Technology in the Classroom

Every Wednesday morning from 9:40 until 10:25 I instruct my students using the computers in the computer lab at my school.  My overarching goal for my students is for them to feel comfortable and competent when using a computer.  To achieve this goal, I am teaching them several different computer programs including Raz Kids, Microsoft Word, and eventually Kidspiration.

For the past several weeks we have been exploring Microsoft Word.  They have learned to

• type upper and lower case letters
• use the space bar
• make their letters larger or smaller
• click on the blue self correct word to replace their invented spelling with the actual spelling of a word
• use the back space key

For this lesson, they learned how to find an illustration that matched their writing using Google Images.  They had to describe the picture they were looking for and I typed their key words in the search bar.  They then chose the illustration that best matched their writing and I moved it to their page.

This was a meaningful lesson because it helped answer the guiding question, "How do animals prepare for winter?"  I duplicated their pages and created a class book to provide repeated practice of reading their own writing.  The class book is readily available in our classroom library.  Students also have another copy of their work in their personal reading binders.

Here are some samples of their work: