The Forest and the Trees

The world of technology is just that... a world.  You can't put your finger on just one thing and say 'that's technology'. For me the idea of technology is the forest and the products are the trees. Whenever I talk with someone who says they are 'new to technology' I know they have never really thought about it using a 'big picture' frame.  So how can I help them bring this vast change to their classroom?

I have them examine what is involved in a teaching program.  There are 3 basic parts: course content, the instructor, and the students.  Next you apply technology tools and pedagogy to these areas as you become comfortable with them.  Here are a few ideas.

http://bit.ly/1Fo8neg

1) Course content

- consider audio visual online lessons to present or reinforce content material. For example, Math Live from LearnAlberta.ca .  This easy to use site explores many Grade 5 math concepts. It is interactive and scaffolded.  For students with reading challenges this program has mostly oral instructions and visual examples. It can be shown in a classroom or given as an assignment via a web link to be viewed at home. 

- consider using online news sources for content  For example, CBC Player has many Digital Archives.  For a Grade 6 lesson on biographies try using the Terry Fox archive footage showing the start of his Marathon. This is also a great Media Literacy lesson for many grades.  Examining the quality of the footage, the newscasters, the interview techniques and even the entire CBC site leads to good discussion.  Students with reading or writing challenges will be able to engage fully in conversations after viewing real life footage.  It is also very helpful for new Canadians to 'see' historical Canadian events that many of us take for granted as knowing about.

2) The Instructor

- consider having a teacher or classroom website. Our board has set up Wordpress sites for every teacher. They can be accessed through the school website or many teachers have students write the site into student agendas early in the year.  It can be used many ways. As a resource, as a place of shared projects, as a calendar, or as an extension of classroom initiatives.  For students that require review of concepts, or have attention needs, a website allows for anytime, anywhere learning.  The following example is a Grade 3/4 site from our board.

- look around your classroom.  Do you have a projector?  An audio enhancement system? A Document camera? A Smartboard?  Desktop computers? Chromebooks? iPads? Tablets? Can you 'sign' out these items?  Have you checked with your administrator for access to one or all of these tools?  For the visually impaired student most of these items make the content accessible.  Not only is the content you are sharing visibly enhanced but students always know where to look as well. In the above photo this teacher is showing a section of a book and reading aloud to students who can follow along. Her modelling is seen by all students when it is shown on a screen.
You don't need all of these devices, but the more that you use the more your students will use devices as well.

3) The Students

http://bit.ly/1PRrY8n

- consider using personal devices For example, students bring in their own devices and participate in Poll questions.  Poll Everywhere allows teachers to create a multiple choice or open-ended poll question. (This is a terrific introduction to a graphing unit in the Primary or Junior grades.) Then, students can text their answers and watch the poll populate on the screen. Students that are self-conscious about their speech or are reluctant to speak in large crowds now have a voice and can participate fully.

These have been just a few ideas for infusing your classroom with technology. Some of the tasks are just branches on a bigger tree. Some are simple, some are complex. In the end, I like searching through the woods, looking for that unique tree that will capture a lesson or a student's imagination.  I hope you have a good walk.

http://bit.ly/1HqebpS