Technology Infused in Pre-Kindergarten
By Lori Madison
The Pre-Kindergarten curriculum is based on ten centers. Students are required to have two hours of center time per day. Centers allow students to have ownership of their education by freely exploring various centers. The belief is that students gravitate to the center that they need the most help in. The teacher and the paraprofessional monitor the centers and take anecdotal notes, documenting the usage of centers by every student. Centers are a means of providing education “without tears”. For example, a teacher may have a student that is struggling in the area of phonological awareness, but this child may enjoy construction. A teacher may ask the student what he or she is building, in the art center the child can draw a picture of their creation, in small groups the teacher can take dictation describing the picture, thereby improving reading fluency.
This being said, computers have become an invaluable Pre-Kindergarten learning center. Computers are also the most popular learning center among the students. My students are very adept at navigating the internet. I limit the websites to PBS kids, Starfall, or sesamestreet.com. Through, my personal technological evolution I decided to create a blog, very late in the school year, so the information is limited. The listening center is another technological center, students may listen to alphafriends CD’s or use the Leap Frog learning program.
Next year, I hope to create a classroom blog as a means of communication for parents, teachers, students and staff. Since, I have been introduced to blogspot.com. Blogging is not a daunting as I thought. Pre-Kindergarten is the first school experience for most of my students. It is imperative that I am in constant communication with my parents, concerned about their first time students and alleviating the anxiety that comes with that, for both parent and child. Blogging is an excellent source of communication to keep students, teachers and staff abreast of the current events in the classroom.
By Lori Madison
The Pre-Kindergarten curriculum is based on ten centers. Students are required to have two hours of center time per day. Centers allow students to have ownership of their education by freely exploring various centers. The belief is that students gravitate to the center that they need the most help in. The teacher and the paraprofessional monitor the centers and take anecdotal notes, documenting the usage of centers by every student. Centers are a means of providing education “without tears”. For example, a teacher may have a student that is struggling in the area of phonological awareness, but this child may enjoy construction. A teacher may ask the student what he or she is building, in the art center the child can draw a picture of their creation, in small groups the teacher can take dictation describing the picture, thereby improving reading fluency.
This being said, computers have become an invaluable Pre-Kindergarten learning center. Computers are also the most popular learning center among the students. My students are very adept at navigating the internet. I limit the websites to PBS kids, Starfall, or sesamestreet.com. Through, my personal technological evolution I decided to create a blog, very late in the school year, so the information is limited. The listening center is another technological center, students may listen to alphafriends CD’s or use the Leap Frog learning program.
Next year, I hope to create a classroom blog as a means of communication for parents, teachers, students and staff. Since, I have been introduced to blogspot.com. Blogging is not a daunting as I thought. Pre-Kindergarten is the first school experience for most of my students. It is imperative that I am in constant communication with my parents, concerned about their first time students and alleviating the anxiety that comes with that, for both parent and child. Blogging is an excellent source of communication to keep students, teachers and staff abreast of the current events in the classroom.
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