Monday, December 7, 2009

Connecting to the Curriculum with Technology

In a few weeks we will be at the midway point of the school year. It is exciting to see the progress that our students have made so far. At each grade level students have been working hard to master curriculum objectives. It is easy to see how proud students and teachers are of what they have accomplished. Work products posted in the hallway are evidence of skills that have been mastered in reading, math, writing, science, and social studies.


In the classrooms, teachers are using technology to help students connect the curriculum to relevent life experiences. For example, in social studies, fourth graders learn about the different regions of North Carolina. Our fourth graders are video conferencing with fourth graders from schools in the mountain and coastal regions of North Carolina. Students from these three schools will able to compare the different regions and discuss how the geographical region they live in impacts everyday life. In addition to covering social studies objectives, our students are learning about how video conferencing works. Some students have noted that collaborating with people through technology is somewhat different than working with a group of people in the same room.


It is important that students learn how technology can enhance their educational experiences. The fourth grade video conference is just one of many examples of how technology can help students make personal connections to the curriculum. Click on student work on the homepage of the school website for more samples.