By Brooke Doughtie
SSES 3rd Grade
I can still hear her typing sometimes during the night. It’s almost comical how I find the clicking of a keyboard comforting. My love for technology began when I was in grade school. You might even say it was a "learned" love. My mother worked for Baylor Hospital's technology department where she was often called upon during the night to work and would do so from our home computer. I had the opportunity to see and hear a lot about the always changing and progressing technology.
I now have taken that love and applied it to my classroom. I teach third grade and there is nothing more exciting to me than learning a new way to apply technology to our TEKS. Our own SSISD mission statement states that we will provide students with the skills that will prepare them to adapt and excel in a fast changing world, enabling them to lead productive lives. In order for us, as educators, to carry out this mission, I feel we must be vigilant about professionally developing our ability to integrate technology in the classroom.
The ways I most often apply technology is through my math and science stations.
- I enjoy using QR codes as often as possible. There are multiple ways to use QR codes and many free resources available online. QR codes, quick response codes, are two dimensional barcodes that can be read using a smart device or a QR reader. When you scan the code you are linked to a text, photo, or website. I use http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ to generate QR codes and have students check their answers in a station. QR codes also make for a fun way to do scavenger hunts!
- I use my classroom computers for students to explore academic websites. My vision is that my students will be able to access videos of me, or other teachers, re-teaching concepts or introducing more challenging concepts. This is a work in progress but we are getting there!
- I have 2 iPads in my classroom purchased by our PTO. I use those for students to reinforce skills with educational apps, or I often have the students record themselves explaining a skill and later use that footage for reviewing or re-teaching. I frequently use iPads in my teacher station too.
Another way you might find me using technology in the classroom includes using the Activotes. I will create or find a flipchart where students can use the “clickers” to select answers. I always have my students solve the problem first without seeing the multiple choice answers. Then I uncover the choices and allow them to select the best answer. A bar graph will appear, revealing the results, and we discuss what our data shows. I like to give them a reward (normally the cha cha slide) for 100% accuracy.
Lastly, I recently created a classroom blog, http://mrsdoughtie.weebly.com/ . This one stop shop provides a portal into my classroom for the parents. Currently, this project is a functional work-in-progress. While it is great as another way to communicate with parents, my true vision is to make this an effective at-home educational tool. Similar to a flipped classroom, I hope to post video of my own teaching so that parents can be aware of how I teach and understand what expectations I have of my students.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”