Our Fourth, and final, Why:
This is the final video where share our firm belief that when we purposefully integrate technology in our classrooms ... even with the littlest learners ... we can HAVE FUN! For additional thoughts and insights, please watch our video, then read below from both perspectives.
The Video:
From the Classroom Teacher:
As a classroom teacher, I often feel the pressure of the “big” job I am tasked with each year. Curriculum, best practice, small groups, balance but also ... Are my students having fun while they are learning? I promise you, if you give your students a task and give them a device, they will not only have fun but they will thrive.
Students crave “new”. They want new learning opportunities. We have a powerful tool to give them “new” everyday they are in our classrooms. That tool is technology. When we open one door for ourselves, it trickles into bigger and greater things to come. We find ourselves, as educators, having fun because, let's face it, we are learning something new, too! Say yes to tech. Say yes to “new”. You’ll thank yourself a thousand times over when you have a first grader master their synonym match or have a third grader research a president and compose their thoughts into a slide deck on Google. Give them the tools and they will take it from there.
I know how hard it may seem to introduce something that we really never stop learning about. Technology is ever changing. There is always a new program, new game or lesson to show to your students. The best part of all is that we don’t have to be masters at any of it! We can learn what we need to to show our kiddos how to take charge and when they have that power, they have a blast while learning. Let’s empower kiddos!
From the Technology Integration Specialist:
As a technology integration specialist, my entire job focuses on the "why" and the "how" to integrate tech. While many teachers approach using technology with littles one with great fear, our students do not share this. They are unaware of the cost, the possibility of breakage, all the things that 'could' go wrong, the fear of 'what if' - they just see the device in front of them. Woot! Woot!
We can use this time to capitalize on their excitement and use technology to "sneak" in learning! We aren't really sneaking it in, the programs created for this age group capitalize on fun all on their own with attractive characters and sounds and games. Our job is to frame the use of these programs so we can enhance their learning, utilize the programs our districts provide, and build their skills for the future, all while they truly believe they are "playing".
What's Next? Connect!
This is our 4th and final "why". You can check out our 3 previous videos & explanations here:
* Our 1st Why: Teacher Video: Purposefully Integrate Technology to Enhance Learning
* Our 2nd Why: Teacher Video: Purposefully Integrate Technology to Utilized District Provided Tools
* Our 3rd Why: Teacher Video: Purposefully Integrate Technology to Build Skills for the Future
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