I love technology, especially in schools where it is thoughtfully integrated with the curriculum. There is way more to schools and learning than just technology, but if you get the tech piece right, it makes your school SO much more relevant and exciting! It will change the mindset of your entire community, and this is where the Principal MUST be the Lead Learner.
We're also 1:1 in our entire 1st-5th grade and we have 540 students at John Swett Elementary. We've done this in two years, through a variety of different funding sources. If you make technology integration and all it's facets a priority, you have the ingredients for amazing change and empowerment of your school.
What do I love about technology in the hands of kids.......
- KDI (Kids Dig It)
- It makes learning so much more flexible, in so many different ways!
- We can individualize learning and have multiple activities going on at once in the classroom! Differentiation is a huge key to student success, technology allows teachers to facilitate the learning and not just simply 'teach' the entire day.
- I have almost zero discipline at my school, an engaged classroom where kids are challenged and they are collaborating with others is key!
- When you're a Workshop school and you fold in Google Drive for student writing, it changes the entire editing process for teachers and kids. Dynamic revisions throughout will push students to write more!
- Our staff feels comfortable, innovative and always ready for more! Which in turn empowers the kids, it's a totally different language, what do you speak?!
- Social Media has a piece to this conversation. We're a Twitter school and have opened up all classroom doors with sharing and collaboration. Teacher PD happens all the time now when you have the right pieces to the puzzle.
- With the rollout of our Social Media Interns, the sharing continues from a student perspective even if I'm in meetings, amazing!
- Educate and inform your parent groups! Parents must be a part of the conversation so they know how to best support their child. When parents are on board and can support, you'll go even farther as a school.
- Technology integration is not a 'nice to have' - it's a 'must have' and we must make it happen for our kids!
What do you love about technology integration at your school?
Learning is flexible and shouldn't just happen in a desk, anywhere and anytime
When you're 1:1 in all grade levels it's much easier to do more with technology integration and differentiation
Flexible and comfortable, in a bean bag of course
Don't just write for your teacher, publish to the world on your KidBlog
Book reviews should be collaborative and shared with the entire grade level, Google Docs will get you there
Students take Project Based Learning to another level, using Google Draw to enhance their collaborative assignments. See the image that three students are working together on the same document
Four 5th graders working outside on laptops
More 5th graders
Our second set of Social Media Interns learning the ropes and having a blast sharing with the community
You won't see one of our teachers without their MacBook Air, don't leave your classroom without it
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