Elementary Tech Times
A newsletter for parents about technology in our schools
October 2016
Tech in school: more than fun and games
Students are learning to care for their school devices and to use their school devices and accounts responsibly. We are also learning about online safety and digital citizenship.
Keep reading for some examples of what your child is learning below.
Kinders, Grade 1, and Grade 2
Here are just a few of the ways we've used them already!
- Lexia - an adaptive app for learning to read.
- Listening stations - students scan QR codes to listen to audio books.
- ABC practice - students practice tracing & forming letters, and finding them on a keyboard.
- Math - counting & sorting practice
- Virtual field trips - we visited www.sandiegozookids.com.
- Research - students used www.kiddle.com to find images of something they were interested in drawing.
- Using the camera to take pictures to support their stories.
- Using the video camera to interview each other
Students also learned the THREE rules for going online safely:
1. Ask a parent first.
2. Only talk to people you know.
3. Stick to sites you know are right for you.
Virtual Field Trips
Video Storybooks
Research
Grade 3 & 4
We've been learning "word processing" tips:
- starting a new document
- manipulating text size, color, style, and more
- centering text, changing spacing, indenting paragraphs
- sharing documents
We are also using Google Classroom to receive assignments, links, and activities from our teachers, and Google Chrome to use the dictionary or thesaurus, and to find images to support our projects and writing.
Finally, students are having group discussions about our responsibilities to ourselves, our friends & family, and our community both in our offline and online lives.
Typing Stories
Virtual Field Trip
Word Processing Skills
Grades 5 & 6
After a review of "word processing" skills, our senior students are having discussions about online safety and digital citizenship.
- We discussed the "Rings of Responsibility" - responsibilities we have to ourselves, our friends & family, and our communities - both offline and online.
- We compared personal information (safe to share online) vs. private information (not safe to share online)
We've also been exploring new classroom review games that use technology. Ask your child about Kahoot! and Plickers!