This morning, while running, I started to think about my oldest daughter's technology experiences at school. She will start 2nd grade in August and attends a great school! I have been very pleased with her progress and have enjoyed all her teachers, teacher assistants and enhancement teachers.
Technology is integrated into her learning experiences. She attends a technology enhancement once every 7 days during the enhancement rotation. During this time the students learn how to login to their computer with their personal login and password. They play educational games that relate to the computer instruction of the day.
In the classroom computer use is incorporated into centers where the students play computer games. Each week she was required to take a quiz, on the computer, on a book she read that week. Links to educational websites were sent home throughout the year and posted on the teachers classroom website to encourage computer use at home.
In my opinion, I believe that computer use at home is key to students feeling comfortable using one at school. Just like we read to our children everyday it is now becoming critical to allow our children to use technology at home. This does not mean just allowing children to sit in front of a video game for hours on end but to engage them in educational games on computers, smart phones and ipads, etc... Our children will benefit in the long run.
My children often ask to use the laptop at home and I admit that I have not allowed them to do so like I should. To be honest, I am usually on it catching up on school work! This course is opening my eyes to the fact that not only do I need to be aware of their reading and math skills but also of their technology use and skills!
I have to think of something to get through my runs at 5:30am!
Hey - Your daughters use of technology sounds a lot like we use it at our school. Students go to computers/technology once every four days as and encore class. In the classroom they have research assignments to complete with the MAC. They do this in pairs during centers. It takes a while to set up a center this way, but it is necessary to integrate the technology.
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