Elise Sims, teacher of 5th grade students from Abraham Lincoln PS#14 School in Elizabeth, NJ has been teaching for 11 years. She has been involved in the STAR-W grant (Students Using Technology To Achieve Reading-Writing) for the last 2 years, which helps to increase student achievement in language arts literacy in grades three through five by providing teachers with ongoing and sustained professional development and in-class support directly related to integrating technology into the classroom and instruction. Through STAR-W, Elise had been able to infuse technology into not only reading and writing, but many other areas of the curriculum.
In what ways do you feel your teaching has been transformed through the use of technology?
It allows for more differentiated instruction—students who normally, if I were to pose a question and they had to respond in pencil and paper writing to it, would just be less motivated to write, fly through it if I put a laptop in front of them. Many students will blossom if they get to do the writing on the computer. Those who struggle are also finding success, and therefore, success with technology infusion will hopefully spill over into other subject areas.
In what ways do you feel that it is important that students understand the role of technology in their learning?
Our global economy is based on the wave that is technology and students need to learn it—the sooner they learn it, the better they will do. Some of my students know what it is like to not have technology, because they have immigrated to the US from countries where they did not have access to it in their schools, and they can see the difference. They say things to me, like “learning is more fun.”
How has STAR-W allowed that to happen?
The grant has allowed us access to wireless laptops for each grade level, software and mentoring for infusing the technology. One focus we have worked on is getting higher order thinking into the reading centers. Student writing has improved, for example, because some students who have difficulties with eye hand coordination are finding it easier to use the laptop for writing. It makes the words, ideas and sentences flow more easily.
Students are able to become more creative with personal essays by inserting clip art, writing and formatting letters, which also motivates them to write more and higher quality pieces. E-word games, “wacky word tales,” and interactive Web sites give them additional help them with deconstructing paragraphs and identify parts of speech. It makes writing more high-interest. If you have them write definitions, for example, that’s meaningless to them, but if I have them go into the online website, using word games with content based on the books they read, it gives them positive reinforcement and they perform better. Using Hyper linking narrative for writing and the Power Point, for example, where they have to “Create a Clue,” helps them to really reflect on the meaning of words in their context and how to graphically represent them.
What guidance would you give teachers who are trying to create a more technology infused classroom?
Seek mentoring and training - ask to be mentored and observe other teachers who have infused technology into their classroom. Have students do presentations to show what they can do. Use rubrics to monitor progress.
What are your goals for future technology infusion?
I really want to get Power Point knowledge “to the max,” that is, create sounds, and have students incorporate hyperlinks and graphics with sound into their presentations. This summer, through another grant, I created a module on the NJ Digital Highway Project through Rutgers University, which I want to use with my students. (For more information go to: http://www.njdigitalhighway.org/) The focus of
the entire project is a study of immigration in NJ, using linked digital primary resources through the University. Last week, for example, we were studying cause and effect, so I made the connection that because of intolerance, certain immigrant were discriminated against, they were able to use the online resources to illustrate the history and the writing about it--everything tied in. I used the pictures as writing prompt.
Describe the most transformational use (allows students to do something in the classroom they could not have done otherwise) of technology you've facilitated with your students thus far. I would say it was when they just automatically took out the laptops and were all able to do different things at different times - I can’t hold back the kids who can do it right away. This allowed me to differentiate for various levels of understanding--kids who are three activities ahead can go ahead, and those that need more time, can have it. The differentiation that results from technology infusion is also motivating for other students. The challenge is finding the time. My first focus, if I could, would be technology. The key becomes tying them all together.
