Microsoft’s Hack The Classroom Live Event

As a Microsoft Showcase School, Renton Prep is a proud leader in incorporating new learning tools into the classroom. This year, our teachers and students participated in Microsoft’s Hack the Classroom event. Held annually, Hack the Classroom is an opportunity for students and educators to share their tips and tricks in an effort to spark creativity and curiosity. This real-time, virtual event allows educators from across the United States to share their insights with each other and their students.

Below is an overview of Renton Prep’s involvement in the 2017 Microsoft’s Hack the Classroom event. This event exemplifies how our students and teachers are incorporating new technology to make a difference in the world.

2017 Microsoft Hack the Classroom Live

This year, Renton teacher Erikk Hood and two Renton students, Welala Solomon and Leah Matthew, shared their work using Microsoft’s classroom tools. Erikk Hood started the video by discussing how students use the remix philosophy, most notably practiced by Kirby Ferguson, to copy, transform, and combine existing media to make a new educational experience. Specifically, Mr. Hood talked about students’ remix projects relating to the seminal Maya Angelou poem, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.” Students read the poem, attended a live performance, and even watched an autobiographical movie based on Angelou’s life to provide greater context.

The students used visual, audio, imagery, and their own voices to create a video remix encompassing their experiences with the Caged Bird poem. Additionally, students used some of the following Microsoft tools to complete their remix projects:

• Sway
• OneNote
• PowerPoint Recording
• Microsoft Photos

Each of these tools allows students to add their own creativity and personality to the project.

Making a Difference

Once Mr. Hood was finished, he introduced his students Welala Solomon and Leah Matthew to talk about their own project. The students described their current global initiative: offering rubber gloves to rural hospitals in Ethiopia and India. Using OneNote, the students were able to gather videos, articles, and photos to advance this mission. By gathering all of the supporting materials in one place, it’s easy for the students and those who support their efforts to understand the problem and why it’s being addressed.

For the full video from 2017 Microsoft’s Hack the Classroom Live, please click here or see below:

At Renton Prep, we prepare our students to make a lasting impact in the real world through a well-rounded education. Using the latest technology and teaching methods, Renton Prep students have the tools they need to make a true difference. If you’d like to learn more about Renton Prep, please contact us today.