Fifth Entry

I really connected with the Sprague and Dede article. I have always found the Constructivist theory to be interesting and effective. I once completed a practicum at a Constructivist school in Waterloo, Iowa. I was in a Kindergarten classroom. The entire curriculum was based on Constructivist ideas. I liked the fact that the children's interests were taken into consideration and worked into the curriculum. This allows the children to be engaged in their own learning, and motivated to do their very best work. I also liked the fact that teaching the students involved asking them critical thinking questions and having them build their own knowledge by questioning the world around them. The students would take their prior knowledge and apply new information in order to construct meaning.

In my own Pre-K classroom, I have tried to incorporate some aspects of Constructivism. I encourage my children to work thought their problems, and try to guide them instead of direct them. I also let them explore and ask questions, and try not to give them all the answers, as I do believe that children learn through experience.


Some of my fellow students found the constructivist classrooms to be "chaotic" and "disorganized", due to the fact the curriculum is so student centered. I can see how they could interpret the classrooms this way, but I feel that they were not looking at the whole picture. It may not be a 'traditional' classroom, but it gets the students more involved in their learning.

Fourth Entry

I really enjoyed reading the Rowen article, as it had many new and different ways to engage and involve students in reading and literacy. I liked the idea of having the students write to an 'imaginary' character, (like the Micro-Man). I know that my students would get excited if they were able to write to someone/something and receive an answer back. I think that this activity would help the children develop their question-generation skills. I could have the children write to different animals and have the animals 'answer' their questions.
Another literacy activity we participate in involves writing back-and-forth to a Kindergarten class. We talk about what it is like at our school, as well as ask them questions about their school. My kids get excited when they receive a letter from the Kindergarten kids, and love to write back to them.
I love creating literacy experiences that really get the children involved and excited about writing and reading. I am working within myself to always look 'outside of the box' and try to make literacy fun for my students.

Third Entry 9/10/07

My four and five year old students are just now really learning how to use a computer, as our classroom is the the only one with a computer. We have various games, (Jump Start, Lion King, Tonka Trucks) that the children play almost everyday. I think that playing these games is a great way to enhance their hand-eye coordination, as well as supplement what we are teaching them during lessons. I understand the importance of connecting technology with the curriculum, so I am thinking of ways that I can connect our computer games with what we are teaching. It might be difficult, considering computer games tend to be more linear so it might be hard to create a connection. However, I have been brainstorming ways that I can use technology to teach with my students and connect it with the curriculum. I was thinking that I could use digital cameras with the children and have them take pictures and dictate a story to be published. I could connect this to just about any theme that we do in Pre-K. For example, next week we will be talking about the 5 senses. For this theme, I could have the children go around the center and take pictures of things they could see, smell, taste, touch, and hear.

I am also struggling with the fact that there are so many things that I want to teach my students before they go to Kindergarten next fall, (Social Skills, the alphabet, manners, numbers...) that I don't know when I will find the time to implement as much technology as I would like. Also, our days are filled with worthwhile activities as it is, so it will be a challenge to fit technology into the picture.

Secone Entry: Howell

After reading the Howell article on using technology to create books, I had so many ideas swimming around in my head about technology and literacy. This article helped me to realize the vast amount of projects that can be created using a school's available technology. Language Arts, from early elementary to high school, does not have to consist of just reading out of a textbook; it can teach children and engage them through projects and activities on the computer. I work with Pre-K children, but I think that I could alter some of the ideas in the article to fit my age group. I loved the idea of having older student write books for younger students. I think that my students would be able to dictate stories, which I could then print out, have then illustrated, bind the books, and have the students share with one another. I could also have my students write books for the younger children in the center, or for family members. We could introduce the concept of fiction and nonfiction, and write some factual books.

Literacy plays such a huge role in Preschool education, so I want to make sure I give my students a strong appreciation and understanding of books and reading.