Happily Blogging Task 1

Barone and Wright present 3 activities that could be of use to teachers.
Using laptops in class to demonstrate teaching with technology

1. Using the laptop to access the classrooms webpapge, students find out what the word of the day is. from here they can quickly access an online thesaurus to identify the meaning and synonyms for the word. a word application is then used for the students to write a sentence using the word of the day, demonstrating their knowledge of its usage. A quick visual image is created using a digital media program, and placed alongside the students sentence. the combination of visual media and literacy in a single document is a hallmark of new literacies.

2. Think-pair-share is a strategy used in classrooms to share ideas and encourage discussion between students. Students in this laptop enbled classroom would have their own partner worked out and sent to them, and think-pair-share initiated via Instant Messaging.

3. Use of one on one laptops in the classroom can better prepare children for creative writing sessions. Barone and Wrights example starts as a typical literacy lesson, the topic is 'Have you or someone you've know ever had an imaginary friend? Tell your buddy about this imaginary friend'. The teacher reads a picture book as an introduction to the writing session, but decides the class is not adequately prepared. He directs students to an internet site, http://www.writingfix.com/, which provides prompts on their characters colour, personality, shapes, appetite, etc. The teacher is able to move around the classroom and talk with students about their individual writing as the rest of the class completes their online writing.

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/docview/203281892/fulltextPDF/1325C1B5A182D167798/2?accountid=14757