Bringing technology into the classroom

I am a passionate fourth grade teacher, as well as the technology teacher for the entire fourth grade. As the fourth grade technology teacher, my current curriculum consists of five short lessons for teaching digital citizenship via Common Sense Media. These lessons are invaluable, but the curriculum needs more rigor in order to prepare students to be 21st-Century learners. Throughout the year I developed various projects to integrate complex concepts from science and social studies. Currently, science content is primarily taught in isolation and allows very little room for creativity, collaboration and digital information literacy skills. Although science is taught through inquiry-focused activities, there is an urgent need for change in how this content presented.

Students have a hard time building upon or changing their existing understanding within a topic. As a result, students are unable to apply this knowledge to other aspects of science, and make a deeper connection to the world around them. This coming school year I will embark on the adventure of learning the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In order to better integrate 21st-Century technology skills to support the NGSS, I would like to transform part of my technology class to allow to students to go on a journey of project-based activities using LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0. With this tool, students’ skills will be enhanced across science, engineering, technology, and coding.