Unit 7 Blog 4

Unit 7 

Blog 4 

TIP OF THE WEEK 

Click here for tips on how you can seamlessly integrate tech into your classroom! Perfect for this week's discussion board. Don't forget...your kids are only as "calm & cool" as you are while using new tech. You can do it! 

         THOUGHT OF THE WEEK 

We've all had those terrifying nightmares where we dream that our class is utter chaos, standing on chairs, screaming, paper airplanes are flying through the air and you're just standing there. Doing nothing. Those are the unfortunate and all too common nightmares that start to creep up on us as we prepare for the beginning of the school year. Or is that just me? We're not proud of them but they're a right of passage for all teachers. While I've only been asleep for those nightmares (knock on wood...it's only Tuesday), I do have different things flood my brain at all times of the year. A main one that haunts every kindergarten, first grade and even second grade teacher is the dreaded and terrifying letter formation and handwriting. 

When I came across this article directly related to handwriting, those terrifying worries popped into my head. One of my favorite things in the world is to watch a 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher interact with kindergarten students. They go from "oh my goodness look at these cuties...so sweet and innocent," to "holy moly, how do you do this all day?" "Why is everything sticky?" "Do they ever stop making animal noises? Why/how did you paint with them? What does that even say? Wait a minute, you got those words out of those random letters and shapes?" Let me tell you, teaching kindergarten or any primary grade for that matter, is not for the faint of heart. 

Handwriting is one of those concepts that we hone in on and really focus on to ensure that our kiddos are prepared to fully execute writing assignments that are legible and make sense. Not only do their first grade teachers appreciate this but it makes a world of difference in what the student can do. Research shows that reading and writing are directly related to one another. "Reading and writing share the same network in terms of brain development, and this research actually adds more information by saying that handwriting by paper and pen has major advantages when compared with handwriting on a tablet with a stylus" (Bell,2019). 

While technology has many benefits in our classrooms, it's important to ensure that we are still exposing our students to authentic and genuine learning experiences. They deserve that. It's definitely achievable when you are taking the time to develop fine motor skills and prepare your kids for their future success. Finding the balance of real life and integration of tech is tough. We've all learned that tech 100% has it's place in the classroom. That piece must work coherently with other components and remain purposeful and meaningful for our students. We've seen the benefits that tech has with our learners, especially our L2 learners. It opens so many doors to opportunities that wouldn't be possible without it. Our kids deserve that. 

One way that my team and I integrate purposeful tech is Handwriting Without Tears. Not only are students learning the correct letter formation necessary for writing but they are also so engaged in the process, making it much more meaningful for the learner. Technology can do that. And sometimes, it does it a lot more easily than us. Sometimes, we need that. Kindergarten teachers...check it out! Unfortunately, the full version is not free BUT I highly encourage you to talk to your principal or PTO and put this baby on the budget. You will not regret this! 

It's extremely important to remember that technology will never replace the emotion that face-to-face, bond that human interaction creates. However, tech absolutely has its place and purpose in the classroom. Hey, if an app helps to integrate tech and curriculum into one seamless experience for our students and lessen those Sunday Scaries for us, why not work to achieve that balance in our classrooms? One less nightmare equals one less stressed out teacher; which equals more engaging and authentic lessons that equal student achievement. 

Balance. Is. Everything. 

Baker, J. (2020, March 2). Handwriting fluency in kindergarten linked to better reading abilities. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/handwriting-fluency-in-kindergarten-linked-to-better-reading-abilities-20200302-p54654.html

Handwriting Without Tears. (2019, October 1). Retrieved from https://www.lwtears.com/hwt

Woodson, K. L. (2019, December 7). How to Use Technology Effectively to Transform Your ESL Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-technology-2/