Week 2 Assignment

As an elementary art teacher I find many ways to incorporate the ELA standards into my lessons. I like to incorporate stories, books, and even writings into the art making process. I create lessons based on stories or books that students enjoy and can related to. I find that these lessons are the ones that my students have the most success or enjoy the most. English Language Arts is a continuous process that students develop during their youth and continue to develop throughout their schooling focusing on: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. As students progress through each grade level, they are expected to develop their skills in these areas of focus. The English Language Arts are essential to our students learning to help prepare them for college and to be career ready. These ELA standards are centered on making our students become well informed and successful members of society.

I interviewed a grade schoolteacher and discussed with that teacher the many struggles that he finds in his classroom when it come to integrating technology. The most frustrating instance is the lack of available technologies in the school. For example, not every classroom has a Smartboard, however there is a Smartboard that can be shared with other classrooms. The problem with that is that the Smartboard would need to be reserved and for a specific time and date to be sure it is available for use for that day. Another limitation of using technology in the classroom is that there are only 3 computers in the classroom with a school that averages about 22 students per class. The students very much enjoy the use of computers as a tool for learning; there are many educational programs available for the students to use. Unfortunately only a select few students have access to it every day. The students enjoy the use of technology in the classroom; it makes the lessons more exciting, interesting, and different rather than the use of traditional methods of teaching.

I believe the Smartboard is the best technology tool that can assist each of the five components of the ELA standards. For example, with the help of the Smartboard it fulfills the reading component through visual stories, where a storybook is displayed on the screen with the words and visuals and read aloud, which also fulfills the speaking, listening and language. The Smartboard makes writing interactive where students are able to come up to the board and write words for spelling or grammar lessons. According to SMART Technologies, educators at Cesar Chaves Elementary School have increased their English language proficiency tests scores by more than 30%. SMART Technologies’ produces allows the students to become more engaged in the subject allowing it to be easier to understand.