunity to release them into the wild!

Students, teachers, and members of Trout Unlimited Colorado carefully transferred the fish from the tank to specially designed buckets and made their way down to the Carson Nature Center and Platte Park, located right on the South Platte River just east of Chatfield Reservoir. From there, students learned more about the South Platte River area (thanks to the guides from Carson Nature Center), including how it has changed over time and the ecological importance of the river. 

And then came the best part… the students took a short hike down to a small landing area on the river, and they prepared the fish for release into the South Platte! After a few final water measurements to ensure a safe and successful release, students began to introduce the trout into the wild. The experience was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Think about it… how many people can say they raised rainbow trout from eggs and released them into the wild?

"It was amazing- I want to do something like this for my career," said one of the students, reflecting on the experience. 

Another student shared, "I was excited to see how the trout instantly acted like wild fish!" 

The day was not limited to releasing trout, as the students also had a chance to explore other aspects of the South Platte River ecology, including a chance to catch and learn more about crayfish. They also learned about the history of the South Platte River area, including how naturally occurring weathering events such as erosion shaped the area.

It was a day filled with innovative and authentic learning. Students made so many real connections, including a deeper understanding and appreciation for the incredible and dynamic landscapes that surround us in Colorado. 

When asked about this experience as a whole, one student shared, “I was able to learn that the fish need the right temperature for them to live. A highlight for me was how we needed to clean the tank, take the temperature, and find the pH level to keep the fish alive. The most rewarding part was getting to take care of the fish.”

Another student shared, “I learned that  when you put trout in water, you have to do it gently, a couple at a time, and find the right temperature.  One highlight was we were able to find and hold  macroinvertebrates in the pond on the field trip. The most rewarding part was releasing the trout in the river”

Ever the ongoing learner himself, even Mr. Benson took a moment to share his reflection on the experience. “This experience allowed me to learn alongside my students. It was a program I was new to this year, and I was equally as engaged in it as my students. It reiterated for me the incredible impact of our SAGE (Sustainable Agriculture and Green Energy) Career and Technical Education program, and the importance of engaging in outdoor learning experiences with our students. The program gave me and my students opportunities to share publicly about our learning as well, as a few six graders presented to the Board of Education. I was also able to co-present to Colorado Trout Unlimited. Both experiences allowed us to authentically engage with the wider audience that we are often hoping to share our learning with in the classroom.

The project allowed the students to spend quality time in nature and connect with the environment in a meaningful way. The students not only gained a deeper understanding of Colorado's ecology but also developed valuable skills in collaboration, scientific inquiry, and environmental stewardship.”

Truly, this was an incredible learning experience for everyone involved. And thanks to the dedication of educators, staff, and organizations like Kirk Benson, Naomi Smith, Chad Rail, Chris Sorley, and Colorado Trout Unlimited, students at Cherrelyn Elementary had a chance to experience true innovation in action!

Innovation in Action is a periodic column designed to highlight innovative practices happening in our district. If you are interested in submitting a story to be highlighted in a future “Innovation in Action” column, or if you have questions, please contact Paul Whitaker.

On April 15th, students from Charles Hay World School and Bishop Elementary came together to celebrate their accomplishments in design thinking, project-based learning, robotics, computer science, and engineering… all through the magic of Lego! As participants in First Lego League Explore, students were challenged to learn about and design Lego models of different energy sources and how they are captured, stored, distributed, and used. Through the design-thinking process, students then had to test and retest their builds using principles of computer coding, engineering, and design. Finally, they were tasked with putting together a presentation that highlighted their learning journey, while also providing an audience of families, peers, and First Lego League judges the opportunity to see their Lego builds in action!

And what is a day focused on design thinking without the chance to see even bigger robots in action? In partnership with high school students from Regis Jesuit High School and Mullen High School, our Charles Hay and Bishop students had the opportunity to witness and drive robots that compete in state and national robotics competitions!

It was a day filled with innovation, authentic learning, and most importantly, fun and excitement! This experience was just another example of innovation in action, and how Englewood Schools creates big opportunities in a small district. Congratulations to all our young engineers from Charles Hay World School and Bishop Elementary!

Innovative learning opportunities are designed by innovative educators. A special shoutout goes to Brent Valente (STEAM Teacher at Bishop) and Kay Bolerjack (STEAM Teacher at Charles Hay) for recognizing the potential of bringing this opportunity to life for our students. Without their time, effort, energy, and focus on innovative teaching and learning, none of this would have been possible. Thank you, Brent and Kay, for your commitment to creating authentic learning experiences focused on the development of skills our students need to succeed in school and beyond!

Innovation in Action is a periodic column designed to highlight innovative practices happening in our district. If you are interested in submitting a story to be highlighted in a future “Innovation in Action” column, or if you have questions, please contact Paul Whitaker.

Creating learning experiences where students have a chance to demonstrate mastery of standards is what educators do each and every day. We take a curricular resource aligned to standards, prepare the necessary materials, differentiate as needed for our students, and execute the lesson plan. What happens, though, when a teacher makes the choice to take it a step further? What happens when a teacher recognizes an opportunity to increase accessibility and engagement, and in doing so takes the risk to try something new and different?

That is innovation in action. Sometimes it's trying an approach that has never been done before, and other times it's simply improving an experience or lesson that already exists. Either way, both approaches require initiative and an innovator’s mindset focused on what is best for our students in today’s educational environment. Kayla Davis (3rd Grade Teacher, Cherrelyn) and Scott Mountz (Special Education Teacher, Cherrelyn) are both educators that embrace an innovator’s mindset, recognizing an opportunity to increase engagement and accessibility in a lesson by making a simple, yet profound improvement to an EL Education lesson for their third grade students.

Traditionally, students would be guided through a text under the careful watch of their teachers, connect to their learning target or targets during the lesson, and then record or demonstrate their understanding of the learning target by writing in a workbook or graphic organizer. Kayla and Scott recognized that some of these graphic organizers, while beneficial, often produced low engagement and were at times difficult to access, especially for students with specific needs related to their learning. They collaborated and decided to make one small, yet powerful adjustment to the lesson by including Book Creator, an online tool that allows students to create digital books complete with unique features completely selected by the creator (images, backgrounds, text variations, and much more). Instead of using workbooks, students were creating books. The book creation process allowed for differentiation based on user creativity and ability. Students were able to demonstrate their understanding more clearly, concisely, and most importantly, in a way that highlights off their own creative expression. 

"The constant repetition of writing in a workbook became challenging,” explains Mountz. “The graphic organizers weren’t always differentiated, and it was difficult for some of our students to demonstrate their understanding. Now our students can select images to explain their thinking as we scribe their thoughts.” 

"Once we started using Book Creator, student engagement improved tenfold,” adds Davis. “From a planning standpoint, we no longer need to worry about engagement. We are creating true excitement with our students. We are able to quickly see what the students are doing, help make quick edits, and provide quick feedback digitally. Learning is fun for our students!”

You may be wondering… what do students think about this innovative approach to learning? 

"l like Book Creator more because it’s more creative. Instead of just typing, you can add in special things like coloring, backgrounds, and pictures. And we get to make our writing into a book!” - Stella W.

"I like using Book Creator because you can draw, add in your writing, and I can find pictures to help me answer the questions.” - Stella S.

"Normally we would write this (responses) on a piece of paper. I like this way more because it helps us to get our ideas out because we can type it out. I also like it more because we get a space to add in images on an image search and it to our writing.”- Dylan

"I love it because you can search images to add to your writing. I love that you can change the color of the pages. It can help me understand books more by actually making a book, and then reading it.” - Zoey

"I like Book Creator more because it is kind of magic how you can just add in your text wherever you want, and you can make it bigger or smaller or change the color. My favorite part about Book Creator is adding in pictures that help.” - Greyson

It’s easy to see from these students’ reactions that this intentional adjustment to the learning experience is addressing exactly what Kayla and Scott were looking to address: increased student engagement and accessibility. Together, they  took the initiative and explored an innovative approach, made adjustments to the learning experience, practiced this new approach with students, and executed their plan during the EL Education lesson. 

This is innovation in action. Thank you, Kayla and Scott, for taking the risk and the time to create this learning experience for your students!

Innovation in Action is a periodic column designed to highlight innovative practices happening in our district. If you are interested in submitting a story to be highlighted in a future “Innovation in Action” column, or if you have questions, please contact Paul Whitaker.