Hi!
My name is Lauri Hilburger and I am a second
grade teacher at Lees Corner Elementary School
in Fairfax. I have been at Lees Corner for eight
years, four of which were as a teacher of students
with learning disabilities. The other four have
been in second grade. Presently, I have twenty-four
students in my classroom, a fourth of which are
either students with autism and students with
learning disabilities.
Technology
is like a pencil to me, it is simply a tool
for learning. I believe in having students
have as much time on the computer as possible,
with the goal being daily. My students are
involved in a daily computer task, two weekly
computer rotations, and a weekly trip to
the computer lab. We do a variety of curriculum
integration activities on the computer including
response pictures, story problems, poems,
slide shows, graphs, PowerPoint presentations,
and web pages. Students access and use such
software as KidPix, AppleWorks, Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Kidspiration, PixWriter, Type
to Learn, and Netscape. There
are many things that I have learned using
technology in the classroom. Here are a few
activities, tips, and tricks for you to try:
Activities
(Many
of these activities are posted on the ITS
Intranet site under Activities and Directions)
-
Use
KidPix to write story problems, make
pictographs, sort words and sounds, and
do Venn Diagrams.Use KidPix to make basic
slide shows to display student knowledge
(life cycles, biographies). Tape the
slide shows onto a VHS and send them
home for families to enjoy.Use Kidspiration
to do word or concept sorts (different
sounds, tribes, explorers).Kidspiration
can help you make templates of different
types of poems or book responses. Children
can use the computer or simply write
on a printout.PowerPoint
is easy to teach even young children.
We draw American Indian pictures on KidPix
and import them into PowerPoint, then
add text and transitions. These can go
up on a website and look beautiful.
-
PixWriter
is a powerful writing tool for all children.
The rebus symbols get kids excited to get
sentences out. You can develop theme templates
to help springboard excellent writers.
Tips
and Tricks
-
Don't
ever let the children ask if they can "play" on
the computer. My children have to ask if
they can "explore" a particular
software program.Set
up a schedule for children to get on
the computer weekly. Display that in
your classroom. Have a task for the children
to do when they are there.Come
up with a daily mini-task, e.g. changing
the font or the size, and rotate children
through this task.Let
your children see you using the computer.
Mirror your computer to a TV and do KWLs,
brainstorming, or retelling stories on
the computer.Train experts in your class
to troubleshoot problems so that you
will not be disturbed. Kids can learn
how to save, how to reboot, and how to
find their way around software programs.
-
ENJOY
THE COMPUTER! Don't be afraid to try something
again and again, even if it doesn't work
the first time.
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