How Does Technology Cause Change?

For you Kinder Teachers in RRISD, Here are some ideas for your unit on "How Technology Causes Change"

A reminder of TEKS:   The student will (content)…
• Identify examples of technology used in the home and school (13A)
• Describe how technology helps accomplish specific tasks (13B)
• Describe how his/her life might be different without modern technology (14A)
• List ways in which technology meets people's needs (14B)

Technology Causes Change – Include lists generated by students like: computers, microwaves, telephone, light bulb, air conditioning; Include technology that changes the way people work; example: broom vs. vacuum cleaner, wood stove vs. microwave.  Identify how technology is used in home and school.

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES:

• Identify technology devices at home and at school.
• Describe how the use of tools and machines can be helpful or harmful.
• Identify materials that can be reused and/or recycled
• Model what it was like for teachers vs now and the technology changes in school. Examples – Markers weren’t invented, paste then -- now glue sticks, no Velcro on shoes.... Make a language experience chart listing out changes in technology for current kindergartners and other adults (teachers, parents, librarian). Could be an interview or could even be part of the Research strand of the ELAR-TEKS. Transfer learning to kidspiration or kidpix drawing.
• Gather information about examples of technology through a field trip around the school or just in your room and list all the technology that made life easier or better and make sure they explain why. Then they could explain what life would be like or what they would have to do if they didn't have it.
• Discuss and discover before and after pictures. Show ways people used to count and add (abacus, then adding machine, then calculator). Show how people used to get messages to other people (letters, pony express, Morse code, email, texting--also old phones vs. cell phones). Show how people kept things cold (in caves, on ice, refrigerator). And so on

Online Resources:

Activities for Students:
• Matching Game 1 Online (Matching then and now objects)
• Matching Game 2 Online (Matching then and now objects)
Teacher Resources:
• http://www.fotosearch.com/clip-art/old-technology.html (images of old technology)
• http://pbskids.org/wayback/tech1900/index.html WayBack Technology. Created for kids, to difficult for Kinder to read, but can use some ideas from it.

• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124251060 The Jobs of Yesteryear: Obsolete Occupations.  Great images and audio of individuals who held these jobs.

Thank you to Callison Kinder Team and the wonderful ITSs and Inst. Coaches who contributed ideas!

How Does Technolgy Affect our School?