Elementary Tech Tools

Last month, we explored the role of technology in primary schools. Today we're sharing a list of ideas and tools to help you thoughtfully incorporate tech in the K-3 classroom.

Videos are one of the simplest ways to incorporate technology into your classroom. From engaging clips about science or math to sing-a-long vocabulary lessons, there are millions of resources available with the click of a button. It's important to see videos as a way to enrich or supplement existing activities -- not as a filler. Check out National Geographic Kids and TIME for Kids for inspiration.

Computer literacy has become a necessary skill for children. They'll need to use computers in school, and will likely work with computers at some point in their career. Encourage children to use computers as more than a word processor or gaming device by introducing creative tools like drawing or design apps, or exploring coding activities like ScratchJr. (Take coding even further with robots like Ozobot.)

E-books/audiobooks are becoming increasingly more interactive, and provide an opportunity to appeal to multiple learning styles. Students who have a hard time engaging with the written word may benefit from the addition of an audiobook. Similarly, children might be more engaged in reading when they can flip through or interact with the "pages" on a tablet, getting the same immersion in reading, just through a different channel. Create your own audio library with QR codes.

Virtual field trips allow students to leave the four walls of the classroom and experience life in another part of the world. Organizations like Discovery Education offer "tours" of remote locales (even as far away as space!), historical sites, factories and immersive safaris. Create a different kind of adventure with Google Slides choose-your-own-adventure activities.

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