Using Technology with Heart: A Plan for Elementary Classrooms

Using Technology with Heart: A Plan for

Technology is a huge part of our student’s lives. On a day to day basis one will hear their

students talk about their latest gadget like their iPod, iPad, Xbox, Fortnite game, and personal
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computer. Children of all ages for the most part are using technology in some way. It is a large

part of their everyday lives and their conversations. The students in my practicum placement

enjoy using the chromebooks in the classroom for school work and listening to music.

Technology is constantly changing and will continue to change and be a part of our

classrooms. As a young adult I have seen the dramatic growth technology has made in my

lifetime. While it is more drastic for the older generations it has become a huge part of my life as

well. As an elementary schooler we did not use laptops. We would make the occasional trip to

the computer lab and we had a few desktops in our classroom that we were able to use during

free time but it is not like today. My teachers used the overhead projector with the clear sheets

and the dry erase vis-a-vis markers. This was awesome technology then. As I transitioned into

high school that is really where I can remember smartboards being a huge deal. Every single

classroom had one and it was always a pleasure when the teacher would let you solve a problem

on the board. As a high schooler, many of my classmates got school issues iPads where they

could do their homework and their assignments and activities were posted on e-school. In

previous practicum placements I saw students in Kindergarten regularly using iPads as a source

of math games and other educational tools. Teachers can really use this technology to their

advantage within their classrooms as they should but teachers need to know how to effectively

integrate this into their classroom using developmentally appropriate practices.

Teachers are not born with the knowledge on how to integrate technology effectively in

their classroom it is something they have to learn. In order to help our teachers help our students,

teacher need to be provided with the schools to use technology. Schools can be sure that teachers

have “tools and methods for teaching and for use with young children, hands-on opportunities to

play with technology, and opportunities to use technology to learn how to use technology”
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(Donohue, C. & Schomburg, R., 2015). It is not enough to stock the teachers room with

chromebooks and have them use it effectively. Teachers need extensive training on what is

appropriate practice for technology in the classroom. They may learn these tools by doing that is

why hands-on experiences would be significant in their implementation of technology.

The students in my practicum use a wide variety of tools every day. A few popular tools

are google slides and google docs where they complete assignments. The students used google

docs to write a report on an explorer than interested them. They used the internet to look up the

required information on their explorer like their name, birthday, death, and significance of their

travel. The students used google docs to type in the information that they learned on their

internet searches. As a 4th grader I can remember doing a similar project except we did it at

home on our own, and I did not have access to a printer because they were still so new and high-

tech and I lived with my grandparents whom didn’t see a need for such equipment, I had to go to

a former teachers house to complete my project.

The students in my practicum also use a website called Scratch for coding. They enjoy

creating scenes like of underwater places as well as adding animations to the characters in their

scene. The students in my class enjoy using chromebooks and use them as much as they can. My

teacher even lets them listen to instrumental music. For some it is more of a distraction because

they like to discuss with their classmates every song that they play. Also, even though it is

instrumental the students know all the words! Listening to music helps some students drown out

the noise of their classmates so they can focus on their work.

The students must be given direct instructions. Technology must be effectively integrated

into the curriculum. “Effective integration means that technology is used throughout the

curriculum and four key components of learning are supported: active engagement, participation
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in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts”

(“Technology Integration”, 2007). It is not enough to allow the students to freely use the

technology. Students need direction with this as with everything.”When used intentionally and

appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and

development.” (NAEYC, 2017) Technology in the classroom can helps students learn a variety

of material. Teachers have it drilled in their heads from the beginning the importance of variety

in teaching since not all children learn effectively the same way. Technology can support certain

learners where hands on activities support others. It is important that the activities that the

children are required to do are developmentally appropriate.

Developmentally appropriate is a fancy way of saying activities and lessons and really

anything done inside a school setting fits the child’s age developmentally. “Its framework is

designed to promote young children’s optimal learning and development. DAP involves teachers

meeting young children where they are, both as individuals and as part of a group; and helping

each child meet challenging and achievable learning goals.” (Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds.,

2009) For example an elementary student should not be given free range on a computer they first

need to understand how they work. The students need a purpose as to why they are using the

specific tool, and it should meet their needs and be able to engage them and further them in

understanding the content.

During my Fall 2018 semester at SUNY Cortland I learned the importance of having

technology in the classroom and how to meaningfully integrate it so that the students are able to

reach their full potential. Technology can help them better understand material. Technology

helps engage the students because let’s face it they love getting their hands on those

chromebooks and iPads. With technology in the classroom the students have access to a variety
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of resources at their fingertips. Technology can also assist students who have special needs.

There are so many tools that can help a student read texts that they must struggle with on their

own. This is perfect for a child who is visually impaired or one that may just have trouble

following along. Students can also be easily caught up on text if they were absent for example.

Technology also allows for teachers to interact with families in a way they couldn’t before.

There are sites out there like Edmodo that we used extensively this semester. This

website allows for parents, students, and teachers to interact. It is similar to a Facebook but more

developmentally appropriate. Teachers can post assignments and deadlines on this page. This

helps parents and students stay on the same track. There would be less room for children to say

“oh, there was no homework tonight” and show you their blank agenda that they may bring

home daily. Rather the parent can see for themselves the assignments that are required for the

student to complete. Edmodo would be a helpful tool for parents and teachers to keep in touch.

Families are so busy these days. Some may be juggling a couple of jobs and children and all the

other things that come along with living that calling on the phone or meeting in person is just not

ideal. Edmodo allows for the users to send private messages.

As a future classroom teacher I have learned plenty of tools that I can integrate

effectively into my classroom. My ideal classroom would allow the students access to iPads or

chromebooks. We would also have a smartboard that I can use to engage the students in the

activities. Edmodo will be used as a resource to contact the families of my students. I would also

love to use things like iMovie or voicethread to allow my students the ability to be creative and

perhaps summarize lessons and what they learned from the material. I also like the idea of using

Kahoot as a way to check for understanding. Another great tool taught this semester was word

cloud. This is a creative way to create different shapes out of things like vocabulary words,
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spelling words, or even the student’s names/ It is important as a future teacher I also keep up

with the growth of technology by attending workshops to better understand how I can use this for

my students. There I will learn how to creatively and effectively use technology to enhance my

students success.

References

Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds. (2009). Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in Early
Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington, DC:
NAEYC. Retrieved July 20, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/dap

Donohue, C. & Schomburg, R. (2015). Chapter 4. Teaching with Technology: Preparing Early
Childhood Educators for the Digital Age. In C. Donohue (Ed.), Technology and Digital Media in
the Early Years (p. 36-50). New York & London: Rougtledge.

Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org (Please browse, do some skimming and scanning to keep

National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] and the Fred Rogers
Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. (2012, January)]
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Technology and Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs: What We’ve Learned from
Five Years of Research, Policy, and Practice
. Retrieved November 26, 2018 from http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-
children.