Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students.
2.6.a Foster student ownership of learning
Foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings.
2.6.b Foster classroom management of tech
Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces and in the field.
2.6.c Teach computational and design thinking
Create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems.
2.6.d Model and nurture creativity
Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge or connections.
Each academic year marks a new beginning, presenting a chance to guide a new set of students on their educational path. One of the highlights for me at the start of each school year is the process of getting acquainted with my students. Through engaging and fun games and activities, we get to know more about each other – our families, our friends, our backgrounds, our likes and dislikes, favorite things to do at school and outside of school, food, pets, among other things. Another important routine that happens at the start of the school year is reflection. We contemplate our own identities as learners – our mindset towards school, our unique learning styles, and the funds of knowledge each one brings to the classroom. We allocate time to look back and reflect on our strengths, as well as areas of growth. Setting goals regarding what we aspire to learn, along with cultivating the necessary attitudes to inspire our learning, is an integral part of this process (2.6.a).
In this current era of digital education, the use of technology has afforded students many different ways to interact with their surroundings. The level of confidence is heightened when students have choices and a variety of ways to engage. Each day, I strive to find ways to leverage technology so students are not hindered by any preconceived limitations. Instead, they discover avenues through digital tools to communicate, cooperate and collaborate (2.6.b).
During our inquiry unit on migration, we learned about the different reasons or push and pull factors behind why people migrate. As a final project, I asked students to do an investigation about their own migration stories, whether it was their own family’s migration or their extended families who migrated many years ago. We asked them to collect data by interviewing family members and to record their findings. To share their learning with their peers, I showed them this choice board so they can decide how they will show their learning.
Figure 1: Migration Choice Board
About half of my class chose to create a poster, while the other half is split between using Google Slides, an audio book using Book Creator, a journal and a comic book. Students who chose to make a poster enjoyed showing their creativity through drawing pictures, creating timelines, cutting out maps and writing. A couple of students chose Google Slides because they are knowledgeable about this tool and feel quite successful when using it. Another student chose to create the audio book because talking about her grandfather’s migration story made more sense to her, rather than having to write all the details she collected. This project showed me the importance of offering students choice. When they are able to choose, they are more motivated to expend their best effort and assume responsibility for their own learning (2.6.d).
In another project led by my first-grade students, they used their creativity to design and create a personalized coffee cup for me (2.6.c). I employed a design cycle that was created by my colleagues to steer student investigation.
Figure 1: Migration Choice Board
About half of my class chose to create a poster, while the other half is split between using Google Slides, an audio book using Book Creator, a journal and a comic book. Students who chose to make a poster enjoyed showing their creativity through drawing pictures, creating timelines, cutting out maps and writing. A couple of students chose Google Slides because they are knowledgeable about this tool and feel quite successful when using it. Another student chose to create the audio book because talking about her grandfather’s migration story made more sense to her, rather than having to write all the details she collected. This project showed me the importance of offering students choice. When they are able to choose, they are more motivated to expend their best effort and assume responsibility for their own learning (2.6.d).
In another project led by my first-grade students, they used their creativity to design and create a personalized coffee cup for me (2.6.c). I employed a design cycle that was created by my colleagues to steer student investigation.
Figure 2: Design Thinking Cycle
In my blog, the article on “How can innovative design skills and computational thinking impact the writing of elementary students?” (https://learners4life.org/iste-student-standards/how-can-innovative-design-skills-and-computational-thinking-impact-the-writing-of-elementary-students/) talks about an example in my class during ITime. ITime is designated time for students to conduct investigations based on their passions and steered by topics that they are interested in. It was during ITime that students were tasked to design a coffee cup for me. They began the investigation by collecting information, such as the different types of cups, colors and size. They asked me questions, such as what my favorite color is and the size of cup I would like to have. Once they had this information, they began to craft some designs.
Figure 3: Initial designs for a coffee cup
Upon finishing the cups, students participated in a gallery walk to admire and assess each other’s creations. The gallery walk also served the purpose of helping students in providing specific feedback to one another. The final step in this design process is for students to evaluate their own projects, celebrate the work they have accomplished and reflect on how they can continue to improve.
Upon finishing the cups, students participated in a gallery walk to admire and assess each other’s creations. The gallery walk also served the purpose of helping students in providing specific feedback to one another. The final step in this design process is for students to evaluate their own projects, celebrate the work they have accomplished and reflect on how they can continue to improve.
