Our First Week In Grade 1 — Click here to see an Animoto Slideshow of our first week at school.

We have just finished a week of school, and what an incredible week it’s been! My students sent out their first tweets from our class Twitter accounts using both the classroom computers and the iPod Touch Twitterific app (click here and here to view them), used the Livescribe Pen in multiple ways for both reading, writing, math, and Social Studies’ activities, published their first blog posts, used Palm Treos to take photographs during literacy and math activities and to discuss learning too, and created a VoiceThread to show off their reading and writing. While all of these big highlights include the use of technology in the classroom, this technology was used to meet a number of different curriculum expectations: allowing the students to be engaged in their learning while also learning. In four days, they used many of these different technology tools independently during both literacy and math centres, as well as during full class activities. Our classroom program has started and on what an exciting note too!

If you had told me even last year that we would be doing so much in the first week of school, I wouldn’t have believed you. Don’t we need to establish routines first? Shouldn’t I be teaching writing first and then blogging? Isn’t this going to be too hard for the students? I have come to realize though that the best time to start is now. Using technology responsibly is part of my classroom routines, so I think that they should see that from the beginning. Blogging is writing, and incredibly motivating writing too, so why not begin with it and get my students excited about writing? Regardless of age, your students will amaze you with what they can do! Within four days, my students can now use the SMART Board, iPod Touches, Palm Treos, Livescribe Pen, and computers independently to complete numerous curriculum-based activities. I think that it’s all about creating a climate of high expectations, and believing that your students can do what you set out for them to do. Why not start now? What do you think?

If my Grade 1 students are doing this now, I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year will bring!

Aviva