Thinking About Learning

Mrs. Brown, a 4th grade teacher at my school, received a district Mac grant that provided her with a MacBook, 3iPods, an iTalk,  2 MacMinis, and a camera.  She has worked hard to integrate the technology in the midst of all the required elements of a language arts classroom.  Yes, her students spend time each day with a book actually in hand and also write with a pencil.  As a former elementary ELA teacher myself, I think there is great value in “hands on” reading and writing.  But as we work with students who are continuously more engaged with the digital world at home, it is imperative that we develop our classrooms into technology-infused environments.  Students are able to listen and focus better with an iPod than to listen to a teacher in whole group instruction.  I’m not discounting whole group instruction; I’m just saying that we need multiple instructional strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners.  Students who blog have the understanding that they are writing for a real audience, which makes their time spent writing more meaningful and authentic.  Most students spend lots of time playing video games, so instructional reading games on the computer are a natural fit for them.  Mrs. Brown does a great job of creating balance in her classroom and providing a variety of learning experiences for her students!