Traditional Education vs Technology Integration

This year, I have moved from second grade to fourth grade. Not that I didn't like second, but I am excited about the doors that have been opened for me now that I am teaching an older group of children. I already have some ideas that are churning in my mind as to what I will do with my class. The next question is what will be my limits and how much will my students be able to do?

I have always struggled with finding the balance between traditional expectations and the ability to incorporate technology in everyday assignments. When we think of elementary education, we think of teaching reading, writing, and math fundamentals. We need children to leave our early grades knowing the basics, so they can excel in learning more about things they are passionate about. I have always said that we don't teach children information, we teach them how to find the answers to their questions. Of course, technology fits right in with this idea, but we do need to find a balance of traditional ideals and incorporating 21st century learning. Fourth grade will allow me to dabble a little more in these new areas.

The first project I have on board will be a "Get to know you assignment". I am going to assign homework to create 15 interview questions (writing component). Then, they will pick 10 of their best questions and interview another classmate. They will use iPods to record the interview and use the information to write a paragraph about their partner. Then, I will upload pictures of each student into a Voicethread and the children will record their paragraphs on the picture of the student they interviewed! I will then make that into a Quicktime Movie and drop that into my Moodle course for my class to enjoy! I am waiting to see if this is too ambitious, but time will tell. I'm excited to see how they do. I'll let you know how it goes!