3/26/2015

FredericksburgAcademy:March2015:LSTech

Creators,NotConsumers:IntegratingTechnologyin
LowerSchool
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LowerSchoolLearningTechnologiesCoordinatorKimBushmanisworkingtomaketechnologyinvisible.
Wait...what?Whywouldshewanttodothat?
Mrs.Bushmanwantsclassroomtechnologytobecomeasubiquitousaspencilandpaper,soeverpresentthat
itisnotevennoticed.SheisworkingtointegratetechtoolsintotheLowerSchoolcurriculuminawaythat
focusesnotonthedevicebutonthelearningitengenders.
Wedontargueaboutwhystudentsshouldusepencilsweallusethemtorecordourthoughts,shesaid.
Technologyisalsoatooltorecordandshareknowledge.
Thekeytoeffectivetechnologyintegration,accordingtoMrs.Bushman,
isemphasizingstudentsroleascreators,ratherthanconsumers.With
herguidanceandsupport,FAteachersareseizingopportunitiesto
empowerstudentsascreatorswithtechtools.
Thefifthgradecurriculumprovidesseveralexamplesofstudentsactive
andmeaningfuluseofiPadappsandonlineresources.Inamath
lesson,studentsusedacodingprogramcalledTurtleArttoextendtheir
studyofgeometry.Studentsblogpostsfeaturescreenshotsfromtheir
workwiththeprogram.Inforeignlanguage,studentsparticipatedinthe
international#studentlifeprojectbyrecordingvideosinFrenchor
SpanishontheiriPads,editingthemwithiMovie,andsharingthemon
theirblogs.DetailsonthisprojectandanexampleareintheForeign
LanguageWeekpostontheLowerSchoolHappeningsblog.Insocial
studies,studentscreatedvisualpresentationsoneachofthe13
AmericancoloniesusingThingLink.Theirpresentationscanbeviewed
byscanningQRcodesonamapofthecoloniespostedoutsidetheir
classrooms.
Objectionstotechnologyintheclassroomfromparentsandeducatorsalikeareusuallyrelatedtoconcerns
aboutoverconsumptionofscreentime.Mrs.Bushmanagreesthatstudentsshouldneverbemerely
consumingtechproducts,andshehelpsteachersdiscoverprogramsthatrequiremeaningfulengagement
ratherthanpassiveintake.
WhenIchooseappsfortheiPads,Iintentionallyselectcreationapps.Ievensteerclearofthecontentgames,
withtheexceptionofmath.WhatwefocusonintheLowerSchoolisthedeviceorprogramasacreationtool
thatsreallywhattechnologyneedstobeusedfor,shesaid.
WitheachLowerSchoolclassroomequippedwithseveraliPadsanddesktops,Mrs.Bushmansroleasa
guideisessentialandvalued.FAsmultiyearLowerSchoolTechnologyPlancallsfortheredistributionof
iPadstoprovidemoreclassroomdevicesinkindergartenthroughthirdgrade,theexpansionofthefourth
gradeChromebooksprogramintofifthgradetopreparestudentsfortheMiddleSchools1:1laptopprogram,
andtheintroductionofnewinstructionaltechnology.
TheplancallsfortheLowerSchooltechnologylabtobe
eventuallyphasedoutandreplacedwithaninnovationspace,
wherestudentscancollaborateonprojects.Thegoalofthe
planisfortechnologytobecomefullyintegratedinclassroom
work,ratherthanseenasastandalonespecialsubjectarea.
Mrs.Bushman,whowasafourthgradeteacheratFAbefore
takingonhercurrentrole,isthefirsttoagreethattechnologyis
notalwaystheanswertothequestion,HowcanIhelpmy
studentsgraspthisconcept?EspeciallyintheEarly
Childhoodprogram,manyusesoftechnologyarenot
developmentallyappropriate.Sheisexcited,however,aboutthemanywaysourconnectedworldprovides
opportunitiesforstudentstocreateandshare.
http://www.fredericksburgacademy.org/page.cfm?p=1719

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3/26/2015

FredericksburgAcademy:March2015:LSTech

Itopensthedoortosuchadiversificationofhowstudentscanexpressthemselves,shesaid.
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http://www.fredericksburgacademy.org/page.cfm?p=1719

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