Students at Jollyville Elementary School built new skills and experienced real-world challenges when they published their own magazines. The fifth-grade class self-published individual magazines as part of a Project-Based Learning (PBL) assignment that integrated social and emotional learning with writing and technology.
“Students gained a new perspective about themselves through their writings,” said Tiffany Greene, Jollyville fifth-grade teacher. “The creation of a magazine presented students with an energizing activity that built new skills and developed an authentic appreciation for their achievements.”
Each student developed their theme, performed research, wrote articles, a poem and autobiography. Students prepared their work for publishing by assisting each other with graphics and editing.
“I learned lots of new technical stuff and I learned how to write better,” said Elise Fletcher, Jollyville fifth-grade student. “We learned how to copy and paste, edit fonts, choose photos and use templates.”
PBL initiatives allow students the opportunity to connect interests, identities and cultural practices in and out of school and promote meaningful learning.
Jollyville fifth-grade student Mia Blunt said researching her topic for the magazine was her favorite part. Mia chose dolphins as her theme for her magazine and said the project increased her knowledge and love for her favorite animal.
“Students cited editing as the most challenging part of the project,” Greene said. “Seeing their magazines in print made the students realize the importance of the editing and proofreading process.”
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