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For my lesson, students had to read a text called "Ben Brings the Mail" on a website called ConnectEd. ConnectEd is the technology portion of my reading curriculum. Then, students had to complete a retelling activity on the ConnectEd website about the text they just read. There were pictures that the students had to move in order of occurrence from "Ben Brings the Mail". Once students complete the retelling, their work is submitted online so I can review it.

Technology used:
1. SMARTboard: Used for modeling how to get to the website. At this time in first grade, my students still need direction on how to login to websites and where to find tasks. I typically model first, then allow the students to try. If they are unsuccessful, they ask 2 friends and if they are still unsuccessful, they can ask me for help.
2. Chromebooks: The device students use to read the text, and completed the retelling. Each student had their own Chromebook.
3. ConnectEd: The website students used that aligns with my reading curriculum. The reading curriculum I use is called Reading Wonders.

Standards:
1. Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online. (ISTE Standard 2d)
2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. (CCSS.RL.1.2)

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This is what the text looked like for the students. They were given the option to listen to the text or actually read the text.

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Why did they choose the technology they did? Have they used this before?
Chromebooks and ConnectEd are very familiar to the students, but they have not used it to read a text and then to retell it for the same lesson. I chose to use this technology because the website is something they are familiar with, but the task they are completing is not. If students had to learn a whole new website and complete a new type of assignement, they become very confused.

What successes and challenges did they have?
Most of my students were very successful with the lesson. They could easily log into ConnectEd, read the assigned text, and completed the assignment. In the YouTube video "Learning Styles & the Importance of Critical Self-Reflection" (2015), the speaker argued that students can learn through multiple senses. In my lesson, I incorporated seeing and hearing. I did this to not only allow choice into the classroom but to also give students multiple modes of accessibility.

The only challenge I had with this lesson is that two of the Chromebooks would not connect to the internet right away. So when my two students asked friends to help, there was a lot of confusion and distraction to the other students. Looking back at the video, there was about 15 seconds where students were not engaged because of the distraction. I have the rule of asking 2 friends for help before they ask me because I want them to be problem solvers and I simply cannot get to every student in a timely manner.

What would they change?
One thing I would change is to have the students write sentences, or type a word, to go along with each picture. (I would love to have my students type a sentence, but that would be extremely difficult and time consuming for them...maybe later this year!) I would make this change because I think it adds another aspect of student understanding. They are using higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy when they have to actually think about how their picture relates to the text.

Where did they learn their technology skills?
I learned most of my technology skills through exploration. If I am unsure how to use a tool, I will watch a YouTube video on it. I also have learned a lot of my technology skills growing up in the digital age. I feel very fortunate that I already have many of the 21st-century skills because I grew up learning about them during my schooling.

What encourages them to continue to integrate technology?
I love to integrate technology into lessons because I think it is very engaging for the students. More importantly, it teaches them very necessary skills today. In first grade, students are learning the foundations of how to use technology. When students learn these foundational skills (turning it on, logging on and using a mouse), then later in the year they will be able to do create and have more freedom.

What is their technology wish list?
1. Currently, my students use the trackpad as a mouse. Although this is a really good tool to know how to use, it is very difficult for their tiny fingers to click and drag objects around. I would love for each Chromebook to have a mouse.
2. Additionally, I would love to have enough Chromebooks for all of my students to use at the same time. For this lesson, I had to borrow 6 Chromebooks from one of my colleagues, as I only have 12 in my classroom.

What type of support do they need or would they like to see in terms of encouraging technology use in the classroom.
For support, I would love to hear what other teachers use in their classrooms. I consider myself a life-long learner, so I am always looking for ways to learn new things. I would also appreciate more professional development trainings on applications or websites that are specifically designed for primary classrooms.

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Below is the retelling activity my students completed. They had to click and drag the pictures in the order of the text.

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What surprised you?  What inspired you? What suggestions would you make?
I was surprised that my students logged into ConnectEd so quickly and confidently. On top of that, they all completed the task without any major issues. Maybe next time I will let them explore how to get to the task. I would also be interested in having my students complete this task with a partner because I believe learning can be so much more meaningful in a social atmosphere. According to Bates (2015), he mentioned that through constructivism "...knowledge is mainly acquired through social processes or institutions that are socially constructed: schools, universities..." (p.54).

Does it engage the students?  How does technology improve, add to, enhance learning?
My students love to use technology. Just saying the word "Chromebooks" gets them excited. I think excitement brings in engagement. For my students, there is something very fascinating about being able to click and move cards around to retell a story. I could have easily given the students the same task on a worksheet, but I wanted to bring more meaning to the lesson. The video "Learning Styles & the Importance of Critical Self-Reflection" also mentioned that learning occurs when there is meaning to the lesson. I thought it was much more meaningful to have the students read the text online, and then to complete the retelling activity online. I can tell they were engaged because their eyes didn't leave the Chromebook. They also completed the task in a timely manner, which tells me that they were interested in what they were working on.

What are the challenges?
There are some lessons when I don't incorporate technology because I don't feel that it would be appropriate for that lesson. When my students don't use technology, many of them ask to do so because they don't want to complete a paper-pencil assignment. I kindly tell them that I think for this particular lesson, I think it would be more meaningful for them to complete a graphic organizer, for example.

What is your one big takeaway from your observation and interview?
My big takeaway from my lesson is that students are so eager to try new things. Even though they have used ConnectEd this year, they used the website in a new way. This was very engaging and exciting for them. I will continue to research new tools for my students so their engagement and love of trying new things never goes away.

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Bates, A.W. (2015) Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Designing Teaching and Learning Vancouver BC: Tony Bates Associates Ltd.

TedEx Talks. (2015, Apr 2). Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection- Tesia Marshik- TEDxUWLaCrosse. [Video File]. Retrieved https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=855Now8h5Rs