Friday, July 19, 2019

SAMR? Hardly know her!

I know it’s not original but I’m super excited by the idea of having my kindergarteners do a skype pen pal.

Integrating technology into the classroom is HUGE. It bridges gaps for our students who have disabilities that impact their ability to hold a pencil, communicate orally, or to show their understanding using the written word. It also means that my kindergarteners, most of whom enter my classroom not knowing how to read or write, can have pen pals. Or maybe a more appropriate term would be web pals. 
Technology is a huge part of the lives of our kids today. In my past year working in a classroom I saw many students try to use a desktop computer the way you’d use an iPad - this was not successful for them. We had to teach them to use the computer, and for them, this was a non-intuitive struggle. Why would you use a mouse when you could use your finger? What is a key pad? 
One of my students always found some way to get the computer to the html screen, symbols he couldn’t comprehend would be streaming down half of the screen while the other half showed a preferred activity like Peppa Pig. It was about as comical as it was frustrating. 
“Don’t touch the keyboard” I would say, countless times, tucking it behind the monitor, presumably beyond reach. Needless to say a maximum of fifteen minutes later I’d hear “Help please!”

I think it’s a vital skill to teach our kiddos how to use all of the forms of technology we have in the classroom. For one of my kiddos learning to type was a motivator to learn the alphabet. He didn’t engage with traditional methods of learning the alphabet but he sure learned the letters quick when he figured out that all he had to do to get computer time was type in a password when a teacher wasn’t looking. 

This is all to say that I think technology, even while I still have complicated feelings about it, is a necessary and motivating, and cool thing in our classrooms. It will provide opportunities to redefine (hello SAMR) lessons in my classroom. Kids will be able to communicate with humans across the globe, in real time! That was not feasible when I was growing up. Long distance phone call? Way too costly in the early 2000’s. 

Technology is here - I’m excited (and nervous) to see how it will impact my kindergarten classroom.

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