Freeda Blog 1-3

Through the past SNHU courses, I have firmed up my understanding of the importance of technology in the school setting. One of the “aha!” moments that made me really open my eyes to the shift in educational technology was that technology doesn’t have to be about the hardware but more about the programs available and most importantly how those programs can be used by students and teachers working together, to creatively solve problems and express their new knowledge in what could be seen as a non traditional way. (e.g. It’s not necessary to write a book report to show your understanding of a book, when you can create a movie trailer to share with your class that creatively shows your understanding and comprehension.) iMovie is a great tool for creating videos.  This a collaborative way for students to create a movie trailer, sequel or prequel aligned to a book read in class.  In Social Studies, students could reenact famous moments in history or use it as a way to illustrate a landmark court case.

 I think the role of the technology integration specialist is to collaborate with the teachers, administration and parents to share ideas that enhance the curriculum and to support them in a way that allows teachers and students creatively express themselves. I think that today’s students are exposed earlier to technology than ever before.

My friend who is a pediatrician said that he sees more and more children as young as 18 months, independently operating a smart phone or iPad, including turning it on, paging through the pages of apps and launching the preferred apps all while sitting on their mother’s lap. Even our pets are getting into iPads.  Cats used to be content chasing the mouse on the desk top computer (preferable while you were trying to meet a tight deadline.)  Now they have their own apps and websites.

As a kindergarten teacher I see students who are not playing , yes, just playing the same way anymore. We play everyday in my classroom.  Blocks, paint, kitchen area, trains, art supplies, legos, magnets etc.  I make a point of not using the computers because they need the social interactions and lessons that they learn from that. As a teacher, I use technology more in class now than ever. I have a Smart board in my classroom which is used daily. We visit the computer lab weekly. At this point of the year, I am working on mouse control. This is especially important because many of our students do not use a mouse. I use a variety of programs for mouse control including Bees and Honey. Okay, so it’s not as addicting as, let’s say... Dots! but the kids love it.

The more comfortable the teachers are with technology, the more likely they are to integrate it into their lessons. This is my second year with a Smart board. The best thing that happened was that I attended a Smart Board training session right after getting my board, which gave me a few ways to implement it’s use into my classroom routine. The kids love having a larger than life computer in the classroom. An example, today 2 students asked me to find a photo of the Titanic. They had been making Titanic ships out of legos and wanted to check a picture. While we were looking, I told them about Bob Ballard and his work in ocean exploration. We then went to a website and looked at images of Titanic exploration. As you can probably imagine, I was not teaching about the HMS Titanic today in kindergarten but it was a great opportunity for me to research with my students. I look forward to hearing what else piques their interest.