9.)  May 10, 2010

Here is a sweet movie made from the artwork of Kindergarten kiddos.  The movie here is just used as a show-and-tell, which is a nice way to connect ideas to home, other colleagues and beyond.

Well, my Tech class for Coetail has ended, but using 21st Tools in the Kinder classroom to enhance academic language acquisition and literacy continues!

8.) March 24th, 2010

Here are two snipets of video of the Kindergardeners in action.  They are doing great!  Look at how 5 to 6 year old English language learners are learning to manipulate and maneuver on computers/Smartboard, take turns with the laptops all while learning short vowel middle sounds!  Yahoo!  Talk about benefits for multi-cultural, multi-lingual learners….wowzers!  They are so young and so engaged.  When we look at young learners, emerging in both language skills and literacy skills in the 21st Century, there are different means in which an educator can enhance their learnings.  Whereas, i believe Middle School aged students benefit most from 21st Century learning, implementing blogs and chatting, young learners do not have those skills yet, but they are never to young to start to utilize learning how to use 21st Century learning tools, like laptops and Smartboards.  They are not at a disadvantage, but they are at a starting point for their 21st Century learning and i feel honored to help bring them into this world at a school/ academic level.  I feel that I as the educator have a great unbiased chance to help expose the students to the fundamentals of their foundation for learning with tech tools.  They are learning how to share, and to learn in partnerships, which is one of the target skills for the 21st Century.  When students have a strong foundation in their home language, L1, their mother tongue, learning a second language L2 is then more transferable. When students have a strong foundation of learning to share and learn in a partnership, then they likely have a strong foundation for learning how to team and synergize with other.  And educators are not just growing learners are we?  No, we are in fact growing people with good fundamental skills towards global citizenship.  This learning may ‘look’ rudimentary, but the fact that they are able to demonstrate their partnership skills while learning with each other is quite advanced.  A lot of adults are sill learning these lessons.  Perhaps everything we do need to know in life, we really did learn in Kindergarten.

7.) March 18th, 2010

Here is the visual to accompany the kinder partner activity

images from Fountas & Pinnell

6.) March 13th, 2010

As my colleague and I continue to work on building not only effective partnerships for using technology tools, we are also building effective partnerships….full stop.  We are finding that our learners use technology tools as a means to continue with building their partnerships, just like using content to build language skills. We have had to take a step back with using technology tools and use other means of building partnerships –math and vocabulary games, and reading partnerships as a building block towards using our new pilot and co-pilot terms.

We have realized that to build effective partnerships is a life long strategy that will enhance the little kindergartners life long journey on how to work with someone.  Sometimes i truly believe that saying:  ”Everything i needed to know in life, i learned in Kindergarten.”  Kindergartner teachers should be commended and recognized for all the work they not only do academically with our learners, but moreover, the social learning and modeling they provide.  Content academics is the bonus.

Our next phase of our unit will be to have Kindergarten English Language Learners work together on vowel sounds using individual computers with two learners sharing the task.  There, teachers will model and show the learners how partners working together promote learning not only the content of vowels, but by using partnership strategies—this we will ask the students to brainstorm and then demonstrate.  We will emphasize our Pilot and Co-pilot terms and ask that they demonstrate using these terms while performing their smartboard vowel task….onwards!

5.) March 4th, 2010

Here is another snipet of a kindergarten language learner needing Co-Pilot help in building her veggie vocabulary….learners are  also supporting each other with building cooperative social skills (with lots of scaffolding)…these little ones are so amazing!!

4.) March 4th, 2010

Here we are a month later after beginning the direct teaching of “pilot and co-pilot” terminology.  What i have noticed with the kindergartners is that it is easy for them to interact and demonstrate how to have hands-off with the phrase: “Jum, you are not the Pilot right now, you are Co-pilot”….they totally understand this…BUT, what is difficult is finding VALUED moments to reinforce this routine.  Young learners need lots and lots of practice time and lots and lots of reinforcement activities.  When young kindergartners are sharing the smartboard or a camera or a computer…IT IS REALLY HARD FOR THEM TO NOT TOUCH….they are supposed to touch, explore and experience!  Yes, they are supposed to be learning how to take turns as well, and there is great value in learning how to share manipulative resources while learning…..that is why the terms pilot/co-pilot have been so valuable.

3.) March 4th, 2010

Here is a snipet of some of Ben learning to apply and demonstrate his understanding of the terms Pilot, and Co-pilot!  Great work Ben!!

2.) February 5th, 2010

Okay, so we went ahead and started our project with the Kinders by just teaching them the terms, and let them think about what they mean.  ”Pilot” means hands-on, “Co-Pilot” means hands off during a reading lesson.  Then the next day, we re-introduced the vocabulary while we played cooperative math games.  We are introducing the terms and applying the meaning right away, and now, one week on, we are starting to see some students showing us they understand the terms.  As we continue to build up their understanding or how to respectfully share ideas and materials with each other, it is apparent that these two simple terms, have the potential to be quiet powerful. Like any dynamic duo, there needs to be an appropriate level of trust first established and then respected. Batman rides with Robin (why he was never named something more super-heroish, i will never know), and Doctors have nurses…each has a separate but equal power.  When watching a film, having a dynamic supporting actor to uphold the vibrant lead actor is not an easy job, but an important one to the overall whole of the film.   Helping students understand they are both important roles in the partnerships will be the tricky part (but rewarding if we get there).

1.) January 25th, 2010

I met with my colleague and we are planning to introduce the words: “Pilot” and “Co-Pilot” this Wednesday.  As we are working with Kindergartners, we are going to have to keep the directions short, easy and succinct.  I found a visual to help the students understand that the Pilot has hands-on and the Copilot has hands-off!!

photo credit

Students in their reading partnerships will each share a book, each taking a turn at being the Pilot, the one who shares at that moment, and the Copilot, the one listening.  The Copilot will not be allowed to move the book or turn the page, but must use words and directions within the partnership.  Hard for grabby kinder-kiddos!   Our goal is to promote effective partnerships with each partner being of equal value and importance, promoting both listening and speaking, and positive social behaviors.

December 15th, 2009

This page will contain my Coursework from my Tech class… working on my latest project:  Pilot and Co-Pilot.