Young children cannot use social media on their own. That does not mean they cannot use it, guided by their teacher as a great way to share their learning and to develop their literacy skills along the way.
Our last baby chick has arrived!! pic.twitter.com/SlSNiQX9A0
— St Luke’s PS (@slblackburnsth) April 22, 2016
A wonderfully rich experience in junior classrooms is the experience of witnessing chickens hatch and grow. Teachers garner so many opportunities – in viewing and observing, language vocabulary, maths, not to mention the sense of awe watching a living creature grow. Nowadays, that learning does not have to stay inside the classroom and through technology, the experience can be broadened and extended. What would you prefer? Your student completing a written journal of the growth of a chick that is never seen by anyone except the teacher, has no interactions or … the written journal (for the personal task) AND this shared experience with their class ?
The students are observing, questioning, reading and writing, just as they would without the technology, but with the added value of a real audience, others involved to share it with and extend their thinking. Questions and affirmations from other stakeholders in their learning – an audience that provides a true purpose to construct replies and articulate their understandings as well as just the fun of sharing the excitement!
The journey is recorded in a digital format, available to be shared with families, the rest of the school and used in many other ways.
Great egg-sample of learning, dialogue around it and the use of digital tools to facilitate part of the learning.
There’s also another great by-product of connected learning. As a teacher, I feel renewed, more engaged and creative when engaging in this type of learning. I am constantly reminded not to sink back into less engaging learning pathways. I am reminded that I belong to a community and that the community spurs me on in the same way as I can ratify its achievements.