INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Since many who read this may be unfamiliar with the teaching methodologies at the Kindergarten level, I have included an entire unit of several lessons in our study of the life cycle of the butterfly, including information about the types of activities that would lead up to the final assessment. I have integrated every aspect of the NTeQ Model into this unit at some point, as is feasible at this level of instruction. It doesn’t follow the exact pattern of the published NTeQ Model, but is valid for this age level, which I think is the intent of the authors of our text. (Morrison, G. and Lowther, D. (2010). Integrating Technology into the Classroom: Skills for the 21st Century, Fourth Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.)

Many Kindergarteners are just learning verbal communication skills, social behaviors and independent thinking skills, so cooperative group activities are limited in scope. Inquiry is modeled and encouraged throughout every activity. Differentiation is continually practiced by teacher-directed, leveled small groups for Reading and multi-level ability grouping as needed for student-centered inquiry in the other content areas. I have embedded the differentiation strategies and thinking skills used and learning modalities addressed in completing each activity throughout these unit activities. Kindergarten students practice developing social skills along with critical, creative, and independent thinking in collaborative groups during content area and play centers (blocks, home living, art, etc), which are both part of our daily schedule.

Kindergarten, by design, is student-centered; and various technologies are integrated across the curriculum during whole-group meetings and center rotations daily. From what I’ve learned about student-centered technology-integration in this class, the main change that needs to happen in my Kindergarten class is for the technology center to have more focused lessons for students to complete than just playing drill and practice games, although these still have a place. That is what I have tried to do in several lessons within this unit. I will be more diligent to plan technology-integrated lessons that require students to use creative and critical thinking at the computer now that I understand how critical those skills are, even for early learners!

I hope you enjoy this unit, and that you have an enlightened or renewed understanding for how much FUN teaching Kindergarten can be! Thank you for taking the time to examine my work. You are welcome to use any part in teaching your own class as long as you are careful to quote the sources I obtained my information from and do not charge for the use of material that you pass on from those sources.

Cheryl Robinson 