The Tech-Savvy Teacher

We have found as the students have been coming into our classroom that they are extremely interested in the world of technology. Think about how many of your students have cell phones, computers, iPods, etc. They are technologically savvy! We, as their teachers, need to keep up with them in this fast-paced world. As we plan our lessons, we need to always have technology in mind so that we truly become a tech-savvy teacher and help our students be the best in this competitive world.

In this science activity, our objective was to help our 4th grade students achieve core standard five which states: “Students will understand the physical characteristics of Utah’s wetlands, forests, and deserts.” Each student was given an outline of the shape of Utah. On this map, they were to identify and label using different colors the different physical characteristics of Utah. We discussed the different physical characteristics of each of these areas so students could distinguish between the different landforms. Students were given the opportunity in small groups to look at Utah from outer space using Google Earth on the classroom computers to aide them in shading in their Utah maps.

Google Earth is a program that can be accessed through the internet to view the world from outer space to identify different physical characteristics. As children explore the world using this technology, they are able to observe and analyze the different wetlands, forests, and deserts in Utah compared to other areas in the world. This is a good opportunity for students because they can become more proficient using the internet and also see areas of the world they may never visit. We have found this to be an effective tool in involving the student in their own learning process. Children need to have the opportunity to learn independence and this activity provides what they need to explore using their own technology skills.