A St. John’s Episcopal School teaching team has been recognized by Microsoft Corporation with an invitation to the U.S. Innovative Education Forum. Mrs. LeAnne Wyatt, who teaches Middle School social studies, and Mrs. Susan Hopper, an integrated curriculum administrator, will travel to Washington D.C. July 28 – 31 to participate in the invitation-only, expense-paid event.

The Innovative Teachers Forums are part of the Innovative Teachers program, a global community of educators sponsored by Microsoft Partners in Learning. The forums are annual events that recognize and reward innovative teachers who practice the elements of 21st century learning in their classrooms and incorporate these skills into the student learning environment.

Microsoft selected Wyatt and Hopper for their creation of a seventh grade social studies final exam project, which became a culmination of the digital literacy skills students had learned across all subjects throughout the year. Capping a study of World War II, Wyatt challenged her students with the essential question, “How does war affect the lives of everyday people, and how do these changes vary based on who you are and where you live?”

Students worked in pairs to assume the persona of someone who had lived during World War II. Whether they became a German soldier in Stalingrad or a member of a D-Day invasion team, their research not only helped develop critical thinking skills, but also allowed them to explore how perspectives of a single event can vary significantly. To present the projects, each pair of students first created a PowerPoint presentation that told the story of their persona through pictures. After describing their personas, students then shared their event research via podcasts, incorporating elements from history, such as music or advertisements, to enrich their broadcasts.

In the end, students honed lifelong skills by applying what they had learned about digital literacy, presentations and research to their study of World War II. “It was a collaborative effort,” says Wyatt, “and one that reinforced skills these students will carry forward to high school and college.”

This is the third time a St. John’s teaching team has been recognized by the Microsoft Innovative Teachers Forums. In previous years, St. John’s teachers have been selected for a digital portfolio project and a Green Ribbon School project.