The benefit of having technology in our classroom is not that we can do things better, but that it allows us to do things that were formerly impossible! Technology allows primary students to create in new ways, to connect with people and classrooms outside of their building and to share their work with the world. We’ll explore new tools, student examples, and classroom management techniques that will help make this shift possible in your classroom of little learners.
We’ll investigate
Maria Knee and Amanda Marrinan create a participatory culture in their early years classrooms. They use simple but powerful social media tools that transform learning and offer authentic learning experiences. These learning experiences foster collaboration and communication skills and engage children in new media literacy skills while they learn traditional literacy skills. Amanda and Maria will discuss how they create a global classroom bulletin board where children’s learning is shared and enhanced by others around the world.
Attendees will become informed about
Blogs, wikis and twitter as learning tools in the early years classroom
Addressing specific Common Core standards
Young learners and the participatory culture
Collaborative classroom learning opportunities"
The recent explosion of social media and the connections that media allows have the ability to revolutionize classroom learning. Even primary students can be global learners and connect with people and classrooms outside of their building, city or country. We’ll discuss why you would want to do this, curriculum connections and the practicalities of how to make it work in YOUR classroom. You’ll leave with
• A list of tools that help young children to connect
• Ideas for using connections to enrich your curriculum
• Suggestions for choosing an effective blogging tool
• An online handout with the material from the presentation
Presentation Handout
Maria Knee and Amanda Marrinan have connected their classrooms for many years. It has been a powerful learning experience for Maria and Amanda as well as for their students. Learn how Maria’s students shared the making of maple syrup with Amanda’s students in Brisbane and how Maria’s students learned more about Australian animals from Amanda’s students. Maria and Amanda will share their learning journey and share opportunities for others to connect. Come learn about and explore opportunities that are available. We will discuss how this can work in your classroom and how to get started.
Attendees will learn:
Tools that help classrooms connect.
How to make this work in your classroom.
Projects, resources and ideas for learning together."
The recent explosion of social media and the connections that media allows have the ability to revolutionize classroom learning. Even primary students can be global learners and connect with people and classrooms outside of their building, city or country. We’ll discuss why you would want to do this, curriculum connections and the practicalities of how to make it work in YOUR classroom. You’ll leave with
• A list of tools that help young children to connect
• Ideas for using connections to enrich your curriculum
• Suggestions for choosing an effective blogging tool
• An online handout with the material from the presentation
Presentation Handout
The research process needs to begin as early as Kindergarten. Students in early childhood grades are able to access databases, record their findings and collaborate on wikis. These early learners are so proud of their accomplishments and view themselves as capable researchers, beginning at the age of five. You will be amazed to view some of their products and hear testimonials from teachers who were reluctant to begin the research process in the primary grades.
Garth and I have collaborated across two school districts, nearly thirty miles apart for the past seven years. That does not stop our students from learning together (virtually) everyday in the classroom, reflecting and refining their own websites with help of their blog buddies and working outside of school on projects such as Medieval Minecraft villages. This session is strictly about educational philosophy. We will walk you through our educational beliefs our creative process. Experience the “down and dirty” truth behind our collaboration. Our goal is that crowd participation and insightful questions will drive this presentation and create conversation that touches at the heart of teaching.
1. Constructivism
-What does it mean?
-Its place in a classroom
2. Collaborative Process
-Tools
-Re-imagine, Refine, redesign
-Implementation
-Reflection
3. Motivation
-Change from carrots to caring
4. Mastery
-From content to culture
-Using content to teach mastery of skills to empower learning, not knowledge
Tools such as classroom blogging, Skype calls and collaborative projects allow young learners to connect and learn from children who live far away. In addition, their classroom teachers can develop relationships that support their own learning. Come discover how you can connect and develop a classroom environment that spans time zones and empowers learners.
Attendees will become familiar with
Expanding learning opportunities by connecting classrooms
Tools to communicate, connect and learn.
Addressing specific Common Core standards.
The payoffs and the trade offs and what makes it work"
The recent explosion of social media and the connections that media allows have the ability to revolutionize classroom learning. Even primary students can be global learners and connect with people and classrooms outside of their building, city or country. We’ll discuss why you would want to do this, curriculum connections and the practicalities of how to make it work in YOUR classroom. You’ll leave with
• A list of tools that help young children to connect
• Ideas for using connections to enrich your curriculum
• Suggestions for choosing an effective blogging tool
• An online handout with the material from the presentation
Presentation Handout
All learners want to showcase their learning for a wide audience and obtain feedback beyond the teacher’s comments. There are safe and effective ways to do this. We’ll look at age-appropriate tools and apps that can be used to demonstrate the learning of the elementary students in your classroom.
You will leave with
• A model for using digital portfolios in your classroom
• Examples of effective digital portfolios
• Ideas for age-appropriate tools to demonstrate learning
• An online handout of materials from the presentation
Presentation Handouts
"Young learners are active, curious and motivated. Their learning environment should be filled with concrete and hands-on opportunities that engage them and inspire learning. Just as wooden blocks, Unifix cubes and water colors are tools used to explore and develop concepts, digital tools, such as netbooks, iPads, Roamer Robots, video cameras and interactive whiteboards can also enhance the learning in a primary classroom. Learn how digital tools support a learning environment that motivates students to be active, independent and reflective learners.
Attendees will:
Look inside a technology rich kindergarten classroom
Hear student reflections about their learning
Gain techniques for setting up and managing the learning environment
Have an opportunity to discuss and ask questions.
"
How can we encourage young learners to develop their global voice? How do we encourage elementary aged students to become authors and creators of their own digital content? How do we use the legacy of children’s learning in inform, guide and enhance our instruction of future students? This workshop explores digital tools (both through the use if the iPad and through the use of Web 2.0 tools) to create opportunities for young learners to contribute to the world of learning.
Online feedback among peers who know one another is effective. Studies have shown that students can be more comfortable with and adept at critiquing and editing written work if it is exchanged over a computer network with students they know. According to Hattie and Timperley, “…feedback is information with which a learner can confirm, add to, overwrite, tune or restructure.’ With an abundance of cheaper tablets, laptops and phones, the ‘student’ has never been more connected. Teachers have a mandate to make use of this technology to enhance feedback for all learners.
This session looks at the theory of feedback and how technology can provide quality feedback in a quick and meaningful way. It demonstrates ways that technology can be used to enhance feedback, providing students with immediate feedback that can be saved, reflected upon and used as future reference when needed."
This presentation will demonstrate the use of various programs including: Wikis, Blogs, Voicethread, Google Apps, Podcasts/Vodcast, Quia as well as various iPad applications. It will also discuss a global project between a class from Australia and the United States and show how students communicated and provided feedback throughout the task.
