|
Elementary Writing Fouquet Home Learn More Inspiration About the Author |
About the Author
I grew up on a private boarding school campus in La Selva Beach, California. In college I found my love for weightlifting and now I have fully incorporated that into my lifestyle. I am married to my highschool sweetheart, Andrew. We have been married for two years now and have our baby girl, Harper.
I began teaching in 2016 and I have been teaching for four years. I have taught first, second, and third grade at Canyon Oaks Elementary. Throughout these four years my teaching practices have morphed dramatically into what it is today. I believe in teaching the whole child and keeping in mind the importance of students' mental health. I believe that all students have the ability to succeed as long as they are given the opportunity and strategies to succeed. My classroom is a safe place for students to grow and make mistakes along their academic journey. I was contacted by NapaLearns through the many recruitment emails that crossed my computer screen in 2019. I went to a Q&A recruitment session and after talking with the men there, I decided it was time to get my masters and further my education. I have always believed that if used right, technology can be a great tool to engage students and promote academic growth. However, prior to Touro’s innovative learning program I had a hard time implementing technology in a way that students could personally interact with it, and it not just be me with a smart board in front of the classroom. I was nervous even though I knew my students were capable of using technology successfully if given the right boundaries and management. After Touro’s innovative learning program, I will never be hesitant to allow my students to use technology in the classroom no matter the age group that I teach. Through this program I have learned that technology heightens engagement and promotes academic growth. I am excited to take the different skills, strategies, and tools with me and implement them as necessary throughout the rest of my career and at my new school next year teaching first grade. |
Follow Me!
Follow me on twitter!
Weebly blog about my journey
|
TPACK Reflections
When I think of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), as an educator I think about balancing it all to make a great learning environment for our students. As teachers we are given curriculum and technology, often with no training and we are expected to implement it like we have been using it our entire lives. Well as humans it is hard to pick up new things and be able to use it right away with no background knowledge or practice. Part of our job however is to be able to implement technology in a way to build student knowledge of the content we are teaching. Since there won't always be the funding to receive proper training with technology, teacher's need to be willing to adapt and test out technology with their students. Using the TPACK model, it is possible to do that.
Instead of making technology the focus point, it should be the piece that enhances the content. What I have noticed is that often teachers get so caught up with the fact that their boss wants technology being used, that they use it in everything possible just to use it and calling that innovative. When in reality students are not learning the content. Instead they are just using technology. When TPACK is implemented correctly, technology is enhancing the content not replacing the content. "Effective technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, transactional relationship between these components of knowledge situated in unique contexts. Individual teachers, grade-level, school-specific factors, demographics, culture, and other factors ensure that every situation is unique, and no single combination of content, technology, and pedagogy will apply for every teacher, every course, or every view of teaching" (mkoehler, tpack.org). As educator's we need to find what works for us. We need to take our content knowledge and find activities and tools that will help get the content across to our students. It has been proven that technology enhances student knowledge and engagement if done correctly. Choose what works best for you and what is best for your current students. Remember what the purpose of your lessons are and then choose tools and techniques to enhance that content and build your students knowledge.
Instead of making technology the focus point, it should be the piece that enhances the content. What I have noticed is that often teachers get so caught up with the fact that their boss wants technology being used, that they use it in everything possible just to use it and calling that innovative. When in reality students are not learning the content. Instead they are just using technology. When TPACK is implemented correctly, technology is enhancing the content not replacing the content. "Effective technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, transactional relationship between these components of knowledge situated in unique contexts. Individual teachers, grade-level, school-specific factors, demographics, culture, and other factors ensure that every situation is unique, and no single combination of content, technology, and pedagogy will apply for every teacher, every course, or every view of teaching" (mkoehler, tpack.org). As educator's we need to find what works for us. We need to take our content knowledge and find activities and tools that will help get the content across to our students. It has been proven that technology enhances student knowledge and engagement if done correctly. Choose what works best for you and what is best for your current students. Remember what the purpose of your lessons are and then choose tools and techniques to enhance that content and build your students knowledge.
Technology and writing is often scary for teachers at the elementary level. Especially grades K-3. When in reality it should be embraced and pushed. Yes, students need to learn how to physically write with a pencil and paper, especially in primary grades. However, I noticed that my third graders were at a disadvantage when it came time to prepping for CAASPP. Third grade is the first time they are required to take a state test that is completely computerized. In this test, students are required to type essays. While of course third grade teachers implement typing skills into test prep for third grade. I believe that typing should be implemented prior to third grade. Preferably in first or second grade. Our goal as teachers today is to help students become college and career ready. Typing is a skill that is required to be college and career ready. Not only is typing going to help students be college and career ready, it will help them be ready to communicate in society in general. Typing is not just about prepping third graders for a test, it is about creating well rounded and 21st century skilled students. There are multiple typing resources online that you can use. I have two free websites that I highly recommend and encourage: Dance Mat Typing for primary grades and typing.com for grades 2 and up.
|
|
Typing is just one way to begin implementing technology into elementary classrooms. I have also learned the importance of finding tools that can help enhance learning, like storyboardthat.com. Implementing tools that keep student engaged and help students understand the content and standards being taught is the most important thing. Tools like kahoot.com can help test young students in a fun way and give you data about student knowledge. Creating videos instead of having students physically write, can help them work out themes and create a beginning, middle, and end to their narrative. Having student speak what they want into a tool that will put their speech to text is a great way to meet the needs of students who are below grade level. There are so many tools that can enhance learning, it is our job as educators to seek out those tools and implement them.
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
After completing research online and in my classroom I have come across the realization that writing instruction needs to become a priority for our students to become 21st century ready. Within the writing instruction, students need visuals, teacher modeling, many opportunities to write, and engaging activities. If students can work together, they are more likely to stay engaged and learn from one another. While my focus was teaching students how to write a narrative that is CAASPP and common core aligned, I noticed throughout my experience in this masters program that students just need designated writing instruction in the school day to gain more progress than the natural progress that comes from being in school.
CAASPP requires students to write to prompts that are assigned to them. It doesn't matter what the writing type is, they are expected to know how to respond accordingly. I noticed early on that students in third grade are not ready for this kind of testing. They barely know how to write paragraphs. When entering third grade some students can barely write single sentences with correct spelling. By the end of third grade, these students are just starting to understand how to write essays and pull complete thoughts from their brain and write them down onto paper. While I believe third grade students should take CAASPP and learn test taking skills, it should be a practice test for these students to prepare for fourth grade and their future. By making CAASPP a practice test, we would still have a baseline on students skills, but a lot of the pressure would be taken off of these students.
With the knowledge I gained from my rounds of research, I am ready to tackle all types of writing. I will be going back to teach first grade next year. While first graders are not expected to write essays, I will still be teaching designated writing instruction. I will still be giving adequate visuals and models for my future first graders to become successful writers. I will also be taking many of the online tools that I learned about in this program and using them when appropriate for my students. Third graders have a very hard time when it comes to writing for the CAASPP. With this knowledge I will be continue to pursue writing instruction to help better prepare my students for their academic future. I have been able to see the importance of teaching students the foundations of writing prior to entering third grade and it has become my mission to make all my students 21st century ready, even if one of those skills is to take a state test.
CAASPP requires students to write to prompts that are assigned to them. It doesn't matter what the writing type is, they are expected to know how to respond accordingly. I noticed early on that students in third grade are not ready for this kind of testing. They barely know how to write paragraphs. When entering third grade some students can barely write single sentences with correct spelling. By the end of third grade, these students are just starting to understand how to write essays and pull complete thoughts from their brain and write them down onto paper. While I believe third grade students should take CAASPP and learn test taking skills, it should be a practice test for these students to prepare for fourth grade and their future. By making CAASPP a practice test, we would still have a baseline on students skills, but a lot of the pressure would be taken off of these students.
With the knowledge I gained from my rounds of research, I am ready to tackle all types of writing. I will be going back to teach first grade next year. While first graders are not expected to write essays, I will still be teaching designated writing instruction. I will still be giving adequate visuals and models for my future first graders to become successful writers. I will also be taking many of the online tools that I learned about in this program and using them when appropriate for my students. Third graders have a very hard time when it comes to writing for the CAASPP. With this knowledge I will be continue to pursue writing instruction to help better prepare my students for their academic future. I have been able to see the importance of teaching students the foundations of writing prior to entering third grade and it has become my mission to make all my students 21st century ready, even if one of those skills is to take a state test.