M3: Blog Post 3 - Leveraging Tools, Texts, and Talk in My Teaching Context

There is a balance between digital learning and analog learning. While digital learning has its place in the classroom, there is something to be said for hands-on activities, especially in the early education classroom. Students physically manipulating tactile items while learning various concepts broadens the learning experience. “Practically, analog literacies remind us to consider the sensory nature of how we make meaning of our surrounding world.” (Garcia, 2017)

We are living in a time where technology is literally at our fingertips. We can consume information within seconds on any subject matter.  My class is made up of students aged five to nine self-directed learners. They want to do what they want to do. The classroom can become chaotic very quickly, especially when one or more of the students are exhibiting high level behaviors. Somedays, my staff and I are mostly managing behaviors. Then there are days like today when the internet is out for most of the day. I have found I need to be able to quickly pivot throughout the day and I try to have a stash of options to quickly shift gears. I tend to use technology as a tool to enhance our current lessons or to provide movement breaks throughout the day to help them transition through our daily schedule. Otherwise, I look to add more tactile, hands-on learning activities. 

My class is currently working their way through a worm science kit. Recently we had an activity that looked at where worms prefer to stay. We took clear plastic cups that came with the kit and filled them with moist dirt. The students then laid a worm across the top of the soil and observed the worm. One of my students was mad that his worm did not move fast enough. Eventually all the worms moved down to the bottom of the cup of soil. We then watched a time lapsed video of worms moving through the soil over the course of a month. The activity, involving the worms, was hands-on learning, while the video allowed the students to see the tunnels worms make underground. The combination of hands-on learning and the video enhanced the learning for the students. The students were engaged in both the activity and the video. The students were asking questions and commenting on what they observed.

“We have an opportunity to optimize students' use of digital tools by returning our pedagogical scrutiny to real-time moments of discovery and human interaction.” (Garcia, 2017)

As I finish off this school year, I am already thinking about what I want to prioritize, plan, and implement next school year. My goal this summer is to spend time reflecting and considering what resources and changes I would like to make moving forward. Ideally, I would like to find a more balanced approach to digital and analog learning. 

Reference

Garcia, A. (2017). Nondigital skills. Proquest.com. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1966005428/4E1DCD1AA7D54D6EPQ/17?accountid=8067&sourcetype=Trade%20Journals