Digital Learning

I think creating any lesson begins first with considering exactly what goals we are trying
to accomplish with our students.  While it can be very easy to integrate technology for
technology’s sake, truly examining the reason for the lesson and how each specific
digital tool can help to accomplish this goal should be the focus when determining
what digital tools are appropriate. The next thing to consider is the availability, and
cost of these tools to use them in your classroom.  While some tools may be very
useful, the expense of using them in a district and school as large as the one I teach in
can be a large obstacle to overcome. Fortunately, students in my district are one to one
with Chromebooks, and we have a limited number of Ipads for students to share. While
this takes the guesswork out of determining what devices to use in my classroom, it does
leave room for careful consideration of how to best meet my students' needs with my
available resources.  

One of the first ways I could see using technology to enhance student learning in my
classroom is through the creation of a Wiki. I think the Wiki is a powerful tool in PBL
to help students access information in a safe and effective setting, as well as creating
an engaging setting for them to collaborate and share their knowledge with their
teachers, parents, and peers.  (Cennamo, 2014).

ISTE NETS-T Standard 4.b focuses on meeting learners where they are and creating
strategies that are centered on how they learn. (Cennamo, 2014) I think the use of a
class website to provide opportunities for personalized learning, access to resources,
and communication with parents is a great way to personalize learning for each
students’ needs, and to gather necessary data to guide further instruction.  

One of the technological tools I would like to further explore in my third grade classroom
is the use of a class blog to collaborate and share ideas.  I think this could be a very
valuable tool to share our learning with our classmates and families, as well as to
connect with students outside of our school to expand our learning.

While I am fortunate to work in a district where my students and I are given many
opportunities to use different types of technology, there are some things to
consider when determining how to best meet the needs of my students through
the use of technology in my classroom.  While we have adequate devices, the
infrastructure is not always able to meet the needs of my learners. This really
illustrates the need for flexibility and a backup plan in any lesson, be it digital or
otherwise.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. D., Ertmer, P. A., & International Society for Technology in Education. (2014).
        Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach.