First grade students are at a very influential age. They absorb ideas like a sponge. I am often amazed at how much they can remember and how quick they are able to become experts in their daily routines and activities. Our first grade students need access to more technology to be able to start now preparing for a world full of technology and expectations that they will be fluent writers using computers for high school and college success. We are very limited in our classroom resources for our students. We need computers to take the place of outdated listening centers where the players may work a full year. I use Chromebooks for students to listen to free online reading resources like storyline online.com. The students also need Chromebooks for personal remediation time in academic skills to meet state goals for benchmarks. We need students to be able to use Chromebooks for research purposes using our science units. Also, these students need access to technology to learn to use google drive to create writing documents, learn about how to create simple powerpoint to share with their classmates when creating MakerSpace activities throughout the year. We need technology in first grade!
My Project
Our school is Title I and we have many students who take home backpacks and have no computer access at home. Our first grade only has 1 computer per classroom for students to use at this time. We have many EC students who would benefit from one on one activities for remediation. Our ESL students use the computers for activities to help build their English word fluency. Teacher Assistants would be able to assist RTI students with online learning programs to help with remediation tools as well.
My first goal is for my students to become more prepared to use 21st technology skills by using the Chromebooks for research, listening to online resources, and working on Maker Space activities.
Next, we are meeting Common Core math goals by having more resources available for students to access i-Ready math and reading lessons on a daily basis. They are required to access the lessons 45 minutes per week in math and in reading. My goal is to get each student daily access to these materials. Also, during small group reading time, my goal is to use these computers to get online listening resources such as books to work on literacy skills. During remediation time, they will be available for students to use for research on MakerSpace activities that they prepare and share during our monthly Show and Tell time. Also, the Teacher Assistant can use the Chromebooks to call students one on one to work on ESL activities or meeting RTI goals.When we have to take our i-Ready assessments, we will bring the Chromebooks together into one room and be able to allow more students to take their assessments as a group and significantly cut down on teacher time taken away from monitoring students during this time of year.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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