About the Author

Hello and welcome! My name is Jenny Clottu and I am a wife, mom, and second grade teacher! I live in Temecula and teach in TVUSD. I love learning and teaching! I am passionate about education and am a life-long learning. Through this blog I write about my experiences as a teacher, what I learn throughout my experience, and much more! Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog! 

Technology in Second Grade!

There are ways to address many different aspect of teaching during distance learning. I addressed socio-emotional topics, behavior management, PBIS skills, and the curriculum of course. I assigned students work each day using google slides and would start by doing a check in each morning. This would allow me to know how the student was feeling and why. If we were in the classroom at school I would be able to know this when greeting the child at the door each day. If there was something that a student would say or they were not doing good I would call and check in or talk with them after my google hangout. That way I was able to still connect with my students and make sure they were doing okay. Here is the slide that I used for my daily check in:

Image source: https://www.teachcreatemotivate.com

The Four Models of Technology Integration and a New One

The Four Models of Technology Integration are listed below as well as what the acronyms stand for, the goals of each integration model and the best features of each model. 

Each model of integration accomplishes something different. Below you will see the details of each and how they compare.

The TEAM model is a New Technology Integration that has been developed using the best features of the 4 models previously mentioned. 

Source of all images: Jennifer Clottu, American College of Education, ED5223 Module 4 Assignment

Integrating Technology the the Classroom: A Reflection of Distance Learning

Now that it is June, I am reflecting on the experience of distance learning from my perspective and also considering the impact it has had on my students. Knowing that this was a shift overnight, it was not perfect but as a grade level, my second grade team and I collaborated and put all of our effort and minds together to try to create a digital learning experience and provide our students the opportunity to learn from home. I say the opportunity because not all students participated in distance learning. I tried to consider every students family situation and give grace during such a challenging time for our community. My teacher heart thought about all the learning they would be missing and did my best to encourage all students to participate in distance learning and attend out google hangout meetings daily. 

Although there were many challenging times, and I don't think I have worked harder as a teacher before, there were many silver linings. The first being that I embraced technology and digital learning and was challenged to integrate technology in my pedagogy and curriculum overnight. This was uncomfortable at first, but I learned to love it! I have learned so much about myself and strived to implement technology, foster a love of learning using technology, and engage my students with what I learned. Sometimes, it is not a choice that we have to grow but rather we are forced to do so. Another positive throughout this experience is the partnership I developed with parents. They saw teaching from a different perspective as they now supported their child and student in a different way than they ever have before. I believe that this shift in the parents role will impact the relationship between parents and teachers from this point forward. Parents are more supportive, they know the impact that teachers have on their children, and are grateful for the work, time, and rigor teachers strive for in the classroom. Finally, this experience has changed how public education will look in the future. I think there will be more choice in school experiences for students whether it is full time distance learning, a hybrid model, or brick and mortar model. These will be available options for parents to consider in order to do what is best for their child. 

Moving forward, I have researched different ways that I can integrate technology in my classroom and in my curriculum. There are four models that I have researched. They are the TPACK model, SAMR, TIM, and TIP model. I was able to learn about all four models of integration and then put the best features of each together to come up with my own! This TEAM integration model is one that I will implement in my classroom in order to teach my 21st century learners and prepare them for a future in which they will use technology in their lives and in their careers.