Every year, Aurora High School American History Teacher, Brenda Klawonn partners with American Government teacher, Kyle Peterson to provide an opportunity to seniors and juniors like no other high school experience. The school gives them the opportunity to provide students an incredible experience to visit our nation’s capital and all that Washington DC has to offer. This year, Klawonn began the process of utilizing Class Intercom to share the story of DC through her eyes and the students’ eyes with the Aurora Public School’s following.
#aurorahuskies are maneuvering the Metro today. pic.twitter.com/wLoUCX6BBI
— Aurora Huskies (@AuroraHuskies) April 30, 2017
This year, 15 students embarked on the trip with Klawonn and Peterson. They enjoyed four non-stop days which included late nights of fitting everything they possibly could in. From the Holocaust Museum to a Monuments Tour to a brand new African American Smithsonian and of course, a personal tour of the capital by Congressman Smith the students made the trip incredibly meaningful.
These events along with so much more have been captured in years passed by Klawonn using her personal twitter account. This year, she decided to take advantage of the new app, Class Intercom, a school social media management platform that can be monitored and approved by administrators; then publicly posted on the school’s social channels. This essentially gives a safe way for the school to allow students and teachers alike to post safely to the school’s account and admins approve it before it goes public.
While the group was submitting tweets through Class Intercom in DC, back in Nebraska the Tech Integration Specialist at Aurora, Craig Badura, was watching them come in and hitting approve to publish them to the @AuroraHuskies Twitter account.
#aurorahuskies have students live tweeting their D.C. trip using @AuroraHuskies Twitter acct w/ @classintercom! I'm in Nebraska moderating!
— Craig Badura (@mrbadura) May 1, 2017
Klawonn was the main user while in DC, but this is an example of the possibilities for the students of the school to share their story their very own way.
Klawonn embarked on something very special that she hopes to utilize more next year for the day to day, during her regular class trips to Aurora’s museum and then some.
Thank you, Brenda, for being a pioneer in this exciting new way allow schools to share their story like never before!
They wanted a better photo. Monuments tour take 2. #aurorahuskies pic.twitter.com/oPykEOKKrE
— Aurora Huskies (@AuroraHuskies) May 1, 2017
#aurorahuskies are at their last stop, the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/nXrJzTHBQH
— Aurora Huskies (@AuroraHuskies) May 1, 2017