Technology is an
important concept to include in the educational classroom. It can incorporate new ways of learning and
make learning fun for students. Ahead I will be writing about different ways to
integrate use of technology into an elementary classroom. A few of the topics include: the use of iPads,
making movies with use of software, the smart board, parent communication apps,
and educational apps. There will be information about a controversial topic
with technology as well as ways to assist students with disabilities or English
as a second language (ELL).
Windows Movie Maker 2016 is a good program to introduce
to elementary students. It has inventive ways to create and edit video clips
and photos. The tabs on top assist in adding photos, videos, and editing the
videos. It also has animations available to assist in transitions between
videos. Here is a short clip of showing
how to transition video clips within the program.
When you are on the blog, click on the phrase on the right that says: movie
making tutorial- fading between clips. If you would like any further
information about the program click here,
(Deltadonut, 2015).
Here are some lesson plan ideas to use Windows Movie
Maker 2016 within the classroom. When learning about a particular book,
students could create a video about the storyline, edit it and publish it on a
website or share it with families. They could create a book trailer that would
motivate others to read this story (Hudson, 2013). Another interesting concept
would be to create a commercial that could be persuasive or instructive to a
topic of interest to the student. They could take pictures of a step by step
process and watch the slideshow in action. For instance: take pictures of the
life cycle of a monarch butterfly and see a chrysalis, turn into a butterfly. Windows
Movie Maker 2016 has several possibilities to apply it to the classroom. Many
of the topics above would be considered for the upper elementary
classrooms. The teacher could still use
these topics in the lower elementary classrooms, however he/she may need to do
parts of the work or have volunteers assist.
There
are many ways that students would benefit from Windows Movie Maker 2016. It
will provide opportunities to learn skills about acting, filming, editing, and
publishing. It’s an engaging way to incorporate all students and give them a
purpose for the activity. The idea stated above meet the learning outcome 9.4
that states: describe activities that involve taking photos and making movies
that promote teaching and learning, (Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards, &
Woolf, 2014). Creating a video makes the activity more meaningful, as the
students can learn in different ways. It
incorporates music, linguistic, kinesthetic, and interpersonal ways of learning
from the multiple intelligences.
Students can learn from one another and have a stronger motivation
towards learning.
Smartboards
have many benefits to use in Elementary Education. Smartboards could be used
for almost any lesson. The notebook
software provides technology with images and pictures that could go along with
a social studies or science lesson. It has excellent uses to interact with the
whole group and engage the students. It could be used for attendance and
interactions in the beginning of the day. The teacher can download worksheets
to teach or practice math, work with the group and reuse this sheet for the
next group. Smartboards will keep students motivated and therefore increase
their knowledge about the subject.
Smartboards
are easy to use. There is touch recognition that allows anything to write on
the board that comes from the pen tray, a finger to move words, and a hand to
erase. Highlighting, zooming in, and a file to save your important images or
photos are special features the smartboard provides.
The
iPad is a really useful tool for an Elementary classroom. Ipads can help with
reading, such as use of EPIC, a reading app. This app allows the student to
choose a book, read it or have it read aloud to them. If you would like more
information about E book apps such as EPIC, please click here,
(Burns, 2014). There are numerous apps that can be used on the iPad to help the
students learning and growth. The Drawing Pad app and Skitch are resourceful to
assist students in Kindergarten to write and create (Meeuwse, 2016). First they can illustrate a picture, then
they can label it. The next step would
be to create a sentence and story about the picture. The teacher can assist
students to think about a topic by taking a picture of them with the iPad while
interacting in a student choice activity, then providing the picture for them,
and allowing them to write about the picture. Providing a picture for the
student is helpful in creating an idea to write and it gives a visual aid. A
notetaking app such as Evernote could be used to allow students to take notes
on a subject, then share it in a notebook app with the teacher (Holland, 2013).
IPads can be synced to use with the smart board and assist students to practice
a concept such as writing or spelling as a large group. With this technology,
teachers are able to assess their learning right away and know who may need
some remediation. This helps the teacher be more efficient with assessing and
meeting the needs of the students. Students will be more engaged with iPads
rather than simple worksheets, therefore there will be less disruptions and
more learning occurring. IPads can work within interdisciplinary subjects,
provide some independence, and an array of different resources that help
students learn.
Other
apps to play games, learn and explore would be a great way to present
technology and opportunities to learn within the Elementary classroom. A few
math apps such as pattern shapes or number pieces would help students learn math
concepts about shapes and base ten blocks (Burns, 2015). ABCya.com provides a language app that would
help with literacy with a younger elementary student (Schwartz, 2015). There is also a math ABCya.com game that
includes addition, subtraction, addition, and division within a basketball game
and is leveled according to what is chosen. Vocabulary spelling city is an app
that provides a word list from the teacher that can be incorporated into
numerous types of games regarding spelling, comprehension, grammar, and more
(Schwartz, 2015). A quiz option is available for students when they are
ready. The quiz states the word in a
sentence which is helpful for audial learners. Coding apps assist students to
understand and teach programming. They
learn by trial and error and can problem solve as they move along in the
program. Daisy the dinosaur is an app that can be used as a beginner coding app
for Kindergarten or 1st graders. Tinker and scratch are two other
coding apps for upper elementary classrooms that allow students to build with
blocks and blocks do different tasks, making endless possibilities (Adams A.
& Mowers H, 2013). These coding apps are free, however others have costs
associated with them. Some examples of a few coding apps are available here.
These
apps would assist in meeting learning outcomes based on the educational content
and student motivation. Maloy et al. (2014) found that educational games have
the potential to ‘improve students’ attitudes about learning even difficult
subjects including those who are not attracted to studying mathematics and
science. Apps with educational content provided through iPads, tablets, iPhone
or computers will help motivate students and increase learning in an
interactive way. Apps have audio and visual presentation that can help students
in a different way than traditional teaching. The games make it a fun way to
learn. The coding apps promote critical thinking skills and problem
solving. It opens up an opportunity for
students to be creative and use their imagination. Many of these apps would be
appropriate to work in small groups to learn from each other also.
It
is also very important to have open and effective parent- teacher
communication. Here are a few apps that
provide ways to communicate information to parents, which keeps them updated
and keeps the students on task. Teach make a difference (2015), found that
remind and classroom messenger were helpful tools to keep communication open to
families. Remind can send text messages reminding parents about assignments,
meetings or other reminders. This would be a simple app to use. Classroom
messenger can update parents about assignments, test results, progress, or
concerns, (Teach make a difference, 2015). It is a two way messaging app that
allows parents to talk to the teacher too. Photos and videos can be sent via
classroom messenger. Class dojo is an app that assists in communicating to
parents or administrators about behaviors in the classroom (Schwartz, 2015).
The teacher can sync an iPhone with the iPad to have instant documentation of
positive or negative behaviors. These behaviors can receive or deduct a point,
to reinforce desired behavior. These points can be integrated into a part of
class every week, then start with a clean slate the next week. The teacher can
email parents any information regarding their child, so families can work along
with the teacher to reinforce positive behaviors. These apps all have their
unique features, however communicating information easily to parents is truly
important to help support the student. Support from families is significant and
learning outcomes will increase by families assisting with discipline,
communication, and student learning at home.
Students
with a disability or English as a second language (ELL) are at a disadvantage.
They may learn at a slower pace and need modified lesson plans to assist their
learning. Tech matrix is a website with an assortment of different programs and
resources for students with disabilities. Clicker 5 is a talking word processor
that provides pictures and animations to assist with completion of the task,
(Tech matrix, n.d.). Caption mic is a program that can type out what has been
said for a person who has trouble hearing. Click to read: life skills has a few
stories that build on vocabulary, comprehension, and literacy concepts, (Tech
matrix, n.d.). There are a lot of other
options available for students on this webpage.
ELL students and several with disabilities would benefit from recorded books,
so they can read and hear the story at the same time. Recorded books may help all students, but
especially struggling readers, as found by (Rubenstein, 2006). She also found a significant increase in
reading ability with the use of recorded books. Students being able to listen
to a recorded book can help with comprehension, sequencing, fluency, and other
literacy concepts. It can provide different genres of books and challenge the
student. A volunteer or para can assist students with technology assignments
and teach them how to use them. Working with iPads allows for flexibility and
can provide less pressure to the student, as the apps will build on their
knowledge. There are plenty of visual aids and audial apps available for these
students. They could be implemented for
several lessons or interdisciplinary subjects to assist ELL students or those
with disabilities. It may help to have
these students in close proximity to the teacher if they need assistance. Also,
it may be helpful to pair an ELL student with another student that can teach
and work together.
What
is the right balance of technology in the classroom? This is a tough question, depending on who
you ask. It is important that there is an educational aspect to technology, so
the screen time is meaningful and effectively teaching the objective.
Rubenstein (2006), found that any drawbacks of computer technology are far
outweighed by its potential for aiding struggling readers, engaging kids in
their learning, and targeting students’ individual needs. Families need to be
informed of the benefits to technology within the classroom, so they understand
the important aspects to it. Every teacher needs to find that right balance
that individualizes the lessons to meet needs, while balancing out technology
use within the classroom.
Conclusion
Technology
has many uses in Education that show an increase in motivation and learning.
With the use of resources or programs such as Windows Movie Maker 2016,
smartboards, Ipads, parent-teacher communication apps, and educational game
apps, technology is being integrated into the Elementary classroom to benefit
the students’ learning. A few ways to modify lessons for ELL students or
students with a disability were provided. Technology has provided an array of
options to assist in student growth and in many instances this is an
interactive, stimulating, and rewarding way of learning.
References
Adam, A. & Mowers, H. (2013). 7 apps
for teaching children coding skills. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-apps-teaching-children-coding-anna-adam
Bellow, A. (2009) 5 tips and tricks for
the smartboard. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWNCHG-xB9o#t=10.177007
Burns, M. (2014). 7 great E-books for
summer reading on ipads. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ebooks-summer-reading-on-ipads-monica-burns
Burns, M. (2015). 14 virtual tools
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Hudson, H. (2013). 10 video projects every
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Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R.E.,
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ipad for writing in Kindergarten. Retrieved from: https://iteachwithipads.net/
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Listening literature: struggling readers respond to recorded books. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/listening-literature
Schwartz, K. (2015). Teacher
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http://teach.com/education-technology/parent-teacher-apps
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wgbzMAhUC7CYKHZM4ChwQsAQIGw
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