Welcome!
Welcome to Thoughts of a Third Grade Teacher! My name is Kaitlin Coughlin, and I am the third grade teacher in question.
In three weeks, I will be celebrating the conclusion of my first year teaching third grade. This follows a year of teaching general education fifth graders and a class of gifted fifth and sixth graders, and two years of teaching sixth graders in the general education classroom. With one year of third grade under my belt, I am excited to continue teaching this grade full of excited and open-minded students in a new district next school year!
Whether good or bad, my life in and out of the classroom revolves around technology. Growing up in the early 2000s, technology has always been at my fingertips. It has become so intertwined in my daily life, and I can’t picture it any other way. Whether I am using technology to plan activities for my 27 third graders, respond to emails, watch YouTube, shop on Amazon, or listen to BTS on Spotify, I have become accustomed to accessing technology throughout the day.
That being said, I would describe myself as a passive user of technology. I say this due to the fact that I consume more content through technology, mainly social media, then I contribute. While I spend more time that I would like to admit on applications such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, browsing countess websites, or playing on my Nintendo Switch, the extent to which I create content using technology consists mainly of text messages, emails, and Google Documents.
Furthermore, while I have my go-to applications, programs, and devices that I use or interact with daily, I am hesitant to branch out and find it difficult to stay up to date with all their changes. When offered updates or access to new features, I find myself gravitating towards the option to ignore these advancements and stick with the comfortable, yet outdated, methods of use that I am familiar with.
Admittedly, I would say that I am also a passive user of technology in a professional context as well. While I use technology every day in the classroom, I mainly use resources and devices that were provided by my district, not of my own creation. The district I currently work in enforces a “95% rule.” 95% of all instruction must directly come from district provided curricula and resources. This means that I must use the technological platforms, devices, and resources that my district has provided, and leaves me with very little opportunity to create using technology in the classroom.
This being the case, my extent to using technology with my third graders includes assisting them with their Chromebooks, assigning activities on Google Classroom, SeeSaw, Peardeck, CommonLit, or one of our other curricular sites, and monitoring their internet use throughout the school day using GoGuardian.
I am excited to start my summer off by learning and participating in LIS 724. I am looking forward to using the information and resources learned throughout this course to become an active user of technology, not only for myself, but for my students. Let's do this!
Thanks for a great introduction, Kaitlin. I taught 4th grade for 15 years and I loved that age group. I imagine 3rd grade is fun because the students are still excited about school. Thanks, as well, for explaining your relationship with technology. I'm looking forward to exploring it with you this summer to see if we can get you a smidge more active in creating!
ReplyDeleteHi Kaitlyn-I long termed subbed in a 3rd grade class and was an absolute delight. Those students are old enough where they don't need babysitting, but still young enough that they like the attention from their teacher. I don't actually agree with the 95% rule. I think there is so much out there to explore and teachers need to be able to do it and use it when they find something great.
ReplyDeleteI think we all get in a rut when it comes to using the same technology over and over, myself included, so I'm hoping to find some great resources in this class. So far, I really like Wakelet. I think it's going to make it so much easier to keep track of all of my bookmarks for both my personal and professional life.
Hi Kaitlyn! I identify with your role as a third grade teacher as I taught this grade 18 years ago. They are definitely full of curiosity! I was also fortunate enough to loop with this group up to fifth grade, but unfortunately lost my job that same year due to restructuring of the bilingual program (I'm only ESL endorsed as of now). To make myself more marketable and work with more learners, I obtained my LBS I two years later and currently co-teach high school social studies.
ReplyDeleteLike you, my technology use is mostly passive and limited to social media, which has even waned in the last two months. I deactivated my Facebook account and don't want to reinstate it unless it's focused on my artwork. Unfortunately, I think that spending so much time on the computer at work has left me exhausted. I look forward to learning more about the fun and useful ways we can implement various technologies with our students. I realize technology can benefit students with learning needs especially. I'm going to remain positive and patient and enjoy the process myself, so I agree with your motto, "Let's do this!"
Hi Kaitlin!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a wonderful educator and congrats on teaching third grade this year! I like how you mentioned that you were more passive with technology by enjoying content rather contributing to it. I would say I am the same when using technology for personal rather than professional purposes. In contrast though I am always excited for an update no matter the technology. Sometimes technological develops can be frustrating especially when their primary function is to enhance and make user experience easier. I can't wait to read more of your posts and hopefully see some Kpop references or memes!