Technology Tuesdays: Soo....I dont have much technology, how do I teach with it?!?

It is rare to find a time when you go to a professional development seminar to NOT find a technology session in there somewhere.  There a blogs devoted to it, there are Technology Tuesdays, there is a push in many different directions for technology.  The one thing they leave out: how to afford technology.

Technology is expensive, there is nothing else to it.  We all want it, but can we all afford it?  No.  Most cases we have SOME in our rooms, but all the great things out there, it is likely we have a small percentage of those items.

This Technology Tuesday is devoted for how to use technology when you only have one item (or a few) in your room.  I am basing it off of what I have in my room, and I would hope to get more (don't we all) to teach more when we have it.

I have a desktop computer in my room.  Most of the teachers have laptops, but I don't.  We do have a small (5) set up computers on wheels for student use.  My computer does not have access to the complete server because it is to old so in order to get on the server, I borrow a student computer.  Lately, I have been resorting to my personal computer (that can get on the server) because it is all personalized and specialed to me. ANYWAY, here are the ways I use technology in my room.

Laptops/Computer

Typing skills are and will continue to e a critical skill in our students' lives.  Even if they get the new up and

coming technology in their future, they will still have a keyboard.  I have my students sign in on the computer.  This is developmentally appropriate as they are learning letters, and specifically the letters in their names.  It is amazing to see their little wheels turning when they see their name on their sign in cards with a capital first letter and lower case rest of the letters, but the keyboard is in all caps, and it shows up in all lower case on the computer.  That is a lot of things going on there!

After scaffolding this lesson a couple of times, I then had them hit enter on their own so the next person can write their name, and it also capitalizes their first letter.

Then, when they all had their first name memorized, I moved on to their last names.

Then, I taught the space bar and had them write first then last.

Then, after Dr. Seuss week, I took it up a notch and had them write: "I am ____" like "I am Sam."  They had to use shift to capitalize their name, space between words, and enter for the next friend.  Amazing literacy skills and technology skills happening!

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Watching Videos

Pinterest is an amazing thing.  I have found many wonderful teaching things on Pinterest, including videos.  (click here to visit and follow my pinterest account).  Our school, fortunately, does not block pinterest so I have access to it during the day.  I sort all my finds into categories: teaching: fall, teaching videos: fall, etc, etc.  They especially love Brain Break videos on those rainy indoor recess days!

I simply go to these videos, turn my desktop computer around, and allow students to watch, enjoy and move around to.  Also when they open in YouTube, you can see related videos and I end up pinning many more or playing the ones they say, "PLAY THE ___ ONE!  PLAY THE ____ ONE!!)

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Videos (on laptop/computer) and Handwriting

(click here to visit)

 I have a personal iPad, but not one for student use.  I used the app to record my voice making every letter of the alphabet. (available on my YouTube page as well as my Parent Website).  This also brings the technology home if they have the access.
One of my Technology Tuesday blogs was about using ScreenChomp, an app for the iPad.

After showing this video to students at the beginning of the week for the letter of the week, I then play it and listen as I show them I am writing according to the exact directions on the video.  I then gave them the choice: do it the right way on your own, or push the space bar (play) and do it with my voice.  They love it!

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Music

Students, especially early childhood students, love music.  I use music every chance I get.  I have all CDs and other music I find downloaded to iTunes on my computer. I have an old iPod (I no longer use, but got super cheap on Ebay) and a clock radio dock (super cheap the day after Thanksgiving) that I play all my music to.  I have a relaxation CD (originally bought for personal use) that I play for morning yoga time, Barney's cd for days of the week as well as many thematic units such as "The Green Grass Grows all Around" for our tree unit, and other brain break music.  Having all the music on one machine a the tip of my fingers if they need a break is great!  Also, check out Educasongs on TpT.  GREAT Mp3 thematic song downloads for affordable prices!
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Overhead Projector

I used this mostly for my unit on shadows, but the students still ask for it!  they did math on it, the made shapes and added and took away, they made shadow puppets talk (language development) and they worked with scientific principals and persistence (making it look the way they wanted).  Old technology, but still loved!






This post is linked up with Technology Tailgate's Techie Tuesday!