3 Ways I Want to Improve What I do, Digitally

3 Ways I Want to Improve What I do, Digitally

I've been thinking a lot about what kinds of things I do with tech in my room.  There is a laundry list of apps, website, and tools I use.  I would like to look at three things and see if I can become a better facilitator for my kids.  

1. The first thing is to have content delivered to them in a meaningful way.  Not just the content that I want them to know but how they are going to get it.  It seems a bit confusing as I write it, but essentially I want them to have a digital version of my lesson plans.  Maybe I give it to them in a daily or ongoing HyperDoc.  But it would have what we are doing for the day, CCSS listed so they know what is being expected from them and myself, the purpose of why we do what we do.  I want my 3rd graders to have to know we do this fun thing because we are supposed to be learning this standard.  Then we can have conversations around that. 

2.  At times I will give them this fabulous tool to use.  They will get to play with it and do a fun activity at first to learn the ins and outs of how to use it.  Then I will give them the "real" assignment and I don't feel like they are using the tool with creative abandon like they did in the practice activity.  I feel like kids should have this freedom to learn how it comes naturally and find what bests works for them, but maybe I should focus on what I expect from the assignment.  The question I want to focus myself in answering is, are you giving them the right tool for the assignment?  Something to really think about in the next 6 weeks of vacation.

3.  Because I have many things for the kids to do online, I want to make sure I am using my time wisely.  When I had my 30+ kids last year online doing an assignment, I thought about kicking my feet up and just watching them work.  But I know I can better use my time and help some of my struggling kids.  I keep thinking back when I took a HyperDoc class from Sarah Landis, Kelly Hilton, and Lisa Highfill they kept saying that the HyperDocs were meant for intervention.  A way that kids can work at their own pace while giving teachers time to pull kids who need help.  I want to make sure I am mindful of what I am doing while my kids are on their tech.