Doherty Elementary students attend technology conference

Third-graders shared how they use technology in the classroom

 

By Julie Evans

C & G Staff Writer

     WEST BLOOMFIELD — Technology in classrooms across the state has come a long way since the simple days of chalk and chalkboards.

     Eight students from Cindy Morden’s third-grade class at Doherty Elementary School traveled to Grand Rapids to share some of the innovative ways their class uses technology to learn March 11.

     “The MACUL Conference is basically a day for celebrating technology,” said Morden. “It’s not a competition. Kids from all across the state come with their teachers to basically show off how they’re using technology.”

     One of the classroom tools Doherty students used at the conference was a SMART Board.

     “Ms. Morden’s laptop [computer] is connected to the SMART Board, and one of the things we did with it was make a Friend of the Day,” said third-grader Randi Goode. Visitors to the Doherty table at the conference would stop by and “we asked them their name, favorite color, favorite food, and it made a display to describe them.”

     A SMART Board is essentially an interactive white board, said Morden, who spent time at the SMART Board headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, learning about the new technology.

     “It’s like a huge Palm Pilot. It really expands the classroom outside the four walls,” said Morden.

      Morden was recognized at the MACUL conference for her efforts to incorporate technology in the classroom with the TAPS award, short for Technology for Authentic Problem Solving.

     “Teachers had to submit a problem in education and then try to solve that problem using technology to make that situation a little bit easier,” said Morden. “Basically, my problem was kids understanding maps, and the perspective of maps. It’s rare that they look at a map of their own community. They’re always looking at maps in textbooks and on worksheets. So my idea was to have the kids use the Internet and go to [the Web site] Mapblast, put in their home address and look at their house in the perspective of their neighborhood.”

     Using www.mapblast.com, the kids zoomed out from their home addresses and cut and pasted the maps into a painting program called Kid Pics, where they drew in other symbols, such as the local library, their school, gas stations, a friend’s house and more.

     Morden received a $1,000 stipend from the TAPS award and registration to the MACUL conference.

     Out of Morden’s 24 students, only eight could go to the conference, so students voted for each other to determine who would attend.

     “We can’t take all the credit because other people voted for us,” said third-grader Srividhya Sridhar. “Everyone there got a certificate for an award for their class that was signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.”

     Morden said using technology in the classroom expands students’ learning possibilities and makes it easier to communicate with Doherty families.

     “Every year there seems to be new technological advances,” said Morden. “Creating our own Web site has been a great way to communicate with the families and keep in touch with the outside world. And the kids are so empowered by it.”

     You can reach Julie Evans at jevans@candgnews.com