We divided our students into partners, pairing student of mixed ability. This resulted in students working across two grade 5 classes. What we found was that by adding the technology element students became more interested in looking at traditional sources compared to previous years when completing the task without technology. Higher levels of interest were observed by teachers through students co-operating, being on task, and using appropriate volume. Moving forward, we are excited to look for more ways to connect new technologies to traditional formats as a way to remind our learners of the different places they can find information. Ultimately, this will improve their digital literacy, research skills, and confidence when using resources of different formats.
Reference:
Puentedura, R. (2009). Transformation, technology, and education, Retrieved from http://hippasus.com/resources/tte/
Krystle Geraldi and Diana Bent are Grade 5 team teachers at Keeler School. They love to utilize Amber Mazur and the technology in the Learning Commons, planning hands on activities that build community and team working skills