Using Technology Effectively At
School and Home
Campbell Elementary PTA
December 2014
“Google CEO Eric Schmidt [was asked] what he thought
education should look like going forward. Schmidt answered
succinctly,
‘Teaching will be learning how to ask the right
questions. I was taught to memorize. Why
remember it? Now you just need to learn how to
search for it. Instantaneous access really changes
your life. What never changes is the need for
curiosity. What you need to do is teach people to
be curious.’”
-Connecting Comprehension and Technology (Harvey & Goudvis,
2013).
Why Technology is Important and
Can Be Beneficial If Used Properly
 Technology has changed and continues to shape education
and our world society forever.
 88% of young adults (18-29) own a smartphone, according to
a Dec 2013 Gallup poll (Rates may have increased in a year).
 The job market and society of tomorrow is not the same as
yesterday’s or even today’s.
Why Technology is Important and
Can Be Beneficial If Used Properly
 Think about: Encyclopedias vs. Google; Youtube videos to
learn how to build something; TedTalks or Khan Academy
 Are we adequately preparing students for the future if we
ignore technology?
 Negative consequences of widespread technology, such as
cyberbullying, are a reality. They will not be solved by
removing technology from schools and hoping children will
never use it. We must instead address and teach children
digital citizenship.
Why Technology is Important and
Can Be Beneficial If Used Properly
 We need to equip our children with skills to improve
collaboration, understanding and safe use of technology,
and digital citizenship to create citizens of a world where
technology is used for good.
 Find technology that does things better than other
physical tools (or otherwise wouldn’t be possible).
 Example: Googledocs allows students to collaborate on
the same document at once, which requires more
challenging collaboration skills and often higher-level
thinking.
SAMR Model
Instruction that Integrates
Technology At School
 Educreations (or other screencasting apps like Doceri,
ShowMe, Teach by Knowmia, Screenchomp)
 Lino (or other sticky note apps like iBrainstorm)
 Popplet Lite
 Raz Kids
 AirSketch Free
 Googledrive
 Splashmath
 Brytewave K12
 Overdrive
 News-o-matic
 LetterSchool
Example 1: Confer
 Even teachers without the ipad initiative have begun
using this app with their new teacher ipad. It is a
conferencing tool to use in a Reader’s Workshop,
Writer’s Workshop (or Math Workshop!)
 It easily organizes and sorts student data such as
teaching points, strengths, and goals, so that
teachers can more effectively and efficiently
differentiate!
Example 2: Popplet Lite
Graphic organizer app allows for
many instructional purposes, such
as in Ms. McAleer’s class
3. Educreations or other
screencasting apps
 These apps allow for students to express their
thinking and allow for me to later assess all children’s
understandings of concepts in a more time efficient
manner.
 We will see an example at the end!
4. Lino
 This collaborative sticky note app allows all students
to participate in an interactive read aloud and gives
teacher instant assessment of student thinking, such
as in Mr. Schoenherr’s class.
5. GoogleDrive
6. Letter School
 Ms. Sutherland and other Pre-K teachers use this app
to practice fine motor skills, letter formation, and
letter recognition!
Recommended Uses of Technology
At Home
 Many school apps are collaborative
 Home apps are best for independent work
 For example: www.Graphite.org
 Searchable web site for apps
 To find targeted skill practice
 Example: finding an app for multiplication if your child
struggles in multiplication
 Follow them on Twitter for short lists of recommended
apps
Setting Up Structures
 Digital Citizenship At Home:
 Talk to your child
 Set clear guidelines
 Possibly set up time limits, security settings,
and rules for using technology in your house.
 Ask your child to share the apps they are
using.
1. Raz Kids (free)
 RAZ KIDS- free to download or go to www.razkids.com for free
 Enter your class username
 Choose your child’s name from the list
 The Raz kids designers create about 11 new books
every month, and they are increasing in quality and
topic!
2 & 3. BryteWave and Overdrive
(free)
 Brytewave K-12 app or www.wbb37464.follettshelf.com Free digital books managed by the Campbell Librarian,
Mrs. Decker! Your username is your child’s student ID
number, and the password is your child’s school Google
Drive password. If on the app, you also need to enter the
web site address above.
 Overdrive app or www.library.arlingtonva.us/ebooks - Free
digital books via the public library. You will need to enter
your child’s library card number and change the settings to
ensure that kid- friendly books are available.
4. Popplet Lite (free)
 Popplet Lite app- This free app allows students to
plan, organize, and create graphic organizers about
any project or book.
5. Little Story Creator (free)
 Little Story Creator app- This free app allows kids to
create digital books of their own!
6 & 7. Booksy & Newsomatic (free
apps but you can purchase more in
app)
 Booksy app- A few free books are included in this free
app. These are very high quality digital texts for all
levels!
 News-o-matic app- 10 free issues with 5 articles in
each, then you have to pay after that. This is a
fantastic app which allows kids to interact with kidappropriate but important global current events with
engaging texts.
8, 9, & 10. Paid apps (but 2 have free
web sites)
 Word Wizard app- This $3 app allows for practice with
letter sounds, sounding out words, and spelling (all levels
of word study).
 Learner’s Dictionary or www.learnersdictionary.com - $5
for app, free web site: Allows students to look up
vocabulary in kid-friendly, easy-to-understand definitions.
 Starfall app $3 or www.starfall.com for free- Learn letter
sounds and read books that focus on one sound or word
study level at a time.
THANK YOU!
 Thank you so much for listening!
 I hope we all will take steps now to help kids
effectively use technology as digital citizens of the
modern world!