STEAM, Part 3: Technology
- Ms. Maegan
- Jun 10, 2016
- 2 min read
My family is not what you would call "techie." We think technology has wonderful things to offer, but we rarely go out to buy the latest and greatest. So, for technology use in the classroom, I make do with what I have on hand. Right now, what we have for the preschool is a handy laptop!
The laptop is what I use for most of my blogging, emails, and facebook updates for Magnolia Academy. Let me tell you, it is SOOO convenient to be able to take my laptop around with me in the house. Kids want to play in the preschool? No problem. Mommy can still work. Kids need a snack? No worries, just take the laptop back to the kitchen. Love it.
As far as the preschool curriculum goes, we use the laptop All. The. Time.
My favorite way to use it is during snack (or lunch with my kiddos!) They LOVE to listen to music during snack time. Silly songs are the favorite around here. I just stick the laptop in the kitchen, bring up some Youtube and we rock out to Wheels on the Bus while eating our snacks or lunch. It really works miracles, and keeps the fighting in the house down!
My second favorite way to use the laptop in the preschool is yoga.
Yoga helps to relax my kids while at the same time, giving them an outlet for their energy. This is especially helpful on stressful days or days when it is too hot or too cold to play outside. For this, I also pull up a Youtube channel and usually do the yoga right along with them! My favorite channel for kid yoga is Cosmic Kids Yoga. Here is a link to my kids' favorite one...she tells the story of Frozen and they "act" it out with their bodies.
She also has a Dinosaur one that my son loves! Yoga for kids is really great, and I'm so glad that I found this Youtube channel!
I also use the 'ol laptop for "Wonder" time. This is a time when we answer our "I wonder..." questions. My son is a very literal thinker. He likes to know how things work and why. His favorite bedtime story is his Human Anatomy book (the only thing he asked Santa for this past Christmas). I love that he is such a great thinker! So, we do this Wonder Time rather frequently. I cannot take credit for this idea though, my wonderful sister gave me the idea to call it our "Wonder Time." Thanks, sis!
For classroom purposes, the laptop will be used during our circle time to show videos that supplement the lesson for the day. It will also be used for Music/Movement time to get the kids ready to dance out their wiggles! And, I plan to use the laptop for some Pandora stations that I have saved specifically for the preschool. These stations will bring peace in the preschool while the children are playing, reading, doing centers and even as background music for our lesson/instruction times.
Technology is really a wonderful tool to use in the classroom. What do you use at home?
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