Technology as a Learning Tools

Generation Yes

Generation Yes

In the Beginning…(years one and two)

I started my first Gen Y or Generation Yes Program five years ago. Some of our projects that year included:
· Software Sales – This was our first project. At that time we had only five computers in the library and two computers in each classroom. Of the five computers in our library, three had an internet connection. We also had a bookcase full of educational software. One of our first projects were to go through all the software and divide it according to grades. I allowed the children to bring home the software and install it on their computers and play it at home. They then filled out sales sheets that spoke of hardware requirements, audience, curriculum integration and special features. The students scheduled a meeting with the teacher for that grade. I had a brief case for them and they packed the brief case, pre-loaded the software onto the classroom computers and demonstrated the software to the teachers. This was a way to engage the interest of the teachers in the software that we had on hand for the students. It also promoted interest in the students to request the software on their classroom computers.
· Individual Projects – Those first and second years we also spent time with each teacher and produced a Technology Project for each grade. The projects were basically Power Point Presentations, which included some sounds. (For example, a Penguin Power Point Presentation with sounds of the various Penguins, etc.)

Learning

What the teachers learned:
· Availability of the software we already owned at the school
· An awareness of the knowledge of the children concerning Technology even though we didn’t have a lab at that time.
What the Generation Yes Students learned:
· How lessons are planned.
· The preparation involved in lesson planning
· A review of content they may have studied in an earlier grade.
· Language Arts, especially writing, reinforcement.

Generation Yes continues…

After our second year, we had a new lab and computer access school wide. This sparked a year of research and skills especially concerning the internet and what was available already online. This year, our projects were connected with our school theme.
One of our main projects was based in an advertising scenario. Our theme that school year was character building with various traits for each month. We divided the monthly themes into groups. The children wrote lesson plans around the character traits and discussed how they were going to “advertise” that theme school wide. A teacher was assigned to a month and the students prepared bulletin boards, brochures, web links, power point presentations, etc for their month. Here’s one of our students describing her project…
Year Four – Our concern this year again revolved around our school theme. This year it was caring for the Earth. I could see the teachers somewhat limit the theme by turning it into simply a recycling program. That wasn’t necessarily a bad things but it was more involved than that. As I spoke with my Gen Y students, we began to see the interconnectedness of all things. We began to speak of the circle of life… We started a web site about the “Earth and Caring for the Earth.” We invited in a local artist to share her “new stories of creation”: Marion Honors. Now we have her art work displayed in our school… a timeline of life on Earth.
From our website we were contacted by Jeff LaTour from Saratoga Computer Recycling. See full explanation of e-waste
Definition of e-waste
Article about e-waste.
Year Five, our story moves to a world beyond ourselves..
Blogging for Peace.. Website etc.

Now investigate and brainstorm some ideas of your own? What projects might be out there waiting for you to discover them?

Now onto tools for teachers blog..

Give time to investigate…

posted by Sister Deborah Timmis @ 5:15 PM