Nationwide, only one in five low-income students are proficient in reading. At Rocky Mountain Prep, 80 percent of our students are from low-income families. Both our students and families are beating the odds by outperforming national averages in reading and math.
As a teacher, my job is to ensure that regardless of their background or the obstacles they may face, my students develop the critical skills to help them succeed in high school, college and career. It’s a difficult task and there are no shortcuts, but with the help of technology we are making a difference.
Integrating technology into my classroom has made my students more passionate learners; it has allowed me to personalize instruction so that students are working through lesson plans that meet them at their individual level; and it has saved me precious administrative time so that I can focus more of my efforts on the nuts and bolts of teaching and encouraging my students.
Education technology also allows us to personalize learning so that instruction is tailored to guide students towards their goals. For example, our online math program allows students to play through different levels, each one teaching a new math lesson. It’s visually stimulating and allows students to go at their own pace. It’s also been particularly helpful for our English Language Learners as the visual, non-language driven content allows them to keep moving ahead without getting hindered by language they haven’t yet mastered.
Programs like these also give our teachers real-time feedback on how each student is performing. If a particular student is struggling, we can quickly identify the problem and offer assistance to ensure he/she doesn’t fall behind.
In addition to learning critical reading, math and science skills through the help of various education technology tools, our students are developing a “digital fluency” that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Colleges and employers are looking for individuals who can not only read, write and problem solve, but also navigate necessary digital platforms needed in today’s economy.
To get our students excited about writing, we set aside dedicated computer time for them to research their papers. In second grade, this work has focused on everything from the study of Native American tribes to the diverse cultures and countries of origin of our families. Once students have collected necessary information on their assigned topic, they then work on their typing and revising skills by drafting their papers in Google docs. This tool allows me to give instant feedback rather than waiting days to see how a student is doing.
The use of computers has been particularly helpful in encouraging resistant writers. We’ve seen our less enthusiastic writers squeal with delight at the prospect of getting to work on the computer. In other words, learning has become fun.
To reward their hard work, we host “publishing parties” where the students get to show off their writing and celebrate their accomplishments in the company of their friends, family and other students. We recently hosted the “Book Oscars,” where students nominated books for awards and convinced their audience to vote for them. My students may only be in second grade, but they are learning skills they will take with them through college and career, and we want to encourage and reward the development of those skills as much as possible.
If we want to ensure minority and low-income students have the opportunity to go to college and secure rewarding jobs, we need to make sure we are equipping them with core skills and preparing them for the increasingly digital world they will enter. For us at Rocky Mountain Prep, using technology in the classroom can help accomplish both. When implemented thoughtfully, technology is an important piece to the puzzle of ensuring educational equity for all.
Emily Dorn is a second-grade teacher and grade-level chair at Rocky Mountain Prep, a public elementary charter network in Denver. She is a Teach for America alum and a contributor to the Smarter Schools Project, a national forum on the use of technology in schools.
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