How Foundation Phase

teachers around the world are

using technology in their classrooms’

by Fiona Beal

fiona@schoolnet.org.za

Let’s introduce social networking

Since the theme of social networking in

education runs through my presentation, I’d

like to introduce a video here called ‘Gotta

Share’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soAk3F0wX9s)

(see the next slide)

Outcomes for today

I would like to:

• show that times are changing for teachers

in South Africa

• find out what teachers in the Foundation

Phase around the world are doing with

regard to using technology

• draw a conclusion about technology and

teaching

1. So what is changing for teachers in South Africa?

Free online courses and free webinars are rife http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/p/free-short-online-courses.html

Twitter and Tweetchats for teachers http://www.edchatsa.co.za/

@schoolnetsa

Pinterest boards

TeachMeets http://teachmeet-southafrica.wikispaces.com/

Tablets and BYOD (Bring your own

device) in the classroom

Free classroom motivational programmes

http://www.classdojo.com/

A review: http://lachhull.blogspot.com/2012/02/classdojo-school-approach.html

It’s the era of global projects

Tons of amazing free tools on the

Internet (http://www.pil-network.com/)

Microsoft’s Songsmith Microsoft’s Autocollage

Windows Movie Maker Photostory 3 for Windows

E-books are so easy to create and read

Skype and mystery Skype conversations

with global classrooms

e-classroom http://e-classroom.co.za/

2. How are Foundation Phase teachers around the world using technology in their classrooms?

Flickr photo ‘Kindgergarten kids ‘by Jeffrey Kehrig

“Everything I learned about education I learned in Kindergarten”

play

create socialize discover

experience express move relate

Starting young

Preschool teachers will be the first to tell you that children today start young with technology. Take a look at this video about Abby ‘What digital natives want from their library’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_zzPBbXjWs

(see the next slide)

Matt Gomez

Kindergarten teacher

http://mattbgomez.com/

‘My hullabaloo’

‘Kindergarten have only ever known the

technological world.’

Take a look around Matt Gomez blog

The screencast I used in the presentation can’t be included in Slideshare so I would urge you to note:

• Matt’s Twitter global project

• Matt’s use of Symbaloo to keep his compilations of videos and songs together

• Matt’s Research Centre

• Matt’s approach to Maths

Kindergarten around the world Twitter project http://kindergartenaroundtheworld.blogspot.ca/p/sign-ups-project-description-faq.html

Grade R Gleanings…

From Matt Gomez…

• Instead of just writing…Get the class writing short sentences on the class Twitter account

• Learn about the world in real-life terms with classes across the globe

• A blog can hold everything together for a teacher

• Participate in a Twitterchat called #kinderchat to learn more from others

Kathy Cassidy

Grade 1 teacher, Canada

http://mscassidysclass.edublogs.org

‘Mrs Cassidy’s classroom blog’

Take a look at Cathy Cassidy’s

presentation called ‘A day in the life of a

student in Mrs Cassidy’s class’ http://www.slideshare.net/kathycassidy/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-grade-one-

student-presentation

Take a look around Cathy Cassidy’s

classroom blog

The screencast I used in the presentation can’t be included in Slideshare so I would urge you to note:

• Cathy’s use of Twitter in her class

• Cathy’s use of blogs and Skype in her class

• The way Cathy includes her students blog addresses on the right of her blog

• The way Cathy gets her students to explain what they do

Using Twitter in Mrs Cassidy’s

class Take a look at this video where one of Mrs Cassidy’s Grade 1 students explains how they use Twitter in class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_zzPBbXjWs

(see the next slide)

Using Skype in Mrs Cassidy’s

class Take a look at this video where one of Mrs Cassidy’s Grade 1 students explains how they use Skype in class ‘Skype in our classroom’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3BH2r6tk1MM

(see the next slide)

Using blogs in Mrs Cassidy’s

class Take a look at this video where one of Mrs Cassidy’s Grade 1 students explains how they use blogs in class ‘Our blog’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Wav6WdGeY&feature=player_embedded

(see the next slide)

Mrs Cassidy and digital

portfolios

• Take a look at this video where Mrs Cassidy and her students explain their use of digital portfolios ‘Primary Digital Portfolios’

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0f6E-

DfiUM&list=UUW3ARFUZbF3d9dY3nM2RfRw&index=1 )

(see the next slide)

• Mrs Cassidy has created a wiki about this http://primaryportfolios.wikispaces.com/

Other Grade 1 examples

Pam Roberts from Somerset House, Somerset West creates ebooks uing Youblisher.com http://www.youblisher.com/p/550920-Our-Love-Book-by-Grade-1-Roberts/ http://www.youblisher.com/p/465168-Christmas-Cheer/ http://www.youblisher.com/p/451668-Kleure/

Other Grade 1 examples

Carrie Sorenson from the USA uses Learnist Boards to collect and display resources on a topic.

• First Grade writing sites (http://learni.st/users/52903/boards/12860-1st-grade-writing-sites)

• Write numbers from 1-20 http://learni.st/users/52903/boards/12871-write-numbers-from-0-to-20-represent-a-number-of-objects-with-a-written-numeral-0-20-common-core-k-cc-3

Other Grade 1 examples

Orge Karaoglu from Turkey gets her 6 year olds students to draw pictures which are then animated. See this video ‘Daisy and Dragon and the magic wand’

http://vimeo.com/5109036

Before the advent of the Internet, classrooms were forced to be isolated learning hives. Now, those hives can all be interconnected as classrooms can easily link with other classrooms and experts to ask questions, compare experience and learn together. Tools suchas Skype, Twitter and blogs make connecting and collaborating with classrooms from anywhere a possibility.

Gleanings from Grade 1 teachers

• Previous to the Internet, classrooms were more isolated. Now, those classes can all be interconnected easily linking with other classrooms and experts to ask questions, compare experiences and learn together.

• Tools suchas Skype, Twitter and blogs make connecting and collaborating with classrooms from anywhere a possibility.

Before the advent of the Internet, classrooms were forced to be isolated learning hives. Now, those hives can all be interconnected as classrooms can easily link with other classrooms and experts to ask questions, compare experience and learn together. Tools suchas Skype, Twitter and blogs make connecting and collaborating with classrooms from anywhere a possibility.

• Instead of just writing in a book…get the class writing short sentences on the class Twitter account, and create blogs

• Use Skype to enhance the classroom experience

• Start learning about digital footprints while they are young. Digital portfolios

• Keep your resources online so that you can share with others

Grade 2 examples

See this Grade 2 Dinosaur Research iPad project from Parklands College ‘Dinodile’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVOENJfztfo

Grade 3 examples

Linda Yollis Grade 3 blog, USA http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/

Note how Mrs Yollis linked with a high school

chemistry class who taught her Grade 3 class

Science via a Google Hangout

Ready-Made PowerPoint presentations

can be useful to a busy teacher http://www.pppst.com/

Gleanings…

From Grade 2 and 3 teachers

• Develop storytelling in a fun way which can then develop into good writing skills

• Learn information in innovative ways

• There are many ready made Powerpint templates, video clips and songs for teachers to use.

3. Conclusions about using technology in the Foudation

Phase classroom

The all-important question…

“Is technology essential or even necessary for good teaching to take place?”

“If children do not learn the way we teach then we must teach the way they

learn.”

Before you go…important links

• Don’t forget to follow e-classroom on

Twitter @eclassroomsa

• ‘Like’ e-classroom Facebook page

• Visit the SchoolNet blog for teacher tips

with technology:

http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/