In our classrooms teachers are faced with the issue of teaching reading to emergent learners and combining that with teaching reading using technology. As our world has a continued push forward with the advancement of technology, there is an ever growing need for educators to be on the cutting edge and learn how to use and implement technology correctly in the classroom. This is a tall order considering that most educators are not familiar with certain technologies. Those educators that are familiar with these new developments in technology may not be aware of how to use them in their day to day instruction effectively.
I feel that while the workshops are beneficial for educators, they should have a continued outreach effort in the classrooms to help support the use of these new technologies so that teachers can correctly implement them. My co-workers and I have created power point slides to do activities with our Word Wall words and spelling words as well as to teach phonics and grammar skills that coincide with our weekly lessons. The students became so much more engaged when you would do the same type of fill in the blank activity or matching activity when it was projected up on the large screen from our computers. I feel that we have found a way to balance our own instruction with hands on manipulatives and with the new visual component of the computer. However, there are so many other elements that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of with teaching and implementing technology in our classrooms.
I had the fortunate opportunity of teaching in a school 5 years ago in Bridgewater, NJ where the students had a Technology special once a week. We had a technology teacher who used to teach a formal lesson in the computer lab and then the students would all go and use the computers individually to practice the new skill or activity that they were taught. The classroom teacher stayed in the room during the entire special, which gave us the opportunity to watch the lesson and assist the students on the computers with the technology teacher. The students were using different applications on the computers and were doing math skills and reading and language arts skills with those applications. This integrated a curriculum and gave them much exposure to the computer in the school. This exposure made it far easier for the classroom teacher, when the teacher would allow the students to use the computers in their own classroom during centers. The students had developed a wealth of knowledge from the direct instruction and practice of how to use the computers and the applications on it and did not need a teacher to stand there and continually assist them. The teacher also had the comfort of knowing that the students were doing academic skills on the computers as well.
Since most schools do not appear to have a Technology special at an elementary level, this model can be taken and used by the classroom teacher. The classroom teacher can sign up weekly for the computer lab and teach a small mini-lesson on a skill and then allow the students to apply that same skill independently on the computer. While, I love this idea it would be up to the classroom teacher to learn the applications and devise the lessons. Although as I have previously mentioned, many teachers do not understand much of technology and do not want to take on this type of role because they do not feel comfortable. Currently I have typically seen many teachers in our own building sign up frequently for the computer lab and let the students use Starfall.com or Mighty Math activities independently with no instruction and leave them to their own devices to play and navigate the computer. I do not believe this is entirely the fault of the teacher, but the lack of education and training that is given to teachers on new technologies. Teachers may be told expectations about the use of the computer lab, but the appropriate use is not being explained or shown. Therefore more staff development or trainings should be added to service this growing need so that teachers can fully educate our students.
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I agree that many teachers need to be trained on the new technology and shown how to incorporate it into a lesson. I am fortunate to work at a school where we have Promethean boards. For a long time, the only training we received was how to use the technology which many of us figured out for ourselves just by "playing with it." Finally, they began to offer some wonderful courses of how to include it in your instruction. If you're in MCPS, I recommend taking the classes they offer in the summer because they have some very useful lesson ideas. I also agree that elementary students should have a technology special as well but in the upper elementary grades. When I was growing up, I had a technology special once a week where the teacher demonstrated how to use programs like Word and PowerPoint or how to use the internet properly/safely. Most importantly, students learned how to type. I know as a fifth grade teacher last year, it was a long process to have students type writing pieces when they are still "hunting and pecking" at the keyboard. This year, I taught my first graders how to use Word. They knew how to open the program, type (hunt and peck), change the text color and size, and insert clipart. I did not provide formal instruction on how to type because their hands are not big enough to span the key boards as well as their motor skills are not quite developed enough just yet. My students did very well typing a few of their personal narratives at the end of the year. When it came time for students to complete a research project with the media specialist, I asked her to let my class word process using Word instead of Pixie like the other students. My students were very successful in typing up their research projects but I am still concerned if it was developmentally appropriate.
I agree with you Nancy, I also always love hearing new ideas of how to incorporate technology in the classroom. Even at the kindergarten level I feel that my students are so comfortable with technology and it is very age-appropriate for them because they have been exposed to it since they were born. They know so much and are so much more capable than I was at their age. I always try to have a computer center for the children to explore during literacy centers and math centers. For literacy centers, the children visit websites like www.pebblego.com and www.sheppardsoftware.com and "research" certain topics for our nonfiction unit. They read various facts and play games that familiarize them with a certain topic and then we create nonfiction books on that topic. The children absolutely love taking turns at the computer. I really like your idea about creating power point slides to do activities with word wall words, as well as to teach phonics and grammar skills. I can't wait to incorporate your ideas into my classroom. Thanks for sharing!
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