Computer station for the interactive classroom

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 135

(Note- I received the grant late in the year.  It took some time to order and receive the computers.  So, we did not have a lot of time with them.)

I was able to purchase 6 HP Streams from Best Buy with the money provided by the grant and $20 that I added myself.  The school was able to image the computers so that the students would have access to their school accounts through their single logins.  Stations usually included a reading article that was either printed or online, an online research station, an online viewing (video) station, an interactive activity done online, a writing/typing station, and a make-it station.

The learning children do in school prepares them for the future, and for this reason it is important to incorporate technology in the classroom.  By having the computers available during station work, students could work at their own pace.  They worked on interactive activities and virtual lessons with guiding questions to move them forward.  These in-classroom lessons on the laptops allowed my students to read directions, process information and complete work at their own pace. This helped free up my time (the teacher) to give struggling students extra guidance or attention that they required to be successful, one-on-one or in small groups. 

Teachers don’t always know the answer to every question that students have.  The laptops provided students an extra resource to find information.  Students were more motivated to ask questions when they knew that they could look it up themselves.  They liked trying to come up with harder questions to stump me, so that they could “Google” the answer if I didn’t know it.  When students are more engaged, they retain more information.  The new laptops provided the hands-on opportunities for the students to integrate science information they learned with real world concepts. 

Students today live in a very technological world.  Most students use technology daily in some way (usually social).  Future jobs will require students to be technologically sufficient.  By having the computers in the classroom, students are using the technology in new ways like making PowerPoint presentations to share with the class.  This is helping prepare them for their future.  Students had to create PowerPoint slides that incorporated a graph.  Many of my students did not know how to do this before today.  Students that did became the expert teachers of those that didn’t.  They use team work to accomplish a common goal.  One of my quieter students became one of the best teachers of how to make a PowerPoint.  This boosted his confidence level greatly.  Technology gives students the opportunity to shine without standing in front of the class.  Many of my quieter students do not like to present standing in front of the class.  By creating the PowerPoints, they could use a mouse from anywhere in the room. 

I want to continue to use computers in the classroom in this way.  Computers increase students interest and desire to learn.  They are more focused and engaged.  Computers in the classroom shows students that computers are for learning and not just gaming and socializing.  Using computers provides students the opportunity to perceive the knowledge being taught as being related to the whole world that they live in and not just isolated bits and pieces they are made memorized.  Computers give students a chance to explore and learn using their individual learning style.  Computers offer students a chance to have differentiated learning that can account for the students’ differences in background knowledge and learning speed.  When students feel comfortable in the classroom, their attitudes towards learning is greatly improved.