A professional development workshop at Manhattan College hosted by Dr. Shawna BuShell, Director of the Graduate Program in Instructional Design and Delivery introduced our teachers to Buncee as an option for visual learning and expression.
As visual learners, the opportunity for graphic learning is integral for technology and literacy development. Our middle schoolers jumped at the opportunity to show off their skills by producing projects for Valentine’s Day, and World Read/Skype Buncee Buddies Day in conjunction with Lit World. Through Buncee Buddies, our students connected with students from Ms. Daniel’s class in Schuster Elementary School in El Paso, Texas and another class under the direction of former St. Joseph’s School for Deaf Jackie Waldman who is teaching in Sierra Leone for World Read Aloud 2018. They were able to share the concept of the topic of Peace using read aloud, ASL storytelling, Buncee, and Skype. To support their mission, they created their own Buncees relatively titled “What Peace Means to Me” that fostered their creative and literacy abilities.
Lisa Santiago, a computer teacher for the past 5 years at St Joseph’s School for the Deaf, was one of the first to be introduced to Buncee. She works with various grade levels and was encouraged to implement the program into weekly classes. Immediately, her students, as well as some students from other classes, managed to successfully implement the program into their learning and began creating Buncees on their own. As Santiago says,
Students have been actively learning to use Buncee. They really enjoy learning and creating new things. Every time the students come to computer class, the first thing they ask for is Buncee.
She continues, “Students have been practicing and learning how to create slides with their own ideas. I am happy they can work independently and Buncee is the best program of this type for them. It’s simple enough with great features that meet their needs. They use it to create presentations for the reading and writing workshops we host.”
Recently, Annie Garrity of Buncee visited our computer classes to share new features of the program. Our students were wowed by the 360 ̊ feature and excitedly tried it in their current assignments. Part of the successful implementation is how they have comprehended what they have learned and its application. These projects promote technology and literacy development, creativity and advanced skill sets.
Buncee is a great tool that inspires our deaf students who are visual learners. It is invigorating to experience and witness their excitement in the digital masterpieces they create!
Adrianne N Grant has been in Deaf Education for over a decade. Upon receiving her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Media, her initial beginning was producing daily video broadcasts for students at St. Joseph’s and freelancing on various projects. She went on to acquire a Masters in Multi-Cultural Education and an additional certificate in Educational Technology. Adrianne enjoys learning from the wise, embraces new experiences which include film, music, meeting groovy, humorous, nice people and adores traveling. She can be reached at agrant@sjsdny.org if you are interested in collaboration.
