Technology and First Grade Maps!

It comes as no shock to any one that we are living in a digital age. Whether we are at home, school, or work, we are surrounded by technology day in and day out. Most children today, grow up knowing how to use a computer or smart phone, and these children are the students of today. That's why it comes as no surprise that technology integration in the school systems plays a vital role. Pierson (2001) says, “Integrating technology tools into the curriculum is becoming an inseparable part of good teaching."

According to Pierson (2001), “A teacher who effectively integrates technology would be able to draw on extensive content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge, in combination with technological knowledge” This served true to when I was developing my unit on maps for first grade. I knew that the technology I integrated had to enhance student learning while being tied directly to the content (social studies) as well as my students, I had to give them a positive experience, one that would have them engaged and motivated.  

The one struggle I had through my unit was which technology would best serve student learning. I had so many ideas and so many thoughts, but when I sat down to format them into technology I hit major roadblocks and soon learned that some ideas just were not feasible. I wanted to do so many things, have my students create their own pieces, but with first grade this is also hard. In the younger elementary grades, it is too hard for students to create their own product, so whole class instruction and products works best. When trying to think of ideas that would incorporate the whole class is what I caught hung up on. I could not get past the fact that the students would not be able to do the task, in some cases I think they would be able too but for the most part they can not. 

It was also difficult for me to plan student technology activities because it is something I am not seeing being integrated now. In the classroom I am interning, there are only three computers for student-use, and I have yet to see the students use them! I have also learned that the computer lab is not available for teacher and class use, so planning all of these components was very hard, because I could not see it coming true or becoming a reality. I think if I had the resources, planning for student technology use in lessons would be much easier and more effective. I felt that was I was repeating the same technology over and over, I constantly wanted to make virtual field trips and webquests because these are things the class can do as a whole with the teacher leading the instruction.

Now that I will be completing the last technology course here at High Point University, I feel very prepared for the my future as a technological savvy teacher. The classes have taught me varied and different ways to integrate technology into the classroom to help motivate students all while make learning more fun. In the future I plan to let my students use technology whenever possible,  even if I only have 2 or 3 computers in my classroom! Whether the students blog, create a picture slideshow, create a wordle, have an online discussion board, complete a webquest or virtual field trip, I want them to experience all the joys technology can bring them! I have gained so much insight on how technology and differentiated learning strategies can be used in a classroom, as well as, what may work for some students and not for others. While I was searching for the different resources to use on my technology components and then seeing the final project made me realize how beneficial these activities could be to my future students and how it can make learning more engaging and fun; I kept saying, I wish my teachers did this for my class!
          Overall, I believe that integrating technology into education, is it a must. We are a part of a new generation of learners who not only learn different but have constant access to technology, as stated by the 21st learner standards. I leave you with this video, A Vision of K-12 Students today, it is our job to engage them and help them learn. 

My Favorite Trip

Today in class we read the book Are We There Yet Daddy? This book was about a little boy and his father take a trip to Grandma's house. This had me thinking of my favorite trip I ever took. My favorite place I ever took a trip to was New Zealand. I traveled there when I was a sophomore in high school with the organization People to People Student Ambassadors. In order to get to New Zealand, I had to take an airplane to Los Angeles, California where, I had a 5 hour layover. When the 5 hours were finally up, I boarded another plane and flew to New Zealand, a 13 hour plane ride!




While in New Zealand, my favorite place we went was  Karikari Peninsula's Beach. Here is a picture I took on my actual trip there. I had so much fun and would love to go back any time!

PBS Teachers!

I’m sure if you ask any teacher out there, finding FUN FREE and ENGAGING resources to use in their classrooms, is high on their list of excitement; PBS Teachers is just that! The possibilities of using PBS Teachers in the classroom are endless. Just what can PBS Teachers allow you to access as a teacher? Besides providing educational resources for grade levels PreK-12, like videos, lesson plans and interactive activities, teachers can also tap into local resources and services offered by the PBS station where ever you are located! So teachers all over the world can use this site and be connected. When you localize this website to your local PBS station, you gain access to educational resources, programs, TV schedules and more.

Not only is PBS a great resource to use within your classroom but the layout of the website is also a big plus. No one wants to spend time searching for things or wasting their time finding exactly what they need. PBS Teachers is laid out in a very neat, organized coherent way that allows for a positive browsing experience.

PBS Teachers allows for teachers to search for resources from 5 different age ranges; PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Within each age range you can search 6 subject or content areas; the arts, health and fitness, math, reading and language arts, science and tech and social studies. This form of organization allows for teachers to find exactly what grade level and subject they are looking for without having to weed through a bunch of irrelevant or meaningless data and information.

Once the subject is determined teachers can than choose from three more categories; classroom resources, discussions and professional development. In classroom resources, teachers can find many resources broken down into more subcategories; topic, media type and PBS programs. In this category is where you will find things like lesson plans, videos and activities. In the discussions portion you can read  posts by other teachers or users to gain valuable insights or ideas from first hand accounts or you yourself can leave a review on a resource you used. The professional development tab allows for online communication, collaboration, and content to provide a rich, flexible set of tools to help instructional coaches open and maintain productive communications and collaboration with the teachers they support. This is possible through PBS TeacherLine.

“As America’s largest classroom, PBS is working with educators to provide tools and share innovative teaching methods to meet the emerging needs of today’s learners,” said Rob Lippincott, Senior Vice President, PBS Education. As educators it is our job to be creative and inventive in how we use the media to engage students and to enhance their learning, by simply utilizing all the resources on PBS Teachers, we can can do just that. In order to get the best results we must use the best within the classroom. By using PBS Kids resources we can inspire young minds and prepare the next generation of students to become leaders and 21st century learners!

PBS Teachers allows you to move beyond searching for information, it allows you to use that information to than have you and your students creating something. I think that by incorporating this resource into the classroom, you will get better results from student projects and research. Allowing for a classroom flip is imperative as we find ourselves on the brink of a new time in education. Since you are allowing access to digital tools and resources you are integrating 21st-century skills into the curriculum!

Students please read the following comic:


After you have finished reading the first comic, it is time for you to make your own. We saw three examples of community helpers! It is your turn to think of one. Make two slides, one showing where this person works and another showing the person and a text box explaining what they do within the community!

The Use of Formative Assessment in First Grade

In every classroom, the teacher, is responsible for assessing their students progress to see if they are meeting the requirements set in place by the state, district, and or school. According to the Public Schools of North Carolina, formative assessment is “a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to help students improve their achievement of intended instructional outcomes.”

It is important to understand that formative assessment occurs when teachers give feedback to students. This feedback than allows the students to improve their performance by doing tasks and allowing them to ask questions! The main focus of formative assessment therefore is how do I (the teacher) help students improve their performance? This means the teachers has to alter or fix their  instruction; formative assessment does not label, sort or classify students, it simply pushes EACH student to do better.

According to Black and Wiliam (1998) in a study they performed, they define assessment to broadly include all activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used diagnostically to alter teaching and learning. Formative assessment should take place all over the classroom not just at the end to measure student growth like summative assessment; it should happen before, during and after with relevant specific feedback allowing for growth.

In first grade, the benefits of adopting a formative assessment approach are endless. Since formative assessment relies on both the student and the teacher it becomes clear that each party has a responsibility for learning to occur. First grade focuses heavily on reading. There are many ways for this practice to be adopted into a reading program.

In reading, it is imperative that the teacher know where each individual student stands, what level they are reading on, who else reads at a level near or equal to them. When teachers know how students are progressing and where they are having trouble, they can use this information to make necessary instructional adjustments, such as reteaching, trying alternative instructional approaches, or offering more opportunities for practice. These activities can lead to improved student success. 

A teacher that adopts a formative assessment will see it has many beneficial attributes and their classroom with surely succeed. Once a student feels like their teacher has made their classroom a place where they are safe and feel secure, they will do the rest! This is hard work, but do not worry! Your hard work will help students feel secure, take more academic risks, and try again until they succeed. Continue to communicate the relationship between effort and achievement as well as your belief that your students will succeed.

 Each teacher has a different way to introduce and conduct formative assessment. All schools today face standardization through testing, but by using formative assessment teachers can help their students be prepared for these tests, by teaching them necessary skills and giving them feedback. But it remains evident that collaboration between student and teacher is essential in a successful formative assessment.