Craig — Fourth grade students in Wendy Seely’s class at Sunset Elementary School are using technology to help new students understand how to observe P.A.W.S. at school.

P.A.W.S. is an acronym used to help students to remember the four key expected behaviors — practice respect, act with kindness, work together, and stay safe.

“The kids are expected to follow P.A.W.S. behavior. This is different depending on where the students are at and what is acceptable in that spot,” Seely said. “We are using the iPads to create videos showing behavior in the outdoor playground areas.”

Students started the project in the first week of school by shooting their videos. Videos are reviewed, re-done or edited; a QR or Quick Response Code — a type of matrix barcode — is created and attached to the video; and that is then uploaded to YouTube.

Signs featuring the QR codes will be placed out on the playground allowing other students to use digital devices to scan the code that will take them to the video. They can watch good and bad behaviors being modeled.

Seely and her class have been assisted in the project by Cheryl Arnett, an instructional coach for Moffat County School District who said that in addition to teaching behavior management to students another goal of the project is to “instill a growth mindset in the children.”

Filming outside presented children with challenges such as bees on playground equipment and wind.

“It was easy demonstrating. It was hard recording because of the wind,” Zakade Schiro said.

Arnett and Seely used these challenges as opportunities to teach the growth mindset.

“They saw room for improvement. We decided to take more time to keep working on it,” Arnett said. “This teaches them perseverance and grit. They keep learning and working until they master it.”

The project has the support of school district leadership as it brings together technology and learning.

“I’m supportive of any teaching resource that engages our students in an active, authentic way,” said Dave Ulrich, superintendent of schools for the Moffat County School District. “The key is to ensure every resource is being used in alignment with our adopted curriculum and scope and sequence. That is the best way to ensure we are maximizing every opportunity to have a positive impact on our students.”

The students agree that the project is a good one.

“I really like it. It was hard. We had to do it (record the video) a lot of times to get it right. It was very, very fun,” said Santiago Quezada.

Contact Sasha Nelson at 970-875-1794 or snelson@CraigDailyPress.com or follow her on Twitter @CDP_Education.