The Tech Savvy Teacher

September 24, 2008
The Tech Savvy Teacher
By: Amy DeLawder, Janae Stolle, and Candace Sanders

We all know that students live in a world surrounded by technology. What better way to capture their fascination with technology than to incorporate it in your classroom. Here is a good example of how to incorporate technology when teaching a third grade science lesson.

Our lesson is based on the Utah Third Grade Science Core Curriculum. It is found in Standard 2 Objective 1. This objective states that students will classify living and nonliving things in an environment. Keep these guidelines in mind:
1. Identify characteristics of living things (i.e., growth, movement, reproduction).
2. Identify characteristics of nonliving things.
3. Classify living and nonliving things in an environment.

After the students have gained an understanding of how to classify living and non-living things, they will be split into small groups. Each group will go to an outside environment chosen by the teacher and take pictures of three living

and three non-living things.

Then students will choose one item out of each of the categories to bring back to the classroom. They will collect data in a small petri dish. Then they will come back to the classroom and observe their specimens under a digital microscope. Using the microscope students will be better able to observe their specimens by taking pictures and recording videos. They then will use this time to observe characteristics of living and non-living things. Students will post the digital pictures onto a PowerPoint presentation to share their findings with the class.
Technology can be a great aid in the classroom. The use of a digital camera and microscope enhanced the student’s ability to make observations and classify their findings. Technology is also an efficient way for students to gather data and learn new technological skills that will be beneficial to them in the future. So go out there and become the tech savvy teacher you always wanted to be. Do not be scared of technology—it can be your friend in the classroom.