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Do students always have to be doing the same activity online? Will there be choice?

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Do students always have to be doing the same activity online? Will there be choice?

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I will ensure that there are always choices within the activities. For example, when playing math games online, I can give choices of levels based on how difficult they want the activity to be.

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Is this technology accessible to all students in an equitable way?

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Is this technology accessible to all students in an equitable way?

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Our school has a Chromebook for each student to use. It is crucial that if we are doing an activity in class, each student is able to participate. This also means that it is important to consider UDL while using the technology. For example, if we are reading a text online, a chrome extension like Read&Write is great to help students who may have difficulties with reading. There are also tools like Text to Talk that can help students write what they want. We would also group students of varying experiences and abilities so that they can support each other.

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How is the technology relevant to the curriculums?

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How is the technology relevant to the curriculums?

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Although technology can sometimes be used for brain breaks, most of the time it will be used to support the students' comprehension of the content in the different curriculums. For example, in the visual arts curriculum, photoshop or book creator are tools that can be used to make new artistic creations. We would also use technology to provide new innovative examples of visual art.

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Technology can certainly count towards your grade! Sometimes, at the end of a unit I will ask that you share screenshots, links and videos of what you have created or explored. There will also be times where I give constructive feedback on an activity so that you can continue to improve. For example, if you create a slideshow, I will leave comments on the document so that you can go edit and make small changes. I will also encourage discussions in small groups after an activity to discuss what you learned from the technology.

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Technology opens up a whole new way of learning and it allows you to learn in fun and new ways. An example is the panda cam at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park where we can learn about life stages and growth of animals by watching baby animals live on the camera. How cool is that?? Technology is also helpful for math skills and reading abilities and can help us socialize with our friends. You could now do math with friends in games such as Blookets or Escape Rooms where everyone is working together to solve math problems.

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Will the technology replace our lessons?

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Will the technology replace our lessons?

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The technology will not replace our lessons, they will just add to them! We will have a limited time to use it each day and I will make sure to communicate that before we start.

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Will the virtual games be fun like at home?

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Will the virtual games be fun like at home?

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Although the virtual games may not be identical to the ones you play at home, they will definitely still be fun! I will make sure that the games include choice so that you can choose based on your own interests and that they are different every day. The games will require some sleuthing and problem solving skills where you will explore come up with conclusions on your own!

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Why should there be more screen time at school when they already use them so much at home?

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Why should there be more screen time at school when they already use them so much at home?

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There are many benefits to using technology in the classroom. Technology can activate curiosity and creativity as they are exploring new sites and programs. The difference between technology at home and at school is that in the classroom, we are using technology actively instead of passively. This helps the brain with language development, executive functioning, problem-solving and working memory. At home, simply watching a show can have the opposite effects on the brain.

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How will the kids know how to do the online activities?

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How will the kids know how to do the online activities?

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Not all of the games/activities need to be shown to the students. The point of some of the activities are to learn through exploring the games on their own and making connections to things we may have discussed in the classrooms. For example, if I create a Minecraft world for the students to explore, they may have to go explore it on their own to find the purpose of the virtual lesson. After the explorations, I intend on consolidating their learning by having group discussions about what they found in the game.

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Will there be a limit to how much time is spent on the technology?

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Will there be a limit to how much time is spent on the technology?

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There will most definitely be a limit to how much time is spent online. These tools are certainly not used to replace lessons and in class explorations, but they are here to add to the lessons. This means that they will be used either for pre lesson discoveries, or they will be used after the lesson to practice the content they have learned. Limiting screen time is still important to me as an educator, however, I see some value in learning through problem-solving, critical thinking and researching.

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How will you monitor that the technology is being used appropriately?

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How will you monitor that the technology is being used appropriately?

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I will pre-select the activities and ensure that they are all age appropriate for your children. I will ensure that the games and explorations are relevant to the topic we are studying and are only adding knowledge and consolidation to your child's learning.

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Although some of the programs will be new to you, I will ensure to model how to use them and support you along the way. There will also be times where you get to work wth your friends and they can also be great help if you're confused. There will be some times where I ask you to explore an activity on your own and this is where you will use your sleuthing skills to try and navigate! All of the technology we will already be pre-tried so that I am sure you will be able to use it.