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.