Integrating Technology in

the Intermediate Grades Systems Change Conference

October 20, 2011

Goal:

• This session will share

some of the ways that our 4th grade

program at Camelot Intermediate

School in Brookings integrates

technology and how this has lead to

greater student engagement, as

well as greater teacher involvement in the use of technology.

“Mrs. T” • 1979-1980 Jefferson

Elementary School in Charles

City, IA / Combination 3rd/4th

grade class

• 1980-981 Washington

Elementary School in Charles

City, IA / Combination 5th/6th

grade class

• 1981-2009 Taught 4th grade at

Medary Elementary / Taught in

teams of three or four

classrooms

• 2009-Present 4th grade

Technology teacher at Camelot

Turnipseed,

not Technology!

Camelot Intermediate School Brookings, SD

• Opened in 2009 for all 4th and 5th graders in

the district

• Staff of each grade level was empowered

to design the configuration of program

• 4th grade took 10 incoming homerooms and

divided students into 9 sections

• Tenth teacher became a technology teacher

working with students in a computer-enhanced

environment each day

• Along with computer skills and keyboarding,

students work on integrated activities and

projects

• Homeroom teachers

attend most Tech

classes with students

for a daily “inservice”

• Sharing of resources, materials, and strategies

• Collaboration of all teachers in a grade level

• Consistency of experiences for all students

• All students feel a sense of place and

belonging

• Balanced class sizes

• Some encore courses

benefit from less travel

time, ie. Band,

Enrichment

• Tech projects are designed to connect with

what students are working on in reading,

math, science, social studies, and

language.

• One fourth grade lab

and four mobile labs

• Smartboards in every

classroom

• Smart Sync in lab

• Three Smart Response systems

Integrated Activities / Projects:

• All activities and projects begin with the

standards being covered in the classroom.

• How can we collaborate and use technology

to enhance classroom learning and promote

21st Century skills?

Famous South Dakotans Brochures

• Research the life

of a well-known

person from our

state

• Design a brochure

using Publisher that tells about the

life of a famous

South Dakotan

Senator Johnson Senator Thune

Amazing Animal Power Points

• Research the classifications, habitat, diet,

etc. of an amazing, unique animal

• Create a Power Point using the research

• Share a class presentation

Examples

Power Point Youblisher

http://www.youblisher.com/

Tagxedo http://www.tagxedo.com/

Character

Poster

• Select a favorite character from

a story

• Using Word, create a poster

that uses a variety of elements,

ie. page border, table, text

boxes, Word Art, shapes

• Illustrate the qualities, interests,

and personality of this character

• Use examples from the story,

plus make inferences using

what you know about the

character and your background

knowledge

Sioux Valley Energy Contest

• Create a poster with

an electrical safety

message

• Use Word and the shape and

drawing tools to create entries

• One of the entries won a top prize

and became a billboard along

Highway 14

Video of other

entries online

Lewis and Clark Documentaries • Working in collaborative

groups, research a topic

related to the Lewis and

Clark expedition • Louisiana Purchase

• Plants and Animals

• Hardships

• Write a script and find pictures, maps,

drawings, etc. to illustrate script

• Use Photo Story to create a video,

including recorded narration

Examples

Geometry Collage

• Create a collage of

geometric shapes

using Publisher

• Use shape tools, color,

and lines to illustrate

the required shapes

• Create a table as a

key to explain colors

and lines

Examples

South Dakota Poetry • Following a variety of

class activities featuring

styles of poetry and

figurative language, as

well as units on South

Dakota history in social

studies, create 4-5 poems

about South Dakota

• Select one poem to revise,

edit, and publish using

Word Examples

http://www.prairieplay.org/

http://www.hearwho.com/

Tristan.mp3

http://storybird.com/

tarheelreader.org

A few “cool tools” to try…

Smyface

screenr Smart Sync

Animoto Smilebox

Cool Timer

Visitimer Fences

Smart Sync - Monitor

Smart Sync - Broadcast

Smart Sync – Lock, Block, Announce, Vote

Smart Sync – Send a link

Smart Sync - Collaborate

Smyface

screenr

Animoto

Smilebox

Cool Timer

Sounds

Message

Visitimer

Fences

Other Resources:

• Website - http://st005.k12.sd.us/

• Blog - http://turnipseedsu.edublogs.org/

• Fourth Grade Projects Website - http://local.brookings.k12.sd.us/grade4/

• Email – Sue.Turnipseed@k12.sd.us