Morgan Frye, M.Ed.

Master of Science in Education


Utilizing Technology in Instruction



Table of Contents



Introduction
When Technology is Utilized in the Classroom
CoreLexia during Guided Reading Instruction
Class Dojo
RAZ Kids and RAZ Plus
Conclusion




Introduction





Why integrate technology into the classroom as an instructional strategy?



Technology in the classroom is one of the core values of Ingenuity Prep's instructional philosophy. Technology allows for students to work through material and lessons at their own pace, and give students the opportunity to engage with online content while small group teaching rotations are happening elsewhere in the classroom. Ingenuity Prep began its instructional model with students at centers all day long- and small group teaching rotations to ensure that students are learning differentiated content with teachers or on computers with individualized content all day. While we have moved more towards ensuring that students are engaged with hands-on learning in developmentally appropriate centers, students still engage with online content daily.



Above is a snapshot of an Ingenuity Prep classroom, or at least what our classrooms were based on: small group instruction. Technology is an integral part of IP's philosophy in teaching.



Above is the student and teacher-facing Class Dojo page that shows the different student "monsters" and the points that each student has. The points are reset at the beginning of every day to give students a fresh start.




When Technology is Utilized in the Classroom





How and when are computers and programs utilized throughout the day?



Guided Reading Centers are not the only time when students engage with technology during the school day. During the Guided Reading block, students are either at a table participating in their Guided Reading groups with the teacher or are in Guided Reading Literacy centers. In the literacy centers, students are on the program CoreLexia, which levels students and provides differentiated instruction that I can monitor afterwards. Students also engage in math content with the program ST Math- this program has a similar structure to CoreLexia but provides students with math differentiation and skill reinforcement. Students can use one or both programs as early finishers work, as each student has their own Chromebook to use.



Above is a snapshot of the CoreLexia teacher-facing page that shows the different levels that students can achieve throughout their time on CoreLexia when utilizing technology.



Above are the login cards that students use to login to their Clever page which allows them to access the different applications that we use in the classroom.




CoreLexia During Guided Reading Block





What is CoreLexia and how is it a useful instructional strategy?



CoreLexia is a strategy that is used almost daily in our classroom, especially in our new schedule where Guided Reading Centers happen every single day. CoreLexia is a colorful and engaging experience for students as they work through different levels and build their proficiency in literacy skills. Each student spends 20-40 minutes on CoreLexia each day. Each level has a theme, and the theme that most students are now working on is called "A Day at the Beach." In this level of the program, students are practicing blending syllables to form words, isolating beginning sounds, recognizing upper-case and lower-case letters, practicing vocabulary, and mastering basic comprehension. Students enjoy this program and the level of engagement it has. As a teacher, I am able to monitor student progress from my teacher-facing screen and reteach/intervene if necessary.



Above is the CoreLexia login snapshot. CoreLexia is a reading program that works at the pace of students- and gives them individualized instruction that reports back to the teacher when teacher to student interventions are needed.



Above is the teacher-facing page that shows the skills covered in that specific level. Each level has a different theme that engages students with graphics and music. Students enjoy using the program on their Chromebooks.



Above is a student engaged on CoreLexia during online content time. This student is practicing letter identification and letter sound skills and can hear the application through his headphones.



Above is a CoreLexia snapshot on the teacher-facing page which shows student progress within the application. Here I can see which students are struggling with which skills, can address students in person, and develop plans for reteaching certain skills that may not be mastered yet.




Class Dojo





What is Class Dojo and how is it a useful instructional strategy?



Class Dojo is a useful behavior management technology tool that is used to help students see their progress by tracking positive behaviors. This application is useful because it can be used on the computer, on teacher phones, and can be projected onto our Apple TV to show students how many points they have in a day. We use a positive reinforcement behavior management system, and the more Dojo points a student earns in a day, the quicker they are able to pick when choice centers time happens in the afternoon. Class Dojo is useful because every time a student earns a point, a "ding" emits from the phone, computer, or TV, allowing students to hear that positive reinforcement in the classroom.


My students love Class Dojo and love that they are able to pick their own avatars. Parents can be invited to the application and see student progress throughout the day. Some parents choose to set the application to notify them whenever their child receives a point in class.



Above is a screenshot from the teacher-facing Class Dojo application on a smartphone. Teachers are able to quickly give points in the moment. This application and specific class can be accessed by multiple teachers and administrators, allowing everyone in the building or whoever comes in contact with this class of students to potentially give out positive behavior points, increasing classroom and school culture.



Class Dojo also has several different tools that are helpful in the classroom. Above is a list of the different mini-applications within the application, including a classroom timer, and student randomizer, a group maker, a noise meter, focus music, and many more. There are also several videos for students to watch that go over social-emotional skills like being respectful and perseverance.




RAZ Kids and RAZ Plus





What are RAZ Kids and RAZ Plus?



RAZ Kids and RAZ Plus are both parts of the Learning A-Z curriculum that allows for a teacher to level students in reading and provide resources for students to grow in their reading. The program allows students to choose from hundreds of books so they are able to practice their reading, listen to reading, record themselves reading, and show mastery in comprehension of the stories. Students earn stars for reading and passing quizzes and can use those stars to "purchase" in-application incentives, like outfits and accessories for their avatars. Students can access these applications off-campus as well, and even on smartphones. This allows for students to have access to reading materials and engaging stories wherever they are. This program is used as earlier finisher work, when students need an extra engagement and reading activity.



Above is the screen that students see to choose which book they would like to listen to or read on the iPad. Students are able to choose their own books within a certain level range to read and listen to.



Above is a snapshot of what listening to a reading looks like from RAZ Kids. While the voice on the application reads the text, the words for students to follow along with are highlighted.




Conclusion





How is technology used as a successful instructional strategy?



Technology in the classroom is used as a way to engage students in differentiated content that is appealing and meaningful. The computer applications allow for students to practice targeted skills and is another set of eyes for teachers to ensure that students are mastering standards and when to intervene for the standards that they are missing. Utilizing technology as an instructional strategy allows for teachers to ensure that students are practicing and mastering skills taught in the classroom.