Meaningful Technology Tools: A BRIEF Survey

I had a discussion earlier today with one of the teachers in my building- a digital native. He teaches 5th grade and I was curious to know what technology tools he felt were meaningful to his students. He says that blogging has been a great experience for them. (I like his blog page. He's imported some Power Point presentations. I MUST ask him to help me with that ... I think he uses Slide.) His class also enjoyed a video conference earlier this year, with Historic Cold Spring Village, an early American village. The kids have been using the Pathfinder to Resources that I created for them and he says that it certainly has simplified his life! (I will be revisiting this with all the 5th grade teachers later this year, to see what changes or additions are needed for next year's research project.) They spend significant time in the lab, he says, writing and researching. Three out of the four teachers in this grade are digital natives. Two of them still use the overhead projector on a daily basis. One of them streams videos.

Fourth grade teachers are very into digital pictures. They are the number one borrowers of the cameras, which they have to sign out from me. They print the pictures for use in their students' journals and they import them into presentations. Only one of the 4th grade teachers really uses the library all day, every day. The kids do mini research projects and book reports. The other 4th grade teachers (2 of them are digital natives) are not in here often enough! They don't stream videos.

I never see 3rd grade teachers, unless they're dropping the kids off or picking them up.

First and Second grade teachers have participated in video conferences. They do not stream videos. I am spending more time this year helping those students learn how to search for books in Destiny. First grade does a mini animal research project. I don't know what second grade does, in terms of research. First grade teachers use the library as a warehouse. They sign out lots and lots of books- usually without my assistance. They take out the same books every year and don't inquire about new ones. I do make an effort to share new ones with them, though. I'm pushy like that.

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