Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum

Wow! What a week we're having in 5th grade. We are completing so many exciting small projects. First, we celebrated the Inauguration by decorating the room red, white, and blue. I made cupcakes for the class (in the same colors) to enjoy while watching the Inauguration Live on television. An old technology, but one that served its purpose today. Before watching the Inauguration, I used a wonderfully made Promethean lesson on the Inauguration. (It was one I downloaded from the website.) It included a compare contrast of the president and vice president, pictures of past Inaugurations; as well as a video.

The following day, we read the 2008 Year In Pictures Time for Kids. I discussed visual literacy and using captions. Then students created their own version of this kid friendly magazine by doing a 2009 Inauguration in pictures using pages. I showed them how to use the shapes and put the pictures into the shapes and how to place a textbox under the pictures. Some students quickly figured out the reflection tool on their own. (How exciting when they make their own discoveries, and they teach me something new too.) My expectation for a thirty minute activity was to include four pictures with captions and a title. They exceeded my expectations very quickly. Hopefully, some students will save these for future references.

Later in life they can say, "I remember watching that on T.V. in 2009."

The other exciting project we completed this week was sending our first epal emails. I began this last week by introducing students to epals and letting them email several emails to classmates. I used their examples to teach formal language in writing. When they emailed each other, they used texting type language; such as "waz up," lol, and etc.

I quickly pointed out that this was not the type of language we use in emails. I showed them an example of one of my emails and an example of a formally written email by a student. Yeah! No more texting in our emails. When student emailed their epals; they did not using texting language. I am so proud of them!