Exploring Technology With Our Early Years Students

 

                                                                                                         

Even our youngest learners love exploring with technology.  Our 
JK and SK students are showing each other what they have discovered.

Inquiry ... an engaging way to learn!

Check out this step-by-step resource, which serves as a guide for students as they journey through the inquiry learning process.

I can use my iPad to do what?

Educators are looking for and learning about ways to integrate the iPad into the classroom.  This link will take you to an awesome teaching tool that categorizes which applications are most appropriate for a specific task,  such as creating a presentation,  blogging, creating digital stories, or recording and editing video.  Using technology in this way will promote critical-thinking, creativity, collaboration, and will create student-centered learning environments.  This is a great resource for everyone!

I can use my iPad to...

Quick Start iPad User Guide

Want to know know more about how to use the iPad?  Here is a quick start user guide to support you in your learning.  Click the link below to view the whole article.  This is a great resource to start your learning.

The Ultimate Printable Guide To The Apple iPad

Do you know what critical thinking is?

Often we hear the buzz work 'critical thinking'  tossed around.  If students are asked to think critically, what does that really  mean?  Here is a handy chart that breaks down the critical thinking skills and illustrates how each category works.

Step 1: Knowledge

The key idea is to be able to identify and recall information.  Students will answer the basic questions of  who, what, where, when, etc.

Step 2: Comprehension

The students will organize their thoughts, select key ideas and factual information,  interpret and summarize the ideas from their reading and learning.

Step 3: Application

This step demonstrates a higher level of understanding.  Students will be able to apply the facts, rules and concepts they have identified to make connections to ideas, solve problems, and apply the information in a meaningful context.

Step 4: Analysis

Student will think more deeply about the information they have read.  Students may examine, make inferences, and analyze parts of a text or a whole topic.

Information and chart taken from Edudemic

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/the-4-step-guide-to-critical-thinking-skills/

Visual Chart from Enokson

Skills and Attributes of Today's Learners

Being a learner in the 21st century is so much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic! The aim of education today is to support our students in becoming critical thinkers and problem-solvers so that students have transferable skills in their future world.  In the Learning Commons, technology and media are an intrinsic, integrated, and seamless part of this learning.

                                              Skills and Attributes of Today's Learner

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Are you using social networks effectively?

Use the link below to check out the interesting infographic about using social networks.  There are some tips and tricks worth knowing about!

How To Effectively Use The Top 4 Social Networks