An age ole’ tool but can produce wonders in the classroom! I want to share with you my experience because I firmly believe that as educators we learn best from our experiences and the experiences of others.
When I received my students in Standard Four many were weak readers and as a result weak writers. We had just designed our computer lab so my job was to make use of all the computers or let all that money go to waste! The opportunity arose for me to use the word processor to enhance writing. So this is what I did. Using the writing process, students planned, drafted, edited, revised and published their work….and this is what happened.
The students used headers to outline the essays and texts to fill the appropriate headings. The word processor made it easy to rearrange items on the document. Drafting was the next stage and I paired students for this activity- a good typist and one with great ideas. Students then edited their work. The word processor can be used as an excellent spell check and even to detect some grammatical errors. Well, publishing was indeed fun. The students were able to choose their fonts, layouts, even add visuals and they presented excellent work. Most importantly, the students were motivated and wanted to write more. I did this for two years and we all benefitted immensely. Their writing definitely improved. Well, SEA results will be out tomorrow so I will get back to you on their performance.
I am enjoying this class and can't wait to use the technology in the classroom!
When I received my students in Standard Four many were weak readers and as a result weak writers. We had just designed our computer lab so my job was to make use of all the computers or let all that money go to waste! The opportunity arose for me to use the word processor to enhance writing. So this is what I did. Using the writing process, students planned, drafted, edited, revised and published their work….and this is what happened.
The students used headers to outline the essays and texts to fill the appropriate headings. The word processor made it easy to rearrange items on the document. Drafting was the next stage and I paired students for this activity- a good typist and one with great ideas. Students then edited their work. The word processor can be used as an excellent spell check and even to detect some grammatical errors. Well, publishing was indeed fun. The students were able to choose their fonts, layouts, even add visuals and they presented excellent work. Most importantly, the students were motivated and wanted to write more. I did this for two years and we all benefitted immensely. Their writing definitely improved. Well, SEA results will be out tomorrow so I will get back to you on their performance.
I am enjoying this class and can't wait to use the technology in the classroom!
Congratulations. I am sure your students did well in their SEA examinations. Computers are placed in school for just that purpose to assist students in their reading and writing. Many computers are taking dust in a classroom as some principals are not allowing their teachers to make use of them. keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHi Shasta...Well I must firstly say job well done on your SEA results. Congrats... You are a committed teacher who strives for your students to succeed. Last year I tried using the computer lab with my Standard Five after they wrote the exam because I really could not do it before that..there was to much teaching and testing. I must say that it was also successful for my students. They used the word processor to create Eid poems for a poem writing contest for the seniors in the school. They firstly brainstormed their ideas on paper, then headed to the pcs to do their first draft. They had tremendous fun editing and assisting each other in using the software and even in spelling and getting rhyming words. The judges for the competition had a difficult time in choosing a winner but eventually they named one. Using technology breaks the dinosaur old monotonous way of teaching.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hana. You genuinely support me.Great job my friend and I am sure you reaped the rewards of that activity. Again I agree. Students have fun when technology is incorporated in their learning and this will motivate them to succeed. As reading specialists of this era, we need to transform learning to meet the needs of our students. Long gone is the chalk and talk and that boring blackboard, it is time we update our strategies and methods.
ReplyDeleteHi Shasta,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea for using the Word Processor in Creative Writing. If I get another Standard Four class in September. I would definitely work together with my Computer Teacher to have a program in place for my class. Just like you the children in my class are usually very weak. Great Work! Continue to share your ideas!
Hi Shasta,
ReplyDeleteThere are still many schools who have computers but do not have internet access. It is a pity that some teachers think they must have this access to engage their students in meaningful literacy skills learning activities.This is all the more reason for us to share our knowledge and expertise with others. If we hoard these assests or use them only for "my class" then we become liabilities to the entire education system. I know that some will want to hold on to their traditional ways of delivering the curriculum and although we might not appreciate this in the presence of data showing frighteningly high figures for a lack of basic numerical and literacy skills among our primary and secondary level students,we must first understand that the traditional teacher-centered approaches to teaching has become a comfort zone for many teachers wherever they may be found in this country. What then becomes the task of reading specialists in moving the field forward?
I would want to respond to this issue by looking at our responsibility to provide leadership, and steming directly out of that responsibility, I would examine four qualities of effective leaders. The first is that of strategic thinking. Such thinking, from my viewpoint, simply means the ability to step back, take a look at the large picture, and,having done that, begin to create a vision for the future of your school.The second quality is that of people-relatedness.How do we relate to our colleagues, to our friends, our family members; to people? Are we selfish with our knowledge and resources? Do we appear to be aloof ? Can we get to the stage of enlightenment where we can treasure touching the lives of the individuals at our school; touching the lives of persons? The third characteristic is that of accountability.I'm convinced that what we do and fail to do aid in shaping and determining the quality of our students' lives. Last but certainly not least ,is the attribute of coaching which I perceive as being inextricably linked to accountability.Shasta, I believe that the most important thing we can do as reading specialists steeped within our particular educational malaise, is to devote ourselves to coaching others; be they teachers,pupils, parents or administrators.When we put ourselves in the role of coaching others, and not just the students in our class, something wonderful happens; we begin to understand what leadership is all about.
You can read my post on my classroom experiences using Word Processors .I know you wrote "chow" but I close with "ciao" Bye, for now my colleague.
Lemoy Petit-Hunte