Teachers and Technology

I’m totally inspired by the simple ways teachers are using technology to teach their students. Here are some observations from a recent visit to classrooms.

A preschooler asked, “What’s an iguana?” and the teacher used her iPad to immediately show the group impressive photographs of the unusual reptile.

Second-grade students were buzzing about a math station. Why? Rather than using real dice for the provided activity, the students use a dice app that the teacher had downloaded for free.

A fourth-grade teacher called on students by gently shaking her iPad. I came to find out she uses an app called Stick Pick to pick students at random.

What are your favorite apps, websites, technology tips, and more for the classroom? Do share!

Can’t ignore an iguana,
Diane


6 thoughts on “Teachers and Technology

  1. My students asked me “What do snails eat?” I told them that I didn’t know but we could find out. I went on the internet and found out that snails eat skittles! Boy! Was I surprised!

    We have also used some math websites that allowed the students to shoot at 3-dimensional shapes as the computer called out the names of the shapes.

    We have looked at underwater sea creatures and their habits.

  2. This year we were given Kindle Fires for our prek. I love it.
    I have purchased a few apps but the free ones are amazing too. I use Monkey preschool and Monkey math, Super Why and so forth.
    But the best thing is being able to find answers right then for things we do not know. Share pictures.
    Love my Kindle and will never teach without it again.

    I would like to know how other teachers monitor the usage and enforce the rules?? Several kids would sit there all day if I let them.

  3. I use alot of Excel in my curriculum. From teaching a simple formula for a timestable chart (Grade 3) to plotting a game of Battleship (Grade 4) to having my students create a crossword puzzle book (Grades 5 and 6), I find it an invaluable learning and teaching tool.

    I also use Powerpoint to build slideshows on a historical figure in which students make a “wax museum” as the figure with the PPT running beside them, on Animals and their Habitats (Grade 4), and an interactive Solar System presentation (Grade 5)

  4. I use youtube with my preschoolers. There is something to be said about showing a child something in ‘real time’ when you need it.
    We have watched a mole digging into the dirt as we learned about underground animals and we have watched the characters of Sesame Street conduct an experiment on floating – which by the way, is an interactive set of youtube videos. You chose the answer by clicking on the item in the video and it automatically brings you to the next video so the child/class is really involved! Gotta love that!

  5. We finally have our classroom Smartboard up and running! 🙂

    We are on spring break this week, but before we left, we had to prepare for Texas Public Schools Week. I fired up the Smartboard, and I was able to show the students our state symbols: large mammal, small mammal, insect, fish, reptile, sport, snack, dish, vegetable, fruit, etc. Each student was assigned a state symbol to color and write about to place on our classroom door.

    The students were really excited, and our door looks great! 🙂

  6. I love looking in on the Polar Bears and Elephants at the San Diego Zoo on the other side of the country with my 4 year olds.

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