Technology Impact in Education Month K to 2 Grade Lessons

(Teachers are encouraged to adapt lesson plans based on the grade level of their students and State Curriculum Standards.)

Subject: Language Arts/Social Studies/Technology

Suggested Time: Two Class Periods (20-30 minutes)

Objectives:

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The students will be able to:

1. Identify influential educational technology tools.
2. Describe the impact of technology in education.
3. Write a Postcard showing the importance of technology in their lives.
4. Complete the On-Line Survey (Primary Students will need assistance.)

1. Paper, Pens, pencils, crayons, markers
2. Access to Computers with Internet Access
3. Blank Postcards
4. Clip Art/Pictures of Educational Technology Tools 
5. White Board

Access to Realia
For Example: wireless card, camcorder, digital camera, laptop, Mp3 player, iPod, online text books, PDA, scanner, wireless router, VCR, digital recorder, instant messaging, DVD, personal computers, internet, handhelds, laptops, scanners, e-mail

Evaluation
Teachers may evaluate student participation, oral language development, writing skills, ability to use content vocabulary or mechanics of writing.

Content Vocabulary
camcorder, digital camera, laptop, Mp3 player, online text books, PDA, scanner, wireless, VCR, digital recorder, video games, instant messaging, DVD, cell phone, personal computers, internet, handhelds, laptops, scanners, e-mail, spell check

Language Arts Vocabulary
important, postcard, greeting, encourage, body, closing, signature

Classroom Activities
Teachers may choose to complete all or some of these exercises or use these exercises as a starting point for their own creative approach.

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Teacher will share at least 5 examples of educational technology tools via pictures or realia. Each example should be labeled.
2. Teacher simulates a whole group discussion regarding the influence of technology tools on the modern day classroom.

1. Which technologies do you use at home?
2. When do you use technology at school?
3. Which examples do your parents use?
4. Explain how you might use technology in your future career.
5. How does technology make your school life better?
6. What would class be like without modern technology?
7. Compare and contrast a school day with technology and without technology.

Writing
Hints for the Teacher:
**You are strongly encouraged to create a writing prompt based on your state standards and standardized test format.**

Following the 5-Step Writing Process of modeling, drafting, revising, editing and publishing the teacher will model and the students will write a postcard detailing the importance of technology in schools. (Primary students may simply address their picture postcard depending on their level) to their U.S. Representative or US Senator.

Once the student’s work has been edited students are encouraged to submit their postcards to their US Representatives or Senators local offices. (Mailing information to Washington DC offices may have delays because of security issues.) Please visit Congress Merge to locate the contact information for your state’s Congressional Leaders.

**Teachers and students may choose to contact their Representative or Senator via the US Postal service, fax or e-mail. Technology Impact in Education Month encourages electronic communication via e-mail, fax or e-fax. In order to be eligible for Technology Impact in Education Prizes students must Submit Responses and teachers must sign-up online .

Homework & Participation in  Activities:

1. Submit your student results by January 31, 2006. A student can choose to answer one or all of the questions - We do ask for their definition of technology and only one of the following questions to be submitted per person to be counted toward prizes.
   • Student Question I: Describe the technology tools in your school. 
   • Student Question II: How do technology tools impact your education?
2. Send an email or letter to your Congressional leaders and the White House expressing your students' results. (This step is optional in terms of prize eligibility, but it is very important to share your students’ support of enhancing teaching and learning through technology. Please see Send A Message for the easy step-by-step instructions.
3. Encourage your parents to complete the parent’s homework too!

1. Create an Advertising Campaign emphasizing the need for technology in the classroom.
2. Invite the local PTA, school board president, school superintendent, and governor, US Representative or US Senator to visit your classroom/school to see technology in action within the school setting.

Resources

Related Technology Lesson Plans

All About Computers (K-5)
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/allaboutcomputers/

KIDS ON-Line: Sample lesson plans on how to use various technologies
http://www.kidzonline.org/LessonPlans/lesson.asp?mode=1&GradeQry=0010100&SubjectQry=Educational%20Technology

Additional Sample Lesson Plans for Teacher Reference and Extension Activities:

Letter Generator
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/letter_generator/ In this student interactive from ReadWriteThink, students learn how to write a friendly-style and a business-style letter.

Student Handout - Make A Point! Can You Convince Me?: Developing Persuasive Fiction." Grade 3-5
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson56/makepoint.pdf

Related Technology Lesson Plans

Technology: Past, Present, and Future (Grades 3-5)
To broaden students’ awareness of technology by examining inventions of the past and present and by learning Technology: Past, Present, and Future (Grades how inventions inspire and lead to the development of other inventions.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=355

Computerized Civilization:
Computers have now become so entrenched in our present culture that they're even being used to study long-lost cultures of the past. Next, an experiment in virtual archaeology.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=14

The prototype for the World Wide Web was created in 1990.

Generation Tech
Capturing Today's Technology in a Virtual Time Capsule.

KIDS ON-Line: Sample lesson plans on how to use various technologies.

Related Social Studies Lesson Plans

The Democracy Project-Budget Making (3-6grades)
http://pbskids.org/democracy/educators/budget.html

Dividing the Federal Pie
http://www.kowaldesign.com/budget

Curriculum Standards

1. From Content Knowledge, 3rd Edition, a compilation of content standards for K-12 curriculum, created by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).
2. Civics – 6-12 Standard 19 - Understands what is meant by "the public agenda," how it is set, and how it is influenced by public opinion and the media. (http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=14&StandardID=19)
3. Listening and Speaking 4-12
   Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes (http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=8)
4. Media 4-12
   Standard 10: Understands the characteristics and components of the media (http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=10)
5. Writing 4-12
   Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process (http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=1)