Visualizing Technology

  I have seen many students shut down when they couldn't get their ideas from their head to a piece of paper.  Many times their hands just won't create what they "see" in their minds.  These tools help students represent their thinking in a visual way.  They give them the independence and alleviate their feelings of frustration and inadequacy.  These technologies can be used across the content areas.  The chapter had some great ideas for mathematical representations.  I want to look into TinkerPlots.  I think my 4th graders would love to use these with our new TEKS about the dot plot graph.  We use digital cameras throughout the school for a wide variety of reasons.  It is always so fun to see the kids perspective through their photography.  Videos are another fun technology to incorporate into class.  We have TEKS that cover weather maps and predictions.  After studying the maps and symbols, students become the meteorologists and make a video of their forecasts.  They love this activity.Since two of my coworkers and myself are the robotics coaches, we have gotten to know a wonderful lady who works for Lego Education.  We were asked to pilot their Story Starters kits several years ago. These kits are wonderful for digital story telling.  We used Lego's software and the iMotion app to capture images and put them together into stop motion videos.  The creativity that pours out of my 9 and 10 year olds is awesome!!  We also did a school wide film festival to raise money to buy iPads.  Each class had to create a short video/film.  We released them through YouTube and people voted on their favorites by making donations to that classroom.  The classrooms that got over $1,000 earned an iPad mini to keep in their room.  The money that was raised was used to buy more iPad minis for the library to check out to teachers and students.  This was an awesome fundraiser!  We were able to get some great technology, and the kids loved, loved, loved making and watching the videos.  

As you can imagine, I love being able to visualize with technologies!  I love the freedom that they give the students!  I love that learning can be clearer, and the pictures in their mind are easier to represent using technology.  The world is constantly changing, and I feel we have to change the classroom, too.  The possibilities are as wide as our imaginations!  Students just need time and tools to create the magic.

Having a way to show their thinking, enables them to make deeper connections to the content.  Being able to show these connections visually to other students makes it not just about learning the TEK, but using the knowledge to create, empower, and teach each other.  I think that's pretty powerful stuff!  Visualizing with Technologies doesn't just impact the learning process it changes it to a richer, more meaningful experience.