Student Engagement with Buncee in the Science Classroom

“Mr. Cullen, can we do that Buncee thing again?”

I have been using Buncee with students for 7 months. I have used it primarily in elementary science, with students in grades 3-5. Two of the major improvements I have observed was with authentic student engagement and work completion. I have found that students WANT to do the work I assign them on Buncee.

My students tend to be below level in reading and math. It can be a struggle to get them to read and comprehend as well as write. Buncee has allowed me to encourage and empower students to be the creators of content, rather than just consume it.

Students were able to see the value of the assignment, partially because it broke away from the “norm” of what they have always experienced: read pages from the book, copy definitions, and answer the questions at the end. It is crucial to provide diverse learning experiences for my students. I aim to develop a passion for learning by fostering collaboration opportunities, critical thinking, creativity, and communication. Buncee allows me to incorporate all 4Cs into my instruction.

Additionally, I have made a more concentrated effort to focus on vocabulary within instruction. Buncee’s addition of Immersive Reader has allowed my students become more successful in reading vocabulary-rich text.

As a teacher, Buncee is a great tool to deliver expectations to students. I can create a quick Buncee with the standard and expectations, which students can refer back to as needed. They then create their own Buncee, either individually or collaboratively. Once they finish, they submit the assignment to me. With everything being digital, I can easily showcase student work to the class and grade without having to bring home a crate of notebooks.

I appreciate Buncee for allowing my students to feel successful.

About Michael Cullen

Michael Cullen (@Cullen4EDU) is a Science/STEM teacher in Forest Hills Elementary, with a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. He is also a Microsoft Certified Educator and Google Certified Educator.

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Michael Cullen