Kindergarteners or Paleontologists?

This semester I am placed in a kindergarten classroom for my science field experience. I have been teaching them about dinosaurs and they LOVE it! It's amazing how motivated they are when something interests them. As I was planning my lessons I was struggling to come up with something hands-on for them to do with dinosaurs because I don't have dinosaur bones to show them! After some brainstorming with my cooperating teacher, we came up with a plan to engage them.

To begin we had a surprise "visitor" in our classroom. I took the kids to a bathroom break and when we came back there were items strewn all over the carpet.

The items included:

• Diaper
• Onesie
• Pacifier
• Tiny sock
• Tiny shoe

We had to look at the clues our "visitor" left because no one saw the visitor in our classroom. We made a list of what the clues told us:

• It was a baby.
• It could've been their ESL teacher because she just had a baby. (wasn't expecting them to make this connection!)
• It was a boy because the clothes were blue.
• It was a small baby.

Once we had a good idea of who our visitor could've been, I made the connection back to dinosaurs. No human has ever seen a dinosaur, so scientists who study dinosaurs have to look at their bones like clues or pieces of a puzzle! I introduced the word paleontologist and we watched a video about what paleontologists do. The video was perfect because it illustrated for them what a paleontologist does much more than just me talking about it.

The most exciting part of our activity came next. The students were able to make their own fossils! They put a small animal into play-doh to make an imprint. Then they moved around the classroom and tried to guess what the animal was by looking at only the imprint. We were paleontologists!

The kids were so engaged throughout the whole lesson! I am excited with how well it went.

Technology Comes Last

Now you may be thinking, "What's up with that title?" "This is a technology blog, what is she talking about!?" We are always looking to experts to back our decisions in teaching. Harris and Hofer have 5 steps to planning a lesson and I have studied those steps in my technology class. The steps have choosing the technological tool last. I agree with their steps and think it's a good basis to ensure that you are teaching a lesson with a learning purpose in mind for your students. Read on to learn more about it!

Here is a short summary of their 5 steps:

1. Determine the lesson's purpose
2. Make pedagogical decisions - they have 8 continua to help guide you
3. Select activity types
4. Select the appropriate assessment
5. Choose the right technological tool

[Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0iefVzmSlbtXzFWYUd3bGxiWHM/edit]

As you can see in the steps above, the technology piece of the lesson doesn't have a role until the very end. The reason I think this is a beneficial way to teach is because it doesn't allow the technology to take center stage. Let's face it, technology is exciting and fun to use, but we need to remember that our students' learning is our main goal and how we reach that goal is the important piece; not what technological tool we want to use. Once the learning goal is stated and we know what we want our students to learn, then we can begin brainstorming ideas of how to reach that goal. Harris and Hofer have a list of different activity types for varying learning goals. 

Harris and Hofer's idea of thinking of the technology last is a point I have made in previous blog posts. Not only when it comes to technology, but any lesson, we need to pinpoint the learning goal before we decide the activity students will do. This is not how I have planned in the past, but through observation and learning in my classes this semester, I have come to understand that this is the best way to plan in order to ensure the learning goal is met. 

To every argument, there are two sides. Here is a pro/con list to planning the technological tool last:

Overall, I would say this is a good process to adopt, or at least consider, when creating lessons. Remember, this doesn't just apply to technology lessons, but rather your teaching as a whole. It is always good practice to think about your goal and what you want your students to learn before anything else.

Live and Learn

As teachers, we plan. We plan units, lessons, days, weeks, and even the whole year at a glance. You can plan all you want, but unless you can tell the future, you will never know how your students will react to a lesson. A lesson never happens exactly how you imagine it; good or bad. That is why we have to be flexible and learn from our mistakes.

This semester I have to do a 24 hour classroom experience for one of my technology classes. I am so excited to teach some lessons and learn from my cooperating teacher. I created a lesson using the app called Toontastic and taught it last week to a group of 2nd graders. I was so excited!

[Retrieved from: http://cdn-images.launchpadtoys.com/lpt/toontastic/promo-page/lead-screen/4.jpg]

It did not go as planned, to say the least. I was really disappointed at first, but then I realized that i had learned so much. I knew what to fix next time to make it a perfect lesson. Toontastic is an iPad app that allows students to create their own settings, characters, and storyline; and then voice over to create a digital story. I would highly recommend creating a story yourself using the app before teaching this lesson. It is very user friendly and talks you through the steps!

[Retrieved from http://teachertechguy.edublogs.org/2012/03/27/toontastic/]

I would recommend spreading a lesson like this out over at least a week; unfortunately I couldn't do that since I do not have my own classroom yet. Here's a breakdown of the lesson outline:

1. Discuss as a class what it means to "think in your head."
2. Ask students to close their eyes and think of their favorite story.
3. Ask them:
         What happens?
         Who is in the story?
         What do they do?
         How does it end?
4. Discuss the parts of a story and make a list on a board/poster. In the app, they use specific terms which you may need to teach your students (set-up, conflict, climax, challenge, resolution)
5. Show your students an example story that you create on the draft forms.
6. Build a story using Toontastic with them so they can see how it works.

A rough draft is key for the students to really plan out their stories and not just play with the app. I created a draft packet for the students. Check out my store on Teachers Pay Teachers to find the rough draft packet! It is a simple format for students to use to map out their story.

Try it out, your students will be very engaged and excited to use their creativity!

This tool can be found in the App Store on the iPads. They also have a website which provides support, resources, and FAQ concerning the tool. It is available only on iPads, iPhones, or iPods. Another classroom idea to use this app would be to have your students recreate a story line they have read. They can then discuss the similarities and differences between their version and the original version.

Pic Collage

One of the most frustrating parts of using technology in the classroom is finding great resources that don't cost you an arm and a leg. However, when you do find that free tool, it's a pretty good feeling. Pic Collage is one of those tools. It is a FREE iPad app that is very user friendly and can be used in a variety of ways in your classroom.

Pic Collage allows you to:

• Change background color or pattern
• Add photos from your camera roll or the internet
• Add text
• Add stickers

Pic Collage can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. It is available on Apple and Droid devices. There is a website for Pic Collage but it does not offer much information or support related to education.

Here are some ideas I have for using Pic Collage:

• Personal narratives: students add photos of themselves and add details. They can present their project to the class and work on presentation and speech skills.

• Acrostic poem: Your students will learn what an acrostic poem is. Then they research a topic, add photos and text about that topic, and present their topic to the class.

• Get rid of "tired" words: Create a list of overused words with your students. Next assign each student a word and have them research synonyms. They will then create a digital poster of the overused word surrounded by more exciting synonyms. These digital posters can be sent to the teacher. They can be printed out and hung around the classroom. This will allow them to use these new words in their writing.

These three lessons are engaging, hands-on, and allow your students to express their creativity through technology while learning. Try it out in your classroom!!

The Total Package of Teaching

Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge

TPACK is the idea that all three components: technology, pedagogy, and content, must work together in order to create a successful education environment. As a teacher, this can be daunting to think that in each of your lessons you strive to hit the middle of this venn diagram, but it is worth it to foster the best kind of learning in your classroom.

It is important to practice TPACK in your classroom because:

• It will teach your students 21st century skills.
• You will enhance your lessons with technology, without shaping your lessons around the technological tools.
• You will cover the appropriate content in an engaging manner to involve your students.
• Technology may draw in your students' interests, but you need a meaningful plan to implement them in order to achieve learning goals.
• It will make you a better teacher!

In a YouTube Video about TPACK, the creator Darren Kuropatwa's introduction got me thinking. He states that a frame draws attention to the focus of the picture. My first thought after watching this video, was that in the education field, the technology is the frame. It draws your students in, catches their attention and excites them to learn. However, a frame by itself is nothing. It has nothing to highlight and has no purpose; just as a piece of technology is nothing without purpose. You must pair your technological "frame" with rich content (the focus of the picture) and purposeful pedagogy (the background of the photo).

Here's a screenshot of a frame in the YouTube video I mentioned above. 

As teachers we must do our best to aim for the center of the venn diagram and be the best combination the three components. It will take practice, effort, and time to master, but practice makes perfect, so don't give up!

As a future teacher, I think TPACK will effect me on a daily basis. As I plan units, lessons, and day-to-day activities, I will need to remember the TPACK framework and strive to accomplish a perfect blend of content, pedagogy, and technology. As a teacher with a digital technology minor, I believe my future colleagues will expect me to be the expert and go-to with technology. I will teach other teachers the tools I've learned to use in my own classroom. In a YouTube Video it is stated that we can't keep doing the same thing we've done and just add technology, we must challenge ourselves to come up with new ideas, cutting edge lessons that will engage students in a way that we never did before. As a future teacher, I will research and try out new ideas to incorporate technology into my classroom and share with my colleagues.

In conclusion, TPACK is something I hope all teachers strive for in their classroom. It provides the best learning environment for students and makes us as teachers better. Try it out!

TPACK photo retrieved from: Cary Academy