Technology in the Classroom

Everyone that knows me knows I LOVE everything technology.  I currently own an iPad, android tablet, laptop, desktop, and smartphone.  Do I really need all of this? Probably not, but oh how I enjoy it. Technology invades every aspect of our lives and as educators we must be able to embrace it.  Our students surely will.

There are so many fun and educational activities to do with all age groups that I could not begin to discuss them all. Be assured that you will see many different posts about how I use various technologies to assist in teaching lessons. This post focuses on using Microsoft Photo Story to create a slide show using student work samples and their narrations.

This particular slide show was created when I was teaching kindergarten.  It was created about half way through the first semester and contains student work demonstrating various ability levels.  We began the project in a whole group setting.  As a class, we developed ideas for characters, setting, and plot.  After we selected the direction we wanted our story to go in, each student dictated a sentence which I wrote on the board next to their name.  The sentences had to follow a logical order and add to the plot development, a task that was easier for some and harder for others.  

Once our story was fully developed from beginning to end, the students copied their sentence on handwriting paper and illustrated it.  After they completed their "published" piece, I scanned it as a JPEG to use in the slide show.  I loaded all of the pictures into Photo Story and had the student narrate their sentence. I added the music and rendered it.  

The final step in the process was letting the students watch their story on the SmartBoard.  They loved it! They enjoyed seeing their works of art as well as hearing their voices tell the story.  Proud does not begin to describe how they felt.  We completed several other slide shows throughout the year.   

Technology took a simple writing project to the next level.  The students learned how to develop a story from start to finish. They  practiced handwriting and illustrating. The learned how to speak loudly and clearly. Finally, they learned that producing a quality product is something to be proud of.