Inquiring Minds is delighted to share today’s post from Richland’s Senior Kindergarten teachers, Ms. Paola Ciocio and Mrs. Kate Daniel. At Richland, we strive to find a balance with technology and learning, and this post illustrates the benefit that technological tools offer our students.
The Senior Kindergarten children used the school iPads for the very first time. They did so as part of our Garden Investigation Project. One Big Idea for this investigation is that of Community. The children are currently in the process of sketching plans for a scarecrow, which they would like to give to our school community as a way of protecting the gardens from birds and squirrels.
Prior to using the iPads to show images of scarecrows, the students had discussed possibilities around what a scarecrow needs, such as a body, arms and legs, and what materials they might use in its’ construction.
The use of technology was used to support the detail in their design plans of scarecrows. We observed that there was an increase in the amount of detail the children included, and the children’s internal motivation to do their Best Work was reflected in the effort, concentration, and perseverance they exhibited.
The question posed was, “Did using the iPad help you with the drawing?” Every student said yes, and that it helped with details.
