Technology sure has rocked our world! We literally cannot go anywhere without our
smart phones. If I leave home without
it, I have to turn around and go get it.
In the classroom, we have made a shift to integrate more technology in
our curriculum. It seems as though these
days kids and adults for that matter are so caught up in computer and video
games, iPads, iPhones, tablets, and even television. The world is changing and we have the world
at our fingertips! Honestly, even I am a
little addicted to Pinterest, Instagram, and Netflix.
As teachers we have seen how kids’
(and adults’ too if we are to get honest) attention spans have shortened. If they are not engaged, you have lost
them. We use technology in the classroom
as a way to keep them engaged and focused on what we are learning. YouTube and TeacherTube are great resources
for fun videos about a variety of topics.
My kids can always remember what a verb is thanks to G. Mitchell
Hanson’s “Verb Rap” on YouTube. If you
haven’t seen it, check it out. It is
sure to get your body moving, as well as get stuck in your head. Verb Rap Another favorite website is www.watchknowlearn.org. They have great videos on almost everything
you can think of, and the great thing is that you can filter by age group. Plus there are no commercials or ads on these
videos. We use www.gonodle.com for brain breaks and
transition times. As teachers we are not
merely facilitators of learning, but also great actors who are fighting to keep
their audience by any means necessary.
How do we make learning fun in this
age of technology? I definitely think
utilizing technology is a great and wonderful thing, but we don’t need to be
dependent upon it. If all kids could
learn from an app or a website, teachers wouldn’t be needed. Every child is unique and learns in different
ways at different rates. We need
consider each child in our classroom, their strengths and weaknesses. We need to meet them where they are and help
move them along in their lifelong journey of learning! How do we do this? We make learning fun! Learning can be fun using a video online that
connects with them. It can also be made
into a game that you play. In order for
learning to occur, it has to be made real to the kids. In Kindergarten, we use lots of hands on
activities and even play. Play is very
impactful for all learners. I would dare
say, even more impactful than learning from a computer. When learning is paired with play, it engages
the students and promotes retention.
Think about it, some of your fondest memories from school involved play,
even if it was just around the world.
Some ways I make learning fun in my
classroom through play include playing in shaving cream. This sensory activity entices every
child. We write CVC words and sight
words on the tables in the shaving cream.
We build words using Legos. We
dance and spell sight words. My husband
helped me make some abacuses for my classroom using cut up pieces of pool
noodles and PVC pipe. The kids love
these, and it helps them see and feel how numbers can change. We act out stories we have read and make
finger puppets of characters for retelling.
We have snowball fights with wadded pieces of paper that students have
written words on. Afterwards, each
student must obtain one snowball and draw a picture to represent that
word. The kids love to write on small
white boards with expo markers. We
practice writing CVC words, sight words, and even work out math word problems
on them. If you have writing practice to
do, allowing the kids to write with thin markers or even pen makes them
giddy. I tell them they cannot erase pen
or marker, so they have to be extra careful and take their time. Go outside!
Have class in the grass on nice days.
Let the kids write their spelling words with chalk on the side
walk. Find things that interest them,
and incorporate those activities with recall activities. Try to make learning fun by explaining how
they would use this in the real world.
If you are learning expanded form, let the kids write checks to spell out
the number words. Make it relate to them
and make it fun!
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and
I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin
Franklin
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