IT’s Elementary! Integrating technology in the Primary Grades

presented by Boni Hamilton

I blogged about Boni’s book IT’s elementary! last summer, when we were getting ready to open up TechConnect. It was an invaluable resource. I was thrilled to see her present at FETC .

1. Integrating Technology is the TEACHER’S RESPONSIBILITY. The only person who knows what the students did, what they know and where they are going is the Teacher
2. Integrating is integral to good instruction. Instruction comes always first. Technology is just a tool to deliver it.
3. Collaboration improves both instruction and integration.

Perfect team: Classroom teacher working with trained media specialist and teacher who know technology.

Positive thinking. Don’t say “I can’t. Don’t complain that you can’t do anythin, because you only have one computer, no projector, no this no that. Use what you do have and INTEGRATE.

Don’t stuff technology into teaching units, but teach and wrap technology around it.

Drawing- Non linguistic representation

• Retell
• Interpret
• Label (ex. Student draws an insect and labels different parts)
• Sequencing
• Propose (ex. good nutritional meal)
• Illustrate (ex. Water cycle)
• Construct (ex. their vision of how the rainforest looks like)
• Imagine (ex. how does the dinosaur look like?)
• Create (ex. Solar system)

Have kids draw instead of using clipart or online images

drawing is how many student process

Draw in 4 squares help students process

Lenski Wiki: Project for every grade levels, freeware for PC, handouts etc

Short introduction to a software then let them explore.Don’t go to the computer lab to learn a software program. Don’t teach technology skills. Kids will figure it out on their own.

Example Ideas:

• Illustrating a piece of a book. I wonder… I predict statement using powerpoint.

Working with figurative language:

• Illustrating idioms ex. I laugh my head off, next slide “The thunder boomed with fright. Boom Boom!
• Personification. Cartoon with speech bubbles.
• Simile and metaphor
• Creating graphic organizers

Rain forest project. Started in the library and continued in the classroom. Each student of a group researched a different layer of the rainforest. Each student used images with captions to represent their layer then recorded audio in PowerPoint . In the end all students added the layers together. Great effect when PP slideshow was showing.

Using a classroom wiki : Each student has their own page, where they publish work that they want their parents to see.

Peer pressure among teachers are helping get reluctant teachers on board. Show off students’ work. Some of the pressure comes from parents that see what others are doing.

Technology integration is NOT intuitive, it does not come natural.

Tips:

• Teachers are co-teaching (Saying “hello” is not co-teaching)
• Strong instructors thatunderstand the point is not to teach a software but skills, asses, introduce, reinforce
• Teachers are learning along side their students. Need to be at a computer too. Get classroom teachers involved.
• Teachers need to understand that it is ok not to know. That is one of the biggest barrier for classroom teachers.

[tag] FETC08 [/tag]

Do-It-At-Home: International Help Desk

Today I felt like an International Help Desk. That’s good…in my situation.

My mom lives in Argentina and my step-mom in Germany. Both have PC laptops with Vista installed. It is my mom’s first computer and we are still working on right-click vs. left click, file hierarchies, typing in your own URL in the browser, saving photos to the hard drive, etc. My step-mom has had more experience with computers, but is still trying to get used to Vista. It is very frustrating when one of them calls me and has a question. I try to help them while imagining in my mind their screen. “Right click the button in the lower let hand corner, what list do you see now?”, etc. Most often, one of us gets too frustrated and we have to leave the problem, wishing I would be able to log into their computer and take over the mouse to see what is going on.

My step-mom in Germany got a tip from a friend to try out TeamViewer.

TeamViewer establishes connections to any PC all around the world within just a few seconds. You can remote control your partner’s PC as if you were sitting in right front of it.

I downloaded and installed the full version, while my step-mom downloaded and used the QuickSupport Customer module.

She was given an ID and a password, that she passed on to me while we were on the phone. I entered the ID and created a session for remote support.

Within seconds I was seeing her desktop and was able to move around her computer. I was able to find my way to her Device manager and see that her DVD was not being recognized. After searching for solution in several forums, I followed step-by-step instructions on how to edit the registry and delete two registry values. She restarted the PC and the DVD drive was back! Something, I would never have been brave enough to try to talk her through it over the phone.

After her laptop was running again, I was so thrilled that I called my mom in Argentina. I talked her through downloading and installing the Customer module and we were in business within a few seconds. During this session, I just walked her around screen, making her aware of several drop down lists, created short cuts for her on the desktop for easier and faster access, and practiced downloading and finding photos that my brother and I are sending her via e-mail.

During the entire session I was on the phone (via Jajah.com), but there is also a chat feature embedded into TeamViewer. I also tried out the file transfer option. Simply had to select a file on my computer then point to a folder (or create a new one) on my mom’s computer and it transfered very easily. With one simple button you can also reverse to the option where the remote user can see YOUR screen. That was a really simply solution for my mom to see the newest photos of the grandchildren in my document folder, without having to send them via mail or uploading them to Flickr.com.

Great, easy AND free solution for an International Family Help Desk.

4 Days until Egypt

If you have been following my blog for a year, you know that in 2006 I traveled to China and connected with my students through a blog , photos , videos, a travel bear and an Amazing Race Competition. Only four days left until a fellow teacher and I are getting on a plane to travel again. This time we are heading to Egypt . We are taking our elementary school students along with us again… virtually. Preparations are in full swing…

While my travel companion Lori is the sixth grade’s Social Studies teacher and in charge of connecting our trip directly to the curriculum, I am in charge of the technology equipment and how to use it in order to make the trip come alive for our students. Today I spread out all the equipment I am planning on taking and double checked all my cables, chargers, etc.