New to Technology

[D.E.A.]

I teach in an enrichment classroom in an urban district. I have 160 3rd - 5th graders who visit me one day a week for enrichment in Social Studies and language arts (8 classes of 20 kids). During their time with at the center, they spend 2 hours with me and 2 hours in a Math/Science class. My kids are selected for my program based on test scores, reading levels, teacher and parent nominations. 63% of them are on free and reduced lunch and have limited access to computers and gadgetry at home.
I have been using computers and a cell phone for years, but really only use the surface functions of those. (My own children laugh at me because I don't know how to use most of the functions on my phone - or even know they exist!). It has made me anxious to try things out. However, I am tired of not knowing and being anxious about using technology more skillfully and knowledgeably. I know I owe it to the kids I serve to know more so I can teach them how to access the tech skills they will need to compete.
I will not be a person on the site offering new and exciting ideas, but hope that I will be able to grow and learn from all of your expertise as I eavesdrop on your discussion forums and check out the posts.

My discussion centers around this question. If you were starting over to build knowledge and expertise in this field and needed to deliver knowledge and expertise to upper elementary students (with limited funds, of course!) where would you start? What would motivate and excite my students and improve their tech skills at the same time? What culminating project could I create that would involve the use of technology? I am writing curriculum for a language arts/social studies unit on inventors and inventions (How do Dreamers Become Doers?) and want ideas for a how to infuse technology into my unit. I am embarrassed that I know so little and have done so little about it, but I want to change all that. Throw your ideas at me (or gently lob them so this old teacher can catch them!)

[Renee Fox]

Hello, my name is Renee and I just joined this Ning community, and am actually brand new to Ning. I am currently working on my Masters in Elementary Education specializing in Educational Technology. Now that my mini-bio is out the way, let me see if I can answer your question.

One of the first things I would implement in the classroom is educational blogging. You may need to check to see if you can actually access these sites because sometimes they are blocked by firewalls in schools. One site is www.blogger.com. If you have your students sign up for an account (they'll need an e-mail address) so that may take some maneuvering. Blogging can be a rewarding activity where students can use them as learning logs and can reply to what some of their classmates have said, offering new insights, etc. Students can insert pictures and all sorts of things to make their blogs more interesting.

Another idea that may be more simple is having groups create a PowerPoint on a particular inventor, detailing their early life, life leading up to the invention, the impact of the invention, etc. which can all be on different slides.

These are just a few ideas... hope this helps.