Jodi Bahrijczuk, Courtney Dorsey, Jane Vienna, Kristen Bilney & Andrea

Fiddle

Lesson Name: Apps for Elementary Teachers

Objective: Students will be able to select an appropriate technology tool in a

specific content area.

ISTE Standards:
1c Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their
practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

1d Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations,

demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and
are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.

Common Core Standard:

Maryland Technology Literacy Standards
3.A.1.a Explore and use teacher selected technology tools, including software and
hardware, to learn new content or reinforce skills

Materials Needed:
● Electronic Devices
● Paper Versions based on Student Accommodations
● County Subscriptions to the applications (Razkids, New2u, Freckle,
Dreambox)
● Picture directions of how to navigate to each site (if necessary)

Activity:
This two-part activity would take place over the course of a week. The activity
should take place in the beginning of the school year when establishing routines.

Part One
During 30 minute block of time provide time for students to navigate applications.
Provide students with 15-20 minutes per application, but no more than two
applications per day.

After using each application, elicit a discussion with students about what learning
tasks they completed in the application and how this application would support
them as a learner.

Guiding Questions:
● “What strategies did you get to use in the application?”
● “Will this tool help you with math, reading or content areas?”
● “Why did you choose ____ over ____?”
● “What on this application did you like/dislike?”

Part Two
After being provided time to navigate the applications, explain to students that
during the academic day at school - students will have to make choices about
which applications will best support them in given content area.

Provide an example such as:

● “If it is time for literacy rotations and I’m working on learning all of my
sight words, do I want to pick a math game that helps me learn my basic
facts?”

Pair students up into partners or small groups and provide groups with a device.
Have students complete the application sort. As students complete the sort, they
may refer to the application Symbaloo to navigate the applications as needed.

Students will digitally match the corresponding icons that represent each Reading
Math, and Content application icon

Math: Dreambox, Wixie, ABCya

Reading: Starfall, Razkids, New2U

Content: Pebble Go, PBS Kids (Sid the Science Kid)

Once pairs or groups complete the sort activity, go over the sort as a class. Ask
students why they thought the application was appropriate in the given content
area.

Discuss with students on how selecting an appropriate application will help learn
new content or practice familiar skills.

Discussion:
Importance of Digital Literacy and Citizenship:
● Learn proper online edicate
● Teach students what is a safe website or app to use
● Helping students learn which websites are safe to use
● Modeling appropriate online behavior
● Helping students gain knowledge of what icons are safe to click on when
using the computer independently through explicit lessons

Description of how lesson fits with larger curriculum of digital literacy:

This lesson fits with the larger curriculum of digital literacy because it teaches our
young students about staying safe online. The internet is very large and it is very
easy for a young student to stumble upon content that is inappropriate and can even
be damaging. By educating students about the applications that are appropriate for
them to use, it sets important expectations about how the internet should be used
during academic hours.

Use the SEARCH model to teach students.This would be a great anchor chart in a
classroom

This lesson provides young learners with the tools and applications they will use
and continue to use throughout their elementary school years. Having this
knowledge of appropriate applications and their specific uses at this young age is
just the beginning of teaching them about staying safe on different online
platforms.

Closure:
For a closure, complete a thumbs up or down activity. Show students a few apps
photo and have them do a thumbs up or down if that app is used for a certain task.
● Example: Show the photo of dream box and ask the class if this app is
for reading. The students should put their thumbs down.
● Complete about 2-4 examples.

Remind the students that selecting an appropriate application will help them learn
new content or practice familiar skills.