Hopefully you have had a chance to come and visit us in Tech Connect, formerly known as the Computer Lab. The room and the curriculum have been given a face lift. The children enjoy the inviting colors and global theme that connect them to the world through technology. The activities the students engage in while in Tech Connect are curriculum driven and do not start or end here, but spill over into the classrooms. Therefore the classroom teachers are an integral part in the planning and implementation of lessons and projects.
With the understanding that children learn by doing, all grade levels are involved in smaller or larger scale projects that include computer parts and peripheral identification, terminology, mouse control, keyboarding, and file hierarchy. They are practicing these skills by using desktops, laptops, MP3 recorders, digital cameras and our newest addition, Alphasmart Neos.
The lower levels are all excited about our year long Webkinz integration. Each classroom received a class mascot to love, care for and to explore their online environment. These lovable stuffed animals expose students to social networking in a controlled setting, while teaching them about online safety, collaboration and curriculum related skills. Teachers are using our two portable LCD projector carts on a weekly basis in their classrooms to extend this learning opportunity beyond the walls of Tech Connect.
Another favorite application of our younger students is the ever popular Kid Pix. A drawing program that introduces them to different concepts, such as file saving, inserting, tool selections, etc., which are essential and apply when exploring other applications in the future. The mouse control skills that they, especially or ELC students, practice are instrumental in their fine motor development.
As mentioned above, the school has introduced an Alphasmart Neo cart. This classroom set allows each student to work on their own Neo and opens yet another dimension of using technology here at SJEDS. Neos are portable keyboard devices that are a little smaller than a laptop. The cart is being utilized by many of our classes and their teachers are becoming more creative in their usage, for example, chain stories, collaborative editing, mystery characters, and magical beaming of files. Keyboarding skills are essential to becoming efficient technology users. Just like learning a musical instrument, these skills need to be practiced frequently and consistently. You can help your student do this at home by visiting one of these free typing programs to download or directly play online.
The upper levels have participated in a global project called “Life ‘Round Here”, which was called into life by a South Carolina teacher. Students from countries around the world, between the ages of 10-12 years, such as China, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Thailand and USA are participating. Their task was to create a 2 ½ minute video clip, that describes what life is like where they live. We have selected six finalists from our school and uploaded their finished movies to the project wiki. Please take the time to visit the website and watch our students’ movies as well as the others from around the world.
You can follow along projects and news that are happening as we connect to our world through technology.
