pinilla_thinks...

I have been wanting to blog for a long time, but I have been afraid. Technology and I are not very good friends, so I don't use it as much as I know I should. Having people around me that feel the same way I do has helped me understand that I am not alone. My family LOVES technology and EVERYTHING it stands for! They are not afraid of the unknown like I am... I decided to observe the students I see on a daily basis in how they use technology in their classrooms:

• They really like going to the computer during their station time to check out "Wonderopolis" because it's cool! We all have those students that are always wondering about everything, and this is the place for them! You can read a non-fiction text and then use this site as an extension to the lesson! Check it out: http://wonderopolis.org

• Needing a different way for students to practice math facts? Check this out: xtramath.org is a simple, easy place for your students to work on mastering  basic math facts! It only takes about  10 minutes, the kids can rotate through it throughout the week during their math station time. The first time they visit the site, the students need to take the quiz in order to place them at their level. This may take a little more than 10 minutes so plan accordingly so they have time to finish their quiz. 

• QR CODES, tablets, e-readers, and so much more!!! Some students have their favorite books stored in their tablet or e-reader and pull it out during independent reading time! Others have books in their tablets!

Technology! It's so much more than what I mentioned above and it's here to stay friends, so we might as well embrace it! I will end on a funny note- I got an early Christmas present and it caught a 4th grader's eye. He started talking letters and numbers to me, how it was the one he wanted, but he got the blah blah blah instead. He continued asking me all kinds of questions wanting to know if I use it for this, that, and the other. I didn't want to sound old fashioned, but I didn't want to say something that didn't make sense either (since I had no idea what half of what he said meant) so I played it cool and said, "Well, I like my big new cell phone because I can see my emails better, when I read the words are bigger, and when I check the weather the numbers are larger." He looked at me and smiled while tilting his head to the side with sad understanding in his eyes... 

Pinilla