Supporting Student Learning with Technology

Incorporating technology into classroom learning is beneficial for the student as well as the teacher. Several students in my class this term are English Language Learners. As a result, part of my differentiation was to incorporate images for the students to observe. I regularly used Google Slides to incorporate images and video during our science lessons. Students were able to have a better idea and relate to the topic we were discussing. Interaction is essential at any level. In my grade two classroom, students enjoyed coming to the Smartboard to participate in activities. This created an engaging experience where students were able to focus. As a result, I would use the Smartboard for language lessons and have students underline grammatical errors or for math lessons by having students change the temperature on the Smartboard virtual thermometer. Active participation was evident among the students. Students were able to apply their knowledge about Air and Water when creating their own comic strip. Bitstrip is a quick and easy comic creator that the students used. This application is a fun way for students to demonstrate conversation skills. It also allows students to demonstrate their level of understanding in a unique and non conventional format. This is a great way to encourage participation, especially for students who have language difficulties as it does not require tremendous amounts of writing. Students may also log in from home and work on their Bitstrips at home. An additional way that I incorporated technology to support student learning was by using Zaption. My students loved watching videos. However, they would often passively watch the video but not learn from the video. As a result, I utilized a feature within Zaption that allows the teacher to upload open response, multiple choice, or checkmark questions into the video. This modification required the students to actively think about what they are viewing and apply their knowledge by submitting an answer in the response box displayed on the screen. Technology can be utilized to focus on the strengths of students in the learning process. It provides innovative options that transform students from passive learners into active participants in their education. 

Below you will find an image of some of the comics that my students created using Bitstrip!