Canyon Springs Community School classrooms are technology rich learning environments allowing us to best prepare our students for the demands of college, workforce training, and life in a technological global society. Technology integration gives our teachers the opportunity to teach with relevance, capture student attention, maintain student motivation, but most importantly our students are able to deepen their understanding of grade level Common Core State Standards (CCSS) through the exploration of higher order thinking skills and creativity.
Canyon Springs Teachers integrate technology with current units of study to increase student understanding using depth of knowledge level three and four activities, which require complex reasoning, use of evidence, and higher level thinking. Additionally, students use technology to work collaboratively with teams and digitally present their results, which incorporates listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. Daniela Sarabia 3rd grade student in Mrs. Teague’s class thoughtfully explains, “The ipads and netbooks in our classroom help us learn different facts and compare multiple sources when searching for additional information for our presentations.”
The integration of technology in the area of mathematics enables students to understand mathematical concepts in several different ways; creating mathematical models, using pictures, non-linguistic representations, interactive math tools, graphs, number lines, and multimedia presentations. It facilitates the application of a variety of media and formats that teach students to apply, evaluate, synthesize and communicate information and ideas effectively. All of these technological tools make it possible for students to explore and solidify their understanding of mathematical concepts. Tina Nguyen 1st grade student in Mrs. Koza’s class tells us, “Using ten frames on the ipad makes my brain smarter.” Sofia Rodriguez 6th grade student in Mrs. Buchanan’s expresses, “The use of the smartboard in my classroom helps me visually understand the math process I have to follow.”
The adjustments made to our academic program in response to the Common Core State Standards supports the smooth integration of technology into our instructional model. The integration of technology as a learning tool primarily provides Canyon Springs’ students the deep learning required to be successful and thrive in the future.
Check us out online at www.sssd.k12.ca.us.