Liquid Learning

What are the Benefits of Technology in K-5 Grades?

admin — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:54:21 +0000

Technology, it encompasses every aspect of life. These days, you cannot walk down the street without coming across someone on his or her cell phone, laptop or tablet. These items are becoming the staples of society, so where do they fit in the education world. Psychologist cannot tell us, because there just is not enough data for a soundly tested and peer reviewed theory. Thus, we must rely on our own judgment. It is my opinion, through observation of children over the last 15 years, that as in most things, technology is not inherently bad or good, it is how we use it that matters. There are several ways that elementary teachers can use technology to help the efficiency and quality of education. The top three are:

Easier Record Keeping
The most obvious advantage of technology is its application in the administrative duties of the education. With the use of computers and software designed for teacher, keeping records of grades, attendance and special education needs of students has never been easier. When we record all these things through the same database, it makes tracking and submitting student progress more streamlined. This removes some of the administrative stress from our teachers by making the work more efficiently and minimizing the chance of error.

Engages Students
Our children come to us having watched and played the myriad of educational programs and games. As a result, they come to us accustomed to this interactive learning method. Does that mean we should throw away all our traditional pedagogy? No, but we also cannot ignore this new tool that is available to us. Teachers have long known that getting the student engaged and excited about learning is paramount to their success, so how can we ignore something that does just that.

Increases Opportunities
One of the biggest benefits of technology to the classrooms is the development of virtual labs, which generally come included with the textbooks you are already purchasing. These are great for providing students opportunity to learn through exploration in where cost or safety would otherwise prevent them.

Ideas to Engage Kids in Class Better

admin — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:24:15 +0000

These days it takes a lot to get kids involved in school classrooms, let alone school activities. With technology becoming more and more at the head of the class, the actual classroom learning has taken a back seat. But over time there has been debates and many discussion held about how to try to engage the children in class and make it a bit more fun for them. Because let’s be honest, with technology and how it has taken over, kids need something to keep their attention.

A major example of how there needs to be fun in the classroom is the subject of math. I think we can all agree that unless you are a die-hard obsessed math fan, you are not going to find it fun or interesting, especially with the teacher speaking in a monotone voice. Two states taking this to new level are New york and Virginia. New York has been taking on an example of “factoring”. This is a tool used in order to keep things fun and fresh in the child’s mind. Virginia has taken on Pi day. Basically it’s a day that included games and puzzles and actual goodies and pie. It’s a way to foster a child’s growth mathematically and have fun all at the same time.In Colorado there are after school programs that are designed to engage the students and guide them, including webbing on the computer. Bu using these after school activities it keeps the child engaged and helps them to remain interested with what is going on in the classroom.

In California one of the schools promoted a family school event in October. They sponsored a walk to school day where parents and children all walked to school. This event was also promoted by a nutrition network which supplied the fresh fruits and vegetables.

There has also been a public awareness on attendance and different parents speak out on the failures of attendance and the affects of that failed attendance. All of this was done to promote engagement in school and the importance of a diploma.

Lifelong Learning Information

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:13:25 +0000

Lifelong Learning is one of the best skills you can develop in youth. Successful people consistently show an appetite for lifelong learning. Here is some information you may find interesting.

Fostering Creativity and Lifelong Learning in Young Minds – Huffington Post

Fostering Creativity and Lifelong Learning in Young Minds via the Huffington Post. We need to create environments that allow children to experience the wonder of education, tap into their creative potential, and support lifelong learning in a broad range.

Using Digital Badges to Promote Lifelong Learning at Penn State …

When you click a digital badge, you can learn who issued the badge, the criteria that were met to earn the badge, and even links to student work. The Lifelong Learning Landscape (L3) is a Penn State digital badging project.

And you may be wondering what Lifelong learning is in the broad sense. Here is the wiki page.

Lifelong learning

Lifelong learning is the “ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons.

Technology in Classroom – News

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:01:11 +0000

Technology in the classroom can be controversial. A good friend of mine is against it – I have always been for it. Results are what will prove who is right. Here are some news items about technology in the classroom.

The Current State Of Technology In The Classroom [Infographic] -

65% of teachers say technology let’s them demonstrate things they could not show any other way. That one makes sense, though I’d think it might be closer to 100%. The Current State Of Technology In The Classroom.

City Springs Elementary/Middle School uses technology in the classroom

ABC2 NewsCity Springs Elementary/Middle School uses technology in the classroomABC2 NewsBALTIMORE – Students are using Ipads as part of their daily instruction in a Kindergarten class at City Springs Elementary/ Middle School in Southeast Baltimore.

Ohio State conference aims to integrate technology into classroom

Ohio State conference aims to integrate technology into classroomOSU – The LanternOne of the sessions held on the first day of the Innovate conference featured a three-student panel focused on some technology challenges students face in the classroom.

Blended Learning Articles

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:38:20 +0000

Blended Learning is the combination of classroom learning and elearning to blend the best of both learning strategies. Below are some recent articles about blended learning.

Blended Learning at Aspire: NewSchools Venture Fund

Liz Arney, a teacher and curriculum specialist by training, envisioned how technology could enhance learning and help Aspire students better prepare for life in a wired world.

Florida Schools Deploy District-Wide Digital Blended Learning

A central Florida school district plans to implement a cost-effective, integrated learning platform to deliver digital curriculum to its 40000 district-wide students.

Who’s afraid of Blended Learning, Part 2 – Leading Effectively

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed my observation that leadership development has been slower to adopt blended learning solutions than other fields, and that in some instances this is because many aspects of leadership …

What is a Charter School – Video

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:00:52 +0000

Davis Guggenheim, director of “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” explains the concept of charter schools and how some have revolutionized education in America.

Charter Schools are a mixed bag, as Davis says in this video. However, there are incredible examples of Charter Schools meeting great success.

Charter School News

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:56:32 +0000

Below is some current news on Charter Schools. The charter school movement is trying to renovate and improve education with varied results. It often finds itself under attack as well.

Charter Schools Funding Comes Under Attack At State House

Lawmakers are considering changes to Maine’s charter school law that would drastically impact their funding. If approved, charter school supporters say it could mean the end of these schools in Maine.

Will Charter Schools Survive The Charter School Movement?

The existence of charter schools is, of course, nothing new. But the creation and expansion of charter schools is now being referred to as not just an idea for creating better schools in a community but as a “movement.”

Head of District’s Charter Schools Office resigns | Philadelphia

The office is now overseeing the conversion of three District-managed schools to charters as part of the Renaissance schools initiative. The District is also in the midst of deciding whether to renew 16 city charter schools.