Kelly Kingsley Mt. Tabor Elementary School Kindergarten Language Arts Finding My ABCs Kelly Kingsley Mt. Tabor Elementary School Kindergarten Language Arts

Matching upper and lowercase letters Description of Lesson Topic: Finding letters in our environment Matching upper and lowercase letters Technology Used: Digital camera Computer Projector Printer 24 Students

ACTIVITIES Explain use of camera to four children. Click for word press lesson ACTIVITIES Explain use of camera to four children.  Explain how to hold and which button to push, and how to hold down the button until the flash goes off.  Explain how to look in the screen area to view the photo. Group, teacher and parent helper, walk through the hallway taking pictures of upper and lowercase letters.  Children will have to use critical thinking skills to differentiate the different letters and to decide how best to position the camera to get the best snapshot.  (20 minutes per group) Each subsequent group goes to a different hallway capturing pictures. That evening, after all pictures are taken and marked off the list of letters to be sure each has been represented; teacher will crop pictures and create a folder, then a PowerPoint presentation, using them. PowerPoint presentation will include two slides of letters: Aa through Mm will be on one slide, and Nn through Zz will be on another slide.  Children will be shown how to treat the computer, projector, cart and screen. (5 minutes) Using projector, laptop, and white screen, show how to use the highlighter feature of the PowerPoint to circle the matching letters. (5 minutes) Using name sticks call children one at a time.  Pull a letter from a box, show it to the other children who will call out the name of the letter.  The chosen child will then find that letter in both upper and lowercase forms on the laptop and circle them using the highlighter feature.  Rest of class will see letters circled on the slides projected on the screen by the projector.  (30 minutes) After each child’s turn, the question will be asked, “Are you correct?”, to allow child to self-evaluate

Technology Used The pretest and posttest were created using Microsoft Word 2007.  Excel spreadsheets were used to analyze the pretest and posttest data.  An Olympus digital camera was used to capture the photos on an XD card.  The pictures were cropped and enhanced using picture tools in Word 2010 on my personal laptop and stored on flash drive.  Word document of lowercase letters was created using WordArt and class printer so we could pull each out of a box to know which letters to match during whole class activity. PowerPoint presentation was created using picture files, PowerPoint 2010, and flash drive. School computer, projector, and flash drive were used for PowerPoint presentation. Classroom computers were used during work stations. School color printer was used to print pictures. School laminator was used to laminate pictures for durability.

Some capabilities of these technologies: communicate present information organize lessons research websites lesson creation organizing data Some limitations of these technologies: user abilities experience time money The potential benefits of technology for children include: higher education (high school, college) employment personal health lifelong learning living in a global society

Method of Delivery See previous screens

Supporting Diverse Learners All levels of learners will be able to take the pictures and circle to match them on the PowerPoint.  Children will be ability- grouped.  Higher level children will be expected to find and name letters with no help.  Lower level learners will be supported through suggestions or shown similar pictures to help locate as needed.  Children who need additional assistance will have additional websites available such as: starfall.com kellyskindergarten.com pbskids.org braineos.com compasslearningodyssey.com self-created online game:  jeopardylabs.com/play/lowercase- letters. A sign language word is taught early in the year for every letter in the alphabet. We link to those signs as needed for support throughout the year.

Managing Technology My children are taught that they don’t touch anything not belonging to them unless they are instructed specifically to do so. I remind the children before each lesson to keep their hands in their laps and to sit properly the way good learners sit. One of the adults in my room is always monitoring student computer use.  During our work station computer time in our classroom, the following rules apply: Stay on site teacher puts you on. Don’t pound on any part of the computer.  Do not turn off any part of the computer.  Do not click outside of the window.  Do not print.  Voices remain level one.    If something messes up, raise your hand. Good choices during computer time mean you can come back another day.

Was your lesson effective? After one week of using the materials, my students’ post test scores were 33.8% higher. Proving that my students did learn. The use of technology increased motivation and participation from all of my students. All of them were excited from the moment I held up the digital camera and again when I displayed the pictures they had taken. Many of my students had never seen a digital camera, and most had never used one. Most had never seen a projector. Now they have not just seen these items, but used them personally! The lesson was very effective in getting the kids some exposure to new technologies. It was also effective in getting the kids motivated during lessons. If the children had been able to use the laptop and highlighter feature, I think it would have been a bit more exciting than just pointing to the letters.

LEGAL & ETHICAL COMPUTER USE Because everything I used, I created myself, I did abide by all copyright laws. I make certain that my students are following ethical and legal guidelines because they are not permitted to print or save anything to computers. They are well supervised. This has never been an issue at this grade level.

Cooperative Learning Many of our lessons in kindergarten involve group work. This lesson was no exception. The children were in groups during the taking of the letter pictures. As a large group they spoke out what letter was pulled from the box for the person to locate on the slide. It is very beneficial for cooperative learning to occur in all grades, but particularly kindergarten. Each child comes into school thinking the world revolves around himself (and it has—meal time, naptime, playtime are all worked around when Mom plans activities). It is time the children learn that they must work together to create. The world expects people of all ages, race, religion, gender to live in harmony. Kindergarten is where that usually begins.

Technology as a Productivity Tool Microsoft PowerPoint Used to present to colleagues school, classroom and teacher computers Used to check email, websites, and Microsoft software school color printer, classroom b/w printer Used to print documents, lessons, pictures of and for students school laminator Used to make many things I create or purchase more durable. numerous websites Used to create lessons, do research, check email, order materials, put in grades and attendance, check student information. Microsoft Word Used to write lessons plans, newsletters, notes home Microsoft Excel   Used to create spreadsheets to record grades, evaluation results, and other data digital camera   Used to capture pictures for documentation of behaviors and to create personalized CDs of children for end of year personal laptop Used on the go for internet and Microsoft office need when desktop isn’t handy flash drive Used to store most files

Technology as a Research Tool Technology for Distance Learning Technology as a Research Tool What options do you have for students or parents that will allow them to learn or gather resources outside of the classroom? (websites etc)my wordpress site, my textbooks, rosetta stone, my netvibe Through the use of the digital camera, my students were able to search the school for language in use and record that usage.

Technology Set up In my classroom, the teacher computer is behind the teacher desk with a 50 ft. cord running across the ceiling to the pole. The two student computers and b/w printer are circling the pole where all computers and printer are networked. This printer serves 12 rooms that all print to it. We have a listening center which uses headphones and cassette books- on-tape. We have an iPod which allows us music and movement during carpet time. We have an overhead projector used occasionally with transparencies. Our school houses two computer labs. One of which has a color printer networked to all classrooms. We have one Systems Operator who receives a stipend for handling ink cartridge orders and other needs, and who puts in work orders. Our corporations has a small team of tech people who service these work orders.

Teaching with Technology Standards Teaching the technology standards will benefit today’s student in so many ways. Today’s student is the leader of tomorrow. It is crucial that he know how to communicate and function in the technology world in which we now live. The standards are written in such a way that if all teachers adhere to them, each child will be more technology savvy and ready to compete in the world of the future. By using the following ISTE NETS standards in my lesson, my lesson complies with the current educational technology research: 1b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.   2a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. 2d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems. 3a. plan strategies to guide inquiry. 3b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. 4b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project. 5a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology. 5b.exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity. 6a. understand and use technology systems. 6b. select and use applications effectively and productively.