My Technology-Infused Classroom

My technology-infused classroom looked like this at the beginning of the school year:

Students interact with the SmartBoard daily

Students use desktop computers to publish writing

Teachers use the SmartBoard too

Students collaborate on projects

Two weeks ago we added a Smart Table to our classroom:

We are definitely the beneficiaries of good funding. 

It may not be easy to see in the photos, but students in my technology-infused classroom are often solving problems. They may be researching answers on the Internet or sounding out words as they read books on www.Raz-kids.com like this:

or figuring out how to shrink an image to fit into a presentation. Thus we are practicing critical thinking and focusing on real-world problems every day.

Even though visitors might view a technology-infused classroom as a chaotic, random setting, organization is very important in technology-infused classrooms. Teachers need to set up ways for students to save and find their work. You must consider space and blocking. You will need to create small pockets or work areas for students to collaborate, communicate, and sometimes to work independently. To get ideas for setting up such a classroom, I recommend an online search for “primary classroom set up” to any teacher, even those not teaching primary grades.

One of my student's saved work so far this year

In addition to considering the placement of furniture and equipment, prepare yourself for the SOUNDS of a technology-infused classroom. There are great sounds, like student recording themselves reading books to practice fluency and expression. And there are the not-always-appreciated sounds of LOTS of different things going on at once. As my partner teacher recently said, “Their energy level goes down dramatically when they're given…gasp…worksheets...” If you like a quiet, orderly classroom, it will be a challenge for you to embrace the technology-infused classroom. But you need to grab some earplugs and jump in anyway.