25 Ways Rancho Minvera is Using Digital Tech on Digital Learning Day #DLDay

 What are you doing for Digital Learning Day?? #DLDay

 The teachers at Rancho Minerva were asked, “What are you doing in your classroom as a part of the Digital Learning Day?” 

 Here are some of their responses:

1. Creating Public Service Announcements via Haiku Deck
2. Drawing Digital Single Point Room Design via Graphic Arts Program shared on Google Drive.
3. Practicing Math skills on ST Math App
4. Preparing Multi-step writing via Notability & Google Classroom.
5. Presenting Argumentative Essays via a digital platform of their choosing.
6. Comparing Historical concepts via Compare Anything.
7. Composing Narrative Poems with image backgrounds via Haiku Deck.
8. Researching and presenting on India Research via a digital platform of their choosing.
9. Demonstrating a Library Retro Technology Activity Fair (records, typewriters, cassette tapes, even a rotary phone.)
10. Sharing and organizing documents via Google Docs.
11. Creating a graphic to demonstrate understanding of the "Legal Moves" for simplifying algebraic expressions.
12. Collaborating on a digital presentation that justifys legal moves to simplify expressions.
13. Practicing grammar terms via Kahoot.it
14. Improving literacy via Achieve 3000
15. Creating and promot
    

    

    ing Augmented Reality through Aurasma with iPads on library book reviews.
16. Creating  Digital Maps
17. Demonstrating comprehension of Math problems via the Show Me app.
18. Researching Van Gogh, Kahlo, Kandinsky, Choe
19. Drawing in Adobe Ideas in the style of that artist and posting their drawing in the shared Google Doc with the questions they answered
20. Typing practice via Touch Typing
21. Researching math terms and sharing via Google Docs
22. Communicating via Lucid Press
23. Communicating to students via our new RMMS app
24. Creating iMovie videos to share
25. Reading eBooks and collaborating on prompts via Google Classroom.

What are YOU doing for Digital Learning Day?

One of the the great things happening at Rancho Minerva Middle School is service learning.  Four students from the Digital Arts class had the fortunate opportunity to collaborate on a project with the Vista Chamber of Commerce.  With guidance from their teachers, Nicole Santangelo and Desiree Wilson, and the expert advice from graphic designer Terry Van Kirk,  the students created the graphic art for the Heroes of Vista Community Recognition Gala.

The Heroes of Vista event is sponsored by the Vista Chamber of Commerce.  This event celebrates significant achievements from all sectors of the community.  They honor teachers, business members, law enforcement, and the military .  

Students met with Vista Chamber of Commerce leadership to brainstorm ideas and concepts to start the development of the project. Once the concept was developed, students got to work.  Throughout  this project, the students collaborated on each and every facet of the final product.

This form of project based learning has allowed the students to apply the skills they have acquired in class to solve real world problems and projects.  

Providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of technology, as well as creative design, will certainly serve as an asset in their future. We are excited to have our students so prepared to move into the future.  With continued motivation and cross curricular collaboration, Rancho Minerva will continue to make a viable impact in the Vista community!

We Are Future Ready

Rancho Minerva Middle School 8th Graders, Katalina Ramirez and Daniella Ramos were recently invited to speak at the USD MTLC Press Conference in San Diego.  The event highlighted a recent study by the USD MTLC regarding use of technology in our County's schools.  Contrasting some of the data that was shared, including only 11% of middle school students have access to a device full-time; Katalina and Daniella shared about how technology has bridged the gap in their education.
After various superintendents spoke from around San Diego (including Vista's own Dr. Vodicka), Katalina took the podium and virtually stole the show.  Katalina's honest reflection of how technology is impacting her education moved many to react with cheers!

The day was capped off by both Daniella and Katalina being bombarded with requests for interviews from many news sources in San Diego.  From NBC, ABC, FOX to Univision, our Rancho Minerva students represented not only our wonderful school, but the entire Vista Unified School District talking about how we are the true model of excellence in innovation.  Its a good day to be a Mighty Bull!  Its a good day to be a student in Vista.




Read more about the USD Mobile Technology Learning Center.

Read more about the Vista Unified School District

This is How We Build Relationships at Rancho Minerva

238,000 is the approximate number of hands that have been shaken as students have walked through out gates over the last year and a half.  At Rancho Minerva, we fundamentally believe that relationships matter and such relationships begin the moment the students walk on campus.

Each morning, a member of the leadership team at Rancho Minerva heads out to greet students at the front gate.  This dedicated hour sets the tone for the day, as we are able to let our students know we are excited to see them.

Rancho Minerva has seen positive growth in student behavior since the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.  Suspensions have dropped over 80% and attendance has shown a positive growth.

Aside from the positive behavior data, there are many benefits from the administrative side. Often 3-5 emails are solved by being out front greeting staff as they arrive.  We are able to have short conversations rather than emailing back and forth from the office.  Furthermore, it is nice to be able to greet first-time students and parents as they arrive at RMMS to enroll.

After an approximate 280 hours of hand shaking, we have seen the positive effects of building relationships with students from the moment they step foot on our campus.   We cherish each of our 850 students and look forward each morning to greet them with a big "Good Morning".

Welcome to the RMMS Happenings Blog

Welcome to the Rancho Minerva Official Blog!  We are excited to begin this journey of telling about the wonderful happenings at our school.  Each week, we will post highlights from the classrooms, stories of students and staff doing wonderful things!  Join us for the journey!  Make sure to follow this blog to stay up to date.