I am sure after a year of master level courses we feel that this question is an easy answer. But what Jacqui Murray in her blog entry http://askatechteacher.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/are-you-as-tech-smart-as-a-fifth-grader/ suggests that providing guidance for students to achieve our 21st century skills starts as early as Kindergarten. I whole-heartedly agree.
She provides a no nonsense approach to developing critical thinking skills in children. She teaches technology and has a hands-off policy when it comes to troubleshooting issues students may have. It is hands-off in the sense she will not do for the student, she will help. She will ask for the correct word, or technology term from even her youngest students. She talks them through the steps helping them solve the problem by themselves. In this way, they help themselves and deepen their knowledge. Soon, they can help others, which we all know only deepens the level of ability.
For me, this article only confirmed what I already knew: Students can and do learn to use technology correctly at a very early age. It totally affirmed the teaching approach I already use in my classroom. It showed that this is the approach more districts need to adopt: More technology instruction during the school day. It can not just be the classroom teacher coming into the lab to type a letter. It needs to be a time when skills are developed and students are given meaningful opportunities to use problem-solving and critical thinking to work with Web 2.0 tools.
If only more schools were not cutting technology instruction or delaying it until late elementary grades...
This is a great article, and an interesting-looking blog. I subscribed in my google reader account, because I am eager to read the upcoming post on common tech problems in an elementary lab, and their solutions.
ReplyDeleteI also have a "hands-off" approach when it comes to teaching technology in my classroom. I almost never take the mouse out of a student's hand, and I don't allow other students to do it either. I feel a student will learn and remember so much more if you either let them solve the problem on their own, or simply talk them through the solution while they do the work.
I like the hands off approach when students are using computers. I constantly remind myself when students ask for help on doing something new in a program to not take control of it, but simply walk them through the process. That way their brain along with their hand is gaining the experience. Which I do believe that the physical movement of the hand along with the visual provide students with a better understanding.
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