Techie in Primary

Looking Back This week I am finishing up my first class for my technology specialist degree at Dominican University. Before starting this class I was a little nervous. Do I know enough about technology? Will I be able to keep up? How much of it will go over my head? Am I flexible enough in my thinking and teaching to try new things? I thought back to last school year when my kindergarten team was piloting the 1:1 device initiative in our school district. I was terrified! My students didn't touch the iPads until October and every time they did I was filled with anxiety, expecting something to go wrong. I can say with confidence that I have come a very long way. Those devices really changed my teaching and my students learning. Creating, explaining their thinking, and sharing was really transformative for my students. That experience encouraged me to start my technology specialist classes at Dominican. This first tech class allowed me to try so many new things: my first blog, T...

Social Media This week in Edu 776, I learned about using social media in the classroom and reflected on my own use of social media. I read David Geurin's blog post 7 Reasons to Use Social Media in Your School . Here is his awesome infographic that summarizes his points. Infographic from DavidGeurin.com Social media is definitely not going away and to ignore it as an educator is to do a disservice to our students. Through my reading of various articles this week, one point was really hammered home: social media is generally safe for our students! Our students are more likely to be abused by someone they know in their real lives than they are to be attacked online. I think that teachers can feel comfortable using social media in our classrooms. Teachers can guide our students to make good choices, show them how to be responsible, but help them to see it as a great tool for learning and sharing. I think the opportunity to make connections outside of your building is one of ...

What is Triple E? The Triple E Framework was created by Professor Liz Kolb at the University of Michigan in 2011. The goal of the framework was to address the need for research based information about teaching with technology. The focus of the Triple E Framework is on effective teaching practices and learning outcomes, not just using fancy technology. A lot of research went into the development of this framework. For example, the research  explored the importance of active engagement, quality vs. quantity, the social aspect, and the importance of instructional strategies and authentic contexts. You can read more about the research at the Triple E Framework website here . This framework will help teachers assess if technology use is going to help students reach the learning targets. The E's stand for: Engage, Enhance, and Extend. Does the technology engage the students, for example motivate students and allow for active learning opportunities?  Does the technology enhance t...

Personal Photo: Me at the Statue of Liberty National Monument Welcome to Techie in Kindergarten! This fall I started my journey of obtaining my Technology Specialist Endorsement through Dominican University. I am currently taking a course called Edu 776: Integrating Technology into Programming, Services & Instruction. I will be using this blog to share what I'm learning and the process of bringing technology into my kindergarten classroom. I received my bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Concordia University Chicago and my master's degree in literacy at Northeastern Illinois University. I have been teaching kindergarten for 11 years, 9 years in River Grove and 2 years in Northbrook. I love working with kindergarten kids. Our days are spent with songs, games, and play, but there is a lot of hard work that takes place in our classroom as well. We work hard to become independent readers and writers as well as becoming a community of thinkers t...