MITTEN Community Template

The children were very motivated by the use of technology in our classroom this semester. Children that usually have trouble representing their ideas on paper were able to do so with the help of technology. One boy in particular has a special need. He has very motivated to use the computer and his work turned out wonderful. He was able to show us his ideas through the paint program and Kid Pix that he could not have shown on paper.

Using technology this semester has been a great motivator for the children. It also has helped create some self-image for each child. Often children’s ideas are focused on for only a brief amount of time. Technology gave the students opportunities to revisit their ideas over and over again. The children were always excited when they saw the laptop out during group time. This meant that they got to share their ideas about things that they have done. There is something magical about seeing your work on a screen and the for the children they were excited whenever they got to share their work with their friends at group time.

Computers have never been my best friends. This semester was especially hard for me. Using technology is a great means of representation for young children. Unfortunately the technology in the classroom was not the greatest. A lot of my time this semester was spent trying to figure out if there was a way to transfer stuff from my house (where I have an Apple Laptop) to the computers at school (which are PC’s). Saving, re saving, copying, cutting and pasting have become a second nature to me. There were many activities that I did with my children on my Laptop but could not show them with the large projector because they were not compatible.

Another important thing that I learned was that technology in our classroom could never be relied on. The activity where the children created numbers using Kid Pix took almost a week because the program kept shutting down the computer. This was due to our computer being out dated and our Kid Pix program. This would also happen with some of our computer games. Plus, it is hard to work on stuff in my classroom when there is no Internet access. Needless to say, I learned how to get by with a minimal amount of technology and the children enjoyed every bit of it!

After participating in the MITTEN Project, I have gained a wealth of new knowledge in the area of technology. With only one computer in the classroom, I have learned how to be both creative and flexible and now feel very prepared and excited to meaningfully integrate technology into my future classroom. The children have inspired me, being that they are so young and are able to do so much with technology. This project was a great experience and I am so glad that I was able to participate in such a great program.

Michele Fary

Introduction		Overview	Narratives	Exhibits	Reflection


	Looking Back... The Children's Learning The children were very motivated by the use of technology in our classroom this semester. Children that usually have trouble representing their ideas on paper were able to do so with the help of technology. One boy in particular has a special need. He has very motivated to use the computer and his work turned out wonderful. He was able to show us his ideas through the paint program and Kid Pix that he could not have shown on paper. Using technology this semester has been a great motivator for the children. It also has helped create some self-image for each child. Often children’s ideas are focused on for only a brief amount of time. Technology gave the students opportunities to revisit their ideas over and over again. The children were always excited when they saw the laptop out during group time. This meant that they got to share their ideas about things that they have done. There is something magical about seeing your work on a screen and the for the children they were excited whenever they got to share their work with their friends at group time. My Learning Computers have never been my best friends. This semester was especially hard for me. Using technology is a great means of representation for young children. Unfortunately the technology in the classroom was not the greatest. A lot of my time this semester was spent trying to figure out if there was a way to transfer stuff from my house (where I have an Apple Laptop) to the computers at school (which are PC’s). Saving, re saving, copying, cutting and pasting have become a second nature to me. There were many activities that I did with my children on my Laptop but could not show them with the large projector because they were not compatible. Another important thing that I learned was that technology in our classroom could never be relied on. The activity where the children created numbers using Kid Pix took almost a week because the program kept shutting down the computer. This was due to our computer being out dated and our Kid Pix program. This would also happen with some of our computer games. Plus, it is hard to work on stuff in my classroom when there is no Internet access. Needless to say, I learned how to get by with a minimal amount of technology and the children enjoyed every bit of it! After participating in the MITTEN Project, I have gained a wealth of new knowledge in the area of technology. With only one computer in the classroom, I have learned how to be both creative and flexible and now feel very prepared and excited to meaningfully integrate technology into my future classroom. The children have inspired me, being that they are so young and are able to do so much with technology. This project was a great experience and I am so glad that I was able to participate in such a great program.

Questions or Comments: michelef82@hotmail.com