Learning with Technology
Have you heard of "digital natives?" Guess what - there are probably a few living in your house, and several in our classrooms! Digital natives are those who have grown up, or are growing up, in the digital (technological) age!
Technology is a big part of our lives everyday. Using technology in the classroom can really enhance students' learning! With our Apple TV, our laptops, iPads, and now Chromebooks for each student in grades 2-5, teachers are finding new ways to integrate technology into the daily routines in the classroom.
We often use our Chromebooks for AR tests, ReadWorks, Google Classroom, News-o-matic, Epic!, Prodigy, and iReady Math lessons. We're excited to learn ways to enhance our learning beyond the walls of our classroom this year in ways we've always dreamt of!
Parents aren't off the hook, either. One important communication tool comes to mind immediately - Remind.
Remind - This is a great way for us teachers to quickly share information in a group messages from via text messages on your phone! Your teachers will share the link so you can sign up! We can share info quickly and easily - and privately - through a dedicated cell number just for our class! It can be valuable when a change is made in an assignment, for field trips, and just to share general info in a short and sweet way - check with your child's homeroom and math teacher for info about signing up if this seems like something you would be interested in - we use it for quick easy shares!
Interactive Sites for Education
Many parents have asked for links to sites for help with math, English, mapping, science, and other skills or concepts. Here is a link to a site that has all of those and more! Have fun exploring these technology-enhanced learning options!
http://interactivesites.weebly.com/
One Hour of Code - Computer Science Education
Check out the link below the videos to find some fun activities to help celebrate
One Hour of Code and promote Computer Science Education!
The NASA astronauts on the International Space Station
can tell you why learning computer skills and coding is important!
Check out the link below the videos to find some fun activities to help celebrate
One Hour of Code and promote Computer Science Education!
The NASA astronauts on the International Space Station
can tell you why learning computer skills and coding is important!
one_hour_of_code.pdf | |
File Size: | 763 kb |
File Type: |
Ireland Elementary - Recognized as a Common Sense School - 2017-18 (and beyond!)
Common Sense Media is a super helpful non-profit site for parents and educators! They are dedicated to helping our kids learn to use media and technology wisely.
Here is their mission: "Media and technology are at the very center of all our lives today -- especially our children’s. Kids today spend over 50 hours of screen time every week. The media content they consume and create has a profound impact on their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Learning how to use media and technology wisely is an essential skill for life and learning in the 21st century. But parents, teachers, and policymakers struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing digital world in which our children live and learn. Now more than ever, they need a trusted guide to help them navigate a world where change is the only constant."
Last May, our school submitted documentation to show that we take digital citizenship seriously, and provide many opportunities for students to learn digitally and learn to be safe in a digital world, thus earning us the title of being a Common Sense School!
The Common Sense Media site has lots of options for teaching parents, teachers, and kids about using technology wisely, from games to ratings for sites and programs, there is something for us all.
One such program is Kodable, which allows kids to actually write computer codes - in a fun way!
Kodable introduces kids to the kind of logic and the concepts needed in computer programming. The free version includes the first lesson, Smeeborg, which introduces kids to the step-by-step instructions involved in programming, if/then statements, and loops. It also includes a rich parent section with a written teaching curriculum. Click on the link to see what it's all about.
Some classrooms will use Kodable this year, so your students can tell you all about it!