The ability to
find useful and reliable information is essential in all areas of life. Technology skills will also be critical
to future success.
Where Do You Go When You Need to Know? Encourage students to suggest what they
can do when they want to know something.
Go
to the library.
Search
on the internet.
Look
in a magazine or book.
Ask
the teacher.
Ask
a friend.
Ask
someone in your family.
Go
on a field trip.
Look
around.
Free Sites for Technology
blabberize.com (animate reactions to literature and
current events)
discoveryEd.com (video
streaming)
dropbox.com (paperless
storage)
escrapbooking.com (e
scrapbooking)
gcast.com (creating a
podcast)
livebinders.com (paperless
storage of materials)
Prezi.com (create
multi-media presentations)
Surveymonkey.com (completing
an online survey)
Here are classroom
activities that can foster technical skills:
Send emails
Use the internet for
research
Use a Smartboard
Build a wiki
Create a photostory
Write a classroom blog
Assess and evaluate research
sources
Interpret media sources
Use technology
to write and illustrate stories
Make a movie
after a field
Graph – use software to
record and analyze data
Incorporate the use of digital
technologies in the classroom (PDAs, media players, GPS, computers,
SmartPhones, etc.)
Note! Several weeks ago at a workshop a teacher said, “Dr. Jean,
I know you don’t like technology.”
That’s not true! I LOVE
technology! Mr. Google is one of
my best friends! However, I think
technology in children’s lives needs to be balanced with all of the hands-on
activities and social experiences I try to share with you every day. Balance, balance, balance!