Practicum observations

I was in Heber Valley Elementary School in Mrs. Hayter’s 1st Grade class. Mrs. Hayter was a wonderful mentor teacher who used technology throughout each day to teach her 1st graders. Every student, in their center groups, would get a chance to be on the computers for 13 minutes using Razz Kids, an online virtual reading program that tracks the students’ progress and tests them after reading books. Mrs. Hayter also would use her document camera to project on the whiteboard from her laptop the math website the school uses to teach math. She would also use the document camera to also project on the whiteboard different worksheets the students would be working on together as a class, or test material she would step each student through. The school had given Mrs. Hayter, along with all the other teachers, a touch pad to record students’ progress with different subjects; she didn’t know how to use it, my partner taught her so she could start using that technology to help benefit her and her classroom. I believe Mrs. Hayter adequately used technology in her classroom to effectively teach her first graders.

Video Comments

Bookends of War video:
http://etec.hawaii.edu/etecvideos/videos/bow/
Inside Kapunahala video:
http://etec.hawaii.edu/etecvideos/videos/kap/

With the ‘Bookends of War’ project, students are put into groups where they work on different parts to create the classroom website. One student is taught the skills needed and then goes back to their group to teach everyone else what needs to be learned. Cooperation is seen in this classroom, and their knowledge of technology increasing daily. Students see technology as aiding them in showing others what they have learned, and a great way to prepare for future jobs when they get older.
With the ‘Inside Kapunahala’ project, students that struggle are given opportunities to create commercial story boards and film short video clips to help them be better at communication skills and using technology. Students have found they can communicate more clearly from participating in this program, which has helped them in other classes with participation points because they can vocalize their thoughts and opinions better. Also, they find creating the story boards quite fun, because they get to write and draw pictures. Their involvement with technology enhances their confidence and abilities to learn and produce projects.

Using technology with young children

The most important thing I learned from the three videos about using technology with young children is to clearly define what the students are to do, model it for them to see, and then be there to help facilitate their work. With the video on spiders, the teacher was actively involved in not only helping the students learn about spiders, but taught them how to use their technology equipment (cameras) so they could take pictures of spiders they found. The video with the kindergarten class taking the book ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?’ and applying that to vehicles by doing a book extension, which they put together on the computer. The teacher was there every step of the way for each student so they not only knew what was expected of them, but were able to get the help they needed. These two videos showed a great example of how to clearly direct students in their use of technology.

Technology observation

My initial observations about the technology available to the teacher I am working with in the practicum was quite interesting. I could see she has access to 4 student computers and a laptop for herself, which she uses with her projector to teach and also allows the students to use when doing centers. Also, I saw she has access to a TV and a VCR, as well as a CD player and headsets to let the students use to hear books on tape. She has access to basic technology that helps in the learning environment for children.
I completed the mid course evaluation, and the informed consent, as well as the technology survey.